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Mount Rushmore, Lehi Utah style
2007-12-18 04:40:00
If you are like me and you've never seen Mount Rushmore in person, don't fret - now you don't have to travel any farther than Lehi, Utah to see it. Granted, it's not the REAL Mount Rushmore, but it's a pretty good replica with a small twist. If you look closely, you will notice slight presidential smiles on the finished product. I'm talking about the Liberty Land amusement park in Lehi. I drive I-15 southbound a few times a week, and I can't help but look at the monument every time I pass it. It looks to be a sort of tunnel that a little roller coaster passes through. I haven't stepped out to see the site, but that's what it looks like from the freeway. This park is going to be family and America oriented. It will have red, white, and blue everywhere, a Lady Liberty replica, hot dogs and apple pie, etc. I've also heard that the owners are going to place American historical facts randomly throughout the park, like on the miniature golf course. I personally think th...
More About: American History , Style

"Life Elevated" found on Utah's new license plates
2007-12-16 03:14:00
Ok, maybe everybody knew this but me, but Utahans are now driving around with newly designed license plates. I just started noticing them about a month ago, so maybe there are some out there who still have not seen them. If that's the case, here's what I've seen. The new plates still have the old "Greatest Snow on Earth" slogan, but they no longer say "Ski! Utah". Instead you have just the word Utah up at the top with petroglyphs in the background of the title, and a picture of a skier in the middle center. You can also see powder tracks running down the middle of the plate. The color up top behind the title is reddish orange and the rest is white and light blue. The other one is just like the old centennial plate except the title font is different, and instead of "Centennial" at the bottom, it says "Life Elevated". The new slogan is where I could see some people running into an issue with these new plates. I've heard many people say that they don't care for "Life Eleva...
More About: License

Yes!, Trolley Square lightens up!
2007-12-14 00:21:00
I really like shopping and eating at Trolley Square in Salt Lake, but every time I go, I just feel like something is missing. I just don't get the same shopper high that I get when I go to other places like the Gateway. There are some great stores at T.S., no doubt, but they've never been quite great enough to make me want to return frequently. After reading an article today in the local news, I now know why I never got that feeling inside of the place. There is a sort of science that goes into making shopping centers, a purposeful creation of a pleasant experience. Well, Trolley Square never had that going for it. It was a barn for Trolleys, not people. When you walk in there, you feel lost sometimes, or like no one else is there. You don't get that satisfaction of seeing hoards of other people shopping and having a great time, making us feel a little better inside because others are doing what we're doing. Whatever issues I have with Trolley Square, they might just be...

The National Association of REALTORS gets optimistic
2007-12-11 23:17:00
The National Association of REALTORS issued a press release yesterday, and according to them, things don't look so bad. Most people associated with the real estate industry know that the NAR is usually more optimistic than the media, which rarely has anything positive to say about anything, so you should take that into consideration before reading the release. Any association made up of REALTORS will obviously have an interest in talking up the business of its members. You can't blame them, but it does shed a different light on why they say what they do. Also keep in mind that these are projections, not guarantees. That said, the NAR says that existing home sales will actually trend upward in 2008. They admit that the Pending Home Sales Index still shows lower numbers than last year at this time, but that it's inching upward. New home sales don't look as promising, and the NAR projects that recovery won't start until 2009. Even so, that's sooner than some people are pro...
More About: Realtors , National Association of Realtors , The Nation

Don't let fear dictate your real estate goals
2007-12-10 17:50:00
A common theme I am seeing lately among property sellers and especially buyers, in the middle of a struggling housing market, is a fear to act. Many people are reading the daily news, seeing that many experts are predicting a recession, and allowing that to interfere with their life plans. I believe this is a mistake. I'm not the guy who's going to pretend that things aren't rough out there. We may enter a recession - I don't really know. What I do know is that people need to live their lives, regardless of what the economy is or isn't doing. That goes for real estate as well. If you need to get into a home, do it. Many people will tell you to put your plans on hold because they think the market hasn't reached bottom yet. They might tell you to worry that if you get into a home, you will lose money in depreciation. It could happen, but they don't know any better than you do. Lots of people I talk to just need to get into a home because their family is growing, they wa...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Goals , Fear , Real

