Each home is different, but knowing where to shelter can keep you safe during a tornado warning.

TOLEDO, Ohio Home is where we feel safe and protected. Though we feel comfortable, when severe weather rolls in, do you know where your safe spot is? Whether you live in an apartment, manufactured home or have a basement, there are different ways to stay safe from the storm.

When sheltering from severe weather, Erik Konecki from the Wood County Emergency Management Agency said, there are two rules to remember. First rule is to get as low as you possibly can. Second, put as much space as possible between you and the outside world.

Many know that if your home has a basement that you need to shelter there, away from any windows or glass. The best spot to shelter in the basement is under the stairwell in the most interior part. Not everyone has a basement as a shelter option, so make sure you are on the ground floor, the lowest you can possibly reach, and the most interior that you can be.

These same ideas are also true for those living in an apartment. However, each apartment is different. If you live on an upper floor and cannot get to lower ground, seek shelter in the interior portion of the apartment, away from as many things that could break. Sheltering in a bathroom is a good place and gives you the option to pull the shower curtain to help protect from flying debris. If you have time, covering with a mattress overtop adds a layer of protection, along with closing the door. If the apartment has a lot of windows, sliding couches or furniture in front of the windows can help protect and put more between you and the outside. Konecki encourages renters to make friends living on the ground level and ask your landlord about shelter options.

If you live in a mobile home, it is especially important that you monitor weather news. Those living in manufactured homes are encouraged to have an emergency plan to follow in case of severe storms. If there is a watch or whisperings of severe weather in the area later that day, plan and reach out to neighbors and friends to shelter in their safe spots. If you must shelter in a mobile home, head to the center, and cover your head and body.

When sheltering from a tornado or derecho, it is important to get as low as you can, and to distance yourself away from the outside world. There is a popular myth to open a window before the storm because of pressure changes when the storm approaches. This is not true as it wastes time and it violates one of the top sheltering rules.

Finally, when sheltering in your safe spot, dress in long pants, coats, and close-toe shoes. Also, take the time to freshen your emergency kit as severe weather season gets underway.

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At home, do you know where your safe spot is? | Severe Weather Awareness Week - WTOL

Christi Watkins is grateful for her parents and their basement.

After losing my business in Las Vegas to COVID I had to move back home to Michigan, said Watkins, who is a government employee and a Wayne State University grad student working to complete her masters degree in psychology.

Her rent there was $1,800 but it was a three bedroom home near the strip and it had a pool and spa.

I moved home to find squatters in the house I had rented in Hazel Park, Watkins said.

So, she ventured out into the storm of Michigan residents, individuals and families, searching for homes to buy or houses, apartments, studio flats, and rooms to rent during a shortage of inventory and high costs.

Rents have exploded across the country, causing many to dig deep into their savings, downsize to subpar units or fall behind on payments and risk eviction now that a federal moratorium has ended. Rental costs rose a half percent in January from December, according to the United States Labor Department.

That may seem small, but its the biggest monthly jump in 20 years, and will likely accelerate.

Plus, many of the landlords are not only asking for security fees and first and last months rent but pet fees, and a complete credit check. Watkins earns a fair wage with her government job and also brings in extra money driving for Shipt but due to her student loans does not have the best credit score.

I looked at over 200 apartments, Watkins said, and while she did find a studio flat with a rent she could afford she could not justify the $7,000 in fees they were asking for an apartment that had no bedroom.

I gave up, Watkins said. I moved in with my parents and gave them the money I would have paid for rent, which helped them with their mortgage.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a two-bedroom rental unit averages $877 per month in Michigan. Thats a nearly 10% increase from 2018.

In some places the rent has skyrocketed.

Before I moved to Las Vegas I was paying $700 for a two bedroom house in Ferndale, Watkins said. That same house is now renting for $1,900.

At the same time, Michigans affordable housing stock, rental units that rent for less than $800 per month, have been dropping significantly year-over-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data. Between 2015-2019, the number of affordable housing units statewide has decreased by 18% from 541,677 units in 2015 to 443,079 in 2019, the most recent data available.

In Macomb County, affordable housing stock dropped by 27% during that time period while that same number dropped in Oakland County by 37% and 12% in Wayne County.

Ashlee Campbell and her four children were homeless for a while because she was unable to find anything she could afford.

Parents burdened by costs as child care providers struggle to survive

I was working, Campbell said. In fact, shes been working for the past seven years as a medical biller for Binsons Medical Equipment and Supplies in Center Line. But I wasnt able to afford much.

She and her boyfriend were renting a home together but after they broke up she and the children had to move into a one bedroom apartment, which cost her $800 a month.

She once thought about becoming a partner with Habitat for Humanity, but the requirements have changed and she is no longer eligible for the program.

After a long search, Campbell gave up on the idea of renting and instead found a manufactured home, which she was able to finance on her own with the help of Macomb Charitable Foundation (MCF), a nonprofit organization that helps county families with a variety of needs.

Leah McCall, executive director of the Alliance for Housing-Oakland County, said due to limited resources, the amount of subsidized housing is not making up for the shortfall in non-subsidized housing.

Without appropriate government subsidies to make up the difference, there is a shortage of affordable housing and an increase in rent, she said.

All of southeast Michigan has seen significant increases in median rent prices over the past four years, including government-set fair market rent, which are used primarily to help determine assistance amounts for individuals living in Section 8 housing and flat rent for public housing.

Due to the rapid rise in rent, McCall said that the amount of rental housing across metro Detroit that meet fair market price standards is decreasing. Fair market rents vary by metro area and by county.

This means that even when income-eligible households are able to secure rental assistance or housing vouchers, they are unable to use them, she said.

This combination of increased rent and scarce affordable housing options has put Michigans 1.4 million renters, especially the nearly 700,000 renters making less than $35,000 per year, in a bind as the economy continues its recovery from the height of the pandemic and inflation drives up prices for basic daily necessities.

