Showing your home is probably the most important part of the selling process.  Consider the following carefully as you prepare your home for viewing: First impressions mean a lot and often prospective buyers make a decision almost immediately. Curb appeal is important since many buyers search by themselves and then call their Realtor about property they have only seen from the street. Fresh paint on your house's exterior and interior is one of the easiest and best improvements you can make to enhance that first impression. It makes your house look bright and clean. If you paint, use whites, creams, or neutral colors on the interior and exterior colors that will blend with the neighborhood. If you don't paint everything, at least paint the places that need it most. Get rid of clutter. Cl... 06/18/2010

Utah County Real Estate - Comparable Sales Access One of the most accessible sources of comparable sales is the public record.  When someone buys a home the property is deeded from the seller to the buyer.  In most circumstances, this deed is recorded at the local county recorder's office.  They combine sales data with information already known about the property so they can assess property taxes correctly. Accessing the data can be somewhat difficult for the general public.  Realtors gain access through title insurance companies.  The title companies either compile the data directly from the county recorder's office or purchase it from other companies.  One problem with the public record is that it tends to run a little behind.  By the time the consumer is able to access the informatio... 06/05/2010

Utah County Homes for Sale - Homeownership While some people choose the flexibility of renting and being free of maintenance, many others choose ownership for other reasons.  The pride of being a homeowner is a very important reason for purchasing a home, but more people are interested in homeownership for purely economic reasons. Building Equity One of the main economic reasons is that of building equity.  Especially in today's market, with home values being deflated as they are, many buyers can pick up a home at a very reasonable price.  With interest rates being at all-time lows, you can make a healthy payment and have most go to the principal of the home loan, thus creating more equity. Tax Deduction Another good reason for purchasing a home is the ability to deduct your mortgage in... 06/01/2010

We need Positive Price Action to confirm market bottom.  One month of price improve isn't sufficient to confirm the market bottom.  We need to see appreciation month over month for three months. PRICE ACTION   Other good signs in addition to positive price action is lower DOM (days of the market), lower new listingsand higher percent of new listings being SOLD.   SUMMARY Has the Utah Real Estate Market bottomed? Currently we are not seeing the needed positive price action (along with other indicators) to confirm a market bottom.  This is NOT a good time for those investor with low and/or no risk tolerance to purchase.  Investors with a long term buy and hold strategic.  Opportunities are starting to make sense.  Contact your property resource specialist for information to make an inform... 05/23/2010

Utah County Homes for Sale - Closing Costs Closing on a property is a very challenging time for a would-be homeowner.  Being informed, either through your mortgage broker, Realtor, or through self knowledge is the best thing you can be when going through this procedure.  A good Realtor can help you tremendously.  They should know the local market well enough to help you save money in whatever way they can.  Since closing costs are handled differently in different areas, having a professional with experience in that area is your best bet.  They can give you a better idea of what costs are customarily paid by the buyer, and which ones are paid by the seller. The Mortgage Broker you deal with can make a big difference as well.  Have them show you several programs suited to your needs.  The... 05/18/2010

Utah County Homes for Sale - Buying vs. Renting It is pretty much common knowledge that the current housing market is in turmoil all around the world.  Many couples, families and individuals who have planned to purchase homes and residential properties are putting off their plans to try and wait out the storm.  But the questions continue to come up every day, Should I rent? Or Should I buy?  Since many of the Utah County homes available today are priced less costly, many factors continue to be troublesome to home buyers, including falling general property values, security and fluctuating interest rates.  Due to these uneasy situations it is really logical and practical to tighten our belts and postpone any investment or acquisition transaction. The decision to buy or to rent a home shou... 05/14/2010

Utah County Homes for Sale Technology Technology has reached new levels for the Utah County Realtor in today's Virtual World.  The Utah County home buyer can actually sit in the comfort of their present home and view all future homes just as if they were actually there.  I am just amazed where technology has taken us. Internet Data Exchange (IDX) The Internet Data Exchange is a service available to real estate agents today to display their listings through internet feeds that bring the home search process to new levels.  Services are available to all real estate agents at a very reasonable price.  Realtors are able to actually bring their MLS listings to life. Virtual Earth Virtual Earth is a software program available through Microsoft that provides Maps and Pictures of MLS listings th... 05/13/2010

