Homeowners Tips

Well I am tired of writing just about real estate! Perhaps that is why I don't do it as often as I had planned. I wonder if you get as tired of reading about the volitile market, great buys etc.

I decided that I was going to do tips for homeowners... things that make owning a home a little easier.

My husband Bryan & I are both brokers and both work full time so dividing up the inside and outside chores becomes a chore in itself. We have gotten pretty good at both doing the things we don't HATE! This makes the chores get done a little easier. One thing I have gotten the short straw on that I really dread is cleaning the refrigerator. My secretary Julie said the secret is to go through the fridge at least every 3 days and throw out the things that we were sure we were going to eat and didn't! While that did solve the problem of opening the fridge and having things call out to me, or worse having the leftovers vying to participate in some medical school experiments. It did not solve the problem of having a clean, shiny organized refrigerator.

While cleaning it, I decided that it really isn't that hard, so why do I dread it so? Why don't I clean out 1 drawer, shelf or bin each day while cleaning the kitchen. Like wiping down an extra counter top! I do believe I have hit the jack pot. I will let you know if it works.

Mountain Property in Utah

Looking for a low cost family retreat? Look no further!

In the beautiful So. Willow Canyon in the Stansbury Mountain Range, located just 40 minutes from SLC is this beautiful 16 acre parcel for only $65,000. It includes over 400 ft of frontage on canyon road, with much of the property being rugged mountain and plateau for a great escape and no worry about neighbors. The perfect retreat for 4 wheeling, with private 4 wheel trail that can be used only by home owners. Year round access, and next to Forest service property. Heavily wooded. No utilities, so you can bring a trailer or make yourself self sufficient. Call 435 884 9449 for more information. or email us at solutionsteam@solutionsteam.biz

Shared Ownership in Real Estate

It's not new, it's not a time share.... It is a fabulous way to have a vacation home hassle free. It's called Shared Ownership.

Usually when people buy a vacation home they think they will get away every weekend to enjoy it. Reality and life steps in and they find that they visit their fabulous vacation home only a few times each year. Those times are shadowed by having to clean it and do the repairs . Shared ownership is fabulous alternative to this scenerio.

You own a fabulous home or condo with 4 to 6 other owners that you don't have to find!. You have a beautiful vacation home that you can actually vacation at. It comes with complete beautiful furnishings, linens, fully equipped kitchen & secure storage lockers so that you can keep your sports equipment and personal home touches on site.

You share the maintenance and housekeeping with the other owners so you have minimal expense and you now have the time and money to really enjoy your vacation home.

We have just listed a shared ownership home near beautiful American Fork Canyon in Utah, County. It will include 12 weeks of use. These will be booked for 3 rotating weeks in each season. You will have the opportunity of trading with the other 3 owners to get your

own customized vacations. It is a steal at only $110,000. Fully furnished and ready for your family. It includes 4 bedrooms, laundry facilities, beautiful master suite, gourmet kitchen.

Gorgeous Views in every direction. It is within walking distance to a gorgeous golf course, near hiking, boating, camping & skiing. It is located at 10333 Tamarack Way in Cedar Hills, Utah. See a photo tour of this gorgeous shared ownership home at http://www.10333tamarack.com/ Call or email us for further information 435 884 9449 or solutionsteam@solutionsteam.biz

Real Estate Investing in Utah

With the declining Utah real estate market, investors are seeing great opportunities for investment.
It is my opinion, after 26 years in the real estate industry, that the only way you can get hurt with a real estate investment is IF you have to sell in buyers market. Most investors must have a couple of options if the market gets tough. A Plan A, and then a Plan B for tighter times. Right now with the lending guidelines tightened up, there is an abundance of renters. Now is the time to start making a portfolio, with other people making your payments. If you can rent a property for 1% of the sales price that is a good guideline to go by so that you don't end up having to subsidize your own retirement. All properties will sell, it just depends on the price, condition and location. Sooner or later, if you stick to the sales price, it will be saleable!
Contact us if you would some great Plan B's!

