Happenings Homes Plus March-April 2019

CARPET
SALE

2$ 99
SQ FT
Installed With Pad

In-Stock

8005 Sheridan RoaGdli•nKkenosha, WI

(262)658-1000

FREE

March 14th - April 10th, 2019
Volume 19 - Issue 3

Grace Parrish of RealtyPro
wants to help you find the
home of your dreams

The home is in rough shape If you truly appreciate magnificent sunrises
and the neighborhood isn’t over Lake Michigan, this gorgeous
the best. Is is worth it to fix
it up or sell it ‘as is’? four-bedroom home, in Carol Beach with
............................page 6 nearly an entire east wall of windows,
is calling your name!
Simple steps to keep your
drains clog free .......page 7 PLUS • Area Property Listings
• Monthly Mortgage Calculator
Smart decisions and good
planning is essential to a • Kenosha County Home Sales
successful new garage
...........................page 10 • Financial Q&A

How much home insurance is
really enough? .......page 11

Keep your tools organized!
You will be happy you did
when searching for that elu-
sive 3/8” socket .....page 15

Magnificent Carol Beach home is perfect for

that person in love with Lake Michigan

end of the homes in Carol Beach. It is appliances and an island with six tall

located at 8717 Lakeshore Drive, and chairs.

as the name of the street suggests, On the main level is the master suite,
a grandiose room worthy of royalty — a
this home sits right along the radiant full bath and two huge walk-in closets.
The upper area does not encompass the
Lake Michigan. Realtors, home entire home, due to the high sweeping
ceilings — there is an open office area
buyers, and sellers all talk about as well as a second bedroom with a
bath.
curbside appeal when a house is on
The lower level equally compliments
the market - and to be completely the rest of the home, with a second
kitchen and second gas fireplace, a
honest - this home doesn’t really have family room, and two bedrooms with
private bathrooms. I almost forgot to
much of that. From the street, the mention this home has it’s own
elevator!
home appears to be quite modest,
Of course, we need to get to the
almost quaint. There is a charming magnificent Lake Michigan,

Even the smaller bedrooms in the lower level line of small windows above the 2.5
car attached garage and a pair of
have great windows and a patio door

The Carol Beach neighborhood traces podiums frame the main entrance.
its roots to 1924, the year that Edith Other than that, a potential buyer of
Rockefeller McCormick of Chicago, the this home may just be not feeling it
daughter of John D. Rockefeller and when they pull up to the house. But let
daughter-in-law of reaper me assure you, once you step into this

inventor Cyrus McCormick, and this home really knows

purchased a 1,554-acre land where it is located. It uses

parcel to start a new every possible way to take

community which was to have advantage of the dynamic

its own business district, golf view. There are multiple doors

course and playground, and its which lead out to the back

homes were to be constructed area. On the main level is a

in the Tudor style. A street luxurious wrap-around porch.

network was installed, with On the east side of the house,

Lake Shore Drive as the main the lower level opens up at

thoroughfare. ground level, and it has it’s

When the Great Depression own access, with doors off of

struck, McCormick's debts each lower bedroom. An

mounted and the project impressive stone walkway

collapsed. The curbs and streets leads one down to the lakefront

leading nowhere were the only Don’t let the fantastic lake view take you away from the awesome itself for a closer look at the
visible reminders of the failed waves crashing upon the
bamboo floors and open concept main level.
beach.
project until 1946, when local home, you will be blown away by how

real-estate investor and developer magnificent it is - and as a homeowner, This is a truly breathtaking home and

Joseph Shaffron bought it and renamed do you spend more time sitting on the is currently priced at $1,400,000. For a
it "Carol Beach" for his young daughter. curb looking at your home, or actually closer look, please call Grace Parrish of
RealtyPro at 262-914-5338.
The area is one of the most significant inside of it enjoying your castle?

wetland areas in the United States and Walking inside this home and you By Jason Hedman
was largely protected through a
compromise land use agreement. Today will be mesmerized by its open
many of the areas that can be
developed have been, and the state of concept - the rooms are so open they
Wisconsin and the Nature conservancy
continue to buy remaining properties seem to reach infinitely across the lake.
for prairie land preservation. Carol
Beach is now a neighborhood in the Dozens of windows grace its east side,
Village of Pleasant Prairie. It’s homes
exemplify the rich and eccentric history creating a near-entire wall of windows.
of the neighborhood with homes
ranging in nearly any reasonable price The kitchen, dining, and living areas
range.
all flow together with almost a loft-like
This month’s home sits on the higher-
feeling. The high ceilings expose the

second floor hall and stairway. In the

living area, a charming gas fireplace is

ready to keep you warm on a cold

Wisconsin night and the bamboo

floors compliment the modern look. A hot cup of cocoa would go great on the deck
The kitchen features stainless steel on a day like this - but summer IS COMING!

Page 2 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS HP

Grace Parrish of RealtyPro talks
about how she got in real estate

I picked up a hobby of

purchasing homes, rehabbing

them and becoming a landlord.

