Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The current White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, eight staircases and three elevators.

Question: Do you know about the history of the White House and its many updates and remodels?

Answer: Yes! This is a favorite topic of mine. The White House on Pennsylvania Avenue belongs to every tax-paying American.

Note: Much of this information is provided by the official White House Museum and my friend, David Dean, assistant history professor at Grand Canyon University.

George Washington arranged the building of the first White House and construction began in 1792. The neo-classical design of the executive residence was modeled after a palace in Dublin by an Irish architect, James Hoban, hired by Washington.

Washingtons successor, John Adams, was the first president to actually live there, even though it was still unfinished when he arrived in 1800. The cost of that first building was $232,372. Its pretty tricky to calculate what that might be today. Some estimates online say it could range from $4.4 million to as much as $8 billion in modern money. And that doesnt even include buying a lot on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Q: When was the first remodel?

A: The house was set ablaze in 1814. 4,000 British soldiers invaded Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812 and torched the interior in retaliation for the American attack on the city of York in Ontario, Canada, that occurred during the American Revolutionary War. President James Madison recalled Hoban to direct a reconstruction of the house.

Link:
Rosie on the House: Historic renovations of the White House - Arizona Daily Star

The Fort Dodge Community School District Board of Education approved a $2.59 million bid proposal from Woodruff Construction for the districts Central Office and Maintenance Facility Remodel Project on Monday night.

The project, slated to begin this spring, is a remodel of the former Hy-Vee building, 109 N. 25th St., which will be used as the districts central offices and main maintenance facility. The current central offices are housed in the former Arey School, which will later be remodeled back into a school building to house preschool and kindergarten.

The school board meeting opened up to a public hearing on the Central Office and Maintenance Facility Remodel Project. Prior to the hearing, the board did not receive any written objections or comments on the project. During the hearing, there were no oral objections or comments from the public, either.

Following the public hearing, Ryan Utley, director of buildings and grounds, presented to the board the three bids the district received for the project.

The district received bids from Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge; Sande Construction and Supply, of Humboldt; and Woodruff Construction, of Fort Dodge.

All three bids were within $200,000 of each other, Utley said. (The architects) estimated cost for the project is $3.9 million.

Woodruff Construction was the low bid at $2,594,700.

(The architect) after that went through their qualification processes to make sure that (Woodruff) understood the project timeline and make sure that their bid was within specs, Utley added.

Superintendent Dr. Jesse Ulrich added that the subcontractors for the project will all be local to Fort Dodge.

The board unanimously voted to award the bid to Woodruff Construction, with board members Lisa Shimkat and Bill Kent absent.

In his superintendent updates, Ulrich noted the hiring of Nik Moser as the Fort Dodge Community School District Foundations new director. Moser will begin on Feb. 17.

Also on Monday night, the school board appointed Barbara Bachman as the temporary board secretary to serve while board secretary Adriana Utley is out on maternity leave.

The board also approved a first review and revision of the boards policies and procedures on anti-bullying, substance free workplace, child abuse reporting, student-to-student harassment-bullying and drug and alcohol testing program.

The next school board meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24, at the Central Administration Building, 104 S. 17th St. All school board meetings are open to the public.

Name: Mathias Nicholas AndersonHometown: Webster City Age: 19What is your major or specific area of interest ...

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School board awards central office remodel project to Woodruff Construction | News, Sports, Jobs - Fort Dodge Messenger

You spent the holidays binging on HGTV, and now visions of shiplap accent walls and free-standing soaking tubs are dancing through your head.

Don't let your desire to upgrade your home downgrade your home's market value. Before you make a renovation fantasy a reality, consider whether the project will pay off when you're ready to sell. Plenty of home improvements add value, but others like these five can hurt it.

1. A CHEF-QUALITY KITCHEN

If you love to cook, a high-end kitchen could be the ultimate gift for you. But if you think a massive overhaul will majorly impact resale value, you might be in for a surprise. An upscale kitchen renovation recoups just 54% of its cost in added value, according to Remodeling magazine's 2020 Cost vs. Value report.

