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    <title>Natalie's Blog</title>
    <link>http://activerain.com/blogs/1smile</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <item>
      <guid>659026</guid>
      <title>Utah Home improvements to avoid making</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I was recently reading up on the HGTV site when something caught my eye; with the recent downturn in the market, those who were seeking to sell their Utah homes were looking for ways to make their home stand out, ways to separate them from the pack and maybe get them sold faster, possibly with more value.&amp;nbsp; This isn't a bad idea, let's face it, sometimes you have to spend some money to make some money.&amp;nbsp; But HGTV took it a step further, detailing some of the better ideas and what they might be worth, but also the flipside, ideas that might SOUND appealing, but in reality wind up costing more than they are accomplish.&amp;nbsp; Here are the 4:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Home Office - If you work from home, and plan on staying there for a while, upgrading your den or spare bedroom into a gadget-rich environment might make sense, but if you're looking to re-sell your home soon, then this one is a lost cause.&amp;nbsp; At most you're going to average a 75% return on your investment, at worst 50%.&amp;nbsp; Your home improvement dollars are better spent elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Upscale Master Suite - One of the biggest mistakes you can make when upgrading your home is over-upgrading, and this is one of the big ones.&amp;nbsp; Sure, for many, your master bedroom is your retreat, the place you go to escape the everyday, it's important that your be both comfortable and easy on the eyes, but at the same time you don't want to go overboard if you plan on re-selling soon, because you won't get what you paid to get all those luxuries put in and if your neighbor, who didn't over-upgrade, is selling down the street, she might have a competitive edge on you in the price department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Family Room Addition - Consider the costs of adding say a 16x25' space, plus all the fixtures, and the finishing outside, and you're talking close to $50,000.&amp;nbsp; Spending that same money on upgrading existing unfinished space in your basement or attic and you'll get a lot more back at re-sale.&amp;nbsp; Consider what you've got already, before you go looking to add more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Upscale Kitchen Remodel - This one is usually very expensive and can sometimes set you back upwards of $80,000.&amp;nbsp; If you're doing it because you're a hardcore chef and you like having the best and looking at it too, then that's fine; but if you're looking with an eye towards re-sale, it's too much to spend with too little return.&amp;nbsp; While many home-buyers might &amp;lsquo;Ooo and aaahh' a cool-looking kitchen, only about 1 in a 100 actually factor such into their purchase decision.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Remember when you're planning on selling you have to keep an eye on what people are willing to pay in your area, not necessarily on what you want to sell for, and plan accordingly.&amp;nbsp; Home sales may be down, but they haven't stopped completely, that means there are still buyers out there.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Next time I'll detail some more ideas I found, some that you can even do on a budget.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:48:01 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/659026/Utah-Home-improvements-to</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>647269</guid>
      <title>Urban Sprawl vs. Comfortable Growth, when is enough, enough?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; This morning I read an interesting article in the Salt Lake City Tribune, detailing the struggles of the small community of Heber Valley, to maintain their rural lifestyle in the midst of a push for greater growth.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; Now given the national credit crunch, and the overall slowdown in construction, one would think that such projects might be put on hold, and indeed the article does state that the drop off in the market has given city planners a bit of breathing room. However, it seems that this is simply a pause, rather than a stop.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The question I have then is this: as Realtors, we have an obligation to our clients to find the best possible options for them, regardless of whether they are the small farm family looking to get the most from their land as they move on towards a change in their lifestyle, or the developer looking to find the most profitable location for their project; given that, at what point do our ethics come into play, at what point is enough, enough?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; "Urban Sprawl - &lt;em&gt;noun: &lt;/em&gt;the unplanned, uncontrolled spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city."&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; Obviously the key there are the words &amp;lsquo;unplanned' and &amp;lsquo;uncontrolled', and just as obviously the answer is to both plan and control such growth, the citizens of Wasatch County want to avoid what happened to Summit County in the early to mid-90s, that's clear.&amp;nbsp; But at the same time how do we consider what's best for an entire county as we perform our services on a day to day basis?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Some might argue that it's not up to us, as Realtors, to look at the big picture.