While I was doing this I thought

maybe I should become a real

estate agent. I could be on top of

the things from the ground up. So

in 1985, I took the real estate

classes that were offered at

Gateway and became a Broker in

the real estate world. Now being

green I decided I would work for

a real estate company before

going out on my own. I found real

Grace Parrish estate to be very fascinating.
Hours were flexible and I

technically was my own boss. You could go into work or you

could stay home (although the later wasn’t a very good idea

for one found out very quickly if you didn’t go into work

you didn’t make any money).

One of the things I remember my grandmother saying was Phone 262.515.6486 Apply online
“education could never be taken away from you,” and Branch NMLS# 1154232 bkovachik.cmgfi.com
therefore shortly after receiving my license I took my first [email protected]
course in real estate and received my first designation
Graduate Realtor Institute, also known as GRI. I have taken 082417
several other designation courses throughout my real estate
career such as SRES, AWHD, PMN and MRP to name a few. MONTHLY MORTGAGE CALCULATOR
I have been President of the Southshore Realtors Association
and Director and I have received the following awards: With this chart it’s easy to compute what your monthly mortgage payment would
Realtor of the Year, Humanitarian, Top Best Agent for 2018 be. Multiply the factor by the number of thousands in the loan amount to calcu-
and 2019 and “Strathmore Who’s Who Worldwide”. late the monthly payment.
For Example:
My favorite part of being a real estate agent is you get to 30-year mortgage of $80,000 at 7.0%, multiply 6.66 x 80 = $532.80

help people find the “home of their dreams.” It’s big step for Intrst Rt 30 Yrs 15 Yrs 10 Yrs

a lot of people. It’s one of their biggest investments of their 3.00% $3.37 $5.52 $7.72
3.25% $3.48 $5.62 $7.81
lives and being part of that has brought great satisfaction. 3.50% $4.49 $7.14 $9.88
3.75% $4.63 $7.27 $10.00
It brings me great joy when I talk with my clients a few 4.00% $4.77 $7.39 $10.12
months later and they tell me they just love their home. My 4.25% $4.91 $7.52 $10.24
philosophy is “Do your best and God will help with the 4.50% $5.06 $7.64 $10.36
rest”. He has, I have wonderful clients who love seeing me 4.75% $5.21 $7.77 $10.48
succeed. 5.00% $5.38 $7.91 $10.61
5.25% $5.52 $8.04 $10.73
Real estate is hot right now. Kenosha and Racine are 5.50% $5.68 $8.17 $10.85
growing with Uline, Amazon, Harbro, two major hospitals 5.75% $5.84 $8.03 $10.98
expanding and many more exciting things happening in 6.00% $6.00 $8.44 $11.11
both cities and surrounding communities where they are
making adjustments to help grow, expand and work MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 3
together I’m glad to be a part of it.

My greatest joy is my two daughters (Michelle and

Stephanie) and my beautiful grandchildren (Alysha, Josh,

Kylie, Aiden, Ethan and Brady) who bring so much

happiness into my life. I enjoy working on puzzles and

hitting a few golf balls. I am also a breast cancer survivor.

Life is good and I am so blessed.

By Grace Parrish

For all your real estate needs, call Grace Parrish of
RealtyPro at 262-914-5338.

HP

Luxury bomb shelter list-
ed for $18M in Las Vegas

tune in to A Las Vegas home listed for $18 million is going viral due to its
unusual location -- inside an underground bomb shelter.
Margaret Jacobson
The home, listed by Stephan M-LaForge of Berkshire
Thursday, March 28th Hathaway, features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a guest house,
at 2 p.m. when our a pool, a spa, an artificial lawn and artificial trees -- all located
real estate experts underground. M-LaForge's listing states the "concrete and steel
join the show: doomsday bunker was designed to survive cataclysmic events in
Michael Gniot comfort." The property features 500 linear feet of floor to ceiling
Margaret Jacobson, murals featuring artificial city and mountain views, as well as
RE/Max Newport Elite lighting designed to simulate sunrise, daytime and sunset.
Michael Gniot,
Shorewest Realtors The home, which was built in the 1960s, has gone viral online,
& Melissa Roach-Zievers, with many noting the similarities between the underground
RE/Max Newport Elite bunker and the fictional underground home where Brendan
Melissa Roach-Zievers Fraser's character was raised in 1999 romantic comedy Blast
from the Past.
Page 4 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS
Florida house flippers
find possible Civil War
Medal of Honor

A Florida couple clearing out a house they bought made an
unexpected discovery: a suspected U.S. military Medal of Honor
from the Civil War. Erin and Michael Kara said they bought the
Orlando home with the intention of flipping it and they set about
clearing out the belongings from the previous owner, who had
died.

The couple said they opened a box and found what they
believe to be a Medal of Honor dating from Abraham Lincoln's
presidency. The medal bears the name Mark Wood, and online
records indicate a man by that name was one of the first-ever
Medal of Honor recipients in the 1860s.

"We called it the treasure house when we were working on it
because there were so many treasures in there," Erin Kara told
WKMG-TV. "When I saw it, I didn't even know what it was. But
to look it up -- and I mean, I researched a lot -- to get the
background, you know, education on it, from finding it was
pretty cool."

The couple said they are considering donating the medal to a
museum.