Reflection
2007-12-07 18:45:00
My wife and I have experienced the deaths of three grandparents in this last year. It's been hard, but it also offers time for reflection. The thing that has impressed me the most has been listening to the stories told about these people by their children and grandchildren. They rarely focus on what the person did at work. Nor do they usually focus on the grandeur of their leisurely pursuits. My wife's family did not title their father's obituary, "Our revered banker", though I've been told he was great at it. None of these things receive much conversational time as we sit around table reminiscing. The stories I hear told usually took place in the home or when the family was all together. They are stories about Christmas, small family outings, birthdays, or every day occurrences that they took for granted at the time. Now that death has taken the person, their funny habits, quirks, and personality traits all become longed after. It serves as a reminder of which things ar...
More About: Reflection

Look to Amazon for your Christmas shopping
2007-12-06 19:16:00
I've been an Amazon .com fan for quite some time, and I know they offer amazing deals in comparison to many large chain stores that I am aware of around here. For this reason, I have to warn everybody to look on Amazon first when doing your Christmas shopping. You may know of other sites that are equally as good, but I know Amazon so I'll focus on them for now. My purpose is not so much comparing online site to online site, but rather showing how Amazon is superior to the big blue and yellow store and others in pricing. Whatever you do, do not go buy an expensive piece of electronics at your local big chain store. I know it's tempting after you receive the big full color advertisement in the Sunday paper, but those are not the best prices by far. Research any of those products on Amazon, and I'd bet that you'll find every single one of them for significantly less. Not only that, but sometimes there are third party sellers on Amazon who offer their new or like new products f...
More About: Shopping , Christmas shopping

Update on United First's Money Merge Account
2007-12-05 23:17:00
Here is an update on my post about the money merge account from United First. I did some more looking on their website, and I also looked about the net for people who have used it before. I found some information and the conclusion I have come to is this: this mortgage program sounds like a good idea. Should you use United First for the program? You need to be the judge of that. The basics of the program is that you must first take out a home equity line of credit. You then apply advanced HELOC funds to your first mortgage. Each month when you get your paycheck, you apply that to the HELOC, then you use those funds to pay your monthly expenses. There are plenty out there who are more knowledgeable than me on the mechanics of something like this, so follow this link for some further insight (mixed with a little skepticism). If you can do this sort of thing yourself, then this Ufirst program is not for you. Simply talk to a professional lender to see if they can set up som...
More About: Money , Update , Account , Merge

Christmas at Thanksgiving Point
2007-12-05 06:08:00
Today I received my Thanksgiving Point newsletter, which I signed up for about six months ago. I have to say that I'm glad I did, because if you like the kinds of things that Thanksgiving Point offers, it a great way to keep informed of it all. There is a lot going on there this Christmas season. The male a'capella group 'Voice Male' will be performing their Christmas concert on December 18 and 20. I went to a concert of theirs a few years ago and it's very fun entertainment. I highly recommend them. Thanksgiving Point also claims to have over a million Christmas lights, and you can take a ride, by carriage if you want, through the whole display. The artwork of Simon Dewey will help to tell the Christmas story as Christmas music plays in the background. I believe this one costs a little bit of money per car, but it's nothing big. They also put on production of The Nutcracker, and although I've never seen theirs before, I hear it's very good. All this combined with ev...

Pay your mortgage down in a fraction of the usual time
2007-12-03 19:10:00
I am a fan of, and have written bits about 'The Good News Network' in previous posts. I occasionally check their site for news that I know will lift my spirits rather than tear them down. Today I came upon something that I hadn't heard of before. I have to say beforehand that I haven't done much research on this mortgage program, but from what I have read so far, I like the idea. A company called United First Financial has a mortgage program available that allows you to pay of your mortgage in much less time than usual. It's called the Money Merge Account accelerated mortgage program, and they claim that it has already worked for many people in Europe, Australia and now in the United States. They tried it out in Denver with success and are confident that its future looks bright. The link to the article on Good News Network is here, so you you can read more about it for yourself. I still need to do a lot of research on it too, so you may see a future post from me on this ...
More About: Time , Mortgage , Fraction , Mort