We also have sources for buying investment property for only 10% down! Isn't it time you started doing a sure fire investment program?

Credit not good enough to buy a home, contact us for our FREE credit repair service. We can get you where you want to go. We specialized in Tooele County, but can help you regardless of where you are. You will need to sign a agency agreement, that means when we do get your credit up to par, you will let us, or one of our assigns represent you~ Call for a free consultation.

Owners will carry!

We have just listed this fabulous property located in the North Part of Grantsville,Utah. The address is 45 N Cooley St.
Grantsville is located about 30 min west of SLC, UT. It is a serene town that is growing rapidly. Great values are still to be found. This 10 acre parcel has been reduced to only $29,000 per acre. This amazing home site will be a great buy for someone who wants the convenience of the city a short commute away but longs for the peace and serenity that this secluded property will give. It includes the use of artesian well. Call for more details.

Amazing year around beauty.

View to the East

Yikes! Is my house value dropping?

As the housing market continues to create havoc in our economy I wanted to tell you that it isn't all as bleak as it seems. Your house value a few months ago seemed to be extremely high. You wished you would have jumped on the band wagon and sold while the getting was good, but it all seems to come out in the wash. Had you sold in a hot market, then relocated you would have had to pay more to relocate so where is your savings? Having seen a lot of market turns in our 25 years in the industry we know that these ups and downs are completely normal. You have a stable market with low interest and everyone wants a new home. That creates demand and then you see the prices go up as demand goes up. More building happens which then makes an over supply, demand goes down. There will always be people who have to sell. Rather for financial reasons, divorce, death, job transfer etc. Because they have to sell, they then have to lower their price to get activity. The neighbor puts his price a little lower and the market starts going down. It is when we need to sell NOW that we loose money. That's when you need creative thinking. How can we make it through the crunch? The Solutions Team has been helping people through the crunches for a lot of years. There are always solutions, you just have to be open to options.
Do we think the market will continue to fall? I don't see how it won't. There are too many homes on interest only and adjustable rate mortgages. They are going to oversupply the market, and they are going to be desparate to sell. It will level out. Now is the time that you want to put yourself in a position to benefit from this market swing. You will want to be on the lookout for good deals. They are coming.

Is it time to Sell?

Is it time to sell my house?

The short answer is, it depends on what your goals are. Having said that … it’s ALWAYS time to sell your house.
The truth is that there is always a market - it’s just a matter of whether the current market is right for you to buy or to sell. So, how can you tell?
First, it’s important to know what you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to downsize. Maybe you want a bigger house. Maybe you have to move. Whatever it is, you must first determine what your motivation is.
Next, you have to find out how much you are likely to get for your current house (in today’s market), how much you are likely to pay for the house you want to move to (in today’s market) and how much you can afford to borrow and pay per month (in today’s market).
Notice how we keep talking about “today’s market”? That’s because it’s important to remember that the market that exists TODAY is the only one that matters RIGHT NOW. It doesn’t matter what your house was worth last year or what a house you like was selling for last year or what the interest rates were a month ago. Those are gone. Period. They don’t matter … so put them out of your mind.
Get a real estate professional to do a market analysis on your home (or even ask two or three to do it for you). What they come up with will reflect the market as it stands today. Deduct your current mortgage, anticipated real estate fee, any property transfer fees, the cost of unavoidable repairs and changes to the house and you have the funds that will be available to you (from the sale of this house) for any new purchase.
If you know which house you want, get the same type of market analysis done for that one. The result will tell you what you should reasonably pay. Most correctly priced homes will actually sell for 3% to 8% less than the asking price, depending on the location and the state of the market. In a strong sellers’ market, homes will often sell for more than the asking price as hungry buyers bid the price up. Likewise, in a strong buyers market the sale price might be driven down by a larger percent as buyers refuse to pay as much.
You’ll also have closing costs and other expenses of buying and these should be added to the anticipated purchase price.
Taking the proceeds of your sale, along with any other amount you expect to put toward the purchase, from the total purchase price will produce the amount you will need to borrow in order to get into the new home.
Now here’s the bottom line: If all of the numbers above work for you and you are comfortable with them, and if you want to have the other house instead of the one you now have, then it’s time to sell your house. If any of it does NOT work for you, then it’s NOT time to sell your house.

