Utah County Mortgages and Getting the Best Rate As a Utah County Home Buyer, it only makes sense to try and get the lowest rate possible when obtaining a Home Loan.  After all, the rate is the primary factor in determining your house payment.  But how do you get a low rate when applying for a home loan?  This is the primary question that most home buyers want to know.  I would like to explain some important ideas that you need to keep in mind. Credit Score One of the primary factors in helping to determine your interest rate is your credit score and financial history.  In other words the best interest rates are usually reserved for those with the highest credit score.  So if you credit score is not very high the chance of getting a lower interest rate is not very good.  It is very impor... 01/27/2010

Looking for an energy efficient home in Alpine, Utah? Let Alamo Infrared Energy Audits and Home Inspections inspect and evaluate your new home. Our modern equipment can evaluate and determine the air tightness of your new home. Leaky windows and doors as well as missing or insufficient insulation can only be detected using high performance blower doors and infrared cameras. For more information visit our website:  www.utahenergyaudit.com  www.umrt.com Alamo Infrared is the oldest and largest energy auditor for homes, businesses and government buildings in the Rocky Mountain West. 01/23/2010

Utah County Home Buyer Representation - Buyer Agent vs. Seller Agent During the past 25 or so years, Utah County Home Buyers have been able to choose between Buyer agents or the Sellers agent representing the Seller, to buy a home from. Many buyers didn't even know that they could use a buyer agent or even if they were available. Most home buyers assumed the agent showing the home represented them. Seller agents were obligated to represent the seller's interest unless they had a separate written agreement with the buyer to represent them. The FTC did a study of the Real Estate brokerage industry in 1983 and determined that most home buyers actually thought that the Real Estate agent showing them homes was working in their best interest, the vast majority were wrong. The FTC started putt... 01/20/2010

Utah County Foreclosure Properties, Short Sale, Bank Owned Utah County Properties that are in distress usually are referred to as Foreclosures.  Foreclosure usually happens for a number of different reasons.  Few home owners choose to go into foreclosure voluntarily.  It is often a result of one of the following: ·         Loss of Job, laid-off, fired or just quit. ·         Unable to work due to medical condition. ·         Divorce ·         Job transfer ·         High debt, unable to make mortgage payments Utah County Foreclosure property can be distributed to the public in a number of different ways.  The first step usually takes place in the form of a Utah County Short Sale.  The seller tries to negotiate a lower payoff to try and avoid credit report problems.  When the seller is un... 12/22/2009

Utah County Homes for Sale - Earnest Money The Utah County Real Estate Purchase Contract involves more than just price.  You will have to discuss personal property possession, rent, tests, inspections, closing dates and more.  The one term that throws most buyers, especially first time buyers is Earnest Money Deposit.  What is it?  Why do I need to pay it?  Why do I have to pay so much? Not the Down Payment Many buyers show up to write their offer and announce to their agent that they do not have to put an earnest money deposit because they are getting down payment assistance or 100 percent financing.  Communication is very important, it is not difficult to see where an inexperienced buyer would confuse one deposit for another, so do not feel bad if you, too, just learned something new.... 12/19/2009

Buying a Home in Utah County There are a number of things to consider when choosing the right Utah County Home and everyone's priority is different.  Where should it be located; neighborhood preference; single or multi-level, number of bedrooms and baths; square footage: yard size; features: quality of school; age of home; interior or exterior appeal; and most of all, price, because if it's out of your budget, it can't be considered. Make a List Make a priority list of things important to you.  Start with the most important, things you have to have.  Then work down the list, putting them in order of most important.  After you are done, go up to the top and move down until you get to a place where you can draw a line.  Above the line should be all of the items you have to have, and below... 12/13/2009

Utah County Homes for Sale - Refinance or Upgrade With the Utah County Real Estate market going through all the changes it is presently going through, many new questions start to come up.  Should I buy a new home?  Should I re-finance my present home?  Should I rent out my present home and Upgrade to a new home?  The scenario I see quite often these days is the later.  Many of my Utah County Home Buyers are looking into renting their present home due to the high demand that there is for rentals.  Once they find a good qualified renter, the next step is to take advantage of the great deals available on new homes and the low interest rates that make it possible to upgrade and keep their payment reasonable. The re-finance scenario is more difficult to accomplish, due to the decline in the ... 11/22/2009

Utah County Offer Factors There are many factors to consider when you are trying to determine what price to offer for a new Utah County Home.  Gathering and analyzing information form comparable sales helps to establish the range of prices you should consider.  More weight should be given to the most recent Utah County Sales of like properties in the local area.  Other factors to consider include condition of the property, improvements, the current market, and the circumstances behind the seller's decision to sell. Search Utah MLS Listings Utah County Real Estate  Utah County Homes  Utah Homes For Sale  Provo Real Estate WS  Orem Real Estate WS  Utah Homes 4 Sale  Alpine Real Estate  Alpine Real Estate  Cedar Hills Real Estate   Highland Real Estate  Eagle Mountain Real Estate   Springv... 11/09/2009

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 listings and higher percent of new listings being SOLD.    SUMMARY 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 with low and/or no risk tolerance to purchase.  High and medium risk tolerant investors are making buying decisions and are doing some bottom fishing.  Some are trying to time the market and market timing is risky.  Trying to time the bottom is not for the inexperien... 11/01/2009

Utah County Home Buyer Representation - Buyer Agent vs. Seller Agent During the past 25 or so years, Utah County home buyers have been able to choose between Buyer agents or the Sellers agent representing the Seller, to buy a home from. Many buyers didn't even know that they could use a buyer agent or even if they were available. Most home buyers assumed the agent showing the home represented them. Seller agents were obligated to represent the seller's interest unless they had a separate written agreement with the buyer to represent them. The FTC did a study of the Real Estate brokerage industry in 1983 and determined that most home buyers actually thought that the Real Estate agent showing them homes was working in their best interest, the vast majority were wrong. The FTC started putt... 10/30/2009