In February, around 218,000 Michigan renters were not confident at all that they would be able to pay their March rent while over 283,000 renters said they were not caught up on their rent, of which around 26,000 said eviction was likely by the end of April, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey. These numbers represent 15% to 20% of Michigans 18 and older renter population.

David Allen, chief market analyst at the Michigan State Housing Development Administration (MSHDA), said there seems to be a number of factors at play pushing median rent prices upward.

One is the fact that the supply of rental units is low relative to the demand for it, he said. This reflects the fact that housing production in the state is way below pre-Great Recession levels.

Allen said another primary factor pushing rent costs higher and higher is the lack of for-sale homes, which is driving some who would otherwise be buyers into renting.

This tends to increase the prices on the rental units being sought in the market, he said.

According to federal data, nearly 30% of rental units in Michigan are priced between $1,000 and $1,500 per month. And 38% of Michigan renters report their rent is at least 35% of their household income.

In Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, between 15% and 38% of all rental units are priced between $1,000 to $1,500 per month with 35% to 47% of renters reporting that their rent costs total at least 35% of their household income.

Households that spend more than 30% of their income on rent are referred to as cost burdened, according to HUD. In 2019, 37.1 million households, or 30.2% of all U.S. households, fit this category.

Loved ones of Macomb, Oakland suicide victims stress proactive approach

Although the situation has worsened since the pandemic, Allen said half of the states renters pre-pandemic were paying more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs.

He added the pandemic has exacerbated these affordability issues for renters.

The effects of this are most felt among lower-income workers and racial/ethnic minorities, he said. These are the very households that were already having a hard time making ends meet.

The financial burden of the increasing cost of rent falls hardest on the half of workers in the U.S. who earn less than $35,000 each year.

New home construction booming in Macomb County

Even if they find housing they can rent, after paying rent along with security deposits and other fees, about 80% of renter households with incomes under $30,000 have between $360 and $490 left to cover all other expenses, including food, health care, transportation and child care.

Weve helped 40 families in the last year with first months rent or security deposits, who exhausted all other resources available to them, said Shelly Penzien, founder and CEO of Macomb Charitable Foundation, which has also helped families such as Campbells with food and other basic needs.

Penzien said shes noticed that since the pandemic landlords are asking for a lot more in terms of security deposits and added fees.

Ernest Cawvey, director of Macomb Community Action, believes the housing market overall has added to the pressures of finding affordable housing but there is help for residents.

Even though the federal moratorium protecting renters against eviction for non-payment of rent expired last August, a Michigan Supreme Court order continues to require district courts to temporarily halt the eviction process for renters applying for financial assistance through the Michigan COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) Program.

The CERA program has made over $700 million in federal dollars available to renters needing help paying their rent or utility bills. Michigan renters have received, on average, $4,470 in assistance while the average household has received $5,727.

Its important for everyone to know that we are here to help, Cawvey said.

Over $533 million has been spent on rent assistance while another $86 million has been spent to help renters pay their utility bills.

Over 138,000 Michigan renters have received assistance including over 9,000 in Macomb County, totaling $49 million, 12,000 in Oakland County totaling $70 million and a total of $193 million in Wayne County.

There is still over $100 million in assistance available through the Michigan CERA program with many renters having been approved for financial aid multiple times.

Currently, there is no state law that caps or restricts rent charges, but MSHDA does have some ability to impact the percentage of rent increase that can be charged at properties that have a state or federal housing subsidy or housing choice voucher attached to it.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, which serves 28,000 Michiganders, allows renters to lease a unit of their choice provided that it meets federal quality standards. The owners requested rent is then determined reasonable based on HUD and MSHDA requirements.

If the rent is determined not to be reasonable, based on specified standards, MSHDA must deny the request and the owner must either lower the rent to conform with the requirements or the family must select another unit, said Katie Bach, a spokesperson for MSHDA.

Generally, landlords are being encouraged to charge rent based on the percentage of the homes market value. Typically, the rents that landlords charge fall between 0.8% and 1.1% of the homes value.

Landlords are also recommended to consider what others are charging for similar rentals in their area.

Having found a place to buy Campbell she said she will never go back to renting.

I might upgrade to a bigger place, she said, noting that once she raises her credit score she might even look at upgrading to a bigger place. Right now, Im confident where Im at. The house has new carpeting, a new stove, new paint. Its a home and I live in a cul de sac, so I dont have to worry about the kids playing outside with cars going by. Im very content.

As is Watkins who has one tip for renters and that is to remain diligent and dont be afraid to try sources you might not otherwise consider.

I looked every month to find a place and finally tried something I would normally not do, I looked on Craigslist, Watkins said.

As it turns out, a family thought outside the box as well and posted a listing on the classified advertisement for a mother-in-law suite for rent.

The family built this for their mother and she passed, Watkins said.

It came furnished and look at the view I have, Watkins said, from the kitchen in her one bedroom suite in St. Clair Shores.

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Rentals at a premium in Macomb County and metro area - The Macomb Daily

JARRELL Judith Johnson hid in a closet with her husband, her mother and their two dogswhen a tornado struck the outskirts of Jarrell on Monday.

Four days later, she stood relaxed and chatting on her front porch. Only the roofs of a few sheds had been destroyed on her property, unlike in 1997, when atornado that hit Jarrell flattened herhouse and killed27 people in the area.

Officials on Friday said the tornado damaged or destroyed about 24 homes and a few businesses in the areas ofCounty Road 305, County Road 307, County Road 396 and County Road 487 northwest of Jarrell.

Two tornadoes hit Williamson County on Monday, including the one that started inJarrell, about 50 miles north of Austin. The other tornado beganat the intersection of Interstate 35 and Texas 45 in Round Rock. A third tornado hit the Elgin area in Bastrop County.No one was killed by the three twisters.

