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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

Hot sauce and more hot sauce!
2007-11-08 23:54:00
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that many times I write about non-real estate related things. Well this post is definitely not real estate related but it's fun so I'm writing it anyway. I'm a hot sauce lover and today I was searching online for a certain hot sauce. I stumbled upon two things that interested me, one of which I really need to share with everybody out there who shares my love. The first one is not so interesting to anybody buy myself, but I learned that there is a famous hot sauce brand with my name on it. It seems Blair hot sauces makes a very spicy product. I haven't tried it yet, but now I would like to get my hands on some. But to the more important news, there is a GREAT hot sauce blog that I came to that has just about everything you might want to know about hot sauce. I browsed through some of the recipes and boy do they look good! There's also links to some good food sites and plenty of other good information under their main menu...
More About: Sauce , Hot Sauce

Hot sauce and more hot sauce!
2007-11-08 23:54:00
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that many times I write about non-real estate related things. Well this post is definitely not real estate related but it's fun so I'm writing it anyway. I'm a hot sauce lover and today I was searching online for a certain hot sauce. I stumbled upon two things that interested me, one of which I really need to share with everybody out there who shares my love. The first one is not so interesting to anybody buy myself, but I learned that there is a famous hot sauce brand with my name on it. It seems Blair hot sauces makes a very spicy product. I haven't tried it yet, but now I would like to get my hands on some. But to the more important news, there is a GREAT hot sauce blog that I came to that has just about everything you might want to know about hot sauce. I browsed through some of the recipes and boy do they look good! There's also links to some good food sites and plenty of other good information under their main menu...
More About: Sauce , Hot Sauce

Becker wins Salt Lake City mayoral race
2007-11-08 00:08:00
Well hopefully everyone got out and voted yesterday. Headlining the papers today is that Ralph Becker won the race for Salt Lake City mayor, well ahead of rival Dave Buhler. Since this is a real estate blog and I am in the real estate profession, I thought I would go back to Ralph Becker's website and review the plans and visions he has to improve the city in terms of what might be important to real estate. I looked particularly at 'Neighborhoods', 'Downtown', and 'Transportation'.I encourage you to read for yourself, but I think the city will be a better place if he can implement everything that he would like to. We need our capital city to shine so that we can attract more people and improve the quality of life for those who already live here. I like post election time because we can put aside the rivalries and focus on changing the city through positive action. We're doing ok, but our city could be so much better. So take a look at your new mayor, re-familiarize you...
More About: Race

Becker wins Salt Lake City mayoral race
2007-11-08 00:08:00
Well hopefully everyone got out and voted yesterday. Headlining the papers today is that Ralph Becker won the race for Salt Lake City mayor, well ahead of rival Dave Buhler. Since this is a real estate blog and I am in the real estate profession, I thought I would go back to Ralph Becker's website and review the plans and visions he has to improve the city in terms of what might be important to real estate. I looked particularly at 'Neighborhoods', 'Downtown', and 'Transportation'.I encourage you to read for yourself, but I think the city will be a better place if he can implement everything that he would like to. We need our capital city to shine so that we can attract more people and improve the quality of life for those who already live here. I like post election time because we can put aside the rivalries and focus on changing the city through positive action. We're doing ok, but our city could be so much better. So take a look at your new mayor, re-familiarize you...
More About: Race

It's that 'affluenza' time of year again
2007-11-06 23:10:00
Today I read a wonderful article that every parent and future parent should read. If you haven't had the experience yourself, then no doubt you've been shopping around Thanksgiving and Christmas time and seen children crying, yelling, scratching, etc., because their parents will not get them that one toy that they HAVE to have. Well I've just learned that there is a name for this sort of behavior - affluenza. The term affluenza is used to describe how our children are growing up in a world where they are constantly bombarded with consumerism. It's not only manifest in advertiser's commercials or on billboards, but on the TV shows our kids watch. The article gives examples like "The Simple Life" or "My Super Sweet 16", but there are plenty more. Think of the way we and our children are subjected to the excesses of celebrities and sports figures on TV shows where they proudly parade their possessions. Or consider that many kids would rather watch reality shows about spoile...
More About: Time , Year , Affluenza