"Just the uniqueness of it and, you know, after researching, I
saw there was only, I think, 3,500 ever awarded, and Abraham
Lincoln would have been the one to give this one out, so it's
kind of a big deal," Erin Kara said.

HP

HP031419

HP MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 5

Should you fix up a home or sell 'as is'?

We recently received a letter from a woman who key number to ask about is the "average days on market." If the
average amount of days on market is less than 45, you're working
was selling her late sister's home. She said the with a very fast market. If homes are sitting for longer than 90
home was in bad shape, in a declining days, it's a neutral to slow market.
neighborhood, and she wondered whether the
3. What types of homes are selling? Once you've established how
Ilyce Glink family would do better by fixing up the home or quickly the market is moving, it's important to understand what
selling it in "as is" condition. There are types of homes are selling and which are sitting. Ask for "comps,"
apparently eight heirs, and no clear consensus on which are recent sales of homes that the agents think are
comparable to yours and take a deep dive when looking at the
how to move forward. listing descriptions. (Due to some recent changes in how websites
list properties that have recently sold, you may not be able to see
We focused our answer on the question of who photos of homes that have already closed. You should spend more
actually owned the property because the person time chatting with the agents about these homes, so you have an
who inherits the property would drive the understanding of what condition they were in when they were for
sale.)
decision-making. Did that person have the time or
cash available to fix up the property? Is the 4. How does your home compare to those that are selling? It
inheritance contested? Will the eight people who doesn't matter what the identical home would sell for in a
different neighborhood, because you can't move your house. So if,
will inherit the property all be involved in the like our correspondent, you find your home is located in a
Samuel J. Tamkin decision-making? And, since any proceeds would declining neighborhood, you're less likely to get more for the
property whether you're selling in "as is" or top-notch condition.
immediately have to pay off outstanding debts If homes that are renovated or are at least updated are selling and
homes in "as is" condition are sitting, you may have your answer
before being distributed to the heirs, how much debt does the -- particularly if you hope to sell quickly.
estate owe?
But if you live in a gentrifying neighborhood, where property
Those issues alone would be enough to prompt an "as is" sale in prices are rising, developers might be looking for homes to
renovate and flip for a quick profit. In that case, you could
many families. probably get a better multiple for doing a moderate upgrade
yourself (provided you have the cash) but could still sell quickly
But some readers felt we never fully answered the question of in "as is" condition. Now, dig in a little deeper.
whether it's better to sell in "as is" condition, perhaps to a
developer who might tear down the property, or invest the cash to 5. How much fixing up will you have to do? Ask the agent if your
home would sell for more if fixed up and what the agent thinks
get the property up to code. you should do to improve both the home sale timeline and
ultimate net price you receive. Do you need to do a major or minor
It's a question almost every seller faces, so, if you're hoping to remodel of the kitchen and bathrooms, or can you get away with
sell this year, consider the following issues: spending a few thousand bucks to repaint, replace a few light
fixtures, re-grout bathroom tiles, and clean the carpet and floors?
1. Who is successful at selling homes like yours in your The agents you interview should be able to give you some help
here.
neighborhood? Before you make the decision on fixing up your
home or selling it in "as is" condition, interview a number of See FIX OR AS IS on page 8 for more
locally successful agents to find out more about the neighborhood.

If you don't know who is successful, start by looking for the
companies that seem to list the most properties in your
neighborhood. Call and talk with the managing broker about your

home and the neighborhood, and ask for an introduction to an
agent who is locally successful.

2. How quickly are homes selling? This is the key question to
understanding the condition of your neighborhood real estate

market. Ask various agents: Are offers being generated in minutes,
or do sellers have to wait six to nine months for a single offer? The

Page 6 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS HP

Ask The Builder

e How to keep kitchen and
g
bath drains clog free
0
Tim Carter

w

t Yesterday I was Now think about the
lowly kitchen or
perusing a national news bathroom sink drain
pipe. Just behind the
e website whose headlines wall of the sink, there's
probably a horizontal
e more and more seem to 1.5-inch-diameter pipe.
Plumbers call this a
s resemble those of a branch arm. That
horizontal pipe in a
e sensational supermarket

e tabloid. Being a

n syndicated newspaper

r columnist, I find this

transition most

t interesting. kitchen should travel no
a One particular headline more than 42 inches
before connecting to a
blared about the five vertical pipe, a stack,
that should be at least 2
a things you should NEVER inches in diameter.
e put down your kitchen Bathroom sink drains
almost always connect
drain. I've been a master to another 1.5-inch-
diameter vertical stack
d plumber since age 29 and instead of a 2-inch one.
r have had the very good
Imagine the size of
fortune to replace old solid material that can
pass through the branch
y kitchen drain lines and arms to the stacks with
o unclog newer ones little effort if enough
d choked with gunk and water is assisting in the
e who-knows-what. I process. In other words, a green pea should have no problems
passing through a kitchen drain pipe.
y thought I might discover
something I didn't know. Here are some best practices to keep your kitchen and bathroom
sink drains clog-free for decades now that you understand how
r While there were one or things pass through pipes.
s two good tips in the
d article, a few of them had me scratching my head wondering if the
r author had ever cleaned out a residential drain line to a kitchen
h or bathroom sink. I decided to share with you my experiences
t with residential drain lines and let you apply your own common

sense. Beware, as a few of the details I'm about to relate might

p make you squirm just a bit. Never allow grease to go down a drain. It solidifies and will clog
It's useful to understand what the inside of drain pipes look like drain pipes. I set aside used paper towels in my kitchen that are
quite clean to sop up liquid grease from cooking pots and pans.
when new and what they look like after decades of use. New cast These towels are then thrown in the garbage.