&amp;nbsp; That we should do our best for each client in turn, seeking the best possible solutions for their unique situations, on a case-by-case basis, regardless of the long-term impact of each of those decisions.&amp;nbsp; Others argue that it's precisely the long-term impacts, that require us to look at the big picture, looking forward with the experiences gained from the events of the past decades, to see not what's necessarily best for our clients now, but also what is best for them 5 years from now or 10, even IF this puts short-term goals of this year or next in jeopardy.&amp;nbsp; For still others the answer involves juggling both positions to find a happy medium.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Regardless of where one stands, no one can argue that big changes are the result of little changes, and that nothing occurs in a vacuum.&amp;nbsp; The economic downturn the country is experiencing will eventually end, whether sooner or later, as the tide rolls out, so too must it inevitably roll back in.&amp;nbsp; As we move forward, it's important to remember where we've come from and where we're going, that we realize that there is a synergy involved in what we do, and how communities grow, and that we have a greater impact on how things develop than we may ever know.&amp;nbsp; It gives one a sense of pride and a source of responsibility, both of which are of equal importance, given the struggles we face as Realtors, as people and as members of this community.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Just some food for thought, on a Monday morning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;bull;1.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10235189"&gt;http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10235189&lt;/a&gt; - Christopher Smart, Salt Lake City Tribune, Monday, August 18, 2008.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;2. &lt;a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Urban%20Sprawl"&gt;http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Urban%20Sprawl&lt;/a&gt; - Dictionary.com, which is based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:10:52 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/647269/Urban-Sprawl-vs-Comfortable</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>641010</guid>
      <title>Saratoga Springs - UT Home For Sale - 1355 Lake View Terrace Road</title>
      <description>This home just had to be seen.&amp;nbsp; It has both lake and mountain views.&amp;nbsp; Just an all around fabulous home.&amp;nbsp; It has newer carpet, paint, wired for satellite and internet, office/den, plumbed for wetbar in basement, and has a 3 car garage.&amp;nbsp; Home backs to park and within walking distance to elementary school and preschool.&amp;nbsp; Plus this great home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms!!&amp;nbsp; Click &lt;a href="http://www.nataliebethers.com/property.asp?id_property=118034"&gt;here &lt;/a&gt;for more details.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src="http://www.nataliebethers.com/agent_files/sar.jpg" alt="" /&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:37:54 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/641010/Saratoga-Springs-UT-Home</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>640966</guid>
      <title>Salt Lake Pioneer Park - What Are You Doing On Friday Night?</title>
      <description>There is a great community event I want to tell you about in Salt Lake.  Every Friday night in August, Pioneer Park will hold their Picture Shows.  The shows are open to the public and free of charge and all of them are either PG or PG13.  They start around 9 PM and are held at 300 West 300 South, Salt Lake City.  You can find more information at the &lt;a href="http://www.slcfilmcenter.org/?id=296" target="blank"&gt;Salt Lake City Film Center's Site&lt;/a&gt; as they host other great movie events as well. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

The rest of Pioneer Park Picture Show Schedule&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;strong&gt;August 15th&lt;/strong&gt; - Bread and Tulips - A charming romantic comedy about a young housewife, who finds her independence and freedom as she embarks on a vacation from her family and begins a love affair with Venice.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;strong&gt;August 22nd&lt;/strong&gt; - Bridge and Prejudice - A classic romance not just retold, but reinvented in a new globally connected world. BRIDE AND PREJUDICE puts an entirely different spin on Jane Austen&#8217;s story of spirited courtship Bollywood-style...&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;strong&gt;August 29th&lt;/strong&gt; - The Year My Parents Went On Vacation - While the country focuses its attention on the epic 1970 World Cup soccer tournament. 12 year-old Mauro&#8217;s world expands when his activist parents are forced underground and their plan to shield their son by leaving him with his grandfather goes awry.</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:03:44 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/640966/Salt-Lake-Pioneer-Park</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>640948</guid>
      <title>Park City Marathon - Are you going to be there?</title>
      <description>On Saturday August 23rd Park City will hold its 12th annual Park City Marathon.  It will be the same beautiful scenic course as last year with its 8 mile down hill finish.  Along the way there will be plenty of entertainment for the runners and the spectators as there will be 3 bands at different parts of the course. They will be playing music all day. The three bands are the Taiko Drum Troupe(to keep you on your running rhythm at mile 13), John Boy's Mule (little bit of bluegrass at mile 20) and The Best (adding some rock at mile 23). 