It's that 'affluenza' time of year again
2007-11-06 23:10:00
Today I read a wonderful article that every parent and future parent should read. If you haven't had the experience yourself, then no doubt you've been shopping around Thanksgiving and Christmas time and seen children crying, yelling, scratching, etc., because their parents will not get them that one toy that they HAVE to have. Well I've just learned that there is a name for this sort of behavior - affluenza. The term affluenza is used to describe how our children are growing up in a world where they are constantly bombarded with consumerism. It's not only manifest in advertiser's commercials or on billboards, but on the TV shows our kids watch. The article gives examples like "The Simple Life" or "My Super Sweet 16", but there are plenty more. Think of the way we and our children are subjected to the excesses of celebrities and sports figures on TV shows where they proudly parade their possessions. Or consider that many kids would rather watch reality shows about spoile...
More About: Time , Year , Affluenza

Salt Lake City's One World Cafe
2007-11-06 01:56:00
How I haven't heard of this, I'm not really sure, but today I read about a unique restaurant in Salt Lake City called One World Cafe . It sounds like this place goes against everything that you might think of as typical restaurant behavior.If you go and eat there, don't expect a check at the end of your meal. That's because YOU decide what to pay for your meal. You tell them what size portion you want (you won't want to leave half your meal on the plate when you're done), and then you pay what you think is fair. This means that there's rarely any wasted food, and that you only eat what you want and nothing more. If you're wondering how they stay in business, you'll be pleased to know that many customers pay MORE than what they feel their meal was worth. In addition, if someone volunteers their time for an hour, they will receive a voucher for a free meal. One World Cafe's vision statement is as follows: * We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger.* We are dedicate...

Salt Lake City's One World Cafe
2007-11-06 01:56:00
How I haven't heard of this, I'm not really sure, but today I read about a unique restaurant in Salt Lake City called One World Cafe . It sounds like this place goes against everything that you might think of as typical restaurant behavior.If you go and eat there, don't expect a check at the end of your meal. That's because YOU decide what to pay for your meal. You tell them what size portion you want (you won't want to leave half your meal on the plate when you're done), and then you pay what you think is fair. This means that there's rarely any wasted food, and that you only eat what you want and nothing more. If you're wondering how they stay in business, you'll be pleased to know that many customers pay MORE than what they feel their meal was worth. In addition, if someone volunteers their time for an hour, they will receive a voucher for a free meal. One World Cafe's vision statement is as follows: * We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger.* We are dedicate...

Would you rather social network than go out?
2007-11-02 18:58:00
Social networking has been all over the news lately. There's some interesting reading out there about Opensocial, Facebook 's advertising plans, and so on. It seems that as social networking is turning into big business, so are many more people turning to social networking. But is it really the best thing for us as communicators? I freely admit that I am a member of Myspace and Facebook, yet I've wondered to myself if I'm really becoming closer to my friends or farther away. It's certainly easier to stay in contact with those you can't see personally. I always know what they're doing, what their new likes and dislikes are, and where they're living. The benefits for business people can't be questioned either, as a social network can expand all across the world and introduce you to people that you never would have known otherwise. Those things are great and all, but the old fashion in me says that this trend could damage our people and our language skills if we don't ...
More About: Social , Network , Social Network