iron, copper, galvanized iron and plastic drain lines are quite

smooth on the inside of the pipe. You want smooth-bore pipe so Never allow flour and egg mixtures into your kitchen sink
nothing gets snagged. drains. Dump as much of this as possible into the garbage. Don't
allow clumps of flour to enter the drain. Fill the kitchen sink with
Unfortunately, a characteristic of older galvanized iron pipe is

that it starts to develop a rough inner surface that actually starts water halfway and wash and emulsify the flour coating on the
to get clogged from small debris that grows hard-water deposits pans and bowls. Pull the sink stopper and allow this fine slurry to
on the inside of the pipe wall. I've cut out galvanized iron drain rush down the drain into the main building drain. As crazy as it

lines from kitchen and bath walls, and the entire inside of the pipe sounds, flush a nearby toilet to send the slurry on its way to the

is choked off with this hard calcified buildup. sewer plant or septic tank.

Fortunately, galvanized pipe is rarely used now and it can be Keep the basket strainer in your kitchen sink strainer and allow

found in older homes built between 1900 and the late 1950s. it to capture larger food debris. Dump the debris in the garbage,

Plastic plumbing drain lines swept the industry by storm in the don't use your fingers to push it through the slots in the strainer
1960s and have become the go-to material for almost all sending it down the drain.
residential plumbing drain installations.
If you use a disposer in your kitchen, fill your sink with water
I want to briefly discuss the size of pipes and what passes about halfway before you turn on the disposer. Remove the

through them with little effort. The drain pipe beneath the toilet disposer drain cover and turn on the disposer. The giant slug of
in your home is most likely a 3-inch-diameter pipe. Your body, on water will carry the sludge into the main building drain under
a regular basis, produces solid cylindrical waste that often might your home. All too often, homeowners turn off the water at the

be 1 and 1/4-inches in diameter. You then add paper waste to the sink too early, allowing the kitchen drain pipe to have a liquid
toilet bowl, flush it, and magically all of this ends up in a septic slurry laying in the pipes.
tank or your city's sewage treatment plant.
See DRAINS on page 8 for more

HP MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 7

NEWPORT ELITE Fix or ‘as-is’? continued from page 6

Larry Stenholt 6. How much profit can you make? If it turns out that your
neighborhood is improving and all sorts of renovated and
7520-39th Ave. • Kenosha, WI 53142 unrenovated homes are in demand, then it's about the price
(262) 945-1465 • MovingKenosha.com differential: How much more money you could sell your home
for if you renovate, and will the net profit you earn on those
First Time Offered renovations be worth the time, trouble and risk that things might
not turn out as planned? While these are tough questions to
Prairie Village West answer, you're better off facing them now, before you start
writing checks.
Highly sought after Ranch Style
2 Bdrm, 2 Bath. Full Basement 7. Do you really have the time to handle the renovation?
Popular "fix and flip" shows make renovating seem easy. And
with English Windows plus fast. In most cases, it's anything but. So you have to be brutally
roughed in for additional Bath. honest with yourself about how much cash you're willing to put
in, what time frame you're looking at, who you have to hire to
2 car attached garage. either do the work or manage the people who are going to do the
work, and a hundred other little details. (Tread carefully if you
Call Larry Now! have a full-time job, a spouse or partner, and small children
running around; and, no matter what, prepare to be exhausted at
The Price is Right!! the end of it.)

5924 83rd PL. 8. Do the numbers add up? Understand what your home in "as
4 Bedroom 2 Story with Over is" condition would sell for and what it could sell for once it is
fixed up. Then, understand exactly what the costs would be to
2200 sq ft of living area. fix up the property, and the cost of carrying the home while
Features Family Room with you're fixing it up. (It could take an extra two to three months
Fireplace. Nice size kitchen with before you list your home, depending on how long it takes to find
conter space and abundance of the right tradespeople, pick everything out and get started.)
cabinets. Nice size Owners Suite Sharpen your pencil, and then do your best guess as to whether
with walk-in Closet. Basement the profit you'll get is worth the time, energy and cash you'll
Rec room, Fenced Yard. spend to get there.

Price: $259,000 By Ilyce Glink & Samuel J. Tamkin

Price Reduced $134,900 Ilyce Glink is the author of "100 Questions Every First-Time
Home Buyer Should Ask" (4th Edition). She is also the CEO of
Pending 1709 79th St. Best Money Moves, an app that employers provide to employees
Will get you this Great to measure and dial down financial stress. Samuel J. Tamkin is
Solid Brick 2 Bedroom
Bungalow with a great a Chicago-based real estate attorney. Contact Ilyce and Sam
South Side location. through her website, ThinkGlink.com.