In addition to the entertainment along the course there will be first aid booths, as well as fruit and water stations available for all the runners.  Also a great bonus, the race has decided to go green this year. Everything that is used on race day will be recycled. 

The half marathon is already filled up, but there are still about 100 spots left in the full marathon.  So if you are feeling up to the challenge, you will want to register right away.  You can do that &lt;a href="https://registration.milliseconds.com/RaceInformation.php?urlVarRaceID=23&amp;urlVarRaceName=Park%20City%20Marathon" target="blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.  If you are not up for the run, you should still check out this great Park City event.  Come support the runners and just enjoy the day and entertainment. More information can be found &lt;a href="http://www.pcmarathon.com/default.shtml" target="blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. </description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:49:40 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/640948/Park-City-Marathon-Are</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>631554</guid>
      <title>Salt Lake Real Estate Market Activity, July 2008</title>
      <description>A recap of our real estate activty last month.
&lt;table border="1" style="border:double #000000"&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr style="border:double #000000"&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Total Single Family Listings&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Total Condo Listings&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Total New Listings In July&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Price of New Listings&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;# Single Family Home Sales July&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Sale Price Single Family&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;# Condo Sales July&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Sale Price Condo&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Days On Market&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;7022&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;1601&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;2622&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$342,989&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;783&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$291,203&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;173&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$190,192&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:13:30 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/631554/Salt-Lake-Real-Estate</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>631548</guid>
      <title>Park City Real Estate Market Activity, July 2008</title>
      <description>A recap of our real estate activty last month.
&lt;table border="1" style="border:double #000000"&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr style="border:double #000000"&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Park City Property Type&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Total Listings&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;#&lt;br&gt; New Listings July&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;# Listings Sold July&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average List Price&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Sold Price&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;Average Days On Market&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;Single Family Homes&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;1318&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;237&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;43&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$810,620&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$769,890&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;170&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;Condominiums&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;909&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;153&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;29&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td align="center"&gt;$644,375&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;$619,363&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;176&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:10:19 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/631548/Park-City-Real-Estate</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>626123</guid>
      <title>1808 W Fox Bay DR, Heber City, UT</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Lovely condo with 2 beds and 2 baths priced at $319,000. Located in Heber City in Wasatch County. Has a lovely moutain view. Has assigned parking for 1 car and is 1028SqFt. The interior is georgous with tile flooring and ceiling fans. It also has a w/d hookup. HOA is $197 monthly and includes a clubhouse, hot tub, pool, and pets are allowed. It is a lovely condo and would make a great home.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:41:41 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/626123/18-8-W-Fox</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>626106</guid>
      <title>1756 W Fox Bay DR, Heber City, UT</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Lovely condo at a great price. $289,000. Has 2 beds and 2 baths. Located in Heber City UT in Wasatch county. You have a lovely mountain view. Inside you will have the luxury of ceiling fans, and a lovely fireplace. You also have a balcony. Have a assigned 2 car parking and it is 1028SqFt. HOA is $197 a month and includes pool, hot tub, clubhouse, fitness room, and other great features. Will make a lovely home!&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:33:46 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/626106/1756-W-Fox-Bay</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>626083</guid>
      <title>1729 W Fox Bay DR, Heber City, UT</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Lovely condo with 2 beds and 2 baths. Located in Heber City UT, in Wasatch county. Great price only $269,000. Has a great view you can see a lake and mountains from your home. It has underground assigned parking and 1028SqFt. Comes with applainces and you have a balcony. HOA is $197 monthly and includes many things. Some are a clubhouse, fitness room, hot tub, and a pool.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:26:03 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/626083/1729-W-Fox-Bay</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>625076</guid>
      <title>Bored?  Looking for something fun and different?</title>
      <description>As beautiful as the summers in Park City are, many of us are constantly searching for something exciting and different to do. Now we&#8217;ve found something right in our backyard!  Park City Mountain Resort offers a ZipRider that propels you 110 feet above the Resort&#8217;s gorgeous ski trails. The ZipRider can get up to 45 miles per hour, and, since there are four cables, you can even race your friends to see who&#8217;s the fastest!  Less than $20 will get you a ton of fun on a single ride.

