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Open House

The Right to Housing; Renovating Your Home to Increase its Value; Making Life Easier During the Holidays

Aired November 18, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: The right to housing, who has it in this country? The folks in Escondido, California, say not everybody. They want to ban landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, sparking a nationwide controversy.
Who is right, who is wrong? We'll hash it out.

OPEN HOUSE starts right now.

Earlier this month, the city of Escondido added another chapter to the growing debate on illegal immigration in this country. The town council, by a vote of 3-2, voted to make it illegal for landlords to rent to anyone who does not have legal resident status in the United States. Now, well, the lawsuits are flying and many folks are talking about who has the right to rent housing in this country.

John Trasvina is the president of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He's in Washington.

And Jim Gilchrist is the founder of the Minuteman Project in Irvine, California.

Welcome to both my guests. Good to have you guys here.

JOHN TRASVINA, PRESIDENT, MALDEF: Hi. Thank you.

JIM GILCHRIST, FOUNDER, MINUTEMAN PROJECT: Hello, Gerri.

WILLIS: All right, Jim, let's start with you. I know that you support this move. Why is it a good idea to keep some people out of housing?

GILCHRIST: It's not a matter of keeping some people out of housing, it's keeping the illegal alien invasion under control. And what -- what they are doing in Escondido is engaging in self- governance, something that's been a backbone of this nation for over 230 years. And since our federal, state and local governments have deliberately refused to deal with this issue and preserve this nation under the rule of law, the citizens are actually doing it themselves by encouraging some...

WILLIS: OK.

GILCHRIST: ... city council members in Escondido to actually follow the rule of law. WILLIS: Well, John, let's go to you now. Look, should the local government have jurisdiction over this? Or should only the federal government be allowed to take care of these issues?

TRASVINA: No, Gerri, we can't have citizens having their own immigration policy any more than they would have their own military policy or foreign policy. The Constitution is clear that the federal government sets our immigration policy.

We now have a new Congress, and the president can work together to actually pass comprehensive immigration reform to get the job done at the federal level. Not put the burden on landlords and not put the burden in local governments.

WILLIS: So do you believe that Escondido is making a mistake here?

TRASVINA: It is handling the issue in the worst possible way. By prohibiting landlords from requiring them to check for immigration documents, it sets up a complaint process where neighbors can complain against neighbors. It's the worst possible system.

WILLIS: Well Jim, let's talk to you about this. Is the burden on landlords here? My understanding is that it's actually the federal government who will decide who is illegal and who is not. But then landlords will be in the process of evicting people who aren't meeting the standards.

Tell me about that.

GILCHRIST: Yes, and I agree with Mr. Trasvina partly. This should be the responsibility of the federal government.

The federal government has failed incredibly on this issue for 40 years. And it doesn't matter what party is in power in power in the White House, the Republicans or the Democrats. They both are pandering to this illegal alien invasion crisis because they refuse to deal with it. And this is the consequence, again, of -- of deliberate dereliction of duty and blatant and reckless disregard for the rule of law by our political governors.

WILLIS: John, I want to ask you, these kind of roles, they're kind of a Draconian. Will it force immigrants who may be illegal in this country to go underground, to try to find housing anywhere they can, maybe in places that are unsafe and unhealthy?

TRASVINA: Well, it will cause that, but it will also cause U.S. citizens and permanent residents to lose rental opportunities as well. The Escondido ordinance, after all, says that a landlord can't rent to anybody if they are renting to an undocumented immigrant.

So if they are not being able to collect rent, why would they hold up on the rest of their apartments to anyone? So it does directly effect everyone.

Also, in other cities, like Farmers Branch, Texas, a similar ordinance has passed requiring every member of the family to present a passport or some kind of identity document in order to rent. And it just makes no sense.

It really belongs at the federal government. Give the federal government the opportunity to fix the problem and not put the burden on landlords.

On the other hand, in the same way that we've seen this with employers, a lot of employers, a lot of landlords are going to say, I'm not going to go near that. I'm just going to hire -- I'm just going to rent to people who I think are true Americans.

That's going to lead to a lot of discrimination. Particularly in Escondido, where 35 to 40 percent of the population is Latino. U.S.- born permanent residents, as well as others.

WILLIS: You want to respond to that, Jim? Is this going to have a chilling effect, where if you are a person of color and your likelihood of getting housing is less?

GILCHRIST: Only if you are an illegal alien who already has violated our immigration laws, sure. And I have no sympathy with those who have been engaged in this 21st century slave trade. And that includes people from the real estate industry, the religious orders, our political panderers. The list goes on. It's an endless list.