"The fact that we are cleaning up debris and we are not at funerals is amazing," Williamson County Commissioner Russ Boles said at a news conference Friday in Jarrell.

More:Central Texas communities recover from outbreak of tornadoes

Friday's event was at Jarrell Memorial Park, which stands on the site of what was once Larry Igo's home. Igo and his wife and their three children were killed in the 1997 tornado when their house was ripped from its foundation.

The tornadoes in Williamson County on Monday damaged about 33 businesses, County Judge Bill Gravell said at the news conference. The twisters also destroyed 1,000 homes in the county, with most of the damage in Round Rock.

Gravell said he had requested that Gov. Greg Abbott apply for federal assistance and was expecting Federal Emergency Management Agency teams to arrive in the county to assess damage next week.

Jarrell Mayor Larry Bush said that he and his wife had lived through the 1997 tornado, and it had been much bigger than the one that hit on Monday.

Watch:See videos that captured tornadoes, high winds tearing through Elgin, Round Rock

"The tornado that came in 1997 was three-quarters of a mile wide. … The tornado on Monday was actually smaller," he said.

Meteorologists rated the 1997 Jarrell tornado as an EF-5, the top of the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds at 261 mph. The winds in the tornadoon Monday were estimated to have reached 100mph.

The path of the tornado that hit Jarrell on Monday at one point crossed the path that the 1997 killertornado had taken, officials said.

Two businesses in the area were destroyed, Bushsaid. There was amixture of damage in the area, he said.

"We've seen several manufactured homes that were taken down to the tires, and then we've seen a couple of shingles missing," he said.

How strong was the Jarrell tornado?Storm spun with 100-mph winds, partially overlapped path of deadly 1997 twister

Bush said the county's weather alert system,which sends notifications to cellphones, helped residents escape serious injuries on Monday.

Volunteers, including Jarrell school district Superintendent Toni Hicks, were in Jarrell on Friday helping clean up debris. Hicks said she also helped clean up the debris from the 1997 tornado.

"In 1997,the concrete was pulled off the road and trees were stripped clean," she said. "This is not like that. The tornado bounced around," she said.

Another volunteer, Larnell Camus, described some of the items she and her relatives had picked off the ground Fridayin Jarrell. "It was a lot of personal checks, like canceled checks, and pictures and perfect attendance awards," she said.

Johnson said she and her husband were out of town during the 1997 Jarrell tornado, but when they returned home all she could find were eight buried chains on their property where they once had a small frame house, several classic carsand tools.Amish volunteers helped rebuild her home in 1997, she said.

On Friday, she walked out of her home and found a picture of a little girl in a basketball uniform on her property, she said. Johnson said she returned it to the neighbors that she thought had lost it.

"They broke into tears, and I hugged them," she said. "I said to them, 'Things will come and things will go but you are still here.'"

The city of Round Rock announced it will hostacleanup event Saturday in the Kensington and Windy Park neighborhoods for the public to help withtornado recovery efforts.

Those who volunteer will help clear construction debris and tree limbs that are lining street curbs and load it into garbage trucks. People are asked to park and sign up at either Dell Technologies Building No. 3,2300 Greenlawn Blvd., or atSuccess High School,500 Gattis School Road.

Volunteers can arrive at either location at 8-8:30 a.m. or 12-12:30 p.m.

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Officials in tornado-weary Jarrell relieved property damage was worst of Monday twister - Austin American-Statesman

When I was a much younger man, a close friend became obsessed with astrology. This former high-school valedictorian and regional science fair winner went all in on the stars, using them to analyze everything and everybody, from U.S. presidents to parents to my marriage prospects with a new girlfriend. He talked about moon phases, this star aligning with that galaxy, and how a particular planetary conjunction explained the stock markets rise or a baseball teams fall. Listening to him made my head spin like Jupiters moons.

But one of his astrology terms stuck with me and applies to perhaps the greatest change well ever witness in home building: the Great Convergence.

There was an earlier convergencenot of the stars but of business and culturein a different industry (automotive) that eventually had a profound impact on home building. It began with the Japanese quality movement of the 1950s, from which the tools and techniques of quality, productivity, and Lean process spread from Japan to Korea and later to at least some European automakers.

By 1980, U.S. automakers had fallen so far behind that many experts predicted there would be no American-built vehicles by the year 2000. And, after decades complaining about predatory pricing and unfair trade practices, the Detroit gang finally woke up and accepted the source of the problem was overseas competition becoming much more efficient, with far better quality than domestic producers.

In fact, foreign competitors didnt steal American market share, as the politicians decried; rather, they earned it by providing superior value. Higher quality, better gas mileage, and lower cost offered a potent combination many consumers couldnt overlook.

It took considerable time and tremendous investment, but U.S. automakers slowly caught up, to the point where American quality and productivity began to rival the best foreign competition in the early 2000s. Today, U.S.-built cars dont just meet the quality and value of overseas product, they often exceed it.

That convergence of technology and culture in automobile production helped wake up our own building industry during the 1990s. Back then, I was the sole building industry member of the Detroit Deming Study Group, which met with the late Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the venerable quality guru, during his monthly trips to Detroit to help turn around American carmakers40 years after he had done the same for Japan!

I felt a bit lonely sitting with 40 to 50 automotive quality and production experts, and their attitude toward me was, What are you doing here? They were reacting to the legacy of post-war tract housing in this countrynot one to be especially proud of. You may not have been around to build them, but many of you lived in those poorly built homes.

The change in home building began, just as in automotive, with a focus on back-end inspect it in quality through massive rework, described as brute-force quality. Gradually, we began to understand the need to move upstream to a prevention model and, as a result, product improvedthough weve yet to reach the automotive industrys levels of quality, efficiency, and build it right the first time mentality and practices. Many builders still havent gotten the message. On the whole though, homes now are much better than those of the previous era.

Yetand this is a critical pointhome building productivity lags behind virtually every other industry. What are we doing about it?