Would you rather social network than go out?
2007-11-02 18:58:00
Social networking has been all over the news lately. There's some interesting reading out there about Opensocial, Facebook 's advertising plans, and so on. It seems that as social networking is turning into big business, so are many more people turning to social networking. But is it really the best thing for us as communicators? I freely admit that I am a member of Myspace and Facebook, yet I've wondered to myself if I'm really becoming closer to my friends or farther away. It's certainly easier to stay in contact with those you can't see personally. I always know what they're doing, what their new likes and dislikes are, and where they're living. The benefits for business people can't be questioned either, as a social network can expand all across the world and introduce you to people that you never would have known otherwise. Those things are great and all, but the old fashion in me says that this trend could damage our people and our language skills if we don't ...
More About: Social , Network , Social Network

Information about the fed decision made easy
2007-11-01 18:26:00
To some, the action recently taken by the Federal Reserve can be a little confusing. It's clear that they cut some interest rate, but what does that mean exactly? More importantly, what does it mean for you the consumer. Will your mortgage rate change? Will other rates such as on credit cards or CD's change? I've written before about how much I enjoy the e-mail updates that Bankrate.com sends to me, and today they've again broken down a potentially confusing subject into easy to understand terms. If you are shopping for a mortgage or thinking about refinancing, you'll want to pay close attention. Considering that we are in a buyer's market, now may be a good time for you to enter into negotiations on a home. You'll read about the decision to cut the rate, what it means, who wins and who loses, and smart strategies. Make sure to look at the table of contents in the upper right hand part of the screen for the complete story. Also be sure to bookmark the page; it's gre...
More About: Information , Decision , Made , Easy

Information about the fed decision made easy
2007-11-01 18:26:00
To some, the action recently taken by the Federal Reserve can be a little confusing. It's clear that they cut some interest rate, but what does that mean exactly? More importantly, what does it mean for you the consumer. Will your mortgage rate change? Will other rates such as on credit cards or CD's change? I've written before about how much I enjoy the e-mail updates that Bankrate.com sends to me, and today they've again broken down a potentially confusing subject into easy to understand terms. If you are shopping for a mortgage or thinking about refinancing, you'll want to pay close attention. Considering that we are in a buyer's market, now may be a good time for you to enter into negotiations on a home. You'll read about the decision to cut the rate, what it means, who wins and who loses, and smart strategies. Make sure to look at the table of contents in the upper right hand part of the screen for the complete story. Also be sure to bookmark the page; it's gre...
More About: Information , Decision , Made , Easy

Bingham High School football looking for a repeat
2007-11-01 00:23:00
As a Bingham High School alumnus, I actually have something to cheer about for a second year in a row. The Bingham football team has found itself in the playoffs again and preparing to face the Darts of Davis this Friday. Bingham has had another great season, suffering only one loss to Jordan, and is looking like a strong candidate for the championship. I was in attendance at last years outstanding championship game against Alta to watch nervously as Alta's running game almost proved Bingham's undoing. The threat is there again this year, so should these two teams meet for the second time, look for another nail-biter. First Bingham has to beat Davis, so I won't make any predictions yet.Vote if you like this blog
More About: Football , High School , High school football

Bingham High School football looking for a repeat
2007-11-01 00:23:00
As a Bingham High School alumnus, I actually have something to cheer about for a second year in a row. The Bingham football team has found itself in the playoffs again and preparing to face the Darts of Davis this Friday. Bingham has had another great season, suffering only one loss to Jordan, and is looking like a strong candidate for the championship. I was in attendance at last years outstanding championship game against Alta to watch nervously as Alta's running game almost proved Bingham's undoing. The threat is there again this year, so should these two teams meet for the second time, look for another nail-biter. First Bingham has to beat Davis, so I won't make any predictions yet.Vote if you like this blog
More About: Football , High School , High school football

