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Open House

How to Find the Right Place to Live; Luxury R.V.s; Outdoor Kitchens

Aired August 06, 2005 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GERRI WILLIS, HOST: Good schools, good housing, safe streets, we're going to show you where to find them.
ANNOUNCER: Today on OPEN HOUSE, looking to upgrade your neighborhood or town? We'll show you the formula the pros use to find the best places to live.

Then, hitting the road in style, big style. A look at the best in luxury R.V.s.

And our weekend project, bring an outdoor kitchen to your yard, ahead on OPEN HOUSE."

WILLIS: Hello, welcome to CNN OPEN HOUSE. I'm Gerri Willis.

When it comes time to move, getting a 101 on a new community can be difficult. So how do you know which town's for you?

Well, we've got some solutions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations on your town being the number one place to live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks very much.

WILLIS (voice-over): Mayor Kevin Aberant has a lot to celebrate. His town, Moorestown, New Jersey, is the kind of place Americans often want when it's time to relocate.

MAYOR KEVIN ABERANT, MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY: We have wonderful schools, we have a great main street, and we have a wonderful sense of community.

WILLIS: But if you're in the market to move, there's much more to look at. The pros at "Money" magazine named Moorestown the number one place to live in the U.S. after going through a long list of criteria.

They start with population and recommend areas with more than 14,000 people who make higher than median income. Next, they say, consider location.

DONNA ROSATO, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: We threw out any place that wasn't close to good transportation, so it had to be within 60 miles of an airport, had to be good -- close to good healthcare. So close to -- within 30 miles of a major hospital.

WILLIS: And make sure home values are rising.

NAOJI MORIUCHI, MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY, REALTOR: Home values have been increasing steadily over the last five years here in Moorestown. We have great people, and it's a really great location. And really good schools. And I think when you have all three of those things in place, you know, the fundamental underlying values of the property just continue to rise.

WILLIS: Of course, the pros say, eliminate towns with low education scores, high crime rates, and high unemployment. And consider parks as well as arts and leisure, along with intangibles like congestion, natural beauty, and especially the people.

All that suits the Mayor Aberant just fine.

ABERANT: We've always been a great town, and I think there's been a lot of community spirit here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Now, the formula is a good place to start, but every family is different, and so are their needs.

Joining us now for a look at how to decide what works more specifically for you is Andrew Schiller. He's president of NeighborhoodScout.com. He comes to us from Boston.

Andrew, welcome.

ANDREW SCHILLER, PRESIDENT, NEIGHBORHOODSCOUT.COM: Thank you very much, Gerri.

WILLIS: You know, Andrew, I think one of the issues today, so many people look for houses online, and they get so obsessed with the house, they forget about the neighborhood. What kind of criteria should they be thinking about when they're shopping neighborhoods?

SCHILLER: They should be thinking about the criteria that are most important for them and their families, because no one neighborhood or place will be right for everybody. You can imagine how a place that is terrific for young, single professionals really wouldn't be the perfect place for retirees or families with children.

WILLIS: Well, let's go right there, children. So many people, schools are their number one priority if they have school-aged children. How can I figure out if the schools are really good?

SCHILLER: Well, there's a variety of places that you can go. One of them, our Web site, integrates data on NeighborhoodScout.com from the National Center for Education Statistics to allow you to simply search around a locality that's near your job and find the best school districts for you.

And once you've done that, then you can go to either the National Center for Education Statistics, which is NCES.gov, and take a look at some details about the individual schools and the school district overall.

Also, the U.S. Department of Education has a wonderful Web site at www.ed.gov, where they have a lot of information in a section called No Child Left Behind.

WILLIS: Well, let's talk about that more specifically, Andrew. Specifically, can I get information on the amount of money spent per pupil, how many teachers there are per classroom?

SCHILLER: Yes. Our system allows you to search on the top school districts in any particular area using data that we integrate from the graduation rates, the spending per student on core instruction, and student-to-teacher ratios. The National Center for Education Statistics has the details of all of those different elements. And the U.S. Department of Education's Web site will have more information on standardized testing as well.

WILLIS: So you can find out those SAT scores, which are critical.

Andrew, one of the big issues people want to know about, crime, crime statistics. What do I do? Do I go to the local police department? What's the best way to find information?

SCHILLER: Well, there's several different ways that you can find information. One of the ways is the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department, collect data from all 17,000 local law enforcement agencies across the country, and then provide general information to the state level, often, or to a region. And if you want to find out about which communities have higher or lower crime rates, you can use some of our seR.V.ice to find those generally.

And if you want to dig into which neighborhoods in any particular city, you can go to oftentimes the local city's Web site for their police department, and they will sometimes...

WILLIS: All right.

SCHILLER: ... break it out for you.