Mortgage Loans - Info from the RE Answer People.

Todays Blog topic is going to be Mortgage loans. Getting a home loan can be tricky business. Well, maybe not getting one, but getting one that you can afford can be tricky.


We suggest that taking on just any home loan can be like buying shoes without trying them on because “if you want to buy a home, there is a lender that will find you a loan…even if there is no way you can possibly afford it.” Since it’s your credit that’s at risk, it is your responsibility to fully understand the loan for which you’ve applied.

Make sure you do your research and find out what the worst case payment could be, adding in the property taxes and insurance. This should help predict what your mortgage will be for the next few years. Don't forget to factor in the mortgage insurance if you are not putting down 20% or more. Mortgage insurance is an insurance that the investor requires that reduces their risk when a smaller amount of down payment is put down. In the event you default the mortgage insurance will pay the investor the portion they are short to cover their costs. It is used primarily if they have to sell in a slow market or when the house has been damaged or market value has decreased.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them in our comment section. We will respond in a timely manner. We love sharing our knowlege with you. The Solutions Team www.solutionsteam.biz

New Sandy, Utah Listing

Fantastic newly remodeled home in Sandy Utah. This fantastic buy is only $299,900. It is located at 992 Dry Gulch Road Sandy, Utah. MLS # 714020 This home is in the area of $700-800K homes. It has 4 bedrooms, a large family room. Fenced yard. Beautiful new kitchen. It's a MUST SEE. For your own private showing call Summer at 801 979 4663.

Zoning

Hi everyone! Just wanted to talk about municipal zoning as part of your due diligence this week as we have had a transaction with a lot of problems because of a zoning oversight.

When you are purchasing a property, even if it is a straight forward sale, it always makes sense to check the zoning for that particular area. A good example of this is a buyer a few years back bought a fairly new home on a dead end street. They went to the city prior to closing and found out that on the master plan their quiet little street was a major thoroughfare. This could have been a horrible shock to them, but they did their homework. They decided that it was far enough down the road that they would go ahead and buy the house. They sold it about 8 years later, and the road came through a couple of years after they had sold it. It worked out fine for them, but not so good for other people.

We have a client who bought a bank from a bank. Banks always sell their properties AS IS. They also have the paperwork to cover their bottoms just gloriously. They don't need to disclose anything! Come to find out, the county had kicked out the previous owners prior to the bank owning it because of zoning violations and deemed the home inhabitable. That's was why he gave it back to the bank. This was unknown to the buyers. They lived in the property for several years. Now when they went to sell it, they couldn't get the necessary rebuild letter (A letter required by a lender saying that in the event the property burns down the county or city will allow the home to be rebuilt) from the county as they were occupying it illegally. We are hoping we can work this out, but it would have been so much easier to remedy prior to purchase, while the bank was holding the bag not the new owners. They would have most likely gotten a huge discount on the purchase price.

The caveat " Let the Buyer Beware" is always great advice. Cross your T's, dot your I's and check out the rest of the alphbet also. Zoning is one of those things that really needs to be verified by the buyer, don't trust anyone else for that job... don't trust your realtors word, don't trust anyone but the city official who is in charge, and then be sure and save his or her name and the date they gave you the zoning... Better yet, get it in writing. A residential zone can change, so can any other zoning. Ask to see the master plan.

If you have any questions concerning real estate you are welcome to call us during office hours. 435 884 9449.

Investing in Real Estate

Many of our clients are investors. They are using real estate to subsidize their income or retirement portfolio. We have also had many clients who wanted to try their hand at investing and found it to be way over their heads. Why do some find it so rewarding and others fail miserably? We just wanted to address of few of the concerns that we feel makes or breaks an investor.

