GROW
TRUE LOVE
& SWEAT EQUITY
ARMENTS
REMODEL
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Wallowa County Chieftain
T
hey say the worst thing a new-
ly wed couple can do is re-
model together.
“That’s what they
say,” agrees Steve Ar-
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“But, Steve could do it,” adds
his new bride, Joella. “And
we both wanted to save this
house. It’s very rewarding to
see it come back to life.”
The house the couple have chosen to
resurrect — and resurrect is not too strong
a word — is a three-story monster on 10 acres
outside of Lostine. The sprawling 4,700-square-foot,
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the crossroads of Jimtown Road and Haun Lane in 1908. It dou-
bled in size after the move. In its heyday it was the premier home in
the tiny town of Evans.
The town of Evans is long gone, and the house almost disappeared, too. It
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nearly destroyed.
After that, it was neglected, though sometimes occupied, for nearly 50 years. Steve saw
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but it was locked in a trust and not for sale.
Years passed and then Steve fell in love with Joella, a vi-
brant woman who was up to the challenge the
house presented.
See REMODEL, Page B5
This is
the view
newlywed
Joella Arment
enjoyed for the
first few months
of her marraige to Steve.
The couple lived in a camp
trailer outside the ruined
home until they could
remodel it sufficiently to
make it safe to occupy.
F IXER - UPPER
TIPS IRUDKRPH RENOVATION
DQG REFURBISHMENT SURMHFW
Are you a handyman or
woman inspired by the cable
television shows that portray
renovation and refurbishment
projects as simple, straight-
forward experiences?
There are
some common
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may signal that
you’re in over
your head.
Not
only
could
these
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sues reduce or
eliminate the
potential
of
getting a bank
loan, the repair
could require
more money
and time than
you’re
willing to
invest.
Of course, if you are
able to get a loan for the
property, you may be able to
talk the buyer into a reduced
deal price, depending on how
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a notebook with you as you
walk through the home and
write down detailed notes on
what will need to be repaired.
Do some research on your
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costs of making the necessary
repairs, and use the infor-
mation as bargaining power
when going through the offer
process.
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Open or severely damaged
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This type of disrepair poses
potential health and safety is-
sues for anyone living in the
home.
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Many resale homes can
have
aged
roofs
that
may require
immediate
repair. Before
making
an
offer on the
home, call a
couple of roof
contractors to
get a quote on
repairs. Give
them as much
detail as pos-
sible on dam-
aged shingles,
bowing ply-
wood or po-
tential leaking
issues to get
an accurate quote.
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This is obviously one of the
most dangerous issues a home
could have, due to the poten-
tial for electrocution. Bank ap-
praisers or home inspectors will
suggest the immediate repair of
such issues before a deal will be
able to go through.
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Home-wide damage from
termites or rodents can some-
times be hard to spot by the
untrained eye. If it is appar-
ent upon your initial walk-
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to be rapidly repaired – both
for the health of buyer and the
home’s structure.
ALERT: Extreme Winter Drought Conditions
have Increased Wildfire Danger Statewide.
Protect your property by creating and maintaining defensible space now.
Armen
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Photos
house in front of th
by
h
The Wil e and his ne e partially r Kathleen Ellyn/C
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w brid
Evans
e, Joell stored three-s ieftain
he hom
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a
premie utside Lostin e was moved , have chris tory
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and the home in the in 1908 and to the tiny to ned
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home s
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1968.
Creating defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.
It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any
wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects
your home from catching fire – either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also
important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home.
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Come in to see our selection of
Gas & Electric Appliances
Two zones make up the required 100 feet of defensible space.
Zone 1
Zone 2
201 E. Hwy 82 • Enterprise
541-426-0320
Sales & Service
Hours: Mon-Fri
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Serving Union, Wallowa,
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Convenient Delivery • Residential • Commercial • Industrial
Zone 1 extends 30 feet* out from buildings, structures, decks, etc.
• Remove all dead plants, grass and weeds (vegetation).
• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof
and rain gutters.
• Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from
other trees.
• Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead
branches 10 feet away from your chimney.
• Relocate wood piles into Zone 2.
• Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.
• Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around
and under decks.
• Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could
catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.
• Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of
4 inches.
• Create horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees.
(See diagram)
• Create vertical spacing between grass, shrubs and trees.
(See diagram)
• Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small
branches. However, they may be permitted to a depth of
3 inches.