Utah powder - like nothing else
2007-12-01 21:32:00
It's shameless plug time.Snow is on my mind today. And how could it not be? It's been coming down thick all day long! So on that note, I thought I'd write a post about how great it looks out there and why you should come and ski or board Utah if you've never done so.Disagree with me if you will, but "The Greatest Snow On Earth" is not just a quaint catch phrase that we put on our Utah license plates. We really do have the greatest snow on earth! I haven't been every place on earth, so I'll just say that I can't imagine how it could get any better. We have a unique environment suited to great snow. As our storms move east from the Pacific, they cross the Nevada desert without running into any barriers, then they cross the Great Salt Lake, sucking up moisture as they go. As they run smack into the high but not too high Wasatch range, they begin to dump wonderful amounts of powder on our resorts. If you've ever ridden first tracks out here, you know why I say wonderful...

Rich Dad Education comes to three Utah locations in December
2007-11-30 22:46:00
Just a short while ago, I wrote about Robert Kiyosaki and financial education. Well if you liked what he had to say, you may want to consider registering for the free live event that is coming to three Utah locations from December 11-13. It may not seem like it, but this workshop fits right in with real estate. Kiyosaki has always taught that cash flow is better than capital gains, and investing in real estate is one of the best ways to achieve this. Just look at the section entitled 'Success Stories' on the Rich Dad Education website, and you'll see that many of them are about successes in real estate investing. And since investing is as much a part of real estate as buying and selling homes, I feel comfortable in recommending this seminar to my real estate audience. The 'Learn To Be Rich' workshop will be at the Davis conference center on the 11th, the South Towne Expo Center on the 12th, and the Marriot Hotel Downtown on the 13th. Just for attending, you'll receive ...
More About: Locations

Utah's winter resorts are open for business (or will be very soon)!
2007-11-30 00:45:00
Wax those skis and snowboards because Utah's best time of year is officially here. I know, you've been waiting with bated breath for the snow to arrive, and after Thanksgiving passed without you on the slopes, you can now move forward. As of today, Brighton , The Canyons, Park City, Snowbasin, Solitude, and Wolf Mountain are open, though only with selected runs at this point. A few resorts have made some nice upgrades from last season. Brighton put in a high speed quad to replace the old Milly and Evergreen lifts. Deer Valley has invested $9 million towards various upgrades. Snowbird has improved snowmaking, and together with their high speed quad on Mineral Basin, their season should be a great one as well. I think every resort will have at least a little something new to offer its guest this season. As far as the conditions, Alta is topping the snow depth list as of today, with 27 inches at its base and 10 of that in the last 48 hours. Snowbird, Brighton and Sollitude are ...
More About: Business , Winter , Open , Resorts

Salt Lake city Downtown Rising is getting good
2007-11-28 22:00:00
I read today that work has commenced on the new office tower at 222 South Main Street. The law firm of Holland and Hart will be the main tenants, with other tenants likely to be from the banking or financial service industries. Reading the article got me thinking that I hadn't visited the downtown rising website in quite some time. Since day one I've been excited about all the new plans for our city, and I look around for progress every time I visit the heart of Salt Lake. On visiting the website today, I was surprised to find a load of information that I hadn't seen before. There's much more information on each individual project, some with photos, others with architectural renderings. Together with the maps, you can really start to get a feel for how things will turn out downtown. Some work, such as the Metro condominiums, is finished and for sale, while others are not too far behind. I encourage everyone to spend some time looking around this website. There's a lot...
More About: Salt Lake City , Downtown , City , Good