"If you do marble countertops and high-end appliances, you could spend $100,000, and it doesn't necessarily mean your house is worth an extra $100,000," says Beatrice de Jong, a consumer trends expert for Opendoor, a San Francisco-based direct homebuyer and seller.

Smaller kitchen upgrades could yield a bigger payoff. Chris Arienti, broker and owner of Re/Max Executive Realty near Boston, suggests keeping updates reasonable: Think granite rather than marble, and GE instead of Sub-Zero.

2. DIY PAINTING

A bold statement wall can say the wrong thing to potential buyers if the workmanship is questionable. Streaky, chipped or low-quality paint can knock $1,700 off a home's sale price, according to Opendoor data that looked at home offers made from June 2018 to June 2019.

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"A good paint job is not easy," says Sarah Cunningham, a real estate agent with Ethos Design + Remodel in Boise, Idaho. "It is all in the prep work, and most people don't want to do the prep work." Hiring a professional to paint can help ensure a more attractive result.

3. AN EXPANDED MASTER SUITE

Knocking down a wall to create an oversize master bedroom or stealing closet space to build out a spa-style bathroom may sound dreamy. But how about as a selling point? "If you go from five bedrooms to four, and you can make it work, no big deal," Arienti says. But he cautions that losing a bedroom in a smaller house could mean a lower selling price.

As for cutting into closet space, residential building codes don't mandate that bedrooms have closets. But, Arienti says, "Once you take the closet out of a bedroom, to a buyer, that no longer looks like a bedroom."

4. PLUSH WALL-TO-WALL CARPETING

Carpet can be especially unattractive to first-time homebuyers, who may be used to landlords updating carpet between renters, de Jong says.

"In general, people are grossed out by (carpeting). It can make a room look a little bit dated."

It can also ding your sale price. Carpet as the primary flooring in a house drops the value by $3,900 and carpeting in the master bedroom causes a $3,800 plunge, according to Opendoor. Conversely, a 2019 report from the National Association of Realtors estimated that sellers could recoup the entire cost of refinishing hardwood floors. New wood flooring could actually add value, with sellers getting $1.06 for every dollar spent according to NAR.

5. A SWIMMING POOL

It doesn't matter if it's infinity edge or aboveground: Any pool can be seen as a drawback by buyers who don't want to deal with maintenance or insurance. Even in Florida, a pool doesn't add value, Liede DeValdivielso, a real estate agent with the Keyes Company in Miami-Dade, said via email. If you're thinking resale, it's not worth it you'll never recoup the cost, DeValdivielso said. But if you'll use it and enjoy it, put in a pool.

HOW TO DECIDE IF A RENOVATION IS WORTH THE COST

To ensure you're making an informed decision:

CONSIDER YOUR TIMELINE. "If you're going to be in the home for 30 years, you can do anything, because at that point, your mortgage is paid off," Arienti says. Looking to sell in the near future? Pay closer attention to whether your choices will appeal to a potential buyer.

CONSULT AN EXPERT. "Talk to a professional so you aren't making misinformed choices that are going to work against you in five to 10 years," Cunningham says. A designer can help you tell fleeting trends from future classics; a contractor can explain what kind of work a proposed renovation would entail.

COMPARE HOME FEATURES IN YOUR AREA. De Jong suggests looking at comparable homes for sale near you and going to open houses to make sure your improvements align with the norms for your neighborhood.

GET AN APPRAISAL. A licensed appraiser can do a feasibility study to estimate your home's current value and its likely value after the improvements.

Read more from the original source:
5 home improvements that may not pay off when you sell - Newsday

Two weeks ago, a series of abandoned mobile homes appeared on private property, rural county roads and pastures up and down the vast Weld County landscape.

Weld County Sheriff's Office

And the sheriffs office says there could be more out there.

So whats the deal?