Can't sell your home? Try this approach (maybe)
2007-10-31 23:08:00
You've heard of home sellers offering vacations, cash incentives, etc. if someone will purchase their home, right? Well did you hear the one about the Pennsylvania couple who is offering themselves?This is a new one to me, but you just never know what ideas people will come up with to sell their home. This particular couple is saying that if someone comes in and buys their home (they're asking about $400,000), they will give the buyer all of that money back plus $100,000. Wow! But wait, if I understand right, the catch is that the buyer has to wait until both sellers die before they get the money back. In addition to that, if the buyer agrees to take care of seller couple in their retirement years, they will inherit their retirement home. That brings the inheritance up to about $500,000. The buyers do have to agree to one thing: when the couple dies, they have to be shown to have died of natural causes or else the deal is off. At first I wondered at this stipulation but the...
More About: Home , Sell

Can't sell your home? Try this approach (maybe)
2007-10-31 23:08:00
You've heard of home sellers offering vacations, cash incentives, etc. if someone will purchase their home, right? Well did you hear the one about the Pennsylvania couple who is offering themselves?This is a new one to me, but you just never know what ideas people will come up with to sell their home. This particular couple is saying that if someone comes in and buys their home (they're asking about $400,000), they will give the buyer all of that money back plus $100,000. Wow! But wait, if I understand right, the catch is that the buyer has to wait until both sellers die before they get the money back. In addition to that, if the buyer agrees to take care of seller couple in their retirement years, they will inherit their retirement home. That brings the inheritance up to about $500,000. The buyers do have to agree to one thing: when the couple dies, they have to be shown to have died of natural causes or else the deal is off. At first I wondered at this stipulation but the...
More About: Home , Sell

The Cheesecake Factory finally comes to Utah
2007-10-30 23:33:00
Out of courtesy to my wife, I have to announce to those who may not have heard the buzz, that The Cheesecake Factory is opening its Salt Lake City restaurant on Thursday. She's been waiting for this for a long time. She took me to eat there when we were in San Diego last month and I must admit that it wasn't too bad. I especially liked the atmosphere, the food was good, and of course I'd be hard pressed to find their cheesecake's equal. I think I got the stuffed chicken tortillas, which were very good, and my wife got the tasty miso salmon. I've tried many a salmon and this one is right up there at the top of my list. I remember last year there was a big story in the news that The Cheesecake Factory and Crate and Barrel would not come to Utah because we didn't have a population with at least 35 percent college graduates. I don't know if the numbers went up, but I'm glad that at least one of them decided to come to Utah anyway. With the amount of people that go out to ...
More About: Finally

The Cheesecake Factory finally comes to Utah
2007-10-30 23:33:00
Out of courtesy to my wife, I have to announce to those who may not have heard the buzz, that The Cheesecake Factory is opening its Salt Lake City restaurant on Thursday. She's been waiting for this for a long time. She took me to eat there when we were in San Diego last month and I must admit that it wasn't too bad. I especially liked the atmosphere, the food was good, and of course I'd be hard pressed to find their cheesecake's equal. I think I got the stuffed chicken tortillas, which were very good, and my wife got the tasty miso salmon. I've tried many a salmon and this one is right up there at the top of my list. I remember last year there was a big story in the news that The Cheesecake Factory and Crate and Barrel would not come to Utah because we didn't have a population with at least 35 percent college graduates. I don't know if the numbers went up, but I'm glad that at least one of them decided to come to Utah anyway. With the amount of people that go out to ...
More About: Finally

The Cheesecake Factory finally comes to Utah
2007-10-30 23:33:00
Out of courtesy to my wife, I have to announce to those who may not have heard the buzz, that The Cheesecake Factory is opening its Salt Lake City restaurant on Thursday. She's been waiting for this for a long time. She took me to eat there when we were in San Diego last month and I must admit that it wasn't too bad. I especially liked the atmosphere, the food was good, and of course I'd be hard pressed to find their cheesecake's equal. I think I got the stuffed chicken tortillas, which were very good, and my wife got the tasty miso salmon. I've tried many a salmon and this one is right up there at the top of my list. I remember last year there was a big story in the news that The Cheesecake Factory and Crate and Barrel would not come to Utah because we didn't have a population with at least 35 percent college graduates. I don't know if the numbers went up, but I'm glad that at least one of them decided to come to Utah anyway. With the amount of people that go out to ...
More About: Finally

