Actually, changing residential items into both community and residential lot usable items isn't difficult at all. It just involves using SimPE to change one number and knowing where to find it.
If you have SimPE and aren't nervous about using it's a single step and easy to do.
If you don't have SimPE you can get it here:
http://sims.ambertation.de/So, now, if you're willing here's what you do:
Simply find the package you want to change and open it in SimPE.
1: When the package opens click on the Object Data folder to open it.
2: Click on the Package Name just to the right of that.
3: Click Plug In view so you can see the Object Date package contents.
4: Now scroll down and find Catalogue Sort and click the Raw Data tab.
5: Next, click the "Decimal" radio button over on the right.
6: look at Catalogue Sorting/Community Sort. You'll see a catalogue number on the right. Double Click on the Community Sort item to highlight it. You can now change the number on the right to whatever it is now to 128. Click the Commit Button and Save and you're done!
The item you edited will now show up in both Community and Residential Lots with just one simple number change!