Weld County officials say a man dumped these trailers all over the county over the past two weeks to avoid a code violation. Authorities so far have found seven mobile homes, including one just across the Wyoming border. Most were discovered in northeast Weld County, near Briggsdale and Hereford.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, has been somewhat cooperative in helping county workers remove three of the trailers so far, said Joe Moylan, a Weld County sheriffs spokesman.

The man has not been charged with a crime, Moylan said, and the case is being worked as a civil matter.

At first, the man decided he didnt want the trailers so he started storing them on someone elses abandoned property, Moylan said. When the property owners decided they didnt want them on their land, the man had to move them.

His resolution was just to dump them, Moylan said.

The problem with these trailers is that they were built prior to 1976 and arent up to modern housing codes, so the county cannot issue permits for them, said Tom Parko, Weld Countys director of planning services.

They cant even be in the county, he said.

The sheriffs office has asked the public to report any additional sightings of abandoned trailers by calling non-emergency dispatch at 970-350-9600, prompt 4.

Link:
Whats going on with these abandoned mobile homes in Weld County? - The Denver Post

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Storm Safety: Mobile homes and RVs are not recommended shelters for severe weather - FOX10 News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KRON) People living in a mobile home park may not have a place to live after theyve been told by property owners that they want to sell and that would turn the land into apartment homes.

The mobile home park is on Bayshore Road in Redwood City.

At this time, there is no impending action about this, just conversation. But residents are worried they will be booted out eventually and wont find anything as affordable.

Bayshore Villa residents received a letter last week from management to discuss the future of the mobile home park.

Residents said they were told the property owner wants to sell and turn this place into apartment homes.

Where else are we going to go? Arturo Gonzalez said. Theres hardly any place to go and everywhere you go is expensive.

That is the reaction from many residents here.

Gonzalez has been living in his trailer for 10 years.

He attended last weeks community meeting.

They (management) have to talk to the city and county of San Mateo in probably about a year, Gonzalez said.

Theres so many families living at this park, Gonzalez said. Where are they going to go?

The process would take time.

The mobile park one of 7 in San Mateo County is protected under an ordinance passed by County Board of Supervisors.

The ordinance requires that a park owner would need to meet with the county, give notice to park residents and prepare a detailed study.

Many are hopeful the project wont go through but when it comes down to it.

Its all about the money I guess, Gonzalez said.

Who would want to live over here, we didnt pay too much money, Elisa Mendoza said. Were going to fight. We have to fight.

We reached out to the Countys District 4 Supervisor and the management company for comment, but have not yet heard back.

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Residents of Redwood City mobile home park in fear of losing homes - KRON4

A woman was shot and killed at a Granger mobile home park early Thursday, authorities said.

Yakima County Sheriffs Office spokesman Casey Schilperoort said there were multiple calls to 911 reporting gunshots around 1 a.m. in the area of the 200 block of E Street in Granger. One caller reported a woman, 67, was shot and injured in her home. She died of her injuries.

Investigators from the sheriffs office and Granger Police Department and Zillah Police Department were on scene Thursday morning gathering evidence, and a drone was being used to get an aerial look at the site, Schilperoort said.

Police tape cordoned off the Granger Mobile Villa RV Park, a collection of single-wide homes at the corner of East Third Street and State Route 223. The intersection of East Third and E streets remained blocked for several hours as the investigation continued.

No suspect has yet been identified, and investigators believe the incident was a drive-by shooting, the sheriffs office said.

Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice said an autopsy will be performed Saturday. The victims name is being withheld while family members are notified, Curtice said.

This is the sixth homicide in Yakima County in 2020, and the first in the Lower Valley. It is the first homicide within Granger city limits since 2010.

Police chief Steve Araguz said the killing is a punch in the gut for the close-knit Lower Valley community.

Our crime rate has been going down, Araguz said. People feel safe in town.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective Sergio Reyna at 509-574-2567 or Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 800-248-9980. Tips can also be submitted online at http://www.crimestoppersyakco.org.

Link:
Authorities say Granger woman killed in mobile-home park likely a drive-by shooting - Yakima Herald-Republic

Annette Pollock was shocked when she opened her property assessment and discovered her home had skyrocketed in value by nearly 70 per cent in just one year.