Now comes the new great convergence in home building: the manufacturing and technology revolution that will change our industry forever. Im talking about a pervasive shift to off-site construction methods.

Im in my fourth decade in home building, and this is the Fourth Wave Ive experienced pushing the claim that off-site (factory-built, industrialized, building systemscall it what you want) production will enter housings mainstream, none of the past waves having lived up to the hype or expectations. In a previous column, I described how the late Bill Pulte told his three-day training class for new management recruits how the manufacturing revolution in home building was only this farholding his thumb and forefinger about an inch apartfrom happening in the 44 years since the end of World War II. That was in 1989.

Nearly 30 years after that class, and not long before his passing, I asked Bill for an update on home buildings manufacturing transformation. With a wry smile, he held up his thumb and forefinger again, this time less than half an inch apart, and declared, Today about THIS far. He then added, It will happen though. Maybe not in my lifetime, but certainly in yours.

Thats how far wed come in the nearly 75 years since the mid-1940s. But its worse than that. Look back at Sears Roebuck & Co., which built and shipped 70,000 complete home kits from 1908 through 1940 through its mail-order Modern Homes program. Each piece of the home was precut and labeled, including framing, wiring, plumbing, flooring, cabinets, and so on ... even the proverbial kitchen sink.

Those homes were great when they were built, and theyre still great today. I know because until grade six I grew up in one of those homes in southern Indiana, as did my grandparents in another home just around the corner. I can drive you through my current hometown of Plymouth, Mich., and show you at least 25 of these Sears houses (although some may be almost exact knockoffs of Sears plans built by other manufacturers), all remodeled and updated numerous times over the years. Theyre still solid family homes today. Once you know their look, youll find them across America.

Pause a moment here to consider how much the design and production of automobiles has progressed in the past 100 or so years. How about airplanes? Appliances? Audio equipment? Telephones? Electronics? Television wasnt even a fantasy in 1922, let alone cell phones and the internet.

How about the evolution of homes? Compared with those industries, home buildings progress has been marginal, at best. Today, fewer than 3% of new homes are manufactured off-site. Fewer than 5% are panelized, even at the most basic level. Trusses have 60% market penetration, yet, if you measure the true total cost of on-site vs. off-site methods, including the impact of saved schedule days, that figure should be more than 90%.

Given these past 100 years of performing below expectations, how can I now assert that today, off-site manufactured solutions are about to transform the home building industry? Yes, I am crawling out on a lam-beam here and declaring the Fourth Wave is here for real and it will change home building forever.

I base this on a simple observation of whats going on all around us, evidenced at the most recent National Association of Home Builders International Builders Show, in Orlando, Fla. The number of new technology companies focused on all phases of home building was incredible, the excitement palpable. And, notably, there were investors roaming around with briefcases full of money, looking to invest in the next big thing in housing.

Personally, Im now working with three companies that are pushing significant changes in the technology, one thats been around for decades, one now about five years old, and one brand new. Just last week, another old-line firm and an additional brand new one contacted me, asking for help in this arena. If I sign any more nondisclosure agreements, I fear I wont be able to talk to my own family members. These arent just interesting times but genuinely exciting ones.

Its easy to identify at least 10 significant changes driving or enabling this change. Ive listed them here for you to consider, and will follow up with more detail on each in my next column. There are, no doubt, more elements, and Id love to hear your take on whats driving the movement toward off-site methodsor whats holding it back. Heres what I see as the key drivers (1 through 5) and enablers (6 through 10):

1. Housing demand and shortage

2. Labor shortages

3. Material shortages

4. Cycle-time inflation

5. Sustainability

6. Availability of investment capital

7. Technology breakthroughs in computer software

8. Technology breakthroughs in robotics

9. Learning-curve acceleration

10. New methods for making true total cost comparisons

From my experience, those elements make it clear we are genuinely on our way in this, the Fourth Wave of the manufacturing technology revolution in housing. But there is still a critical missing link, and without it, progress will be slow. Simply, we have to be brutally honest and consider why the vast majority of home building software technologies still fall short of their promised impact.

For example, most all of the many packages designed to make scheduling a breeze by publishing to a portal accessed 24/7 by suppliers and trades are simply not working. Were surrounded by irrefutable evidence of this. When we run our TrueNorth LeanWeeks with 20 to 30 suppliers and trades participating, we always ask, How many of you have someone check jobsites the day before the schedule says theyre ready, to determine if you should really send out a crew or deliver materials?a practice we call scouting. Across literally hundreds of groups, the number of hands raised averages 80%.

The next question, Why do you not use the portal to replace the considerable expense of scouting? is at first followed by nervous laughter across the room. With some coaxing, one brave soul will inevitably explain, We just cant trust it, after which youll see all suppliers and trades nodding in unison, along with builder field superintendents as well.

Again, theres nothing wrong with the software itself. But the fact that 80% of suppliers and trades are scouting sites instead of relying on software is prima facie evidence that systems are failing at some point in the process. The problem is that in todays world of labor and material shortages, these portals are worse than worthless if the system isnt updated for each project, each day (at least), both in the field and in the office.

Worse than worthless? Absolutely. Because if the portal schedule sends the wrong crew or a delivery to the wrong place, or the right place on the wrong day, the cost is huge in supplier/trade loyalty and, ultimately, in pricing. I learned decades ago from great mentors, such as Mike Rhoads in Chicago and Gary Grant in Minnesota, that builders with the best schedulers get the best crews and best pricing, simply because they are the most profitable for suppliers and trades.

Now make the translation to the application of manufacturing technology. Plans, elevations, specifications, options, and selections that affect the off-site building process must be continually transmitted and confirmed. That goes for comparatively simple components such as stairs, cabinets, and open panels, as well as more complex production of closed panels, all of the way to full-on modular or volumetric building. This information must be so reliable that the off-site plant can absolutely take it to the bank, without exception.