The bargain homes are out there - you just need to look for them
2007-11-27 20:36:00
Most of you now know that it's a great time to be a buyer of real estate. That's being said everywhere, and is nothing new. But let me go a little further and tell you, from recent experience, that if you look closely it might be an even better time than you think. I'm referring to the number of homes that are being sold as short sales. This isn't really that new either, but it needs to be brought to your attention. If you've ever thought you'd like to buy a home for a lot less money than it's worth, research short sales and you may be surprised what you can get. Sometimes sellers are about to face foreclosure and they need to get out of their home. This can become a golden opportunity for you if you pay attention. Lately I've seen a few very nice homes being sold at bargain prices. They may need a little work such as painting, putting in a yard, etc., but they're still great values. Don't count yourself out just because you think you can't get into a nice home....
More About: Bargain , Homes

You'll love the Ballet West production of The Nutcracker
2007-11-26 21:00:00
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, most people are rushing right into the Christmas season celebration. The music is turned on, the lights lit up, and the decorations taken out of storage. But what's better than those things, are the family traditions that we have established over the years and are now eagerly awaiting. One tradition that my family has done for many years is seeing Ballet West 's production of The Nutcracker . I'm very biased so of course I would recommend this to everyone, but putting the bias aside, it's a very fun and memorable production. To the men reading this, yes you will see other men in tight leotards, but as long as you don't bring the binoculars, you'll be fine. I only have to bring that up because the leotard thing is something than men always mention. If you can look past that, and the prancing, and focus on the production and the fun your family is having, you might get hooked just as my family has. The artists are extremely talented and neve...
More About: Love , Production

Mortage lawsuits coming?
2007-11-21 19:08:00
You may have heard about the House Bill that would allow mortgage holders to sue Wall Street for relief from mortgages that they're not able to repay. The New York Times covered the story here. Reading this article reminded me of a conversation I had with a mortgage broker friend of mine a few days ago. We were talking about the current state of the mortgage industry and we agreed on two points. 1) Predatory lending does exist and it has trapped a lot of people, and 2) Some consumers share in the blame for being financially irresponsible. It's the second point that I'd like to discuss.First of all, like I said above, there is no doubt that there were and are some shady people in the mortgage industry and any kind of reform for them would be welcome. Those who put money ahead of serving their clients are sadly all too common. But there are two sides to every deal. The broker on one end of the table and the consumer on the other. Each has responsibilities in the loan acquis...
More About: Lawsuits , Mort

How Thanksgiving became a national holiday
2007-11-21 03:54:00
In honor of Thanksgiving , I'm linking this post to a nice little article on how Thanksgiving became a national holiday. When holidays come around, I usually make it a point to remind myself of why we are doing what we're doing. So follow this link and share your new found wisdom with the family you will see this Thanksgiving.Vote if you like this blog
More About: National , Holiday , Hank

Reuse instead of throw away
2007-11-19 19:46:00
Since it seems that being environmentally responsible is the thing these days, I'll address it as the topic for today's post. Actually my reasoning for addressing this issue is much more than because it's 'in'. I believe that every one of us has the responsibility to be good stewards for our earth, to ensure that we continue to have a clean and healthy place to live for ourselves and our descendants. Today, I read a wonderful article on Bankrate about the sometimes neglected second of the three R's - Reuse. We are good at reducing and even better at recycling, but how often do we reuse? This article argues that we shy away from it because we would be looked down upon. People would think that we were cheap and couldn't afford new things. Contrary to this view, just because we reuse something, doesn't mean it has to look old, trashy, or worn out. In our homes, where we usually want to keep up to date with the latest styles and colors, we can become guilty of throwing all of ou...
More About: Throw

Some homebuyer history
2007-11-16 20:05:00
I'm really big into any kind of history, so today I'd like to share an interesting piece of homebuyer history that I came across in a newspaper article.There are many homeowners out there who have had adjustable mortgage rates rise drastically, then having to resort to refinances to get them out of trouble. Well it so happens that in the early 20th century, Americans went through a similar sort of thing only with them it was the lump sum that they were expected to pay a few years into their loan. Of course they didn't have it so refinancing was their way out. That's my summary; here's the full article. My history professors always were big on applying history to our time and learning from it. So how to I apply this to us? Oh I don't know; to look on the bright side, maybe just by saying that people have experienced tough times before and lived to tell the tale, and so shall we.Vote if you like this blog
More About: History , Some

