Today, I’m super excited to chat about one of Utah’s hidden gems — Mapleton. Nestled in Utah County, this upscale town has a special place in my heart, and for a good reason! If you’re dreaming about finding a new home, let me tell you, Mapleton might just be the perfect spot for you. With a range of homes that cater to just about any lifestyle, from cozy ranch-style houses to sprawling estates, there’s something here for everyone. Discovering the Charm of Mapleton Utah: A Home Seeker’s Haven Mapleton isn’t just any town. It’s a place where the scenic views are endless, and the sense of community is strong. Whether you’re drawn to its stunning landscapes, the high quality of life, or the variety of amenities, Mapleton stands out as a top choice for homebuyers. We’re here to guide you ... 02/09/2024

11/16/2012

  Utah County Real Estate and the Home Buyers first Step, getting Pre-qualified 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 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 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, loan officers can help you with a pre-approval by getting some basic information (address, social security number, etc.) over the phone or internet. If you ch... 07/19/2011

  Utah County Real Estate and the Walk through Inspection The final step in the purchase process prior to closing is the Final Walk through Inspection. Every home buyer should revisit the property to ensure it is in the condition you required in your offer, and to inspect that any required repairs have been performed. Final inspection should be no sooner than five days before you intend to close. Make sure this right to do a final inspection is included in your offer to purchase. Check out the IDX Websites with Homes for Sale in the following locations: State of Utah homes for sale – Home Selling Utah Homes available for Sale in Utah County Alpine Homes for Sale American Fork Homes for Sale Cedar Hills Homes for Sale Eagle Mountain Homes for Sale Highland Homes for Sale Lehi Homes for S... 07/09/2011

Utah County Real Estate and the For Sale by Owner When it comes time to sell your home, one big decision needs to be made. Can I sell my home by myself or should I use a Realtor? Everybody wants to make as much money as they can when it comes time to sell their home, but it is necessary to maintain realistic expectations if there is to be a successful sale transaction. The For Sale by Owner option is often perceived to be best way to make the highest profit when selling a home. In theory, that makes a lot of sense, but there are so many variables that the results usually come out the opposite. In fact, statistics from the National Association of Realtors report that only 16 % of those who listed their home For Sale by Owner, were successful in selling their home. The main drawbacks can ... 07/09/2011

Utah County Homes for Sale and the Annual Percentage Rate As a Loan Officer here in Utah, I have found that many consumers don’t fully understand the term Annual Percentage Rate. Probably no other disclosure is as baffling to the average consumer as APR is. Few understand how the APR can be higher than the interest rate. The APR is the finance charge expressed as a numerical percentage, which is an expression of the annualized finance charge. The APR includes the interest rate plus all of those items that are included in the finance charge. Although few mortgage lenders actually do it, lenders are required to disclose the APR when inquiries are made orally. The APR also has to be fully disclosed on any advertising materials. www.UtahHomesforSale.us www.UtahHomesforSale.ws www.UtahHomes... 06/05/2011

Utah County Homes for Sale and Credit Scores Credit Scores range between 300 and 850. Usually scores above 600 are considered to be desirable for obtaining a 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, for example. www.UtahHomesforSale.us www.UtahHomesfor... 06/03/2011

Utah County Homes for Sale and Short Sales With the present Real Estate market in turmoil and many home owners are having a hard time trying to sell their home, because they owe more than it is worth.  I keep getting the question from my buyers about what is a Short Sale and how does it work?  Well I will try and address that question here.  I hope I am accurate, I am sure I will hear about it if I am not. What is a Short Sale? A Short Sale occurs when a property sells for a price that is insufficient to pay back the loans secured by the property (or any other liens against the property, such as delinquent property taxes, Homeowners/Condominium Association fees, etc.), as well as standard sales closing costs.  In order to complete such a sale, the Seller must either. Come to the closing... 04/26/2011

Utah County Homes for Sale, Seller Financing In today's Housing market many Sellers have had to use their imagination to try and sell their homes.  One of the programs that is starting to be used more often is that of Seller Financing.  The way this can be used is to "carry back" a second mortgage to help facilitate the purchase of the home.  This can happen when the seller does not need all the proceeds from their sale in order to purchase their next home. The advantage to the buyer is that by combining the down payment and the second mortgage from the seller, you may be able to avoid paying mortgage insurance and save yourself some money. If such a carry-back is part of your offer, you should include the terms you wish to pay on such a second mortgage.  Keep in mind that your first tr... 04/13/2011

Utah County Homes for Sale and Mortgage Rates With the Federal Reserve cutting the interest rate to an all-time low, Mortgage rates should follow.  Mortgage rates are fast approaching all-time low status as well.  I believe we will continue to see this trend throughout the New Year.  With 30 year rates hovering around 5%, many first time home buyers and investors are considering coming out of the closest.  Should 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 combination of lower rate... 04/08/2011