Newer updated Drains continued from page 7
Bathroom, Newer
Furnace & Air. Newer Once a month pour a gallon of boiling water down your kitchen
Roof, And Maitenance and bathroom sink. This hot water can dissolve rogue grease that
somehow makes it into the drain, and it can dissolve some
free Trim. cosmetics that may be lurking in a bathroom drain.

6 Unit Motel on Chippewa River If you notice a bathroom sink is starting to drain more slowly,
take a few minutes and remove the stopper. The lever that makes
Over 200 feet of river frontage on 16 acre parcel. Includes 2 bdrm owners quarters. your drain stopper go up and down does a great job of capturing
6 units total. Additional workshop and garage bldgs. $269,900 Call Larry hair. It takes only minutes of your time to remove that lever and
any debris that's in the drain tailpiece where the lever operates.
Campbell Woods 1/2 Acre Wooded Vacant Property There are quite a few videos on YouTube showing you how to
easily remove and reinstall this simple part of a bathroom sink.
Sellers are looking for offers! 1.7 Acres Zoned M-1. Can be HP031419
Beautiful upgraded homes are in the subdivision divided. Only $149,000 Once a month pour a bucket of water into your sinks to get as
much water as possible flowing down the drain as fast as
possible. This is the closest thing you can do as a homeowner to
pressure wash the inside of drain lines. Doing this can save you
hundreds of dollars that you'd otherwise have to pay a drain-
cleaning service if you abuse your drain lines.

By Tim Carter
Subscribe to Tim's FREE newsletter and listen to his new

podcasts. Go to: https://www.AsktheBuilder.com.

Page 8 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS HP

HP MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 9

Ask The Builder

Building a garage?

Tim Carter Think carefully about space

DEAR TIM: I bought a house with a dilapidated The ceiling height in the garage should be given serious
detached garage on it. It needs to be torn down. Now's thought. Imagine having enough space to put in a loft that's 6 feet
my chance to construct a superb garage that will be 8 inches tall from the loft floor to the garage ceiling! You can have
the talk of the neighborhood. What size should it be? all sorts of extra storage up in a loft that's along the back wall of
I've got unlimited flat space and a healthy budget, so the garage. You just need to make sure there's enough headroom
don't hold back with your suggestions. What other under the loft floor so you can walk around under it.
design features might you suggest? --Stephanie G.,
Boise, Idaho I'd also give serious thought to the roof trusses. At the very
least, order storage trusses for even more bonus storage space. If
DEAR STEPHANIE: You'd be surprised how often you want living, office or hobby space above the garage, then
folks ask me for detached garage ideas. The second order attic trusses. The steeper the pitch of the garage roof, the
house I owned had one. The house and garage were larger a full-sized room can be inside the garage attic.
built in the early 1900s, and the garage was in great
condition. I know it's still standing to this day. It's a Plan for floor drains and shallow funnels under each vehicle
shame the previous owners allowed your garage to fall parking space. Snowmelt and water dripping from cars coming in
into disrepair. from the rain will not flow across the garage floor towards the
doors if you do this. Floor drains in garages seem to have been
Poor planning is the most common reason for kicked to the curb over the years and it's a massive mistake in my
dissatisfaction with both detached garages and homes opinion. Just ask anyone who's garage door bottom seal has
in general. The root of the problem is that most people frozen to the floor in mid-winter because of meltwater that was
are unable to visualize the space once it's complete. trying to get outside!
The second issue is if you look at an empty space, say
in a model home or a business that sells garage Don't skimp on the electric service you extend to the structure.
packages, your brain thinks the unfilled void will be I'd put in no less than 240 volts and 100 amps. This gives you
plenty big. The minimum size I'd make a detached plenty of power to use an electric welder or other hungry power
garage is 26 feet deep by 38 feet wide. tools that might be used in the garage. You can put in much
smaller service if you think you'll never have these big tools.
You're lucky that you have unlimited space, a
substantial budget, and a nice flat spot to build. The first thing you Radiant floor heat would be a delightful extra should you want
should do is make a list of all the things you plan to put in the to transform the garage into a workplace in the winter. You only
garage. I'm talking about all your landscape tools, mowers, snow get one chance to install the PEX tubing when you pour the
blowers, motorcycles, etc. Give some thought if you want a nice concrete slab. Don't forget to put in plenty of closed-cell foam
workbench in the garage as well. You may even want a small insulation under the slab if you decide to heat it.
bathroom and storage closet. Think big!
Tim Carter can call you on the phone for FREE to solve your
Using some large-format graph paper, start to develop a draft problem. Go to his website and fill out the form on this page:
plan of the space. Your challenge is to come up with a floor plan
that allows you to store all the things you want out of the elements https://www.askthebuilder.com
in such a way that you don't crowd anything. The ideal garage is
large enough that you can access anything without having to
climb over or move something else.

Garage door openings should be no less than 9-feet wide and 8-
feet tall. If you plan to have a full-size pickup truck, you'll never
regret having at least one door 10-feet wide. This allows you to
pull the truck in without folding back one of the large side mirrors.