Some homebuyer history
2007-11-16 20:05:00
I'm really big into any kind of history, so today I'd like to share an interesting piece of homebuyer history that I came across in a newspaper article.There are many homeowners out there who have had adjustable mortgage rates rise drastically, then having to resort to refinances to get them out of trouble. Well it so happens that in the early 20th century, Americans went through a similar sort of thing only with them it was the lump sum that they were expected to pay a few years into their loan. Of course they didn't have it so refinancing was their way out. That's my summary; here's the full article. My history professors always were big on applying history to our time and learning from it. So how to I apply this to us? Oh I don't know; to look on the bright side, maybe just by saying that people have experienced tough times before and lived to tell the tale, and so shall we.Vote if you like this blog
More About: History , Some

Financial education is the key according to Robert Kiyosaki
2007-11-15 20:14:00
I usually pay attention to what Robe rt Kiyosaki has to say, and it was no different this time when I saw that he gave a short interview to Bankrate.com. Kiyosaki is loved by many and discredited by others, but I don't think anyone could argue with what he has to say in this article: education is the key to financial success. I don't think it matters what you invest in, be it real estate, stocks, bonds, or whatever else, education is key to success in any situation. Kiyosaki answers a few questions on what he thinks of the real estate market, how retirees will fare, and where we should put our money, but he always revisits his theme that we must be responsible and knowledgeable in whatever we choose to do. If this blog post is the first time you've been introduced to this guy, I suggest you go out and pick up some of his reading. You should start with 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' and then go from there depending on what your interests are. In the article he mentions a book that he ...
More About: Education , Financial

Financial education is the key according to Robert Kiyosaki
2007-11-15 20:14:00
I usually pay attention to what Robe rt Kiyosaki has to say, and it was no different this time when I saw that he gave a short interview to Bankrate.com. Kiyosaki is loved by many and discredited by others, but I don't think anyone could argue with what he has to say in this article: education is the key to financial success. I don't think it matters what you invest in, be it real estate, stocks, bonds, or whatever else, education is key to success in any situation. Kiyosaki answers a few questions on what he thinks of the real estate market, how retirees will fare, and where we should put our money, but he always revisits his theme that we must be responsible and knowledgeable in whatever we choose to do. If this blog post is the first time you've been introduced to this guy, I suggest you go out and pick up some of his reading. You should start with 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' and then go from there depending on what your interests are. In the article he mentions a book that he ...
More About: Education , Financial

I recommend "The Not So Big House"
2007-11-14 23:54:00
I wrote a post a while back about my thoughts on the American McMansion. I received a few responses from people who felt the same way about them, but one response in particular intrigued me. David Helm told me about a book called "The Not So Big House ", and that it might interest me since I was writing an anti-McMansion blog post. Well I think the word about this book should be spread. The book is written by Sarah Susanka, an architect. That alone should tell you that economic considerations are not the focal point of this book. Rather, The Not So Big House is about quality over quantity. Anybody who has paid attention knows that quantity, in the form of McMansion housing, has all but taken over home building in America. Unused, impractical space in a home is ridiculously common in builder's floor plans these days, but that is where Susanka's book comes in. The gist of the book is not that you should live in a small house. It's that you should utilize space wisely, creat...

I recommend "The Not So Big House"
2007-11-14 23:54:00
I wrote a post a while back about my thoughts on the American McMansion. I received a few responses from people who felt the same way about them, but one response in particular intrigued me. David Helm told me about a book called "The Not So Big House ", and that it might interest me since I was writing an anti-McMansion blog post. Well I think the word about this book should be spread. The book is written by Sarah Susanka, an architect. That alone should tell you that economic considerations are not the focal point of this book. Rather, The Not So Big House is about quality over quantity. Anybody who has paid attention knows that quantity, in the form of McMansion housing, has all but taken over home building in America. Unused, impractical space in a home is ridiculously common in builder's floor plans these days, but that is where Susanka's book comes in. The gist of the book is not that you should live in a small house. It's that you should utilize space wisely, creat...

