Top 10 City Lists – Salt Lake City #7

May 6, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Every year, RelocateAmerica.com judges U.S. cities based on different criteria, and puts out their Top 10 Lists for those considering a move. While we didn’t make the Top 10 Overall, Salt Lake City did make it to the number seven spot for recreation (of course, those who live here aren’t surprised…but just what does Ithica, NY have over us?!):

Top 10 Recreation Cities:

1. Boulder, CO
2. Santa Cruz, CA
3. Flagstaff, AZ
4. St. George, UT
5. Ithaca, NY
6. Corvallis, OR
7. Salt Lake City, UT
8. Stevens Point, WI
9. Wilmington, NC
10. Portland, OR

See the other Top 10 Lists.

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Recycling Efforts in Salt Lake City

April 21, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Who says recycling isn’t working?

As joint owners of the landfill Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County each received a one time dividend of $7 million dollars from landfill funds that were intended to cover some of the expenses to close the landfill.  Due to waste diversion efforts, the life of the landfill has increased, and we expect it to remain open for at least 50 more years.  The City has chosen to use the funds to support further sustainability efforts.

The “waste diversion efforts” means, in large part, RECYCLING.

Filed Under: Green Living, Salt Lake City News Tagged With: , ,

Now is the Time to Go Solar

March 8, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Take advantage of the new renewable energy rebate for home & business owners while it lasts!

The Utah State Energy Program will be offering a new rebate for home and business owners that install solar energy.  That means if you install solar energy on your home or business you could get a check in the mail for thousands of dollars back!  This is a brand new program intended to stimulate economic growth and create jobs, but it won’t last forever and everyone will have questions about how it works.  To help answer those questions and provide the info you need to take advantage of the new rebate while it is available, the Utah Solar Energy Association is hosting the Utah Renewable Energy Conference 2010 that will provide a physical location where you can come and learn about the new rebate and how much money it can save you.  This event will be held on Saturday, March 27th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and it will be located at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus off I-15 at 9750 South in Sandy.  Admission is $5 for an individual or $10 for a family, and your conference admission will get you $100 off a solar energy system from any of the solar installers participating in the conference!  For more information and to register for the event visit www.utsolar.org.

Filed Under: Energy Efficient Homes, Green Box, Green Living, Home, Real Estate in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City News Tagged With:

Home Buyer Tax Credit Made Simple

February 10, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

With so much buzz about the first-time (and “long time”) homebuyers tax credits, I thought it might be helpful to post a straightforward summary of the rules that govern these credits:

 General Rules:

  • A “first time home buyer” is defined as someone who has not owned a primary home in the last three years. If you are a “first-time home buyer,” your tax credit will amount to 10% of the purchase price of your new home, not to exceed $8,000.
  • A “long-time resident” is defined as someone who has lived in the same primary home for 5 out of the past 8 years. If you are a “long-time resident”, your tax credit will amount to 10% of the purchase price of your new home not to exceed $6,500.
  • The tax credit does not need to be paid back if you continue living in the home as your Primary residence for three years without selling it. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Green Box, Real Estate in Salt Lake City Tagged With: ,

Birds and the Bees (Raising them, that is!)

January 22, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Salt Lake City has made changes to city ordinances to relax restrictions and allow residential chicken coops and beekeeping.

Residents who qualify are now permitted to raise chickens for the purpose of eggs and bees for the purpose of honey. Residential bees and chickens benefit our community in a variety of ways while providing a sustainable, healthy and fun source of food.

Over the past 50 years, domesticated bee populations have decreased by 50%. These animals are critical in our food production for the pollination services they provide. Pollination by bees alone is responsible for 15-30% of the food eaten in the United States. Concerns about “killer” bees led to a ban on beekeeping in Salt Lake City in the 1980s; however, domestic strains of honeybees have been selectively bred for their gentleness and can be safely kept in populated areas with proper maintenance.

Backyard chickens can improve the health of your yard and your family. The most obvious benefit of keeping chickens is the production of eggs. Eggs from well-maintained backyard chickens are not only cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but they are actually healthier and taste better too! Compared to factory-farmed eggs, backyard eggs contain significantly more Vitamins A and E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.