&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The ZipRider is open through October 12 to anyone who is between 75 and 275 lbs.  Check &lt;a href="http://www.parkcitymountain.com/summer/activities/ziprider/index.html://" target="_blank"&gt;the website&lt;/a&gt;, as the hours change throughout the summer, and the ZipRider is subject to early closure due to weather.  For hours, updates, and even a video of the ZipRider, check it out &lt;a href="http://www.parkcitymountain.com/summer/activities/ziprider/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:57:44 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/625076/Bored-Looking-for-something</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>625072</guid>
      <title>Park City Recycling!</title>
      <description>As a homeowner in Park City, do you take advantage of the recycling program offered to you?  Park City&#8217;s community recycling center is located on Woodbine Way.  You can drop off your recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, mixed metal, batteries&#8230;even non-working major appliances!) for free at the 5,000 square foot Recycle Utah facility.  The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for drop off only, and the office and re-use building are open everyday from 10AM to 4PM. 

Keep in mind Recycle Utah&#8217;s motto of the Four Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Reycle, Rethink.  Not sure what you can and cannot bring to the recycling center?  Call the facility at 435.649.9698 or visit its website at &lt;a href="http://www.recycleutah.org"&gt;http://www.recycleutah.org.&lt;/a&gt; </description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:56:15 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/625072/Park-City-Recycling</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>624683</guid>
      <title>Habitat for Humanity is going green and it would like Salt Lake City to help.  </title>
      <description>&lt;a href="http://www.habitat.org/" target="blank"&gt;Habitat for Humanity&lt;/a&gt; is teaming up with the &lt;a href="http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/" target="blank"&gt;Home Depot Foundation&lt;/a&gt; to build homes that meet the green standards all across the nation.  It is scheduled to launch in May 2009 where over the next 5 years some 5,000 homes are proposed to be built in Salt Lake, about 17% of the homes Habitat for Humanity will build as part of the program.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

Salt Lake is one of only 30 affiliates selected in a year long pilot of this program.  Each affiliate will be able to help with building the homes and will learn new ways to construct more energy efficient, green homes.  The aim of this program is to help the communities with poverty levels, help with jobs and help with the environment.  Throughout the program, each affiliate will be able to access two levels of funding by meeting the proposed Energy Star standards.  Each tier consists of $2000 per constructed unit.  In addition, each affiliate will have a chance at obtaining a $100,000 grant to employ people and teach them how to build according to Energy Star standards.  (There will be 4 -  $100,000 grants made available and it is not yet determined which affiliates will be chosen.)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;

It is a great partnership that will help each affiliate with their environment and help eliminate poverty. Salt Lake is extremely lucky to be part of such a great project.  You can find more information about this program in &lt;a href="http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700244376,00.html?pg=1" target="blank"&gt;the attached article&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:47:42 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624683/Habitat-for-Humanity-is</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>562696</guid>
      <title>Who is Fannie and Is She Related to Freddie? </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Both nationally and here in Utah, the real estate market is changing and so is the mortgage market.&amp;nbsp; Over the last year or so the number of Utah foreclosures have been increasing and there is always a headline about the mortgage crunch.&amp;nbsp; As Utah real estate consumers, residents, and homeowners, we hear the terms FannieMae and Freddie Mac, and when listening to the newscaster or radio broadcaster talking it is easy to cloud over the details and just here the words "real estate", "buying", "mortgage", "FannieMae", and/or "Freddie Mac".&amp;nbsp; I had to laugh the other day, as my close friend and I were driving down the street and she turned to me and said, "What are they talking about?&amp;nbsp; Who is Fannie and is she related to Freddie?"&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So this post is dedicated to answering the question who is FannieMae and Freddie Mac.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.fanniemae.com/index.jhtml"&gt;FannieMae&lt;/a&gt; - It's true name is the Federal National Mortgage&amp;nbsp; Association (FNMA).&amp;nbsp; It is an enterprise owned by share-holders and it is a large part of the secondary mortgage market.&amp;nbsp; It's mission is to replenish the supply of money available for mortgages and ensures that money continues to be available for new home purchases.&amp;nbsp; You don't actually borrow money from the Fannie Mae group themselves, you borrow it from the lender with the Fannie Mae guarantee.&amp;nbsp; A common misconception with Fannie Mae is the government's involvement.