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Katrina Cottage raises standards for affordable Mississippi housing

By Tom Kelly, Wednesday, March 1, 2006.

The cute, cozy proposed alternative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency hurricane relief trailer along the Mississippi Gulf Coast could also be a huge boon to the second home and retirement home markets around the country.

Representatives from the Mississippi rebuilding effort have begun a huge recruiting effort to bring builders, suppliers, interior designers, developers and architects to the state's 11 coastal communities to help put its hurricane-devastated coastline back together.

"August 29 changed our state and it changed our lives," said Marty Milstead, exe  more...

Remodeling basement into bedroom a feasability issue

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, March 1, 2006.

Q: We plan to move in six to eight months and are looking at older houses in a town where many of the houses are two stories and built into a hillside.

The first story is often a garage-basement with the back half or third of the space open to the dirt hillside under the house. One home we liked had two bedrooms, and I thought of making a third bedroom in the basement area.

When we seriously start looking, is it reasonable or possible to make a third bedroom out of this type of space?  more...

Costco parking, restrooms spark lawsuit from unhappy customer

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, March 1, 2006.

Tony Harris is a paraparetic (someone with partial paralysis of lower extremities). He uses a wheelchair for mobility. While visiting his brother, 600 miles away from his home, Harris joined the local Costco Warehouse Club.

He alleged he was unable to find a vacant handicapped parking space at Costco so he had to park his car in a general parking space at some distance from the store.  more...

Land contract real estate sale not always a sweet deal

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, March 1, 2006.

DEAR BOB: Please explain the pros and cons of a land contract home sale. --Dan McF.

DEAR DAN: I do not recommend land contracts, also known as contracts for deed, installment-sales contracts, agreements for sale, and a zillion other names.

Purchase Bob Bruss reports online.

The basic land contract concept is the seller retains title and the buyer makes monthly payments to the seller.  more...