[Times photo: Thomas M. Goethe] Jonell Jones honors the Red Cross service of her great-aunt Nell Orth, shown in this photograph. The quilt is made from Orth’s Red Cross uniforms, and her “canteen aide” cap and a certificate of service grace the walls of the room. Story

Home Front
Water wonder

Postwar homes are latest preservation territory
ST. PETERSBURG -- Your 1950s ranch house may be a historic treasure.

Putting a flagpole in common area
Question: Must unit owners approve installing a flagpole in a common area, or is board approval sufficient?

Show your colors in style
If you start now, you can have this stars-and-stripes wagon ready for Flag Day on June 14 and be able to relax on the Fourth of July. Directions for the project were provided by Thompson's, maker of the stains and adhesives suggested for use here. The project assumes you have a wagon with wooden sides over which the flag panels are slipped.

Longleaf development wins award
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Longleaf, a traditional neighborhood development in southwest Pasco, won first place in the development category from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council in its 10th annual Future of the Region awards.

House values
St. Petersburg

Keep close tabs on closing costs
Accumulating cash for a down payment on a house can be a challenge.

Homebuyer U
Need to learn the basics of selling your home yourself? Seminar offered by Century21clickit.com, a listing service for For Sale By Owner home sellers, covers topics such as preparing your home for sale, advertising and setting appointments and showing your home. Seminar held the third Saturday of each month, with next seminar 9-11 a.m. June 15 at Holiday Inn Express on Rocky Point Island, 3025 N Rocky Point Drive, Tampa. Cost $99, includes materials and a current market analysis of your home. For information and reservations, call (727) 595-8883.

Briefly
New homes added to auction site

 

St. Petersburg Times real estate classified ads:

Regional real estate links:
Tampa Bay Homes - Search local MLS listings, a service of Tampabay.com.
Florida Home Builders - features Florida developers with Web sites.

Other real estate links:
Cost of Living calculator: compares the cost of living in any two cities. Also includes links to Salary Calculator and Moving Calculator among other tools.
Home Buyer and Renter Consumer Information: From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Home Buying Tips: from the U.S. Government General Services Administration.
Realtor.com: includes info on buying and selling real estate, allows you to browse property ads in the U.S. and locate realtors.