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  What’s new

  DAP’s Presto Patch simplifies drywall repair

  DAP’s new Presto Patch simplifies structurally sound drywall repairs.

• Hot Property: L.A.

  ‘Dexter’ star has views to die for

  Michael C. Hall of Dexter fame has bought a restored home in Los Feliz for $3.825 million.
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  Kitchen

  Tips for efficient dishwashers, drains

  Your dishwasher, sink drain and garbage disposal do the major dirty work in your kitchen, and you can keep them smelling fresh and running efficiently with a few easy steps.

• Tips

  Buy the right paint before grabbing a brush

  The one job most of us do ourselves is paint. For example, I repainted the walls along the staircase after I nicked them while moving a chair. I touched up a window frame here, a wall there, and plan to give the exterior of the house a fresh coat of paint in the spring.

• Condo Line

  Opposing inspector is a losing cause

  Q. The county fire marshal [inspector] has required that a non-commercial household electric stove in our community clubhouse must have an exhaust hood with venting to the outside. Every unit in our condominium has similar stoves with no venting. My review of Florida’s fire code says that community rooms with less than a 50-person occupancy can be exempted. I am reluctant to approach the fire marshal’s office for the fear of undesirable consequences. Is there an appeal procedure specific in the code? What has been your experience in regard to this problem?
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  ‘HGTV Star’

  Local designer showcases her style on HGTV competition

  Three Floridians will bring their design sense to HGTV’s reality competition show, HGTV Star, when it returns for its eighth season at 8 p.m. Sunday. Striving for their own show on the network are Crisermy Mercado, 27, of Miami; Anne Rue, 41, of Lake Mary in Central Florida; and Tobin Green 36, of Tampa; along with seven other interior designers who hope to impress judges with their designs and performance in meeting unexpected challenges.

• Washington Report

  FHA pressured to change interest rule

  FHA's practice of charging borrowers interest on their home mortgages for weeks after they've paid off the entire principal balance has drawn criticism for a decade.
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  Fairchild’s tropical garden column

  Growing a green thumb

  Novice gardeners can easily master techniques by raising different kinds of palms
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  Color

  Neon hues give spring decor a sassy punch

  The neon brights that peppered the 1980s are back, in fashion and decor. Highlighter hues and glow-in-the-dark tints provide a shot of adrenaline after a few seasons of mellow, mushroom-y color palettes.
• 

  Tabletop

  Placemats with panache

  The placemat is a favorite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster’s fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.
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  House of eggs

  Innovative chicken coops give a yard some chic

  To make an original statement with yard art, think beyond fountains, globes and statuary. Add chicken coops to be chic.
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  Hot Property: L.A.

  Ellen, Portia buy Montecito mansion

  Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, have bought a 13-acre estate in Montecito that had been listed at $26.5 million. The purchase price has not yet appeared in the public record.

• Living smart

  Hardscaping: Homeowners upgrading outdoor areas

  Building experts say homeowners are turning the old design mantra of bringing the outside in on its head. Instead, they’re keeping the outside where it is but making more use of it.
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  Mango trees are the star of a Davie garden filled with fruit trees

  In this Davie garden of tropical delights, mangoes are the star, ripening from early spring to fall
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  Kitchen

  Power up your kitchen’s dead zones

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• Washington Report

  Are kickbacks making a comeback?

  Do consumers pay for side deals between brokers and lenders once at the table for a closing?

• Condo Line

  State, park disagree on clotheslines

  You are correct that this statute does override association rules, with some limits. It allows the owners/board/management to establish certain rules to limit the use of clothes lines. Rules such as lines must be temporary and removed when not in use could be one example. Some temporary types or umbrella style or accordion folding type may be allowed. They may require that the temporary clothes lines must be to the rear of the home, out of sight of the road. Since I do not know what rules your park has established, I suggest that you inform the manager that you have a right to have a clothes line under statute FS 163. If he or she refuses, contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for assistance.
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  Florida Find

  Florida Find: Oggi Murano Gallery on Las Olas

  Oggi Murano Gallery on Las Olas showcases sparkling gems from Murano artisans
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  Interior design

  Adding a little boldness in the powder room

  If most rooms in a house require restrained practicality in design — neutral paint for switching out seasonal accessories, kid-proof fabric for high-traffic furniture — the powder room begs for boldness. Because the room is small and easily redecorated, a bright color paint or a trendy wallpaper is less of a risk.
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  What’s new

  Curved shower rod is tension-mounted

  Moen has introduced a curved shower rod that’s tension-mounted, so there’s no need to drill holes in your walls.

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