Be sure to create a 3-foot minimum space between two side-by-
side garage doors. This allows you to open most car and truck
doors fully without any fear of dinging a vehicle parked in the
other garage bay.

The distance from the edges of the garage door openings to the
exterior walls should be a minimum of 5 feet. This distance allows
you to store garbage cans and similar-sized things along a wall
and still have enough space to open a car door to exit a vehicle
without being cramped for space.

The last garage I built for myself had plenty of space for a
workbench because I added 10 extra feet of width to the garage
between the one garage door and the exterior side wall. It seemed
like far too much space at the time, but I came to find out it was
perfect and allowed both a workbench along the wall and plenty
of space for a table saw and a few other stationary tools.

Page 10 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS HP

Insurance agent responds to question
regarding property replacement value

We recently wrote a column on home insurance Most insurance carriers are more than willing to review that
“Cost of Living” increase, and decrease coverage depending on
Ilyce Glink and how much coverage an insurance company how long the policy is in force. The longer the policy is in force,
may require a homeowner to have. We received the more out of whack the replacement cost will be, because of
several comments from readers that we’ll share the magic of compounding.

over the next few weeks. (Please note letters may You should also shop your homeowner insurance every year or
be edited for space or clarity. two. While that’s totally counter-productive, and there is equity in
a customer keeping the same carrier for many years, you may find
Q: I read your article in my local paper your carrier wants to keep a good customer and will reward him
regarding the question a customer had or her with a lower rate.
about the replacement value of his house
as it pertains to his homeowner policy. I felt your The suggestion that they could rebuild the house for a lot less is
answer could have been a lot better. I’ve been possible, but the owners would have to hire a contractor to do a
complete pro-forma on the rebuild, which is not time efficient. My
writing about home insurance for over 23 years; I suggestion of contacting the broker or carrier to review every facet
of the replacement cost is what he should have done. That’s the
Samuel J. Tamkin have my own insurance agency. correct answer, and that’s what we would have done if they were
What you should have said was that insurance my customer

companies insure property at the replacement value, not market A: Thanks for your thoughtful response. Our one concern
value, but depending on how long the policy is in force, insurance with your comment about how insurance companies raise
companies add 2 to 3 percent in coverage every year as an their rates annually is that we’ve seen increases in
policies that far outpace the rate of insurance and are far higher
inflation index. than the 2 to 3 percent cost of living increases that insurance
companies may place on policies.
So, if a customer has had a policy for 15 years with the same
carrier, and he hasn’t contacted the agent or company about We do agree that it can be a real pain to get new insurance
reviewing that “Cost of Living” increase, that’s a good first move. policies for both home and auto (since many homeowners co-buy
those policies from the same company in order to save money),
HP but if you don’t shop around you won’t know where the market is
in terms of pricing. If insurance companies gave existing
homeowners the benefit of lower pricing when they lowered their
rates, we’d feel differently about our advice to our readers. But we
still feel that our readers should know that the cost of their
insurance policies may increase annually and that they should
know to compare and shop around. They may not need to switch
carriers every year or two, but they at least will know that their
insurance carrier is pricing their policies in the ballpark.

But, the way you, as an insurance agent, deal with your
customers is welcome. You seem to have your customers’ interests
at heart and are willing to tell them whether switching would be
the right thing to do and when. Unfortunately, not every
homeowner has an insurance agent that is looking out for their
best interests.

We’ve seen situations where insurance agents have been happy
to let insurance policies increase in cost even when those
increases far outweigh the increases in construction costs and the
increases in the cost of living. It almost seems that the insurance
carrier was increasing the insurance premiums with the hope that
the homeowner would not switch carriers and simply keep the
customer for another year until the customer noticed.

And, yes, auto and homeowner insurance claims will affect that
homeowner’s ability to switch carriers. But if you don’t shop
around, you’ll never know what the possibilities are. It’s worth
being able to compare what you’re paying now and what you
would pay with a new carrier. If the difference in cost is significant
and the switch outweighs the time and effort, we think
homeowners should consider it.

Thanks for the comments. We invite other insurance agents to
share their perspective and experiences.

By Ilyce Glink & Samuel J. Tamkin

MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 11

Woman's 'I hate Iowa'
post draws attention to
house listing

An Iowa woman trying to sell her home
is going viral thanks to what was
supposed to be a joke post on Facebook
expressing her hatred for the state. Wendy
Lange posted a photo of herself in the
snow to Facebook that unexpectedly went
viral thanks to the text she included in the
image: "I hate Iowa, please buy my
house." Lange said she didn't realize the
photo was public, thinking it was just a joke for her son. The photo
went viral, however, bringing new interest to the listing for her
Vinton home. Lange said she and her husband built their home in
2004, but they are ready to move somewhere warmer.

"It's just too cold," Lange told KGAN-TV. "I don't really hate
Iowa." She said she was confused when her son told her that the
photo has been seen thousands of times. "As my son likes to call and
tell me, 'Mom, do you know you've gone viral?'" she said. "I said,
'What's viral?'"