And this is a job that the federal government should have taken care of 40 years ago. But they continue to refuse to do so. And this is why the Minuteman Project evolved. It's an alternative to political corruption, dereliction of duty, and blatant and reckless disregard for the rule of law. And American tax-paying citizens are tired of this.

WILLIS: OK. All right.

TRASVINA: Jim, you're way out of line. Apartment owners are not part of a slave trade. And this is going to bring problems in communities. It's going to pit neighbor against neighbor. It's not going to solve anything.

WILLIS: Nobody seems happy with this solution. And I'm pleased that we got both of you on to talk about tit.

John, Jim, thank you so much for joining us today.

GILCHRIST: Thank you.

TRASVINA: Thank you, Gerri.

WILLIS: We'll be keeping an eye on this story and keep you informed of the very latest.

Folks across the country also have their minds on the housing market. That was the hot topic at the annual convention of the National Association of Realtors. Thirty thousand members headed down to New Orleans and OPEN HOUSE was there.

This year, though, the big buzz wasn't about the housing boom, that's for sure. Many of the realtors I spoke to expressed their frustration with a sliding or stalled market. But despite all the numbers that say otherwise, chief economist David Lereah insisted on painting a positive picture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LEREAH, NAR CHIEF ECONOMIST: Households have the financial wherewithal to buy homes. They just don't have the confidence right now.

When will that confidence come back? We don't know, but we do know that the fundamentals are good. So they should -- the confidence should regain some time in '07.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIS: Regardless of spin, a lot of good came out of the realtors convention. It was the largest gathering in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. And while there, NAR members built seven houses for Habitat for Humanity.

Straight ahead on OPEN HOUSE, how to deal with a house full of people on Thanksgiving.

Plus, we'll tell you how to get the inside scoop on contractors and what to look out for.

And why the city of Las Vegas is getting tough these days on water.

But first, your "Tip of the Day."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): More than 65 million of you will take to the roads this Thanksgiving weekend, and many of you will drive. Before you hit the road, plan not only your route, but your rest stops as well.

And don't forget to check those tires. Not only are under- inflated tires dangerous, but properly-inflated wheels can save you up to nine cents per gallon at the gas station.

Check levels of all important liquids in your car. Not just gas, but oil and windshield wiper fluids as well. And test your batteries and make sure it's in proper working order.

That's your "Tip of the Day."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WILLIS: Are you worried about your home's value? It may be a good time to take that step back and find out ways to renovate your home to increase its value.

Angie Hicks is the founder of AngiesList.com. She's here to help.

Angie, good to see you.

ANGIE HICKS, FOUNDER, ANGIESLIST.COM: Thank you.

WILLIS: You know, let's start with a little conversation about your Web site because it's really a cheat sheet for people who might want to renovate their home.

HICKS: Right. Angie's List is where consumers can go and get the real scoop on local service companies, contractors, auto mechanics, lawn care companies. And all the information comes from consumers who have actually hired the companies.

WILLIS: Well, that's the big deal. There's a rating on there on these fellows. Some of them are fellows. Some of them are women. And it tells you exactly how good they are.

HICKS: Right. They -- consumers rate them on an A through F scale, which is like a school report card, and we average those reports. So you can see what other people in the area have used and been happy with.

WILLIS: That's great.

Let's talk a little bit about what you're finding with the people who frequent your Web site. You actually have to pay to be a member, obviously. Are people generally happy with their contractors right now? And is there any sense that people are contracting out more or less right now?

HICKS: I think they -- I think they are happy. And a lot of people I think are a little more cautious right now, especially with the real estate market slowing down.

People are being much more conservative on what they're doing on home improvements as far as remodeling. And you can still do lots of remodeling. You just need to make sure you're doing things that are going to be the best return for your money.

WILLIS: Now, I know you think there's a danger out there of over-renovating. You know, I think people are kind of worried about the market. They are thinking, if I try to buy a new home, a bigger home now to accommodate my family, I could end up overpaying for that house. So maybe they renovate, but you say they spend too much money.

How so?

HICKS: Well, if they are going to be staying in their house for a while, then renovating is certainly an option. If you are going to be renovating, keep in mind you are not always going to get a dollar- for-dollar return on your investment.

The first thing you want to do is know your market. Know what houses in your neighborhood are selling for, and know what they have. Because if you have only two bathrooms in your house, everybody else has three, adding a bathroom's going to make sense. But if you are adding...

WILLIS: But the flip side...

HICKS: ... a fourth one...

WILLIS: ... is a problem.