&amp;nbsp; Fannie Mae is not backed&amp;nbsp; or funded by the U.S. Government.&amp;nbsp; Fannie Mae also helps finance affordable housing and community development projects.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.freddiemac.com/index.html"&gt;Freddie Mac&lt;/a&gt; - It's true name is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC).&amp;nbsp; It is owned by stock-holders and chartered by Congress to increase the supply of funds that lending institutions can make available to home buyers and multi-family investors.&amp;nbsp; Freddie Mac does not make loans directly to home buyers.&amp;nbsp; After a&amp;nbsp; borrower closes on a property or refinances their current mortgage, Freddie Mac buys those mortgages from lenders that they approve.&amp;nbsp; They do this so that the lenders have a fresh supply of funds available to loan to home buyers.&amp;nbsp; If a lender is backed by Freddie Mac then the available money is often considered safer than that of a non-Freddie approved lender.&amp;nbsp; As with Fannie Mae this organization is not owned or funded by the US Government.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:58:04 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/562696/Who-is-Fannie-and</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>562436</guid>
      <title>Wonderful Condo! 1808 W. Fox Bay Dr, Heber City</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;This beautiful&amp;nbsp;condo in Heber City must be seen! This condo is located on the Jordanella Reservior and is to be sold fully furnished. It will have granite coutner tops and stainless steal appaliances. It has a lovely fenced inground pool and many other amenities. It has 2 beds and 1 bath. It is being offered at $319,900. Call for more details or visit &lt;a href="http://www.nataliebethers.com/property.asp?id_property=77045" target="_blank"&gt;my website&lt;/a&gt; for a more detailed report.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="1 of 9" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/280x210/798662.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;img title="3 of 9" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/mul280x220/798662_2.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="5 of 9" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/mul280x220/798662_4.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:50:16 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/562436/Wonderful-Condo-18-8</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>562428</guid>
      <title>Beautiful Home! 1698 N. 450 E. 1, North Ogden</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;A must see home! It is a wonderful condo with a great view of the moutains. It has huge walk in closets and a beautiful master bedroom. It is complete with an outdoor patio, with wonderful outdoor lightening. It has 3 beds and 3 baths. It would be a great family condo, plenty of room, and animals are allowed. Offered at $169,500. Call for more details or visit &lt;a href="http://www.nataliebethers.com/property.asp?id_property=77045" target="_blank"&gt;my website&lt;/a&gt; for a more detailed report.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="1 of 6" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/280x210/807544.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;img title="3 of 6" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/mul280x220/807544_2.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="2 of 6" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/mul280x220/807544_1.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:37:43 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/562428/Beautiful-Home-1698-N</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>562412</guid>
      <title>Lovely Home! 196 E. Cranberry Hill Dr, Draper</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;This wonderful home in Draper is a must see. It is a gorgeous home with many new upgrades. It has hardwood floors, granite counter tops, new carpet, and brushed nickel lightening. You can also enjoy a large master suit and a lovely kids play room. It has 5 beds and 2.5 baths. Being offered at $455,860. Call for more details or visit &lt;a href="http://www.nataliebethers.com/property.asp?id_property=77045" target="_blank"&gt;my website&lt;/a&gt; for a more detailed report.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="1 of 1" src="http://photo.wfrmls.com/280x210/799752.jpg" border="1" height="210" alt="" width="280" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:23:37 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/562412/Lovely-Home-196-E</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>532830</guid>
      <title>The Salt Lake Farmer's Market - It Doesn't Get Much Better!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;It is impossible to list all the amazing things about this Farmer&amp;rsquo;s Market in Salt Lake.  Being a realtor in the Salt Lake area I see what kind of pull and attraction it has for Salt Lake homeowners, residents and prospective real estate purchasers.  It is one of the larger Farmer&amp;rsquo;s Markets in the area and just filled with such incredible treats, produce, and plenty of &amp;ldquo;Utah atmosphere.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A few things that stick out about the Salt Lake Farmer&amp;rsquo;s Market as well as all the others across the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1.     Less gas getting products to market place is better for the environment and on our pockets since food that travels far tends to be higher in price!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2.     Supporting our local farmers and economy. This is good for our Salt Lake area communities and our Salt Lake area real estate market.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3.     Less preservation and chemicals needed on our food since we can buy fresh from the local farms. That is good for our health and our environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You can find more details on the Farmer&amp;rsquo;s Market in Salt Lake &lt;a href="http://www.downtownslc.org/events/farmersmarket/farmersmarketinfo.htm" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:00:59 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/532830/The-Salt-Lake-Farmer</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>506671</guid>