Lange's real estate agent, Jami Gordon, said the viral post could
end up being a positive for the listing, despite its negative message.

"I think people are more or less going 'Ha ha, me too. I hate Iowa
because of these big snow drifts and all this ice and everything that's
happening this year,'" Gordon told the Des Moines Register. "I don't
think it's going to have a negative impact."

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HP MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 13

March 2019 Kenosha County Home Sales

Brighton $123,500:7407 18th Ave $183,900:2618 26th Ave $11,000:Lt268 69th St $245,000:8446 234th Ave
$132,000:1818 75th St $189,900:2810 23rd Ave $192,000:6213 248th Ave $175,000:Lt26 222nd Ave
$345,000:2511 280th Ave $139,900:4112 57th St $180,000:9017 16th Ave $217,500:24808 68th St $155,000:Lt9 226th Ave
$141,500:7319 36th Ave $190,000:4420 87th Pl $210,000:6048 245th Ave $105,000:7551 ShrwodDr
Bristol $137,500:1104 61st St $190,000:1925 80th Pl $116,000:12010 253rd Av
$132,000:2418 46th St $195,000:7603 33rd Ave Pleasant Prairie $10,500:Lt38 118th St
$1,870,000:00 77th St $137,500:2509 31st St $195,000:1618 12th Ave $25,000:Lt0 83rd St
$255,000:21210 117th St $149,000:7325 35th Ave $204,000:6025 57th Ave $415,422:4669 NCttageLn
$142,900:Lt30 Frdksbg Ct $122,500:7217 7th Ave $222,000:4232 89th St $412,000:8921 5th Ave Silver Lake
$230,000:13488 116th St $148,500:7710 19th Ave $239,900:7115 94th Ave $457,017:4671 NCttageLn
$240,000:7918 FrdksbgCt $145,000:1515 24th Ave $236,900:7117 96th Ave $1,242,000:4293 98th St $175,000:685 NCgswllDr
$294,000:10216 187th Ct $145,000:4206 60th St $234,900:7755 6th Ave $378,000:7298 91st Ave $120,000:216 E North St
$327,500:20922 81st St $153,200:7304 98th AveK $230,000:6568 5th Ave $340,000:8275 66th Ave $269,900:709 N School St
$355,000:8314 190th Ave $150,000:7936 30th Ave $257,000:10910 67th Pl $338,000:5109 104th St
$164,500:5627 47th Ave $256,900:3512 87th Pl $367,000:3332 109Th St Somers
Kenosha $153,700:5609 47th Ave $255,000:7003 64th Ave $287,900:10414 32nd Ave
$152,000:2509 34th St $279,000:6609 85th Ave $290,000:6315 104th St $370,000:1041 25th Ave
$4,295:7201GrnBayRdSW $157,000:7312 98th AvG $282,500:2710 28th Ave $329,900:2102 116th St $380,000:669 Wood Rd
$4,582:7201 GrnBayRdN $150,000:7413 15th Ave $290,000:6002 82nd Ave $241,000:4705 85th St $245,000:1441 95th Ave
$68,000:6354 23rd Ave $161,400:6049 46th Ave $130,000:13000 75th St $215,000:11239 39th Ave $124,000:2705 11th Pl
$45,000:2222 RseveltRd $158,000:5717 37th Ave $293,000:4515 89th St $230,000:9255 66th Ave $200,025:3201 100th Ave
$66,500:6825 24th Ave $159,000:7417 32nd Ave $329,900:2520 47th Ct $175,000:5021 Hrrisn Rd
$67,500:4906 19th Ave $158,000:2022 35th Pl $365,000:6127 GrnBayRd $187,000:5118 91st Pl Twin Lakes
$65,000:6327 27th Ave $169,900:7949 49th Ave $350,000:3120 80th St $89,900:Lt25 RidgewayCt
$83,000:2625 63rd St $166,500:6821 26th Ave $1,600,000:5407 8th Ave $109,900:Lt12 RidgewyCt $150,200:454 Waldeck Dr
$90,000:6833 24th Ave $164,000:5920 5th Ave $2,500:8501 75th St F $149,900:116 Chapel Ave
$113,500:1413 72nd St $175,900:7907 19th Ave Paddock Lake $147,500:1956 E LkshrDr
$79,000:3816 11th Ave $171,500:806 82nd St 5 Salem $170,000:1616 SwllowRd
$119,000:7113 23rd Ave $179,000:6112 50th Ave $110,000:6514 246th Ave $235,000:312 OkRidgeDr
$117,900:7114 24th Ave $175,500:6018 47th Ave $133,000:24818 72nd St $1,100,000:8353 FxRvrRd $3,000:511 Wilmot Ave
$116,500:6622 16th Ave $180,000:2902 24th St $136,500:24620 69th St $760,000:9127 222nd Ave $110,000:1513 Willow Rd
$120,000:4703 33rd Ave $176,500:3222 55th Ct $179,000:24219 77th St $35,500:27025 97th St $248,000:339 Stohr Ave
$126,000:5427 32nd Ave $11,000:Lt267 69th St $415,000:8200 216th Ave $325,000:730 Meadow Ct
$124,000:1717 65th St $359,000:22513 86th Pl
$120,000:1907 60th St $360,000:8421 FxRvrRd

Hello,

Neighbor.