In 2019, the 59-year-old support workers mobile home in the G&M Trailer Court on Tkemlups te Secwepemc reserve land was valued at $117,400.

In 2020, BC Assessment determined it to be worth $197,200.

This is insanely insane, Pollock said, telling KTW she may be forced to move as a result of impending property taxes hikes.

Im ready to sell. This is so wrong. Im going to have to think about, I have big dogs. I dont have another place to go with my dogs.

On behalf of the other people here, its wrong.

As most Kamloops residents saw a modest increase to property values this year, maxing out at about 15 per cent, residents who live in mobile home parks on reserve land in Kamloops and throughout the region saw a much steeper spike.

Mobile homes on Tkemlups land rose on average by about 40 per cent in 2020, according to BC Assessment, while some residents have reported increases up to more than 70 per cent.

BC Assessment Thompson-Okanagan assessor Tracy Wall said that in advance of the 2020 roll, BC Assessment conducted a re-assessment project, which reviewed all residential occupiers of First Nations land throughout the Thompson-Okanagan region, including 500 mobile homes on Tkemlups te Secwepemc land.

Owners were sent questionnaires about improvements to homes or mobile homes.

Wall said in conjunction with market values, assessment values increased substantially.

Homeowners were notified in December of the impending increase.

Why did this happen and why now?

Wall said historically, those assessments were too low.

BC Assessment regularly conducts reviews of different market sectors, she said, and First Nations appeal adjudicating boards in other parts of the province recently reinforced the requirement for all properties to be assessed at their full fee simple interest.

The same review was conducted on Vancouver Island last year and it is happening this year on the Lower Mainland.

In the past, the assessments on the Tkemlups Indian Band for mobile homes were far too conservative, Wall said. The appeal decisions highlighted this fact, which necessitated a review of all residential occupiers of First Nation land in our region.

Prior to making the changes, Wall said, the First Nations Tax Commission and all of First Nations bands in the region were consulted.

BC Assessment conducted this review in order to create an accurate assessment roll for these First Nations, with values at current market value as of July 1, 2019, she said.

A letter from Tkemlups to its taxpayers about 2020 property assessment increases further explains: BCA recognized the need for review of residential property as per assessment legislation.

The First Nation Residential Occupier Project by BCA established 2020 assessments based on accurate improvement inventory and fee simple market sales, the letter from Tkemlups states.

In addition, case law from Supreme Court of Canada in the Golden Acres decision has set a precedent that assessment review boards must consider in decisions regarding value of residential property as if the occupied property was held in fee simple off reserve.

Tkemlups Chief Rosanne Casimir said the First Nation was consulted, noting she supports the decision, which she said will add value to homes on the reserve and result in trickle-down services to taxpayers.

Pollock, however, does not believe she can sell her home for the amount at which it has been assessed and only sees the immediate consequences on her pocketbook higher taxes, which she said will have a huge impact.

Its not just me, Pollock said. Were talking everybody in the trailer park. Were talking seniors. They dont even know whats happening. They dont even get it. They dont understand.

They see and they go, Oh, my mobile is worth this much more. No it is not. We cannot sell it for any more. Its not going to help them or they just dont realize, right?

G&M Trailer Court resident Adam Funk, whose property value is set to rise by 71 per cent in 2020, said people in his area feel BC Assessment has unfairly compared reserve property to homes in the City of Kamloops.

While Kamloops residents can expect to turn on their tap to find clean drinking water, courtesy a world-class water treatment plant, Funk and Pollock both said they do not have access to clean drinking water.

Funk said he is required to fill up five-gallon drums during high water times, when, he said, trailer park residents are put on a boil water advisory.

The difference between in town and here is that, well, in town you have water service, all that other stuff. I mean, for here, all they do is pump water out of the river. Everybody in the park still doesnt have drinking water yet, Funk said.