      <title>Is It Really A Buyer's Market?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Both nationally and here in Utah, the real estate market is receiving a lot of media attention as inventory has been climbing and prices have been decreasing.&amp;nbsp; Both factors are signaling that we are moving towards a buyers market.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;People often ask if this is true in our Utah real estate market.&amp;nbsp; Although, we have been shielded a bit, fairing much better than that displayed in much of the national real estate statistics, we are still moving away from being within a true seller's market.&amp;nbsp; Periodically, the average Utah prices, increases, and decreases have been featured in this blog.&amp;nbsp; If you are interested in reading on that kind of detail, please visit some of my other posts.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For today though, I am answering a question that I often get, which is, "Is it really a buyers market in Utah and what does it mean?"&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Well it does mean some of what I have already listed above&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Rising housing inventory in Utah&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Decreasing home prices&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Good Interest rates both nationally and locally&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;-&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And negotiations in favor of the Utah buyer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have included some statistics below which show how over the last couple of years the real estate negotiating process has been moving in favor of the buyer.&amp;nbsp; The percentages are based on the sale price relative to the list price.&amp;nbsp; This is a sure sign that we are moving towards a buyer's market, as well as showing that it is a great time to buy.&amp;nbsp; Buyers have great negotiating power right now!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Percentages based on sales transactions between January and April of the corresponding years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sale Price as Compared to List Price&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;County&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2008&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2007&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Salt Lake&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;97%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Utah&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;97%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Davis&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;98%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;99%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Summit&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;93%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;97%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td valign="top" width="128"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;97%&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 09:51:12 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/506671/Is-It-Really-A</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>502187</guid>
      <title>Aspen Creek Realty Featured Listing of the Week, 1.15 Acres in Davis County</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Are you in the market to buy some real estate in Davis County, Utah where you can build the home of your dreams? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don&amp;#39;t look any further, you can build you dream home in the exclusive Stone Ridge on Bountiful&amp;#39;s east bench.&amp;nbsp; Gorgeous panoramic views of the valley and lake.&amp;nbsp; The property is sloped to accomodate a daylight basement with views from all levels.&amp;nbsp; You can access this great property off of Stone Ridge Drive. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Location: 1596 S. Stone Ridge Drive, Bountfiul, UT&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Price: $419,100&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Acreage: 1.15&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Water: Culinary Stubbed&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sewer: Public Stubbed&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Schools: Boulton Elementary, Mueller Park Middle, Bountiful High&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Please call for further details on this great piece of Utah real estate in Bountiful, UT. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2008 14:30:03 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/502187/Aspen-Creek-Realty-Featured</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>502134</guid>