HICKS: ... is a problem. You don't want the highest-priced house on the block.

WILLIS: You know, I've noticed that you have been writing a lot on your Web site about home warranties, and I want to talk a little bit about this. A lot of realtors out there, a lot of real estate agents who are trying to move properties as a little extra incentive to people are offering home warranties.

HICKS: Right.

WILLIS: So the homeowner has this feeling like, well, I'm protected if anything happens to my house. But you are getting a lot of complaints about them.

HICKS: We are. We actually -- in 2005, home warranties was our most complained about category of the highest percentage of Fs. And I think...

WILLIS: Wow.

HICKS: ... a lot of that is...

WILLIS: You go A to F?

HENRY: A to F. And it was three times as high as the next closest category. And I think in a lot of ways consumers don't really understand what their home warranty is going to cover.

And it's a simple contract. So what's in and what's not is laid out in the contract. So you want to make sure you read that in detail so you really understand what you are getting.

WILLIS: Angie, I thank you for your help today. Thanks for being with us.

HICKS: Thank you.

WILLIS: Coming up, a crackdown in the Las Vegas desert. We'll take you on a ride with the folks we'll call the water police.

And everything you need to know about hosting a house full of people this holiday season. OPEN HOUSE will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And for many of you, that means a house full of people. Now, there are a few tricks to make your life easier and your guests a little more comfortable this year.

Jenny Sucov is with "Real Simple" magazine.

All right, Jenny, my favorite holiday has got to be Thanksgiving. But when people come over I get so nervous. I sort of lose the Zen of the holiday.

JENNY SUCOV, "REAL SIMPLE": Oh, don't lose the Zen. You know, having people over is just the best. And you can do a lot of things to make their stay more comfortable and make your time as a host more comfortable, too.

WILLIS: Well, isn't it all about making me comfortable so then I make them comfortable, right?

SUCOV: Definitely. Definitely. And, you know, one of the things you can do is ask for help. Don't feel like you have to do everything yourself.

WILLIS: How do I do that?

SUCOV: Well, if you do, just be specific. You know, if you are asking people to bring things for dinner, don't just say, "Bring a dessert." Tell them, "Bring a chocolate dessert." "Bring an apple dessert." "Bring a pumpkin dessert."

It will make them feel better, too.

WILLIS: Oh, I love that. And, you know, incorporating everybody who is there, to have them do something as well, usually really helps people feel at home.

SUCOV: People want to help. People want to help.

WILLIS: Yes.

SUCOV: And, you know, when you have people at your house, sometimes, you know, they feel a little crammed in and they feel like maybe they don't know what to ask for. You know, having a welcome basket like the one we have on the table here is a really nice way to make people feel almost like they are at a hotel or like they're on vacation.

WILLIS: You know what I do? When I travel, I take all the goodies out of the bathroom and save it, and then put it in the bathroom so people feel like they are getting treated special.

SUCOV: That's perfect. They get a little pampering, you put some fresh towels in there. And, you know, if you are having a lot of guests, give them color-coded towels so that way they don't get confused in the bathroom.

WILLIS: That's a great idea. I always worry about that.

SUCOV: Everybody can have their own.

WILLIS: You know, whose towel is whose?

Now, you've got some wonderful things out here. Books obviously. Now, do those go in the guestroom?

SUCOV: Yes.

WILLIS: So they feel at home?

SUCOV: Yes. Those are just nice little touches. You know, like a box of soap or a little chocolate on the bed. Books by the night table. And you can even write a note inside that says, "Take me home with you," incase they start reading and they can finish when they go home.

WILLIS: Well, that's nice. OK. Well -- and we've got food here. I'm putting that out in the morning?

SUCOV: Well, don't feel pressured. You know, just because someone is staying at your house, you don't have to feel like a short order cook, or a tour guide, for that matter.

Give them something like a simple breakfast, and then give them the tools they need to plan a really great day in your town. Like a newspaper, maybe some magazines. A map.

WILLIS: A map's a great idea, to make that available to people as well. And you leave the -- you leave everything out for them to sort of find.

SUCOV: Exactly.

WILLIS: You don't have to get everything for everybody, right?

SUCOV: And you don't have to go -- you don't have to go to the zoo again if you don't want to. You know, just give them the things that they need so they can have a great time, because that's what it's all about, really.

WILLIS: Anything else to help keep those guests entertained? Because I'm always worried, are they having a good time, do they know what to do, where to go? Sometimes you can become a little too invasive with your guests.

SUCOV: Yes. I think the important thing to keep in mind is just that, you know, they probably want to go off and explore on their own too. So have your time and have their time, and then just meet up for dinner.