I once asked the president of a large home building company in a distant city to name his most difficult supplier in terms of communication and cooperation. He didnt hesitate, proclaiming, The panel plant. Irony No. 1: The panel plant made the identical comment about the builder. Irony No. 2: Both builder and plant were owned by the same parent company. Whenever someone says a company should be more like a family, my first question is, Which family? This particular family was clearly dysfunctional.

Continual, vigilant, completely accurate and timely communication means everything for reaping the promise of the Fourth Wave from which our industry is truly revolutionized. Anything less means failure, and the dream of better product at lower cost, with less dependence on on-site labor, and significant reduction in cycle time will remain forever elusive. The home building stars are now well-aligned for this revolution, and its up to all of us, on all sides of this rather complex equation, to do our part to make it happen.

Will my prediction prove out? Thinking back on my astrology-obsessed friends predictions, I expect to fare much better. He got some right, but many wrong, including his warning that my then-girlfriend and I were in for big trouble should we marry. Im happy to report45 years, four kids, and three grandkids laterI woke up next to her this morning with both of us agreeing: So far, so good!

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What's Driving the Move to Off-Site Construction in Home Building? | Pro - Pro Builder

You step off the escalator, press through the doors from the self-parking garage, and there it is: a 5-foot bronze sculpture depicting a seated body inspired by the Grecian Temple of Zeus, but with a head evocative of the masks of distant African cultures.

Stop, look: Its right next to the Jumanji 4D penny slots and Posh Burger, home of a $100 wagyu beef patty topped with truffles, foie gras and, of course, gold dust gotta have that gold dust.

Yes, just off the Aria casino floor, air as heavy with the scent of french fries as those french fries are heavy with calories, sits Oracle, a luminous, thought-provoking creation from acclaimed contemporary artist Sanford Biggers.

Its a small-scale version of the 25-foot-tall, 15,000-pound sculpture of the same name that went on display at New York Citys Rockefeller Center in May.

Its one of nine new additions from seven artists to the MGM Resorts International fine art collection, which have recently been put on display at the Bellagio, Park MGM and Aria. Its a range of striking works in various mediums from distinguished contemporary artists such as Rashid Jones, Ghada Amer and Derrick Adams, whose pieces are normally confined to museums and art galleries and can go for hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases. (MGM Resorts declined to reveal the value of the new collection.)

Its an incredible opportunity to be able to offer these works to the public, says Tarissa Tiberti, executive director of MGM Resorts Art & Culture, who curated the companys latest art additions. Rashid Johnson, I mean, museums have these works.

A bid for diversity

It was a night of high drama and prices higher still.

Last October, MGM Resorts sold 11 Pablo Picasso pieces in a thrilling auction with renowned art brokerage Sothebys that netted $109 million.

The idea: to subsequently diversify its public fine art collection, to focus on underrepresented artists of various genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

We identified works by women artists, artists of color, the LGBTQIA community, Tiberti explains. Our properties are hosting visitors from around the globe; we have a huge platform to share the importance of diversity and inclusion in everyday lives.

Take Jonathan Lydon Chase, whose artwork is rooted in the domesticities of queer Black life (Chases The Cook Out is at Park MGM, adjacent to the resorts lobby); or the aforementioned Biggers, whose latest sculptures combine elements of African and European culture to underscore the ongoing influence of the former on the latter.

That these pieces are located in everyday places behind a check-in desk at a salon; brightening a dining room wall in an Italian restaurant is key: You can take them in without even being fully aware youre doing so. But they have the power to stick with you regardless.

You want to have an artwork that people come across and enjoy it they might not even know that its incredible artwork but they go away thinking about it, Tiberti says. We have a great opportunity with the properties that we have, to be able to put artwork in many places, places that are unexpected and that you wouldnt think about, but you can enjoy them walking to the pool, dining at a restaurant, checking in at the front desk. As youre standing in line, waiting to check in, and you may or may not realize it, but youre looking at it and having a contemplative experience about it.

Where to experience it yourself

Heres a quick guide, with commentary on each selection from Tiberti.

Rashid Johnson, a selection from his Cosmic Slop series

Where: A sunlit passageway on Arias promenade level

Background: A three-dimensional wall work made of black soap and microcrystalline wax forming a unique, intriguing display.

This is an important series of work for Rashid. I think for this work, the material is the access point: Its a concoction of wax mixed with West African soap thats used for treatment of sensitive skin. Its monochromatic, with the material thats important in Rashid Johnsons culture and how he chooses to use that differently than how it would be used in treatment for your skin. Hes using it to talk about culture and content.

Derrick Adams, a selection from his Floater series

Where: This commissioned piece is a work in progress; itll be installed near the Park MGM pool upon completion.

Background: This joyous, brightly colored series features African Americans enjoying a pool setting.

I think the first things that draw me into the work are just the colors and how hes making the figures out of shapes. And then you get deeper into it, and you see these figures, and everything has just such an incredible energy to it. I feel like his work is just very energetic, very uplifting, yet he has a very poignant context. Hes talking about the Black experience, and how that is to navigate through his world, through our country. Its something thats fun to look at, but yet it has a meaning behind it.

Toms Esson, Quimera and Anestesia

Where: Quimera is just outside the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden; find Anestesia by the resorts VIP lounge.

Background: These gorgeous, arresting abstract oil-on-linen works are like tractor beams for the eyes.

(Quimera) really kind of just jumps off the wall. The colors are so fabulous really juicy colors it just draws you in. Hes very interesting. His work talked a lot about eroticism and mythology before. These take a little bit more of a serious tone. His previous works were based on mythology and figures or creatures that were abstract, and he took that abstraction even further. It just provides an energy in the painting that draws you in and captivates you, makes you kind of think, What is happening in this painting? And its complete, pure abstraction.

Svenja Deininger, untitled

Where: Arias Carbone restaurant

Background: A large, radiant swirl of color and shapes that are immediate, visceral and complex at once.