A couple years ago, the government gave a grant to the band here to replace all the septic system because they didnt want it going into the water table anymore. They only got about probably 17 trailers done in here. The rest are still same old, he said.

Same thing with paved roads and stuff. People were just saying like, it doesnt make sense that the land value be assessed at the same rate as in the city when the roads are still dirt roads and theres no services comparatively.

Casimir defended Tkemlups work, but could not detail any new services that would come, should the band see an injection of cash from the property assessment increase.

BC Assessment and Tkemlups met in recent weeks to discuss the matter with residents impacted by the increased assessments.

Concerned property occupiers/holders of First Nations land may research their assessment online at bcassessment.ca and contact BC Assessment to discuss their assessment value by calling 1-866-825-8322.

BC Assessment appraisers will review the property inventory currently on file and provide comparable assessments and fee simple sales located off reserve.

If a property occupier/holder of First Nation Land wishes to appeal their assessment, they can do so by sending an appeal letter, email or online submission to the assessor by the March 2 appeal deadline.

Appeal information is available on their assessment notice and online at bcassessment.ca.

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Sticker shock as values of mobile homes in Tk'emlups skyrocket - Kamloops This Week

Grass and shrubs take over the closed Fort Brown Memorial Golf Course in Brownsville, Texas. The course was original built by the University of Texas system but the facilities are on the south side of the border wall. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

Grass and shrubs take over the closed Fort Brown Memorial Golf Course in Brownsville, Texas. The course was original built by the University of Texas system but the facilities are on the south side of the border wall.

A visit to the now-defunct Fort Brown Memorial Golf Course in Brownsville, Texas, is a cautionary tale of how Trump's border wall can create dead zones. The clubhouse is shuttered, par signs are fading and the once-manicured greens are fields of weeds.

In 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, working with the University of Texas at Brownsville, built a security fence on the southern edge of the campus that effectively walled off the popular golf course from the rest of the city.

Golfers stopped coming, and the course, which was operated by the university, eventually went bankrupt.

"What used to be a very active place, very friendly place, for students and for our golf team and for winter Texans has become a deserted, sad, desolate no man's land," says Juliet Garca, the former university president, who fiercely fought the border wall. She stands in the empty parking lot, littered with trash and palm fronds.

"None of us come over here," Garcia says, looking around sadly. "You don't feel protected in any part of the land that is south of the wall."

Juliet Garca, former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, stands behind the border wall. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

Juliet Garca, former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, stands behind the border wall.

When the government constructs its border barrier in California, Arizona and New Mexico, it runs along the arrow-straight land boundary with Mexico. But in Texas, that boundary is the meandering Rio Grande. And because of flooding concerns about flooding, the border wall is often built some distance away as much as a mile north of the river. That leaves thousands of acres between the water and the wall all of it American soil as no man's land.

Landowners fear the wall will effectively sever their acreage from the United States, leaving it abandoned, lawless and unprofitable.

Trump has pledged to build more than 500 miles of new border wall by 2021, if he wins a second term. On Thursday, the Pentagon informed Congress it would reprogram $3.8 billion that was earmarked for aircraft, vehicles and ships to pay for 177 additional miles of barrier to be built along the western desert border.

While some applaud a 30-foot-tall structure to keep out immigrants and drug runners, down in the Rio Grande Valley it has run into opposition. So far, 55 property owners have gone to court to try to block the survey and construction crews.

The existing border wall divides property adjacent to River Bend Resort & Golf Club. Nearly 700 Canadians and Americans from the frigid North spend their winters at River Bend. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

The existing border wall divides property adjacent to River Bend Resort & Golf Club. Nearly 700 Canadians and Americans from the frigid North spend their winters at River Bend.

The owners of River Bend Resort & Golf Club, located just west of Brownsville, were planning a major expansion worth millions of dollars when they heard the border wall would slice through their development.

"A 30-foot wall through the middle of the property completely kills our project," says Jeremy Barnard, part of the family that owns River Bend. Nearly 700 Americans and Canadians from the frigid north relocate there during the winter to enjoy short sleeves and margaritas, and live in upscale mobile homes amid palm trees on a sharp bend in the river. Trump's wall would go up beside an existing levee that bisects the property.