Free collector's coins!
2007-11-13 22:52:00
If you like collecting coins, or even if you just want to get in on an offer that probably won't come around again, I have news for you. Right now there's a different piece of great news for Utah residents and national residents. For those residing in Utah, and only today and tomorrow, you will be able to get your hands on new uncirculated Utah quarters for their face value plus and $11 handling fee. This is an outstanding deal because uncirculated coins tend to appreciate in value and are highly prized by coin collectors. You can buy as many rolls as you like and for every roll you buy, you get one free quarter. For national residents, including Utahans, there is another great offer going on for U.S. Government Presidential Dollar coins. During the day today, tomorrow and the next day, you can get the first four coins in the series for free when you pay a framing fee of $28! It's a steal! Of course if you want to fill up the entire frame you will have to buy the rest of the set ...
More About: Free , Coins , Coin , Collector

Free collector's coins!
2007-11-13 22:52:00
If you like collecting coins, or even if you just want to get in on an offer that probably won't come around again, I have news for you. Right now there's a different piece of great news for Utah residents and national residents. For those residing in Utah, and only today and tomorrow, you will be able to get your hands on new uncirculated Utah quarters for their face value plus and $11 handling fee. This is an outstanding deal because uncirculated coins tend to appreciate in value and are highly prized by coin collectors. You can buy as many rolls as you like and for every roll you buy, you get one free quarter. For national residents, including Utahans, there is another great offer going on for U.S. Government Presidential Dollar coins. During the day today, tomorrow and the next day, you can get the first four coins in the series for free when you pay a framing fee of $28! It's a steal! Of course if you want to fill up the entire frame you will have to buy the rest of the set ...
More About: Free , Coins , Collector

Aspen, Utah?
2007-11-12 22:46:00
It looks like Utah might get another town and ski resort at the same time. A real estate developer named Dean Sellers has just submitted incorporation papers for a brand new Utah town called Aspen .According to Sellers, Aspen would have a ski resort comparable in quality to Deer Valley, a golf course, high end retail and commercial develpments, and some residential living as well. It sounds like the idea is to make it as ritzy as possible to attract as much money as possible. You can bet that many people will have strong opinions about that. In fact, I looked at most of the comments written in response to an article on this topic in the Deseret News, and judging from that, opposition is strong among Heber locals. Those who commented may just be the vocal ones for all I know, but they were very vocal. Then again, there were lots of comments from people who welcome the idea, saying that anything that brings tax money into the state is only a good thing. I agree that that would be...

Aspen, Utah?
2007-11-12 22:46:00
It looks like Utah might get another town and ski resort at the same time. A real estate developer named Dean Sellers has just submitted incorporation papers for a brand new Utah town called Aspen .According to Sellers, Aspen would have a ski resort comparable in quality to Deer Valley, a golf course, high end retail and commercial develpments, and some residential living as well. It sounds like the idea is to make it as ritzy as possible to attract as much money as possible. You can bet that many people will have strong opinions about that. In fact, I looked at most of the comments written in response to an article on this topic in the Deseret News, and judging from that, opposition is strong among Heber locals. Those who commented may just be the vocal ones for all I know, but they were very vocal. Then again, there were lots of comments from people who welcome the idea, saying that anything that brings tax money into the state is only a good thing. I agree that that would be...

2005 HGTV Dream Home is up for sale
2007-11-09 20:45:00
Do you remember the name Don Cruz? If you watch HGTV, you probably do. Don and his family were the winners of the 2005 HGTV Dream Home Contest, which gave them ownership of a gorgeous estate in Tyler, Texas, just east of Dallas. You probably also know that since his winning, Don's story unfolded not like the fairytale he had hoped, but rather a nightmare he never expected. I'll let you read the story for yourself, but in a few words, Don's family found themselves swamped with taxes, unable to afford the expenses of a multi-million dollar mansion. Fast forward to today and Don's mansion is up for sale, but not in the usual way. Actually a company based right here in American Fork, Utah, named Grandshare, is marketing the property as fractional real estate. Fractional real estate is where the property is divided into fractions and buyers can buy those fractions at a cost well below the home's selling price. In this case, the Tyler Texas mansion's price tag is about $2.5 m...
More About: For Sale , Sale