Its really beautiful just in the simplicity and the color, how she has the raw canvas and the blocks. The forms that shes creating, I think theyre sensual. Her work is interesting; it can be quite complicated, even though it seems very simple in the shapes and the color. She talks about the system of interaction: how the shapes interact with one another. And the size its large, so you become enveloped in the atmosphere that shes creating.

Ghada Amer, Portrait of Elizabeth and Portrait of Trini from her The Women I Know Part II series

Where: The check-in desk at the Bellagio Spa and Salon

Background: These two mixed-media, female portraits feature messages such as, Do not fit into the glass slipper like Cinderella did shatter the glass ceiling.

Shes using a combination of materials. Theres acrylic, so she has the painting, and then shes doing embroidery on top of it, and its also layered with the words in the background. Its the complexity of the work that is whats so beautiful about these. Her practice is inherently feminist, but shes really just looking at the female figure, and the paintings are exploring the gaze and the female identity that are exchanged between the artist and the subject and the viewer. Its really kind of a beautiful moment.

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @jbracelin76 on Instagram.

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Museum-quality artworks in everyday places on the Strip. Heres how to find them. - Las Vegas Review-Journal

**NEWS RELEASE COUNTY OF WELLINGTON**

As with many communities across Ontario, Wellington County is at a crisis point when it comes to having the rental and ownership housing options that are necessary to sustain the regions changing needs and required growth.

By 2051, provincial legislation requires the County to reach a population of at least 160,000 people and provide at least 70,000 jobs. Having enough housing to accommodate this growth is key. This week the County launched a community awareness campaign aimed at furthering publicunderstanding of the range of options that can be considered to meet these needs. Already, the situation is critical: the median home price in Centre Wellington has increased more than 235 per cent in five years, significantly higher than income growth over that period.

At least 40 per cent of people who rent in Wellington County need to spend more than the recommended 30 per cent of their income on housing. In some cases, this means going without enough food or other basic needs.

From new residents to longtime members of our community, were hearing from people who are considering moving away to find more affordable housing. Were hearing from others who cant leave their parents home despite having their own young families, and from seniors whoneed to downsize and cant find any place to go, said Warden Kelly Linton. He said businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to attract or keep good workers because people cant find an affordable place to live. These are the people we need to provide our health care, child or senior care, to fill good jobs at growing manufacturing businesses or in the cafes and restaurants that are vital contributors to our economy and our communities. If these essential jobs go unfilled, or if workers are under extreme stress, it affects all of us said Jana Burns, Wellington Place Administrator, Museum,Archives and Economic Development.

The campaign, titled Make Wellington County Home Everyone should be able to live here, will share stories from people and businesses that are struggling to find housing that meets their needs, and provide examples and facts about the range of rental or ownership options available to communities to add choice and affordability. These include low-rise apartment or condominium buildings, row and stacked townhouses, duplexes or triplexes and even tiny homes. Another option that is growing in popularity across Ontario is Additional Residential Units or ARUs: second or third suites such as converted basements, garage additions, laneway homes or other separate housing options on existing properties that add to the rental inventory. The municipalities in Wellington County have included allowances for ARUs in their bylaws, creating a new opportunity for individual homeowners to help solve a community problem while earning rental income, said Burns, noting that interested homeowners should consulttheir local building department for details about allowance in their municipality. Over the past year, Burns said County staff have met with several developers who express a willingness to build different forms of housing if there is community will and interest in theseoptions.

The public awareness campaign will run through 2022 and invites people to visit the Countys website at wellington.ca/livehere, download a flyer they can share with friends and neighbours as well as attend open houses planned for later this year. We cant keep on doing what weve been doing, which is primarily building single detached homes when there are many options available that will bring us closer to a solution. Our community needs to endorse other housing options in their neighbourhoods. Thats the only way well overcome this.

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County Wants Community to Envision New Housing Options - Grand 101.1 FM

It was day two of the Home and Garden Expo. Those visiting the expo saw new additions to the show this year, as well as deals from vendors.

Here is more on what attendees can expect for the remainder of the show.

The showroom here at the Bayfront Convention Center is full of vendors that are looking forward to helping customers revamp their home for the anticipated warmer weather.

The Bayfront Convention Center is kicking off spring with the Erie Home and Garden Expo.

Visitors at the expo are in the market of preparing their homes for the spring weather.

Weve had a lot of interest in residential man doors and awnings. Everybody knows that we do garage doors so thats something that were looking to expand. Were also looking to get into the window market here in Erie, said Matt Squeglia, Residential Sales Manager at McKean Plyler Entry Systems.

Vendors at the expo also have deals for customers to make their shopping experience easier.

We do offer free design consultations so we can provide an estimate for free at no cost. So even with the cost of gas these days we are providing free estimates, said Dennis Hinkler, General Manager at L.M. Wander and Sons Landscaping Inc.

Were also offering ten percent off residential polyurethane insulated doors, as well as entry doors, said Squeglia.

A new addition that attendees will see this year is the backyard bungalow where one side is an exercise room and the other side over here is a home office.

People love it because theyre like hey this is a great idea I dont have to do this or do that, I can just put one of these in my backyard and make a he shed, or she shed, or something like that, said Mark Concilla, Show Promoter.

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The expo continues on March 26 until 8 p.m. and then goes tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Vendors discuss deals during day two of the Erie Home and Garden Expo - YourErie

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Adding more space is the dream of many homeowners and its one with solid benefits. Not only do you get more space but you also get an increase in property value.

Adding a bump-out addition to your house can be a good alternative to building an expensive, full-scale addition. Though small, a bump-out addition is a complex project best left in the hands of a contractor. For many homeowners, its a highly worthwhile project with both personal and material benefits.

When planning a home renovation or remodel, consult and book top-rated Home Improvement contractors on HomeAdvisor.