"The problem with that is 70% of our property is south of the levee," says Barnard. That includes the rec center, the pool, tennis courts, and 15 of 18 holes. All of it would be cut off by the wall. The frustrating thing, he says, is they rarely see unauthorized immigrants and drug smugglers passing through the development. Nonetheless, CBP reports that the Rio Grande Valley is the nation's hot spot for narcotics and human smuggling.

Memo Ibarra hits the ball at River Bend Resort & Golf Club in Brownsville, Texas. The 18-hole golf course would have 15 of them on the south side of Trump's proposed border wall. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

Memo Ibarra hits the ball at River Bend Resort & Golf Club in Brownsville, Texas. The 18-hole golf course would have 15 of them on the south side of Trump's proposed border wall.

His family is negotiating urgently with CBP to move the wall slightly north so it won't cut their property in half. And yet Jeremy Barnard's politics haven't changed. He remains loyal to President Trump.

"I've got friends that disagree with me and they say, 'How could you vote for this man? His wall wants to tear apart your community,' " he says, "The main thing I tell them is, 'Look, the thought that I'm gonna agree with somebody a hundred percent of the time, especially a politician, is just outrageous.' But I do agree with what he's trying to do as far as securing the border. I just have an issue with the blanket let's build a wall everywhere."

West of the River Bend Resort, the landscape reverts to fields of onions, cotton and corn. Richard Drawe leans against his pickup truck at his farm headquarters south of the town of Weslaco. He has worked this rich delta soil all his life, like his father and grandfather before him.

"I'm 70 years old and it's gonna ruin my lifestyle here of living in the country," he says. "To have that wall there is just gonna really disturb me."

Jeremy Barnard's family owns the River Bend Resort & Golf Club in Brownsville, Texas. It was planning a major expansion, worth millions of dollars, then came the border wall. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

Jeremy Barnard's family owns the River Bend Resort & Golf Club in Brownsville, Texas. It was planning a major expansion, worth millions of dollars, then came the border wall.

Drawe knows he can't beat Washington, D.C., so last fall, he reluctantly sold the government a ribbon of land so they could erect the fence across his property. Like Jeremy Barnard, Richard Drawe supports Trump and is all for increasing border security he just doesn't want the wall on his property.

"I told them that this stupid wall is gonna have lights on it. It's gonna be like being behind a prison wall, lights and everything," Drawe says. "And I said, 'You put them lights up on me and my house, I'm gonna shoot em out.' Of course, I had time to calm down."

He has seen what's happened over the past decade to riverside land isolated by the border wall that was erected by President George W. Bush. He says the acreage is effectively ceded to Mexico. He's worried that bad hombres will cross the river from Mexico and threaten his farmhands.

"Like I told the Border Patrol, I said, 'Look, you know good and well that once you build this wall all the agents will be doing is patrolling up and down the wall. They're never gonna go on down to the river anymore.' And he yelled back at me, 'Oh, the Rio Grande is the first line of defense.' Baloney," Drawe says. "You just wait a few years."

A surveillance tower is seen in Fred Cavazos' property yards away from the Rio Grande and the privately funded border wall in Mission, Texas. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

A surveillance tower is seen in Fred Cavazos' property yards away from the Rio Grande and the privately funded border wall in Mission, Texas.

CBP is aware of landowners' misgivings. A spokesman said, "The Border Patrol will continue to operate on both sides of the barrier, to include the riverine environment." Further, the agency will install electric gates with security codes to give landowners access to the south side of the wall.

This is cold comfort to Fred Cavazos, whose extended family owns a rustic campground on the river south of the city of Mission. "We were raised here," says Cavazos, 70 years old and in a wheelchair. "My dad taught me how to fish here, how to get a shovel and dig for worms."

His main income is from tenants who have built weekend shanties along the water's edge. "A lot of them own boats. A lot of them own jet skis," he says. "So they come down with fajitas and sausages Saturdays and Sundays and barbecue."