Be well informed and thorough when building a new home
2007-10-29 17:46:00
Homebuilders come in all shapes and sizes. You may know of "custom", cookie-cutter, small, large, luxury, or any other number of labels to attach to certain builders. Every buyer is different and therefore will choose a builder based on their specific needs. But may I suggest one common characteristic that your builder should and must have before they earn your business: a strong track record of outstanding customer service. Lately I've heard story after story from friends who have had horrible experiences with their builders. Not unforeseen disaster experiences but experiences that could have been avoided by great customer service. I understand it's a tough market but they must understand that these horror stories spread like wildfire and can slowly tarnish reputations. Here are a few suggestions that may help if you are considering or already are building a home. 1) Thoroughly understand what your base price is plus what your upgrades will add to that cost. You do not w...
More About: Building , Home , Well

Be well informed and thorough when building a new home
2007-10-29 17:46:00
Homebuilders come in all shapes and sizes. You may know of "custom", cookie-cutter, small, large, luxury, or any other number of labels to attach to certain builders. Every buyer is different and therefore will choose a builder based on their specific needs. But may I suggest one common characteristic that your builder should and must have before they earn your business: a strong track record of outstanding customer service. Lately I've heard story after story from friends who have had horrible experiences with their builders. Not unforeseen disaster experiences but experiences that could have been avoided by great customer service. I understand it's a tough market but they must understand that these horror stories spread like wildfire and can slowly tarnish reputations. Here are a few suggestions that may help if you are considering or already are building a home. 1) Thoroughly understand what your base price is plus what your upgrades will add to that cost. You do not w...
More About: Building , Home , Well

Be well informed and thorough when building a new home
2007-10-29 17:46:00
Homebuilders come in all shapes and sizes. You may know of "custom", cookie-cutter, small, large, luxury, or any other number of labels to attach to certain builders. Every buyer is different and therefore will choose a builder based on their specific needs. But may I suggest one common characteristic that your builder should and must have before they earn your business: a strong track record of outstanding customer service. Lately I've heard story after story from friends who have had horrible experiences with their builders. Not unforeseen disaster experiences but experiences that could have been avoided by great customer service. I understand it's a tough market but they must understand that these horror stories spread like wildfire and can slowly tarnish reputations. Here are a few suggestions that may help if you are considering or already are building a home. 1) Thoroughly understand what your base price is plus what your upgrades will add to that cost. You do not w...
More About: Building , Home , Well

There is more happening than real estate construction in the Jordan River b
2007-10-26 22:10:00
In the last few years, commercial and residential construction have boomed around the Jordan River bottom area in the southern portion of the Salt Lake valley. No doubt anyone who has driven along 10600 South with any regularity has watched office buildings, retail, and homes go up at a quickening pace. But there is something else very important happening along the river bottom, that until recently, I did not know anything about. For I don't know how many years, migratory songbirds have made the Jordan River habitat their home. Yet the steady decrease of many of these species has brought to the awareness of conservationists that something must be done to preserve and restore this habitat, if the survival of these birds is to be assured. For this noble cause, various restoration sites have been established, and since 1995 there have been close to 185,000 seedlings planted. These efforts continue as we speak, and anyone can help. Visit the home page of TreeUtah and click on Jo...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Construction

There is more happening than real estate construction in the Jordan River b
2007-10-26 22:10:00
In the last few years, commercial and residential construction have boomed around the Jordan River bottom area in the southern portion of the Salt Lake valley. No doubt anyone who has driven along 10600 South with any regularity has watched office buildings, retail, and homes go up at a quickening pace. But there is something else very important happening along the river bottom, that until recently, I did not know anything about. For I don't know how many years, migratory songbirds have made the Jordan River habitat their home. Yet the steady decrease of many of these species has brought to the awareness of conservationists that something must be done to preserve and restore this habitat, if the survival of these birds is to be assured. For this noble cause, various restoration sites have been established, and since 1995 there have been close to 185,000 seedlings planted. These efforts continue as we speak, and anyone can help. Visit the home page of TreeUtah and click on Jo...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Construction