Utah County Home Buyer Representation - Buyer Agent vs. Seller Agent During the past 25 or so years, home buyers have been able to choose between Utah County Buyer agents or the Sellers agent representing the Seller, to buy a home from. Many buyers didn't even know that they could use a Utah County Buyer agent or even if they were available. Most home buyers assumed the agent showing the home represented them. Seller agents were obligated to represent the seller's interest unless they had a separate written agreement with the buyer to represent them. The FTC did a study of the Real Estate brokerage industry in 1983 and determined that most Utah County Home Buyers actually thought that the Real Estate agent showing them homes was working in their best interest, the vast majority were wro... 10/24/2009

Utah County Seller Motivation and the Offer Price When looking for homes for my Utah County Buyer Clients, I have found that the Seller's Motivation can have a dramatic affect on the price of the home.  The most common "Motivated Seller" is someone who has already bought his or her next home or is relocating to a new area.  They will be under the gun to sell the home quickly or face the prospect of making two mortgage payments at the same time.  Since that can drain a bank quickly, most sellers want to avoid such a situation and may be willing to give up thousands of dollars to avoid the possibility. Family crises can be a motivation for a seller to make a quick deal.  However, when you see a real estate ad that mentions, divorce, motivated seller, relocation, or something to that affec... 10/21/2009

Utah County Real Estate - ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative The ABR® designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded to REALTORS® who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria, by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association of REALTORS®. Why should you look for the ABR® designation before looking for a Utah County Home? These three letters after a Utah County REALTOR® name tell you that you'll be working with someone committed to your best interests, someone who has both made education a career priority, and has also demonstrated the experience needed to provide the finest in Utah County Buyer Representation. Buying a Utah County Home is no small matter. Besides being the lar... 10/05/2009

GRI - Graduate Realtor Institute Why Choose a Utah County REALTOR® With a GRI designation? - Utah County Real EstateBuying Utah County property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime. At the same time, Utah County real Estate transactions have become increasingly complicated.New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism. So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the Utah County Real Estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding.GRIs are: Nationally recogn... 10/04/2009

Selling Your Utah County Home and Picking a Utah County Realtor Well the time has come for you to sell your Utah County Home.  Selling your Utah County Home could be for a variety of different reasons.  Perhaps you need more space for an expanding family maybe your current home just doesn't fit your needs anymore.  Maybe the reason is much more stressful such as a divorce or any unexpected job relocation.  The last thing you need during this time is someone helping you sell your home that is unprofessional or doesn't understand the current Utah County Real Estate market. When you are selecting a Utah County Realtor, make sure you find someone whose personality is not in line with yours.  Even if the agent has terrific credentials and has sold a lot of homes over the years, they may not ... 09/11/2009

Closing the Real Estate Transaction in Utah County and Taking Possession - Utah County Real Estate The Utah County Real Estate transaction is considered "closed" once the deeds have been recorded with the County.  You then own the home.  However, it is not always possible for you to occupy it immediately.  It is customary to allow the seller up to a maximum of three days to turn over actual possession and keys to the home. When the transfer of possession actually occurs should be clearly laid out in your offer to purchase to prevent confusion later.  All the details of Utah County Recordings can be found at: Utah County Online Search Utah MLS Listings Utah County Homes   Utah Realtor Utah Homes Utah Homes For Sale Provo Real Estate WS Orem Real Estate WS Utah Homes 4 Sale Alpine Real Es... 08/26/2009

Utah County Home Loan and Mortgage Center - Credit Scores - Utah County Real Estate Credit Scores range between 300 and 850.  Usually scores above 600 are considered to be desirable for obtaining a Utah County home loan.  There are five main factors that are considered when your score is calculated. Payment History Do you pay your credit card obligation on time? Credit balances High credit card balances usually are an indication that you are over extended. Length of Credit History  Longer the credit history the better. How Much New Credit You Have New Credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay on time. Type of Credit you use Generally it is better to have more than one type of credit installment loans, credit cards, and mortgage,... 08/18/2009

Utah County Mortgage Rates and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) - Utah Home Loans Many borrowers don't understand that there is a difference between the Utah County Mortgage Rate and the Annual Percentage Rate (APR).  The Utah County mortgage rate is the base rate usually associated with a mortgage.  The APR of a loan is supposed to be an overall interest rate with all the applicable closing costs factored in.  Unfortunately, not all lenders include the same costs so not all APR's are created equally.  Use the APR as a general guide to the overall cost of the loan but keep in mind that you have to look at the details of what's included to be sure. Search Utah MLSUtah County Real Estate  Utah County Homes   Utah Realtor Utah Homes Utah Homes For Sale Provo Real Estate WS Orem Real Estate WS ... 08/11/2009

Utah County Buyer Agent Commissions (BAC) - Utah County Real Estate One of the most often used marketing tricks that Utah County Listing agents use to attract home buyers is a Buyer Agent Commission (BAC) that is larger than what is generally offered.  Most home sellers offer a commission of 6 percent to the agents that assist to sell their homes.  Half of the commission or 3 percent goes to the agent that listed the home for sale.  The other 3 percent goes to the agent who represents the buyer in the transaction.  By offering an inflated BAC, the listing agent is hoping that the agent representing the buyer will show and recommend their home before the home that only has a 3 percent commission. Utah County Home Buyers Beware Utah County home buyers need to understand that sometimes the... 08/08/2009

Utah County Home Loans and Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) - Utah Home Loans 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 los... 08/04/2009