      <title>Utah Real Estate, 1st Quarter 2008 As Compared To 1st Quarter 2007</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Salt Lake County, Utah&amp;nbsp;- Sales Up 0.28% - &amp;nbsp;Average Sale Price $287,119 &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Utah County, Utah&amp;nbsp;- Sales Down 3.37% - &amp;nbsp;Average Sales Price $265,056 &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Wasatch County, Utah&amp;nbsp;- Sales Up 25.26% - &amp;nbsp;Average Sales Price $483,726 &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Davis County, Utah&amp;nbsp;- Sales Up 5.58% - &amp;nbsp;Average Sales Price $254,862 &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Park City, Utah&amp;nbsp;- Sales Down 6.99% - Average Sales Price $1,127,138 &amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a whole the real estate market in the state of Utah had a 1.2% decline in the number of sales as compared to Quarter 1 2007.&amp;nbsp; But overall, as you can see from the numbers above, the majority of our area communities are still hanging in there despite the historical decline.&amp;nbsp; For more information about what these real estate statistics may mean for you if trying to buy and sell, please feel free to give me a call.&amp;nbsp; I&amp;#39;d love to give you an analysis of where you would fit into the current Utah real estate market.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2008 13:57:01 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/502134/Utah-Real-Estate-1st</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>487397</guid>
      <title>How Should the Utah Buyer Approach a Short Sale?  (Part 2 of 2)</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;A few more tips for the Utah Buyer.&amp;nbsp; If you find you still have more questions about how to approach a short sale or foreclosure, please just give me a call, I&amp;#39;d love to help!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; As we discussed in the last short sale blog, negotiating a short sale property in the Utah real estate market can be time consuming.&amp;nbsp; So use the help of an experienced Utah real estate agent and give the seller&amp;#39;s lender a deadline.&amp;nbsp; If the lender doesn&amp;#39;t get back to you within the given time frame, take a look around the market and see what else is out there that may be a suitable house for you and your family.&amp;nbsp; You may end up finding another property for sale that you like; there is a great deal of inventory available in this Utah real estate market. &amp;nbsp;If not, you can go back to the bank and see if any progress has been made on the offer or re-submit another offer to purchase the short sale. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Reserve the right to inspect the property.&amp;nbsp; Even though most lenders will not re-negotiate after an offer has been accepted on the Utah property, you can still put a condition in your real estate offer to purchase that allows you to walk away from the real estate transaction if you find some material defects that you are not willing to live with considering the initial negotiated price.&amp;nbsp; Also, during this inspection process, be sure to hire a qualified home inspector and Utah realtor to help sort out the potential problems with the property. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Work closely with your lender on this purchase.&amp;nbsp; Make sure they are aware that the property you are purchasing is a short sale and ensure they do not have any special paperwork or documentation requirements in order to close the loan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&amp;middot;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Enjoy your new Utah home and make it your own! &lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:40:49 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/487397/How-Should-the-Utah</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>478120</guid>
      <title>Is Your House Still For Sale?</title>
      <description>  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If you are thinking to yourself, &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;My house is not that old and ALWAYS immaculate.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;It has tile, hardwood, and updated kitchen and baths&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;It is in a very desirable Utah location. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;I worked with a Utah Realtor and priced it right where he or she advised. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;        &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Then it might just be that your Utah home is missing something that all buyers are looking for.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some vision!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Can prospective Utah buyers envision themselves living in your home?&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If not, you need to help them!&amp;nbsp; Here are a few &amp;ldquo;do-it-yourself&amp;rdquo; projects, all under $500, that may help your home stick out from the rest. &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Add a built-in bookshelf to a room and use a housing decoration magazine to teach yourself how to arrange your items on it.