WILLIS: There's even information often on taxes and who to talk to about taxes on those local city Web sites. They can be really useful.

Let's talk about the economy, though, for a minute. Sometimes you're moving to an entirely new state, and you have no clue, frankly, what the local economy is like. Where do I start?

SCHILLER: Well, the U.S. Bureau of the Census has a wonderful Web site at census.gov that will provide you with a lot of information on the economy in local areas. And you can really buttress that with some terrific information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

WILLIS: That's a tough Web site to navigate, though. I've been on that before. Any suggestions for going to a really helpful Web page?

SCHILLER: Yes, well, at NeighborhoodScout.com, you can take a look at which areas have the highest wealth and education, which oftentimes corresponds with places that have good job opportunities. But at census.gov, sometimes what you can do is actually type in the name of community and state and get a profile of that community that will include some really good information within one click about the local economy.

WILLIS: Great suggestions, Andrew. Thanks so much for being with us today.

SCHILLER: You're very welcome.

WILLIS: When it comes to choosing a neighborhood, most parents' number-one criteria is good schools. But finding those schools and really understanding their track record is tough. One tried and true method is to check out the SAT scores of graduating classes. Another one, looking at the number of pupils per teacher in the classroom.

Now, both methodologies are valid. But another number you'd be wise to check out is high school dropout rates. Most schools are eager to supply graduation rates, but some dropouts don't even make it to high school in the first place. Check your school district for details, and happy house hunting.

Coming up, never mind leaving comforts of home, we're hitting the in road in high style.

And later, how about bringing those comforts to your back yard? We'll have the latest in outdoor kitchens.

But first, your tip of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Having trouble selling your home? Your asking price may be too high.

When setting the price, base it on recent sale prices of comparable homes in your neighborhood. Reevaluate the condition of your home.

Painting the exterior and the interior of the home will often add thousands to the sale price.

And market your home wisely. In addition to newspapers and the Internet, your local multiple listing seR.V.ice is the most effective method for getting your house listed with local realty agents.

And that's your tip of the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WILLIS: Imagine spacious bedrooms, marble baths, a $650,000 price tag. Well, it sounds like a beautiful house, right? Well, think again.

We're talking about recreation vehicles at the very high end.

Allan Chernoff takes us for a spin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ah, the great outdoors. Nothing like hitting the road and enjoying Mother Nature.

I always say the best way to do it is to camp out. Of course, there are different ways to camp out. You can rough it, or you can live in luxury.

(voice-over): We're talking more than just hot showers, showers featuring tumbled marble. And after the shower? Heated tile on the floor.

STEVE SCHRIVER, LAZY DAYS TV CENTER: The girls like to make sure they don't have to wear their socks when they're in the coach, and my customers really like the fact that if it gets cool, it's 90 degrees on the floor, and they like that.

CHERNOFF: Steve Schriver sells R.V.s that costs more than most homes. The Country Coach Magna is priced at $650,000.

SCHRIVER: As you can see, we've got a sink here and a sink in there. Our customers would find that to be very comfortable.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Two sinks. So this coach, in other words, is meant to help marriages.

SCHRIVER: That's correct, to make them work.

CHERNOFF: It's solid wood throughout the interior. No particle board here. And plush leather on every seat.

(on camera): These luxury R.V.s have virtually every convenience that you could hope for at home. A wood paneled refrigerator, full size. Corian countertop, even a dishwasher.

(voice-over): Which may not get much use.

SCHRIVER: I can't imagine washing a lot of dishes when you're camping. Most of our customers make reseR.V.ations.

CHERNOFF: There are three big screen TVs, in front, in the bedroom, and another outside. The queen or king-size bed has an adjustable air mattress.

(on camera): You use this remote here to set basically the tension on the mattress. SCHRIVER: That's correct. If you're feeling a little tired from a big party, you might want to make it a little softer and sleep a little better.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): To fit all the amenities, the R.V.s expand. Four walls slide out, providing 430 square feet of living space. That's bigger than some Manhattan studio apartments.

(on camera): You refer to this as camping out. Is this really camping out?

SCHRIVER: Well, this is camping in the year 2005. We want to be comfortable, but basically it's camping.

CHERNOFF: I have to tell you, I'm the tent type of camper. This is basically a luxurious home.

SCHRIVER: Allan, when you get your new R.V., I'll throw in the tent.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Fully loaded, this vehicle gets between five and seven miles per gallon. Yet the Lazy Days dealership near Tampa sells about 100 of these top-end R.V.s every year.

(on camera): The fact that the price of gasoline has been soaring, that hasn't been hurting your sales?