Chickens provide more than healthy food. They act as a natural pest control by eating insects and their droppings are rich in nitrogen, making it an excellent addition to your compost bin.

Finally, raising chickens and bees at home can help reconnect the divide that has been created between the American diet and food production. Playing a larger role in the production of the food on your table will help foster a greater understanding of and appreciation for the food you eat.

Learn more about the chicken ordinance.

Learn more about the bee-keeping ordinance.

Source: Salt Lake City Council District Seven

Filed Under: Green Box, Green Living, Salt Lake City News

Home Sales To Rise, Prices Still Falling

January 11, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

Single-family home sales in 2010 could rise as much as 10 percent in Salt Lake County compared to 2009, according to a study released today by the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS.
The study, by economist James Wood, noted that 2008 was likely the bottom of the housing recession. Sales of single-family homes increased 3 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. In 2010, single-family sales could reach 10,000, up from 9,100 sales in 2009.
Home prices in 2010 will continue to fall another 3 to 5 percent, Wood said. Single-family home prices have already fallen 11 percent from their peak.

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Salt Lake City October Home Sales Climb 24%

December 1, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

This is great news, and evidence that the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit may be working:

The Salt Lake Board of REALTORS reported that sales of existing homes and condominiums climbed 24% in October. There were 1,061 homes/condos sold in October compared to 855 sales in October 2008.

The full story is available at the Salt Lake Tribune at: www.sltrib.com/business/ci_13851384.

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Salt Lake City: Top 10 Cities to Find a Job

August 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

I always knew Salt Lake City is a great place to live, and now it’s also a great place to find a job!  With unemployment at less than 6% (U.S. average is getting close to 10%), it’s obvious that employers see this as a great place to run a business too.

See the U.S. News and World Report story:

http://www.usnews.com/listings/americas-best-places-to-find-a-job/7

Of course, all these employed workers need a home to live in – call me for a personalized “Rent-vs-Own” calculation.

Beverly Hanson

801 680-4325

Filed Under: Real Estate in Salt Lake City, Sugar House News Tagged With: , ,

Positive Gain in Existing Home Sales

August 24, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Finally, some good news to report!  The latest home sales statistics, as reported by NAR, gives hope that we may finally be through the worst of the market.  Most likely, these numbers are due in part to the $8,000 tax credit being offered to qualified buyers. Also, many buyers are taking advantage of the great deals out there, as well as extremely low interest rates (5.25% versus 6.5% one year ago).

Washington, August 21, 2009

For the first time in five years, existing-home sales have increased for four months in a row, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 7.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 5.24 million units in July from a level of 4.89 million in June, and are 5.0 percent above the 4.99 million-unit pace in July 2008.  The last time sales rose for four consecutive months was in June 2004, and the last time sales were higher than a year earlier was November 2005.

And while the inventory of unsold homes remains lofty, it was reported at its best level in a year.

Remember: the $8,000 tax credit is soon to expire.  As of today (8/24/09), we only have 98 days left for a buyer to 1) find, 2) qualify for a loan, 3) negotiate an offer and 4) close on a home. The clock is ticking – who do you know that I could help take advantage of this great opportunity?

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Energy-Efficient Appliances

August 18, 2009 by · 2 Comments

The following is useful information for anybody considering the purchase of a new appliance – such as a refrigerator, washer or dryer. Also be aware that there are a lot of rebates being offered by manufacturers and/or utility companies.

https://www.ecobroker.com/misc/articleview.aspx?ArticleID=13

Energy-Efficient Appliances

Technology Snapshot & Benefits:
Both immediate and indirect economic savings can come from energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators, horizontal-axis washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, etc. Immediate and continuing savings accrue from lower utility bills for electricity and/or water. The performance levels of these appliances meet, and generally exceed, those of industry “standard” models. As a case in point, consider household refrigeration. By the late 1970s, refrigerators reached their most inefficient performance by requiring about 1750 kiloWatt-hours per year to operate. Modern energy-efficient refrigerators provide the same or better service at 450-550 kiloWatt-hours per year, and they are much quieter in operation.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Green Box, Real Estate in Salt Lake City Tagged With: ,
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