• Don't be in a hurry to find a property. Make sure it is right! Make sure the margins are there, make sure you have a realtor do a before and after market analysis for you using comparables IN YOUR PROPERTIES NEIGHBORHOOD. This won't guarantee you success, but it will put the odds in your favor. Keep in mind that in a very short time markets can change.


• Be prepared for the Worst! No one wants to think their hard work will fail, but prepare as though it could. Can you comfortably make the payments for 6 months in the event it won't sell? Are you prepared to find a costly repair that you didn't plan on? Do you have a backup plan in case that happens?



• Be there to overlook the work. Don't leave it all to subcontractors. You have to manage the work. Make sure you have the time and energy to do that. Contractors won't come when they say they will. They will do the work differently than you had wanted. Give them a concrete deadline that they can live with and then charge a fee for every day over that deadline. This will make you a priority. Have an incentive if they finish early. Write a contract that also includes them cleaning up any mess or debris their job created. You don't want to pay for clean-up that is not necessary. Make sure the work is quality. Shoddy work in one small area will wipe out all of the great things you have done. Save some of your budget for staging the home. It can make or break your transaction.

• Your first area of concentration should be curb appeal. Get it looking very attractive from the curb.

Investing isn't for everyone. Some don't have the skills, the time or resources. It isn't a sure thing. If you need some help or would like a free consultation with us we would be happy to arrange a time to meet with you. The Solutions Team has helped many people create their financial security. Call today for an appointment. 435 884 9449

We have 2 new listings that could be an investment opportunity. They are both in Tooele Utah. One Rambler that is nearing foreclosure. Their loss can be your gain. 602 E Wasatch Way. 4 bedrooms 3 bath. Gas fireplace, large family room. Great workshop and 2 storage sheds. Spacious private back yard waiting for your finishing touches. MLS # 705180 Possible Shortsale. $147,000 with bank approval.

Another darling tri level in Tooele, Utah with lots of potential. 3 bedrooms 2 bath, with an unfinished master bathroom upstairs. New tile floors, new carpet and paint. Hardwood floors. Fantastic neighborhood. price reduced 20K. Only $149,900.

Specializing in Recreational Properties

As the summer races away we wanted to remind you that we are specialists when it comes to recreational property. Whether you are wanting to get away to a mountain retreat, such as this beautiful retreat with 2 cabins on a 3.75 Ac. parcel that is very secluded in the Mt. Pleasant, Utah area, or wanting to escape the cold down to warmer climes. The Solutions Team can help you. We also have 2 fabulous parcels in the Woodland Utah that have year round access.

You could build your dream home on this 21 acre parcel or make a family get away that could be a heritage for generations to come.

We have had fun researching the gorgeous and diverse 29 counties in the Utah area. Go to our website to discover some of our great findings. Then when you know which county you are interested in we will send you a list of available properties in that county.

If there isn't anything available we will put on our hunting gear and find you one. We now have the resources to help you find that perfect property anywhere in the state. We can also help you with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada & Idaho .

Are you looking for fabulous ATV trails to explore this great state? Go to

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/utahatvtrailsmaps/Utah_ATV_Trails_Tracks_Maps_and_Directions.htm

We have seen places and marvels that we would never have seen had we not set out on this trek to discover Utah. Please call us for more information. We would love to help you find a family retreat! 435 884 9449 or 801 694 5232 Happy Trails!

Staging by Tthe Solutions Team

Recently one of our listings in Stansbury park mentioned that all realtors should offer the staging services that we do. We have found Staging to be one of the extra mile things we can offer to our clients to help them realize Top Dollar for their home. This service is available at no extra cost to our clients in both Salt Lake and Tooele County. Here are a few of the before and after pictures that will help you get an idea as too the effectiveness of home staging. If you would like to contact us at 435 884 9449, we would be happy to show you how it could benefit your bottom line. Training and 25 years in the business makes it possible for us to know how to get it done right. 95% of our business is by referral.

Before After

Note how warm and welcoming the after room is. Just a few little touches is sometimes all you need. We try to stage with the things you have on hand.