Utah County Real Estate - Negotiating the Purchase When it comes to time to negotiate a Utah County Real Estate transaction, some interesting dynamics take place. Obviously the Seller wants the most money they can get for their home. The Utah County Buyer wants the most home for the least amount of money. This is a crucial time to have a professional on your side, who knows and understands how the process works. There is not a right or a wrong way to proceed, but it does involve a lot of give and take. The party with the stronger alternative usually gets more, but a successful negotiation happens when both sides end up with a compromise and no one feels deceived or taken advantage of. There are a few points that need to be considered when you approach the negotiating table: •·         D... 04/23/2010

Are you purchasing a short sale, vacant or foreclosed home, condo or townhome in Saratoga Springs, Utah? Industry experts and the federal government all agree and recommend using thermal infrared cameras on all home inspections. Hi resolution infrared thermal imaging is the only tool to uncover hidden water and sewer drain leaks that most often occur when a vacant home sits unattended over the winter. We are finding an ever increasing number of vacant homes with small plumbing leaks that only high-rez infrared cameras can find. These leaks, if left unrepaired will only cause a mold problem to manifest itself in the months to come. Alamo Infrared is the original infrared home inspection and energy auditing company in the Rocky Mountain West. For more information visit our website:  www.u... 03/11/2010

I just read the most intresting article at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-02-15-cities_N.htm The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index did a study interviewing more than 350,000 Americans on their outlook of jobs, finances, physical health, emotional state of mind and communities and, although there are more than 160 cities listed, the common denominator is cities in the West.  The top 10 cities with the happiest people include four in California, two in Utah and one each in Colorado and Hawaii.  What could be causing the West to be more of place of optimism than any other region in America?  Could it be that the West has always held doors of possible opportunity since it was discovered?  A place of new frontier and opportunities waiting around every corner.  Or it could the be t... 02/16/2010

  I am quickly finding out how important it is to know who is representing your are in the State Senate and, fortunately, I think we have good representation in Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.  I had the opportunity to meet the Senator of District 13, Mark Madsen (R) yesterday at a Realtor conference with the Legislators.  We covered mounds of information that pertains to the real estate industry and to Utah as far as anticipated growth, estimated jobs coming to Utah and new bills that are underway to improve the way things are done with regards to Property taxes, short sales etc.  I am so pleased I was able to attend and get a few moments to chat with Mark Madsen about what he is planning to do to bring some of this good stuff to Northern Utah county.  From what I was able to gath... 02/13/2010

Getting Pre-Qualified is your first step when you Purchase a Utah County Home The time has come to start shopping for a home to purchase.  The first thing that you should do is to get pre-qualified for a Utah County home loan.  It is very important to understand what your price range is prior to looking so you don't waste time looking at properties that are out of your price range. Where do you begin? Most Utah County Realtors work with a trusted network of Mortgage professionals, who can assist you in getting pre-approved for a loan so that you can comfortably begin looking at homes with the assurance that you can obtain the proper financing. Generally, Utah County loan officers can help you with a pre-approval by getting some basic information (address, social security number, etc.) o... 01/26/2010

It's difficult to believe that we are already 10 days away from the end of January! Yes, this year too will fly by just as quickly as the last did. Many people have been thinking that they have plenty of time to take advantage of the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit and the $6500 repeat buyer tax credit, but the truth is the deadline is just around the corner! Only 100 days remain until the expiration date of the tax credit! Now with new regulations in lending, most escrow periods are 45 days from contract to closing. This leaves you with only 55 days, that's 55 days to discover your perfect home or sell your current one and make a new purchase. If those numbers aren't enough to get you moving, consider that 55 days ago was November 6, 2009. Time is passing by very quickly so if y... 01/21/2010