SCHRIVER: It hasn't stopped them. They've lived, they want to live the dream. This is something they've dreamt their whole life, and they want to be able to live that dream. Just a lifestyle and a dream come true. They're not going to give it up for that.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Retiring in comfort, at six miles per gallon.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Seffner, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Boys and their toys. Thanks to Allen for that report.

Of course, not everyone can hit the road in such high style, but there are R.V.s at every price point. Used camping trailers can start as low as $4,000, motor homes can begin around $50,000.

So we sent J.J. Ramberg to speak with David Humphreys (ph), he's the president of Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, about just what you need to know.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Explain to me what an R.V. is, first, because when people think of R.V.s, they often just think of motor homes.

DAVID HUMPHREYS, PRESIDENT, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION: Well, first of all, an R.V. is something with wheels plus temporary living quarters. in other words, we do not include things like trail bikes, snowmobiles, dune buggies. So it's something you camp in.

Within R.V.s, we have motor homes, but that have the engine and you sit in it and drive. But we also have what we call towable products, travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers. And the big surprise is that over 75 percent of all R.V.s are not motor homes.

RAMBERG: Talk to me about the financing for something like this.

SCHRIVER: OK. Well, one of the big surprises is that you can finance a motor home like this for 20 years.

RAMBERG: Wow.

SCHRIVER: And that's really surprising to a lot of people. And I think it's because they hold their value so well.

RAMBERG: So you think of it more like a home than a car.

SCHRIVER: Well, if you look around, this is really more like a house. It's a house and a car. But the big thing that banks look at is, what is the value? I mean, they're not going to finance a car for 20 years...

RAMBERG: Right.

SCHRIVER: ... because they're not worth much of anything, really.

RAMBERG: And then what kind of interest rates do you get, like a home, or like a car?

SCHRIVER: Well, it would be closer to a car, because obviously it's -- a home is different. But they're still very, very low right now, the fact that they're tax deductible makes it a really good deal.

RAMBERG: The interest is deductible.

SCHRIVER: Yes, as a second-home deduction. So, I mean, if you already have a second home, and this is your third home, you're not going to get the benefit. But if you don't have a second home, and you buy a vehicle like this, even a little camping trailer or travel trailer, the interest is tax deductible.

RAMBERG: How about insurance? Do you need to go to a specialist that deals with R.V.s, or can you go to any car insurance salesperson?

SCHRIVER: Well, you'll find some surprises. A lot of times a towable product is already covered by your auto insurance, that it covers the car and whatever you're towing.

But you don't have to go to a specialist, to answer your question. There are some companies that specialize in this, but a regular broker can give you very adequate insurance. RAMBERG: Do you need any kind of driver's license, a special license to drive something like this?

SCHRIVER: Well, I'm happy to say the answer is no. You don't need a commercial driver's license. There are some states where you have to take a written exam if you have a very large, say over 40 foot. And that's reasonable, because you have air brakes, and do you know how they work? And it's fair to say that you need to be able to show that you can drive what you own.

RAMBERG: How many miles per gallon do you get?

SCHRIVER: Well, we like to talk in terms of people miles per gallon.

RAMBERG: Of course you do.

SCHRIVER: Of course. Well, if you get a very large motor home, you might get as little as six to eight miles per gallon.

RAMBERG: Wow.

SCHRIVER: But you're going to be having four or five people, and you're moving your house. And I like to say, Well, how many miles a gallon does your house get? (INAUDIBLE). So really, all in all, it's very, very efficient.

RAMBERG: I guess the other idea too is that you're not just driving this to the corner store, right? You're driving, then you're staying put for a while.

SCHRIVER: Sure. Sure. People are out, you know. The fun is not the driving part. The fun is being somewhere and enjoying the outdoors and all that kind of thing.

RAMBERG: The hanging out.

SCHRIVER: In fact, these motor homes, surprisingly, only average about 8,000 miles per year.

RAMBERG: Because they're staying put most of the time.

SCHRIVER: That's right.

RAMBERG: What if you have a towable and you attach it to your car, how much worse does it make the mileage?

SCHRIVER: Now, that varies tremendously, depending on how strong the engine and transmission are. If you have a Suburban, let's say, you might not vary the mileage much at all. But if you have a very small car, and you try to stretch it a little bit and get a bigger trailer, of course, it's going to drag it down.

So what you want to do is, get a tow vehicle that matches what it is you're trying to tow. And that's not hard to do.

RAMBERG: Storage? Where can you store something?

SCHRIVER: Well, this will depend a lot on your neighborhood. There are many neighborhoods where they don't allow people to have R.V.s or boats in their driveway, and there are wonderful storage areas that are inexpensive. And it helps make it secure when you're not around.

RAMBERG: OK. Dave Humphreys, thanks so much for joining us.

SCHRIVER: Thank you.

RAMBERG: Nice to meet you.