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A bump-out is a minor addition to a house that increases its total square footage but doesnt reach the scale of a full addition with multiple rooms.

A bump-out can be as small as two or three feet that push out the side of the house, or as large as a single room.

Usually, bump-outs are used in kitchens or bathrooms to accommodate vital elements such as showers, bathtubs, countertops or cooking areas. But bump-outs are sometimes added for other features such as walk-in closets or window seats.

A typical bump-out addition in a bathroom can extend the wall another 12 to 15 square feet. Bathing facilities are then moved to the bump-out, freeing up the rest of the bathroom for the sink, countertop, and open floor space.

Like building an addition, adding a bump-out is an exterior construction project that can be built in all but the most inclement weather.

Though a section of the house will be open for a while, skilled crews can help minimize that amount of time. Plus, they can temporarily cover up the opening.

If you are adding your bump-out during a popular building season, such as the time from spring to fall, you may find yourself competing with other projects in contractors queues.

Ideally, the bump-out addition should be limited to just one room to avoid additional structural considerations. Ground-level bump-outs will be less expensive and easier to build than upper level bump-outs.

Ground-level bump-outs foundations can rest on the ground or they can be cantilevered (PS: A cantilever is any structure that extends horizontally, with no support below.). Upper level bump-outs require additional support from below the bump-out or they may be able to be cantilevered. Cantilevering limits the depth of the bump-out to two or three feet.

Consult with an architect or contractor to create plans for the bump-out.

Be sure to consider how the house will open into the bump-out. Existing doors and windows adjacent to the planned bump-out have headers that may be able to be used to open onto the new area once its finished.

But most homeowners want a large opening, often, one thats the entire width of the bump-out. This involves adding a support beam, likely laminated LVL lumber, to span the entire distance, along with more vertical supports on the sides.

Building permits are required for any work that opens up the side of the house or adds onto the house. Other permits may be required for electrical and plumbing work.

Inside, build a temporary wall of studs near the exterior wall. This wall will act as support for the ceiling, walls and any upper floors when removing sections of the existing exterior wall.

For bump-out additions that rest on the ground, footers and a foundation wall must be built. Soil is dug out by hand or with a small excavator. The depth is dictated by local building code, often to a level below the frost linesometimes, as deep as 36 to 42 inches.

The foundation wall will be built either from concrete blocks or poured concrete. The blocks are stacked and mortared into place. Poured concrete requires wooden forms to first be built. Next, the concrete is poured by a mixer into the forms.

Bump-out additions on upper levelsand even some small ground-level bump-outscan be cantilevered out from the side of the house.

Cantilevers usually cannot extend very far: only a few feet. The size of the joists is one factor that determines a cantilevered bump-outs depththat is, how far out from the house the bump-out can extend.

One rule of thumb is to multiply the width of the joist by a factor of four to determine a cantilevers maximum depth.

For example, a two-by-ten joist has a true width of 9-1/4 inches. Multiplying the width by four produces 37. So, the maximum distance of the cantilever would be 37 inches, or just an inch past 3 feet.

After electrical circuits are shut down, remove drywall and exterior siding, exposing the studs. Temporary plywood sheets may be fitted in place from the outside to cover up the opening at the end of each work day.

Electrical wires that run through exterior walls must be cut and re-routed. Plumbing for kitchen or bathroom sinks, showers or baths must be stubbed out.

With the wall removed, a header of LVL laminated wood or doubled-up two-by-eights should be installed in place of the wall.

Stud walls with windows should be built to the specified height. Many bump-out additions ceilings remain lower than the ceilings of the attached house due to the width of the header.

Joists are added, then a subfloor of 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood is screwed on top of the joists.

Many bump-out additions are small enough that they can be built with a lean-to style roof. This roof begins higher than the opening to the house, then slopes down in one direction toward the exterior.

After sheathing and siding are added, the walls are insulated with spray foam or with fiberglass. Drywall is then installed over the insulation. After the drywall is finished, it is primed and painted.

Floor covering such as tile or resilient flooring is installed, if this is a bathroom bump-out addition. For kitchens, a wider range of flooring can be usedfrom durable materials like tile and vinyl flooring to DIY-friendly laminate flooring or premium engineered hardwood flooring.

Free, No-commitment Estimates

Building a bump-out addition is usually a project that requires a contractor. Though the size of the project is small, relative to full-scale additions, its still a structurally-dependent exterior building project that opens up a side of your house. Most homeowners are not qualified to take on this project.

A bump-out is a unique type of addition. So, carefully review contractors portfolios to make sure that they have previously done this type of work and that clients have been satisfied.

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How to Add a Bump-Out Addition To Your Home Forbes Advisor - Forbes

An outdoor porch completed by Foxcraft Design Group Inc. (Photo: FOXCRAFT Design Group Inc.)

Is it better to remodel or rebuild? There are many factors to consider when looking into these projects. From upgrading appliances to building a new home from the ground up, different projects will work better for different people.

Falls Church City is home to almost 15,000 people according to the 2020 census with an average of three people per household. The area is popular due to its proximity to the Washington D.C. area, public school systems and sense of community. However, living in this area means you sacrifice the size of your home for the other benefits that come with living in the area.

According to Chandler Fox of Foxcraft Design Group and a real estate agent for Sothebys Realty, there are two types of builds spec and custom. Spec building means that a builder will buy a lot without yet having a buyer, speculating that they will be able to sell the house for a profit when the build is complete. Custom building involves building what a customer wants using their money and budget for a home built to their specifications.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, many people found themselves at home and realized they were unhappy with their surroundings or wanted changes. In some cases these were smaller DIY projects done by the homeowners themselves but often times the projects were too large and they needed to outsource.