The news was saying the last Blue Moon was in 1990.                                               ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________          Mark Watterson is a Utah licensed Real Estate Broker with Principle Realty Group, Inc. and a Utah license Loan Officer with Springwater Capital, LLC Contact Mark Watterson your Local Property Resource Specialist for the most up-to-date market conditions data for Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber Counties.  View comprehensive property resource information at  www.markwatterson.com   It's Not About the Money -It's about life long relationships that are based on Customer Service Excellence.The "Voice of the Customer" is where it all begins. Customer Service Excellence is not just... 01/01/2010

The picture turned out awful. It's still a beautiful animal and I love to watch them.  Especially since we don't get as many these days as in the past.                                                         __________________________________________________________________________________________________________          Mark Watterson is a Utah licensed Real Estate Broker with Principle Realty Group, Inc. and a Utah license Loan Officer with Springwater Capital, LLC Contact Mark Watterson your Local Property Resource Specialist for the most up-to-date market conditions data for Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber Counties.  View comprehensive property resource information atwww.markwatterson.com   It's Not About the Money -It's about life long relationships that are based on Customer Ser... 12/19/2009

                                            Zion Bank has been apart of the Saratoga Springs community for several years.  With a branch located inside Smiths Foods. This year they moved to a free standing building and are now even better positioned to given the community better customer service, especially those that like drive up windows. I have been a customer of Zions for a couple of decades and appreciate their business model that allows their employee to provide excellent customer service.     The above trademarks.  I believe are more than just words.  It's a culture.  One they live by. Thank you Zions for the many years of excellent service.  I hope you enjoy your new home here in Saratoga Springs, Utah   __________________________________________________________________________... 12/19/2009

Utah County Home Buyers and Sellers - Closing Costs Who pays for Closing Costs? There have been times in the past that I have had clients come to closing not understanding what kind of money they would be required to pay. There are various fees associated with buying and selling a home.  These fees are called closing costs.  Some of these fees are automatically assigned to either the buyer or the seller, other costs are either negotiable or are dictated by local area custom. Utah County Home Buyer Closing Costs When the buyer applies for a home loan, loan officers are required to provide the borrower with a good faith estimate of their closing costs.  These fees will vary depending on the type of loan and the terms of the purchase agreement.  Some of the closing costs, especially those ... 12/17/2009

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Mark Watterson is a Utah licensed Real Estate Broker with Principle Realty Group, Inc. and a Utah license Loan Officer with Springwater Capital, LLC Contact Mark Watterson your Local Property Resource Specialist for the most up-to-date market conditions data for Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber Counties.  View comprehensive property resource information atwww.markwatterson.com   It's Not About the Money -It's about life long relationships that are based on Customer Service Excellence.The "Voice of the Customer" is where it all begins. Customer Service Excellence is not just words. It's our CULTURE.My customers refer their family and friends becau... 12/13/2009

Utah County Home Buyers - Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) - Early Exit Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is the safety net of the lender.  PMI benefits lenders because it guarantees payment on the balance of loans not covered by the sale of foreclosed properties. If a borrower makes a down payment of 20% of the cost of the home, the lender can generally trust that he will make his mortgage payments faithfully to protect a large investment. In this case, the lender comes out ahead if the borrower is forced to foreclose on his house, because the lender loans 80% of the cost of the house, but will probably recover 100% of the cost of the house. But, if the borrower makes a smaller down-payment, such as 3%, 5% or 10%, and borrows the rest, and then defaults on his loan, the lender loses mon... 12/05/2009

Utah County Mortgage Rates and the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit - Utah County Real Estate Utah County Mortgage Rates are fast approaching all-time low status.  I believe we will continue to see this trend throughout the New Year.  With 30 year rates hovering around 4.75% and the $8,000 Tax Credit still available through June of 2010, many first time home buyers are considering coming out of the closest.  Should the Utah County Home Buyer take action now, or should they wait for further lowering of Mortgage rates?  My belief is that rates will go lower but not much, so what advantage would the home buyer have of waiting for the quarter or half percent that might come.  Now is the time to take action. With an abundance of short sale and bank owned properties on the market, the ... 12/01/2009