Cousins Rey Anzaldua (left) and Cavazos own a rustic campground in Mission. The government wants to put the wall and a wide patrol zone along the north end of their property. They worry it will drive away his tenants, who may not want to be walled off from the rest of Texas. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

Cousins Rey Anzaldua (left) and Cavazos own a rustic campground in Mission. The government wants to put the wall and a wide patrol zone along the north end of their property. They worry it will drive away his tenants, who may not want to be walled off from the rest of Texas.

The government wants to put the wall, a gate and a 150-foot-wide patrol zone along the north end of the property. The family worries that the tenants may not want to be walled off from the rest of Texas. Acreage south of the wall is "very lightly patrolled" by the Border Patrol, says Rey Anzaldua, a 75-year-old cousin and co-owner.

"If people come across the river and steal from our tenants who are here on the river, then probably we are going to lose a lot of the tenants," Anzaldua says.

Like many large families in the Rio Grande Valley, the Cavazos clan is split. Some want to accept what they think is a generous offer from the government nearly $400,000 for six acres. But Anzaldua wonders what happens if one day they decide to put the land up for sale.

"The problem is the devaluation of the property," he says. "Nobody wants to buy property that's on the river side of the wall. So this is what the fight's going to be about."

Anzaldua and Cavazos are fighting CBP in federal court. Maybe if they drag it out until Election Day, they say, a Democrat will win the White House and halt the border wall.

The privately funded border wall built on private land can be seen from Cavazos' property in front of the Rio Grande. Vernica G. Crdenas for NPR hide caption

The privately funded border wall built on private land can be seen from Cavazos' property in front of the Rio Grande.

Senior Producer Marisa Pealoza produced this report.

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Between President Trump's Border Wall And The Rio Grande Lies A 'No Man's Land' - NPR

A view of the wave roof from the backyard shows it's dramatic effect at all angles.

Some things did need replacing, and Christian, who meticulously studied Whites archive at the University of California Santa Barbara, made efforts to use materials which he thought White would approve of. Steel door frames (most of the originals had rusted out) and windows were custom fabricated to replicate the originals. Terrazzo floors were patched with aggregate from the same quarry White used. And in the kitchen and bathrooms, where new fixtures were installed, Stayner Architects drew a distinction with materiality: All the new fixtures are in stainless steel, while all the fixtures White used were in brass.

Creating a 21st century kitchen in a 1954-designed home was tricky. They opted to replicate the original kitchen, hiding modern conveniences out of sight: a refrigerator is nestled behind a wall panel, and two drawers pull out to reveal a freezer and ice maker; theres also an oven and induction cooktop cleverly tucked out of view. What remains visible, such as several Arne Jacobsen fixtures, still in production, are in line with the aesthetics of the time.

Every corner of the home is filled with natural light thanks to the raised wave roof.

That same logic was applied to the furnishings, many of which were extracted from Christians personal collection of vintage Scandinavian design from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We didnt want to freeze time. We just tried to choose items that had a sympathetic quality to the house and its construction. Contemporaneous textiles were sourced from Tibor LTD, the estate of a post-war British designer and a smattering of vintage kitchenwares (including vintage Russell Wright tableware) add to the retro-chic vibe.

With updated insulation and modern steel door frames and windows, the retro home hits 21st-century efficiency standards.

According to Gil, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. A happy vote of approval, considering the Stayners plans to add two new structures (1400-square-feet in total) to what theyre calling Desert Wave, a hotel compound that will include shared pool and courtyard areas. I have yet to find anyone who wasnt pleased this house was saved and really excited when they see it, he explains. Thats an architects dream. Our role was simply to bring it back. And I think we got just about as close as we could to when Miles Bates walked up in 1955.

The Wave House will be on tour during Modernism Week and host artist residencies, cultural events, and be available for rental after February 2020.

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Inside the Restoration of a Midcentury House With the Most Insane Roof - Architectural Digest