Welcome to the Solutions Team Blog

The Solutions Team Real Estate Services is now offering a new Tooele county listing. It is the perfect time to take a look at this great opportunity to obtain a fixer upper. The real estate market in Tooele County has been so hot, that it is very difficult to find horse properties under 300K. This new listing is in Grantsville, Ut. at 3883 Marshall Road. It is a fixer upper on 1 acre for only $169,900. It is a horse property and has a lot of potential. There are 2 homes on the property and a $6000 well allowance. The well is either too shallow, or has a cracked shaft. The owners are not sure which. They have tried purifying the water and have been unsuccessful after spending a lot of money. Don't miss out, as horse property is pretty hard to come by in Tooele County now. Live in the rear home while you are building or remodeling the front home. Tooele County has said you could make it a duplex if you connected the 2 homes with a garage. I will post a picture as soon as the siding on the rear home is complete. The front home is basically a shell.

Commissions in other states

Hi, I don't know if you noticed the article on NAR website this week about repricocity. All of the states surrounding us will allow us to receive a commission in their state even though we can't list or show properties there. In Nevada you do need to get certificate. of cooperation from the state real estate division. In Arizona you have to have a written agreement with the Arizona licensee. In wyoming you can't do any negotiations but you can receive the commission. Here is the website to see what different states allow. http://www.realtor.org/NCommSrc.nsf/pages/StateLicenseChart?OpenDocument&Login I only checked the states around us, ie Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado.

Summer has a new listing in Woodland Utah. msl # 660010 & 660012. You might have seen it in the newsletter. She has two parcels, 21 acres and 23 acres. They are $69K and $72K per acre. It is zoned for 20 ac. parcels. It is a beautiful property with streams and gorgeous mountain views. If you want more info call her at 801 979 4663.

The property includes water rights.

We have a new listing. IT is in Grantsville mls # 662130 it is a great brick rambler that is wheelchair accessible with 5 bed. and an office. 3 bath for only $179,900 on .31 of an acre. It has an amazing backyard with orchard.

Lloyd has a property waiting to close at the end of the month. He will then be leaving us. He is going to Allpro in Tooele. We wish him the best of luck.

We have some great new postcards available for your sold listings. If you would like to send them out call Julie. Have a great week.

Happy Holidays

Hi, hope you are all ready for a calm and peacful holiday season.

OFFICE UPDATE

Lloyd has his little fixer upper under contract and is getting ready to close. He has just been called to be the Patriarch in his church, so he will have some new heavy responsibilites. Congratulations Lloyd. Good bye Arizona. He was planning on leaving for the winter. I don't know if that will happen now. His 2 month old grandson is also having open heart surgery tomorrow, so keep him in your prayers.

Camille is all settled in Idaho and is loving it up there. She has joined Brys company and will be doing referrals.

Summer has been really busy, she has 2 new listings that are under contract, a new buyer that is looking for a townhouse condo in the SL area under 140K... and she is recovering from shoulder surgery, besides juggling her full time job and motherhood to 6. I wonder what she is doing with all her spare time? Give her a call if you know of a condo.

Julie has been dealing with a short sale nightmare, and a sellers house that she had trouble getting the appraisal. She is just about out of the woods with both of them. She will be really glad to see both of them close.


Terry is busy with his investing.... I think he and Cathy are going to own half of Tooele county before they are through. He is doing a great job with them.

We have just listed a good fixer upper in Tooele. It has a great yard, but the house needs some help. It is 109,900 with a $1000 clean up allowance. It needs electrical work, and they may give an allowance for that.
we would love for you to bring us an offer. I had it under contract 3 days after listing it, but the buyer backed out due to the electrical.

We are planning on taking it easy for the rest of the month. We have several closings next week, and then we are going to take a break. If you can't get us at the office try the cell.

They are working on a law that you can't have split closings. Someone had told me it went into effect Dec 1. I checked with a reliable source and it is a ways down the road. She didn't think it would pass. I will let you know when I hear.

Hope your holidays are fabulous. Love to all of you. Barb & Bryan