Energy Auditing Municipal Buildings for the city of Mapleton, Utah | Information gathered from any Utah energy audits of the city government buildings in Utah County can be used to determine energy efficiency, retrofitting and weatherization projects. Retrofitting projects will include air infiltration, energy efficient windows and doors, insulation levels, weather-stripping and caulking, and electric base loads.   Using the data from the energy audit to retrofit and improve the energy efficiency of a number of it's municipal buildings that will result in substantial reduction in energy usage.   DOES ADDING INSULATION REALLY HELP?    Third Party Energy Auditing Verification by Alamo Infrared on Episode 116 of Homes Today Utah. An old home was chosen in Salt Lake City, Utah for an energy... 09/12/2010

Are you purchasing a short sale, vacant or foreclosed home, condo or townhome in Mapleton, 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.utahenerg... 03/06/2010

There are a number of things to consider when choosing the right 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 the line should be all of the things tha... 06/20/2009

Some people are very successful at selling their home "by owner".  They have knowledge of key marketing strategies, how to best show their home, and they possess a good understanding of contracts.  They are versed in negotiation tactics, but most of all, they are aware of the current market in their area and have priced their home appropriately.  They realize the majority of homes on the market today are sold through an agency and they are aware that potential buyers might expect them to sell for less that market value because they will not be paying an agency commission.  On the other hand, listing your home with a Realtor means that upon the sale, you pay a commission to the agencies involved out of your proceeds.  This commission is negotiable.  The advantages, however, might just be... 06/12/2009

As a Realtor who represents the Home Buyer, I have found through the years, the Home Warranty to be a very important factor in the home purchase process.  The last thing a new home buyer wants to worry about after closing is the possibility of something breaking down.  There are many things that could go wrong, for peace of mind; it would be a good idea to get a home protection plan.  I believe it is especially important for First-time home buyers, with little experience maintaining a home. Generally the Seller pays for the Home Protection plan and Home Warranty coverage.  This is not only a benefit for the Home Buyer, but it also protects the Seller, because the home buyer won't be calling and bothering him when things go wrong. For an annual fee of $250 to $600, the warranty covers re... 06/11/2009

When you apply for a home loan, in most cases you will have to provide documentation of several aspects of your financial situation. The more documentation you have of good credit and financial assets, the better your loan and interest rate will be. This is because the lender's risk is smaller when you provide more documentation or proof that you'll be able to afford your mortgage. There are several options however. They range from full-documentation loans to the no-doc loans that require little verifiable information below are some descriptions of the options and the type of borrower that best fits the documentation requirements. No-Documentation Loans does not require income or asset documentation. It is for borrowers that do not have current incomes, assets, jobs, or businesses or do... 05/07/2009

Many homeowners start off in a mortgage home loan that is less than ideal. They may have had bad credit and were forced to accept a higher interest rate and fees. Or maybe they just decided to buy when market rates were peaking. Fortunately for these types of borrowers and others with pricey loans, there is a way to get into a new loan with better terms. It is called refinancing. Refinancing means the creation of a new home mortgage loan that will completely pay off your first loan. Some homeowners will do this just to get into a mortgage with a lower interest rate. Others will take advantage of lower interest rates while also getting a loan large enough to pull some extra cash out for other financial needs. Some will refinance into a shorter term loan, like from a 30-year to a 15-year ... 04/11/2009

These days so much of business dealings are based on your credit score. This is especially true when you are applying for a home mortgage loan. Lenders want reassurance that you will be a safe risk, that you will be responsible about repaying the loan. The current system of credit scoring gives lenders a measurement guide of your risk factor as a borrower. Before you apply, it will be very helpful for you to know what goes into your credit score and what the numbers mean. The most common type of credit score is the FICO score, based on a system by Fair Isaac and Company. This company worked with the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, to create today's popular method of scoring consumers credit. Here is how it works: Your past and present relationshi... 04/09/2009

A home mortgage loan may quite possibly be the costly financial commitment you ever make. Buying a house is an important investment not only because it will become your home and residence, but also because it will gain in value and provide you with potential earnings when you decide to sell. As it is such a weighty matter, you should be very particular in whom you choose to help you finance your home purchase. You will come across plenty of lenders eager for your business, but make sure you select one that has all the essential qualities and qualifications. First, a good mortgage lender should be able to offer you a wide range of loan products. Mortgage brokers are especially effective in this area as they represent many different mortgage investors and usually have a broader selection ... 04/08/2009

As of 1994, the state of Utah authorized Buyer's Agency.  In Utah County, and throughout the state, buyers can choose an agent to work exclusively on their behalf.  Buyer agency benefits include: •·         Buyer's agents are almost always paid out of the proceeds of the sale by the seller or builder, so we always recommend using a Realtor, as it will cost you nothing extra. •·         Many people do not realize that it is advantageous to have an agent on a new home purchase as well.  I have gone to bat for my clients on a number of occasions when there were problems with home builders.  Salespeople who work for the builder are usually very ethical they are also employees of the builder and are bound by their relationship to their employer.  They do not specifically represent the home b... 03/12/2009