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; You can buy all the materials for well under $500 and it will give prospective Utah buyers some sight to how to best utilize the space, as well as make the home look a little more customized.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Add a few patches of decorative tile to a foyer or bath.&amp;nbsp; You can buy just a small amount of tile for well under $500 that will match up to your existing flooring.&amp;nbsp; By mixing up the blandness of all tan or green tiles that you may have in your foyer or bath, you again give your home a customized feel and provide some visual staying power in the minds of the prospective Utah buyer. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Update a light fixture in your home that might serve as a good focal point.&amp;nbsp; Possibly in the foyer or in the dining room.&amp;nbsp; Pick something that has a real decorative punch to it, even if it is not your exact taste (as long as it matches the room though.&amp;nbsp; You can find fixtures for well under $500 and it may serve as a conversation piece later on as prospective buyer&amp;rsquo;s recall you home.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;      </description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:57:08 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/478120/Is-Your-House-Still</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>467915</guid>
      <title>How Should the Utah Buyer Approach a Short Sale? (Part 1 of 2) </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;A Few Tips For the Utah buyer:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;   &lt;blockquote&gt;   &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Keep in mind that short sales do not only occur because of an anticipated foreclosure.&amp;nbsp; Sometimes a lender will accept a short sale if the value of the property has fallen and/or if the seller owes more than the property is worth in the current Utah real estate market.&amp;nbsp; So the sellers may not have defaulted on their mortgage.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/blockquote&gt;   &lt;blockquote&gt;   &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The lender is generally only willing to accept a short sale for a property to bring the price in line with other comparable homes on the market.&amp;nbsp; Not below them.&amp;nbsp; So I wouldn&amp;rsquo;t spend to much time going from Utah property to property trying to low ball lenders.&amp;nbsp; It is VERY unlikely that they will negotiate that low. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/blockquote&gt;   &lt;blockquote&gt;   &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Negotiating with the lender can take a great deal of time.&amp;nbsp; Generally the lenders have committees that need to approve the short sale and this approval process can sometimes take up to 6 weeks or more.&amp;nbsp; The average is likely closer to 2 to 3 weeks.&amp;nbsp; Consequently, there is little chance you will be closing on a short sale in 30 to 40 days once you present an offer.&amp;nbsp; And therefore not in your new Utah home too quickly! &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/blockquote&gt;   &lt;blockquote&gt;   &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Do your research on the property before making a property.&amp;nbsp; My recommendation would be to work with a Utah Realtor that would know what to look for and who could recommend a reputable real estate legal professional. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/blockquote&gt;   &lt;blockquote&gt;   &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Be cautious of Utah homes with 2 loans and know exactly what that means for you as the buyer.&amp;nbsp; If you come to an agreement with a lender where 2 loans exist, make sure you know of all deadlines and expirations and that they are similar for both loans.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;     &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/blockquote&gt; </description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:45:50 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/467915/How-Should-the-Utah</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>464162</guid>
      <title>A Condo at a Great Value in Wasatch County - 1729 W. Fox Bay</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Have you been to Wasatch County to look at the condos in Fox Bay? If not, you should stop on over. They are gorgeous mountain condos nestled between the Jordanelle Reservoir and Deer Valley&amp;#39;s premier gondola. One could enjoy impressive mountain views and many upgrades!!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This particular unit at 1729 W Fox Bay is a must see and a great value being offered at $289,000.&amp;nbsp; It has 1028 square feet of living space, 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, and 1 3/4 bath.&amp;nbsp; It boasts central air, gas fireplace, balcony, and amazing views.&amp;nbsp; The condo complex has some great features including an inground pool, club house, exercise room, and playground. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make Your Appointment Today.&amp;nbsp; Wasatch County is a great place to live!!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/8/2/7/7/ar120792374477287.jpg" height="210" alt=" " width="280" /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <author>Natalie Bethers-Southwick (Aspen Creek Realty)</author>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:40:08 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/464162/A-Condo-at-a</link>
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