Rob Fleming, Agent

3404 Roosevelt Road
Kenosha, Wi 53142

Bus: 262-656-1414

[email protected]
Mon-Fri 9:00am to 5:00pm
other times by appointment

HP101118

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KENOSHA APPLIANCE PARTS

262-657-7329

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The information contained herein is provided for general information purposes only. If any of the above information is material or being utilized to determine whether to pur-
chase the property, the buyer should personally verify same or have it confirmed by a qualified expert. The information to independently verify and confirm includes but is
not limited to total square footage formula, total square footage / acreage figures, land, building or room dimensions and all other measurements of any sort or type. Equal
housing opportunity listing. Copyright 2018 by Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Prepared by Southshore REALTORS Association, Inc.

Page 14 MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS HP

Ask The Builder

Rolling cabinet, pegboard

Tim Carter are great ways to organize tools

Q: Tim, I lost it last weekend. After I cooled down I the tool to its holder after using it. If you don't do this religiously,
realized I had no one to blame but myself. I spent two you'll still have blood pressure and anger management problems.
hours looking for a hand tool I know was somewhere in
my garage, basement or shed. I finally found it in my truck. The metal pegboard couldn't hold all my tools and I still had
Anyway, I've got a mound of tools that are covering my some confusion. Believe it or not, it took many more years until I
workbench. Everything is scattered. If you've ever struggled with finally solved all my hand tool woes. Just last year I took
hand tool organization, how in the world did you solve the possession of a rolling double-decker tool cabinet that has 21
problem? How do you store your hand tools? --Andy P., Scranton, storage drawers and compartments.
Pa.
Auto mechanics have used these cabinets for years and now I
A: I've got no problem baring my soul. I used to have the know why. They are so very handy and well designed. The height
same problem. Here's how I finally stopped going on and width of the drawers match exactly the size of the most
adventures trying to find my own hand tools. common hand tools. If you put the right tools in the right drawers,
While I was still a full-time builder I had the most wonderful there's virtually no wasted space.
truck. It had a pickup-truck cab but a utility body sat on the
chassis. Truck utility bodies have large rectangular cabinets on I took the time to set up my cabinet so the most-used hand tools
each side of the body that make use of the void space otherwise are in the drawers that are the easiest to access. I urge you to shop
wasted by the normal pickup truck bed body. around and give the metal pegboard and rolling tool cabinets a
Plumbers, heavy construction crews and electric utility serious look. You'll never ever regret having both
companies love utility bodies. The cabinets contain shelves and I
had all my hand tools organized so I could find them blindfolded. Q: I've decided to install some interlocking laminate floor
But I realize you'll probably never have a truck with this handy in a small getaway room for myself. I've never attempted
setup. a project like this but I'm quite good at following
About 20 years ago I was at the National Hardware Show and I instructions. What can you share about laminate flooring so I'm
saw the most innovative pegboard. It was made from metal and it sitting sipping tea in my new room as soon as possible? --Evelyn
had unique clips of every size, shape and design to hold any W., Mt. Desert, Maine
imaginable hand tool. The metal panels and clips could be had in
different colors and everything was powder coated for durability. A: I'm honored when anyone asks for help so they can do
I got some of this equipment and covered one wall in my garage a job they've never tried before. There's something
with it. Within a few hours, I had my most-needed hand tools up magical about standing back looking at a completed job
in plain sight. Fortunately, I was already in the habit of returning and reflecting how you did it with your hands and intellect! I still
do that to this day, and my wife just shakes her head watching me
HP stare at my work.

The most important things to do when installing a laminate floor
are to read the instructions and to follow them. A friend of mine
and her boyfriend installed some in a small house one weekend in
a rush.

They thought they knew how to do it. A month later she called
me begging for help. She wanted to know how to get rid of the
clicking sound the floor made as they walked across it. They had
installed the laminate on an uneven floor. I lightly scolded her,
told her how to fix it, and she's never called me again.

Laminate floors need to be installed on flat surfaces with no
humps or dips. Flat doesn't mean level, although a flat and level
floor would be best! Maintain the spacing the instructions call out
when you put the new floor next to the current baseboard.
Laminate needs room to expand. Don't skip the foam
underlayment many laminates require. This simple product is
there for a reason.

Remember that when you cut a piece to end a row, there's a
good chance the cutoff piece can be used to start the next row.
This means there's very little waste. I can't wait for you to send
me a photo of you relaxing in a chair sitting on your new floor! I
love the oak laminate floor in my man cave!

By Ilyce Glink & Samuel J. Tamki

Ilyce Glink is the author of "100 Questions Every First-Time
Home Buyer Should Ask" (4th Edition). She is also the CEO of
Best Money Moves, an app that employers provide to employees to
measure and dial down financial stress. Samuel J. Tamkin is a
Chicago-based real estate attorney. Contact Ilyce and Sam through

her website, ThinkGlink.com.n

MARCH 14 - APRIL 10, 2019 HOMESPLUS Page 15

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