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Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1999

Annual expo will have sweet home ideas

Thousands expected to attend home show; seminars will cover variety of topics

By ANDREA JARES
Staff Writer

   The Super Bowl of home ideas will roll into Corpus Christi the same weekend football's Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons face off in Miami.
   The Home Expo, in its fifth year, puts home-services providers under one roof touting their newest and best products. This year's event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 30 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 31.
   Dickson Clements, executive director of the Corpus Christi Builder's Association, said the home show will appeal to people who want to get a few ideas for the home.
   Need more room? Remodelers will be at the Expo to talk about adding an office or extra bedroom to the house.
   Are interest rates too good to be true? Mortgage lenders will be on hand to talk about refinancing.
   Want a fresh look for your home? Designers, furniture stores and companies selling paint and window treatments are scheduled to have representatives available to answer questions.
   Even if you don't have a house, real estate brokers, builders and manufactured home builders can help get you into one.
   About 8,300 people are expected to wind through the 160 booths at the Bayfront Plaza Convention Center Exhibit Hall over the two days. The cost is $2 per day.
   Educational seminars this year will cover issues such as landscaping, energy conservation and growing indoor plants. The newest topics are a presentations by specialists from TCI Cablevision, who will talk about wiring, and Michael Rhoads, host of the South Texas Garden Show, who will give ideas about growing plants.
   Jessie Watson, co-chair for Expo seminars, said the idea is to get questions answered for audience members who will be tackling large and expensive projects such as buying or renovating a home.
   "We're trying to educate people," she said. "An educated customer is halfway ahead of the game."
   Also look for Ron Mendleski, a native of Corpus Christi and chief executive officer of Light Advice, who will speak about residential lighting. He has designed lighting schemes for the Franklin Mint, Universal Studios, the Gene Autry Museum and various celebrity homes.
   Clements said a map will be published in the Caller-Times on Jan. 29.
   "We want them to use it as a guideline to target the vendors they would like to talk with," Clements said. "They should work aisle by aisle and think about what they want to do in their own home."
   

Portland hotel construction

   Construction on a 55-room Hampton Inn in Portland is expected to begin by the end of the month or the first part of February.
   Portland Properties Inc. is collecting bids for the construction of the franchise hotel that is expected to open by the end of the year. Mahavir C. Bhakta, president, also owns the Days Inn in Bishop.
   Bhakta said he chose the location adjacent to the Comfort Inn on north U.S. 181 because of the traffic from Rockport on State Highway 35 and visitor traffic from the Naval Air Station and Port of Corpus Christi industries.
   "I chose this place because the growth is going toward Portland," he said. "I don't see any better property in the cities surrounding Portland."
   The franchise hotel is expected to employ 10 or 12 people, Bhakta said.
   This three-story Hampton Inn will include a business center, hospitality suite, linen room, elevator, pool and Jacuzzi.
   

Streets to be built

   The Mustang Royale development, four miles south of Port Aransas on State Highway 361, is about to begin street construction. After the concrete streets are built, homes will begin to be constructed on the 44 lots there, said Del Stogsdill, a Realtor at Coldwell Banker's Port Aransas office.
   Homes will have the feeling of old Florida beach houses, with metal roofs, wide porches and picket fences. The area, which is adjacent to the Beachwalk development, will complement the homes there.
   She said she anticipates most of the homes will be bought by people for use as second residences.
   Lots start at $20,000 on the area closest to Island Road and go up to $105,000 for spaces near the beachfront. So far, six lots have been sold, Stogsdill said.
   The homes will range from 1,200 to 3,500 square feet.
   Frost Bank is offering a special loan for Mustang Royale homebuyers, Stogsdill said. With approved credit, a person can get 8.25 percent interest loan for the first five years with nothing down, or a 7.75 percent interest loan for 15 years with 10 percent down.
   A model home is expected to be built soon. A pool is planned for the center of the development. Byron Pratt is the developer.
   

Average rate up slightly

   The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 6.83 percent for the week ending Jan. 15, according to a mortgage survey by Freddie Mac. This is up from the week before's average of 6.79 percent and still lower than the rate a year ago at 6.89 percent.
   On Real Estate is published every other Tuesday in the Staff Writer business section. Items for consideration should be submitted to On Real Estate, Corpus Christi Staff Writer, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, 78469; e-mail Andrea Jares at jaresa@scripps.com; fax items to 886-3732; or call 886-3678.

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  © 1999 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.