SUCOV: Sounds like a great idea.

Jenny, thanks for helping us out today.

SUCOV: Thanks for having me.

WILLIS: I appreciate it.

SUCOV: Thank you.

WILLIS: As always, if you have an idea for a "Weekend Project," send us an e-mail to OpenHouse@CNN.com. And you can watch past weekend projects on our Web site, CNN.com/OpenHouse.

When it comes to water, Las Vegas isn't exactly a safe bet. Coming up, you'll meet the folks who want to change that next on OPEN HOUSE.

But first, it's time to go "Trendspotting."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Ten years ago, bedroom sheet thread counts topped off around 200. These days, it's not unusual to find counts upward of 1,000. The higher thread count doesn't necessarily translate into softer sheets.

PAT SLAVEN, CONSUMER REPORTS": Don't pay for sheets that are over 400 thread count. They won't feel any softer and they won't wear any better than sheets in that mid-range, 200 to 400.

WILLIS: Manufacturers use tricks to double, even quadruple thread counts. But don't be fooled. Do look for 100 percent cotton.

SLAVEN: Egyptian, Pima, Sea Island, that does add a luxurious feel to sheets because the fibers are longer, they are smoother. And they feel nice next to your skin.

WILLIS: That's this week's "Trendspotting."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Bright lights, high-end resorts, high-stakes gambling. Well, Las Vegas can be a bit excessive. The city tolerates, maybe encourages all of this, but one thing it's not putting up with, water waste. And with Vegas in the middle of a drought, the city has a special task force to make sure no drop is wasted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): The crime, water abuse. The weapon, a sprinkler. The victim, the city of Las Vegas.

DENNIS GEGEN, WATER WASTE INVESTIGATOR: The first thing I do is I jump out and I film it. This is Dennis Gegen, 10/16/06. The time is 3:36. I'm looking at a day-of-the-week (ph) violation.

WILLIS: Dennis Gegen isn't your everyday criminal investigator. He works for the state of Nevada, helping to conserve its scarcest commodity, water.

GEGEN: Unfortunately, some people have to be reminded. And that's when we actually -- we give out -- we give out fees to people that just refuse to kind of curb their water waste.

WILLIS: While Sin City has an anything goes reputation, H2O abuse is off limits.

PAT MULROY, SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY: We've put restrictions on building codes. You can't have turf in the front yard. You can only have 50 percent of the back area landscaped with grass. We are promoting desert landscaping, native drought-tolerant landscaping.

WILLIS: But there's also a pay-out literally for those who play by the rules.

MULROY: We have some really aggressive programs. We are paying our customer to take unnecessary grass out. Paying them a dollar per square foot.

We've spent over $60 million reimbursing our customers. That saved us over 12 billion gallons of water.

WILLIS: Saving water isn't only about those who live in Vegas, but also with visitors. And hotels and casinos are all in when it comes to water conservation.

JAIME CRUZ, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, MGM, MIRAGE: We conserve by utilizing high-efficiency shower heads, toilets, sinks. Also by building multimillion-dollar water treatment plants here on the facilities to recycle the water that's once been used through the rooms.

WILLIS: In other words, this goes down here and comes back out here. After it's been recycled, of course.

Other Vegas businesses are also being pressured to pitch in. Golf courses have water budgets. And new home builders are using water-smart construction techniques.

And if you haven't gotten the message that saving water is serious business here, Vegas is putting its own humor spin on the rather dry subject with a new ad campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I help you? Ooh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To find your watering schedule, go to changeyourclock.com.

WILLIS: Our water detective delivers the same message, but his method of delivery is, well, easier to handle. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: In all seriousness, by most estimates, Las Vegas could run out of water in 10 years.

Now, conserving water isn't all that hard. All it takes is a little thought.

Turning off water while you brush your teeth, for example, can save you up to four gallons of water a minute or 200 gallons a week. Do that while shaving, and you'll save more than a hundred gallons a week.

Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean. And a new dishwasher will also be more efficient than an old one.

And finally some good news for you procrastinators. Running your washing machine and dish washer only when they are full can save you a thousand gallons of water a month.

If you have any questions, send us an e-mail to OpenHouse@CNN.com.

And you'll find more on today's guests and topics on our Web site, CNN.com/OpenHouse.

As always, we thank you for spending part of your Saturday with us. OPEN HOUSE will be back next week right here on CNN. And you can also catch us on "Headline News" every Saturday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Don't go anywhere. Your top stories are next in the "CNN NEWSROOM."

Have a great weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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