There is more happening than real estate construction in the Jordan River b
2007-10-26 22:10:00
In the last few years, commercial and residential construction have boomed around the Jordan River bottom area in the southern portion of the Salt Lake valley. No doubt anyone who has driven along 10600 South with any regularity has watched office buildings, retail, and homes go up at a quickening pace. But there is something else very important happening along the river bottom, that until recently, I did not know anything about. For I don't know how many years, migratory songbirds have made the Jordan River habitat their home. Yet the steady decrease of many of these species has brought to the awareness of conservationists that something must be done to preserve and restore this habitat, if the survival of these birds is to be assured. For this noble cause, various restoration sites have been established, and since 1995 there have been close to 185,000 seedlings planted. These efforts continue as we speak, and anyone can help. Visit the home page of TreeUtah and click on Jo...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Construction

Scary Utah Real Estate!
2007-10-26 00:04:00
I've been asked on occasion if there are any haunted houses around here. Not the kind you go to on the weekend with your friends, but real haunted houses. Well, I personally have never been to one but apparently there are many places in Utah where people have claimed to see or feel something supernatural. If you're into that kind of thing, this being a scary time of year and all, I've found a web page you might like to visit. The disclaimer at the top of the page says that the stories found there are e-mailed to them so their accuracy isn't certain, but that they're placed there for entertainment purposes. Whether you actually visit some of these places or not, this is an interesting read since you've probably been to many of the places before without knowing about their ghostly sides. Vote if you like this blog
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Scary , Real

Scary Utah Real Estate!
2007-10-26 00:04:00
I've been asked on occasion if there are any haunted houses around here. Not the kind you go to on the weekend with your friends, but real haunted houses. Well, I personally have never been to one but apparently there are many places in Utah where people have claimed to see or feel something supernatural. If you're into that kind of thing, this being a scary time of year and all, I've found a web page you might like to visit. The disclaimer at the top of the page says that the stories found there are e-mailed to them so their accuracy isn't certain, but that they're placed there for entertainment purposes. Whether you actually visit some of these places or not, this is an interesting read since you've probably been to many of the places before without knowing about their ghostly sides. Vote if you like this blog
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Scary , Real

Scary Utah Real Estate!
2007-10-26 00:04:00
I've been asked on occasion if there are any haunted houses around here. Not the kind you go to on the weekend with your friends, but real haunted houses. Well, I personally have never been to one but apparently there are many places in Utah where people have claimed to see or feel something supernatural. If you're into that kind of thing, this being a scary time of year and all, I've found a web page you might like to visit. The disclaimer at the top of the page says that the stories found there are e-mailed to them so their accuracy isn't certain, but that they're placed there for entertainment purposes. Whether you actually visit some of these places or not, this is an interesting read since you've probably been to many of the places before without knowing about their ghostly sides. Vote if you like this blog
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Scary , Real

Buy plants at Cactus & Tropicals in Salt Lake City and Draper, Utah
2007-10-25 22:30:00
This post might be a little late considering that most plants are now shedding their leaves, but I'll go ahead and write it anyway. If you are looking for plants of any kind, you must go to Cactus & Tropicals. I was there a few weeks ago buying a gift card and I stopped to look around. There is an impressive variety of indoor and outdoor plants as well as statues, fountains and such to beautify your home or yard. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the place. You can follow the outer path so that you conveniently don't miss anything. I'm curious to see what they'll put in there during the winter - if they'll sell more indoor plants or what. Don't let the winter scare you way though. Go and check it out. Vote if you like this blog
More About: Plants , Salt Lake City , Utah , City , Salt