SCHRIVER: Very nice, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Keep in mind, maintenance is also an ongoing cost. Now, there's no standard yearly estimate, but just like with a house, the more complicated the R.V., the more maintenance it will require.

Next on OPEN HOUSE, why run back and forth when you can have everything outside? We'll show you how to create an outdoor kitchen.

But first, the mortgage numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Welcome back to OPEN HOUSE.

There's nothing better in the summertime than firing up the backyard grill. If you always wanted an outdoor kitchen, we're going to show you options for every budget.

So if you want a really fabulous outdoor kitchen, you need four things, the grills, the separate side burners, the fridge, and a sink. And we've got one right here.

LISA DAVENPORT, LISA DAVENPORT'S HOME GALLERY: This is not only a sink. We have here a complete beverage center.

RAMBERG: What's the price on this?

DAVENPORT: This is running about $2,000.

WILLIS: So if my goal is to get the kids through college rather than to pay that much for a sink, are there other options out there?

DAVENPORT: There are some great options. OCI puts out a beautiful sink. It is much larger. And then, in my opinion, the best one on the market right now is Cal Flame.

WILLIS: Why do you like that one?

DAVENPORT: It's 14 by 14, so it's good size. But the most important thing is, it's only $150. WILLIS: (INAUDIBLE), that's great, $150. Much better than the $2,000.

DAVENPORT: Exactly.

WILLIS: All right, let's look at the next product.

OK, so here's the fridge that you have. Pretty much space there.

DAVENPORT: There is a fair amount of space in here. What I love about Viking's refrigerator here is, you can choose which side you want the hinge on.

WILLIS: What other options do I have?

DAVENPORT: You have Summit, which is very close in the price point. This is about $2,000, Summit's about $1,700. But you don't get a choice on your hinge. You get everything else. It's still encased in stainless steel. It still will be impeR.V.ious to the elements. But it only has a one-year warranty. This is a five-year warranty.

WILLIS: OK, here we have the side burners. Obviously, if you want corn on the cob, you want side burners. And now the idea, of course, to separate it from the grill.

DAVENPORT: The other thing that's wonderful about this is it's a double burner, not a single burner. You have a cover for storage. When you're not out here in December, you have a cover on top of this. And you've got about 15,000 BTUs out of each one of these burners.

WILLIS: That's a whole lot of power.

DAVENPORT: That is a whole lot of power.

WILLIS: Now, how much does this go for?

DAVENPORT: This one's running about $900.

WILLIS: So if I want to spend less, what can I do?

DAVENPORT: Well, there's a couple different product on the market. DFC puts out a beautiful one that's a single burner, about $400. So, yes, you're not really getting the cost-effectiveness that you could with two. And then Weber puts out one. Weber's is not stainless steel, it's a single burner, but it seR.V.es its purpose.

WILLIS: Here's what I've been waiting for, the grill.

DAVENPORT: The grill, yes.

WILLIS: Now, this is the heart of everything, right here, obviously. You want to make sure you get the grill right. This is a very high-end grill, lots of cooking space. Really attractive. How much does this Viking go for?

DAVENPORT: This one's about $4,000.

WILLIS: Wow, $4,000.

DAVENPORT: Yes...

WILLIS: (INAUDIBLE)...

DAVENPORT: ... (INAUDIBLE) a lot of bells and whistles.

WILLIS: Tell us about this bells and whistles.

DAVENPORT: OK. You put a steak on this. And as the fat drips down, it smokes back up. Now you get the feeling of the smoked or the taste of the smoked steak.

WILLIS: What else can I do?

DAVENPORT: Kenmore Elite is very, very similar in size, has about the same BTUs. It also needs to be insulated. As your cabinets come around your grill, obviously we know how hot a grill gets, we need to make sure that we've insulated the cabinets.

WILLIS: How much is the Kenmore (INAUDIBLE)?

DAVENPORT: Seventeen hundred dollars. Weber puts out a grill that has a professional stainless steel look to it, although it's not a drop-in. So it's on a stand with stainless steel doors inside.

WILLIS: So it would set aside from your kitchen.

DAVENPORT: It would, absolutely. But at $700, you maybe want to (INAUDIBLE).

WILLIS: Lisa, thanks for being with us.

DAVENPORT: Thank you.

WILLIS: Well, clearly, you can spend anything you want to on an outdoor kitchen. But baseline, you're going to have to have $3,500 to get started.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Coming up next week on OPEN HOUSE, is the bloom off the housing boom? We'll look at some potentially cooling housing markets.

And innovative mortgages, from interest only, to no interest at all.

Plus, we want to hear from you. Send us your comments, your questions to OPENHOUSE@CNN.com.

Thanks for watching OPEN HOUSE. We'll see you here next Saturday. Have a great weekend.

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