The older ramblers you see around town are too small for most modern families and they want to expand and have more space. Especially in this Covid world where space at home as taken on a whole new meaning and having one if not two home offices in addition to a screened porch has become more of the norm, said Rob Zimmermann of Zimmermann Homes. A renovation can be less expensive, however, in comparison with new construction you would additionally get a new foundation and water management system, taller ceilings, taller windows and more natural light, more flexibility on the floor plan, and you gain a garage which often can not be added to a rambler due to setbacks. On top of all of these benefits, a new construction home when completed is worth significantly more then the extra $75k you spent to put it there. So from an investment standpoint, you get a great return on the extra money spent to build new vs. a renovation.

Fox stated that the most important thing to consider is cost versus value what renovations are you looking to make in your home versus how much you are looking to spend.

With renovations, projects can be spaced out over a larger period of time and changes can be made as the homeowners have the budget in place. A new build requires more money up front but allows for more to be done at once.

In my experience larger renovations have been happening less over the last ten years as more people are demolishing old smaller homes and building new bigger ones, said Mark Coupard from Coupard Architects and Builders. You reach a point where working with an existing structure is more difficult and expensive than building new. People sometimes push those limits and add on if they really like the home they have and just want more of it, or the house is a special place to them and they dont want to see it destroyed. Clients often decide to build new if the practical renovation options wont provide them with the space, aesthetics or efficiencies they desire. Some houses are begging to be knocked down but if thats not the case it is worth a look. We try to understand what our clients really need in their home and if they value the structure and prioritize quality over quantity, a major renovation can still make sense.

As reported in the News-Press last week, real estate assessments have gone up by 11.42 percent in the City. Higher real estate numbers means more equity in the home and more opportunity to borrow against that and renovate.

If prices have gone up as much as they have, its comforting as a homeowner to know that your house has increased in value. Its frustrating for people who want to buy an existing house because theyve gone up 10 to 20 percent. Its frustrating for people who want to build a new house because lot prices and the construction have both gone up. I would say its good news to existing homeowners and people in the real estate market and its bad news to everybody thats on the outside looking in.

Overall, the most important factors to consider when deciding whether to renovate or build are budget how much money youre looking to spend, and time how long are you willing to spend waiting for the project to be completed.

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The Pros and Cons of Remodeling Vs. Building From Scratch - Falls Church News Press

A 3,000,000 luxury home in Abersoch has been placed on the market, making it the most expensive property on sale in North Wales. The four bedroom house is located on a road called Lon Golff due to its proximity to the golf course which is not far from the beach.

Construction of the state-of-the-art house was completed earlier this year and it is now looking for a new owner who can meet the eye-watering asking price. Estate agents Beresford Adams say the property "has outstanding architectural merit reflecting the highest standards of workmanship of a local builder of high repute."

The high-spec house comes with ground sourced under floor heating, photomatic solar, remote monitored heat exchanger, together with cctv and a built in security alarm system as well as other modern features such as a Tesla charging point. The airy design allows for plenty of natural light across the property's open plan layout.

Read more Pub in the heart of Gwynedd thrives after locals raise almost 500k to save it

A light oak effect tiled flooring runs throughout the interior which features the four spacious bedrooms on the ground floor. Each bedroom has its own luxury en suite shower rooms and fitted wardrobes with the master suite having its own dressing room area. An oak tread contemporary staircase with a glass balustrade leads up to the first floor onto a glass platform/landing area.

The main living/kitchen area is located on this floor which is described in the listing as "the heart of the home". This area leads to a balcony which overlooks the nearby golf course. The house is approached via an electric gate which leads to an oak frame car port. The port forms part of an outbuilding which includes its own shower room.

The property was added to Rightmove on Wednesday, March 23. Based on a 10% deposit and 25 year mortgage, monthly repayments would stand at around 12,525. For more information on this property, visit its Rightmove profile here. Last year most property sales in Gwynedd involved terraced properties which sold for on average 150,548. Detached properties sold for an average price of 327,870, while semi-detached properties fetched 287,951.

Gwynedd, with an overall average price of 235,433, was similar in terms of sold prices to Conwy (232,572) and Anglesey (241,403), but was more expensive than Denbighshire (208,669). The priciest area within Gwynedd was Abersoch (818,842) and the least expensive was Blaenau Ffestiniog (113,618). During the last year, sold prices in Gwynedd were 19% up on the previous year and 26% up on 2019 when the average house price was 186,213.

Elsewhere in Abersoch, a small beach hut went up for sale for a staggering 200,000 last week. The hut has a private deck which, said the agents, afford stunning sea views across to St Tudwals Islands. And despite the absence of running water, drainage or electricity, buyers can be reassured it provides ample storage.

The sum being demanded is 25,000 more than the previous highest asking price for one of Abersochs brightly painted beach huts. The figure of 175,000 was a guide price, and it is not known what fee was eventually agreed. The official record price stands at 160,000 for a bathing hut sold in 2017.

Naturally, the village is popular with second home owners. Earlier this month, tough new measures were announced on second homes in Wales. The measures will see the maximum level of council tax for second homes and long-term empty properties tripled to 300% from April 2023.

The current figure, as it stands, is 100%, which was paid on more than 23,000 properties in Wales last year, according to the Welsh Government. The measures will seek to address the issue of second homes and unaffordable housing facing many communities in Wales, as set out in the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Take a virtual tour of the property via our gallery here

Currently, properties that are available to let for at least 140 days, and that are actually let for at least 70 days, will pay rates rather than council tax. The change will increase these thresholds to being available to let for at least 252 days and actually let for at least 182 days in any 12-month period.

The change is intended to provide a clearer demonstration that the properties concerned are being let regularly as part of genuine holiday accommodation businesses making a substantial contribution to the local economy. Both changes follow a consultation processes including businesses, the tourism industry and local communities, the Welsh Government has said, and are said to represent more steps taken to ensure people can find an affordable home in the place they have grown up.

Could you live in a house like this? Let us know in the comments section.

Read more:
North Wales' most expensive property goes on sale in Abersoch for 3m - North Wales Live