A welcome departure from a concrete jungle

In my opinion, some of the best new residential developments in the Salt Lake Valley are those that sacrifice quantity for quality. By that I mean those developments that aren’t jam-packed with as many houses as will fit – the ones that try to preserve some of what was originally there.

There’s one in particular that I think is just awesome and has great potential. Springview Farms in Bluffdale is half ecological preserve and half residential community. These are the main features of this community, according to their website:

• Number of homes: 348 on 258 acres
• Average lot size: 1/4 acre – 1/2 acre
• Custom homes by 10 Utah builders
• Home prices will range from $325,000 – $600,000
• Jordan River Parkway trail (4.5 miles)
• 15 ponds, 3 streams, and 2 waterfalls
• 47% open space
• Envision Utah Award Winning community
• Picnic/playground areas
• Community and Bluffdale City parks
• Five minutes from Riverbend Golf Course
• Ten minutes from the South Towne Center

I love that there is 47% open space and plenty of water features. I don’t know about everybody else, but I’m getting sick of the subdivisions with lots that have .00001 acres. And most of them have done a poor job at creating open areas, parks, or even planting enough trees. I want a view of at least a little nature, not someone else’s stucco wall.

The fact that it’s built around trails is also a huge plus for those who like to get outside. The Jordan River Parkway is one of the best around here for running, skating, or just strolling.

The Springview Farms website is here so you can learn more about it. I’ll help anybody who is interested in buying a home there, so let me know if you like what you see.

Tags: Springview Farms Bluffdale Utah,Bluffdale Utah real estate,green communties,Utah real estate,real estate

Pottery Barn at Trolley Square hosts a complimentary class on upholstered furniture

A while back, I wrote about how Pottery Barn offered a good example of how to stage your home. I was impressed by the catalog I had received in the mail – whoever stages the rooms for their catalog shots does a fantastic job.

It turns out that Pottery Barn acutally does offer lessons in staging, more or less. Not a true real estate staging class, but random classes about how to make your home better. I just spoke to a Pottery Barn employee on the phone about these classes, and she said they are offered about once a month.

This Sunday, they will offer a complimentary class on how to select and care for upholstered furniture. I’ve never been to one of their classes, so I can’t give my stamp of approval, but I’m willing to bet that it will be good. It will be held at the Trolley Square Pottery Barn, which is located at 552 South 602 East in Salt Lake City. I think she said that it starts at 10am, but I was kind of distracted when she said that, so I would call to be sure. Their number is 801-322-4050.

Tags: Pottery Barn,home staging,Salt Lake City Trolley Square,real estate

Come to our ‘Homebuyer Workshop for a Buyer’s Market’

Coming up in the latter part of this month, Derek Cushing of First Fidelity Financial Services and myself will be hosting a ‘Homebuyer Workshop for a Buyer’s Market’.

We agree that there’s a need to inform renters especially about the great opportunities for buying a home in this market. Interest rates are still low, there are an abundance of homes to choose from, and buyers can usually get what they want from the seller. It all comes together to make this a good buyer’s market.

We are offering this homebuyer workshop to explain to people who have never bought a home, or even people who have, that now is a very good time to start building equity. Weak buyers might find it difficult to get into a home, but we are confident that there are a lot of strong buyers out there who are still renting because they just don’t realize that buying is within their reach.

In addition, I know many renters have heard more and more about short sales and foreclosures, but they don’t know how to proceed in order to get one of those deals. Derek and I will explain short sales and the great potential that they offer to buyers who qualify.

We believe that a workshop like this is a good way for people to come and learn without being pressured. Almost all renters will buy a place eventually, so why not come out to the workshop and see how close you are to that goal. You might be closer than you think, and if you are, we are ready to help you. We encourage everyone to tell their friends and family about this workshop, because you never know what new information you might gain from it.

The workshop will be offered twice in April – Wednesday the 23rd at 7:00 pm and Saturday the 26th at 3:00 pm. We plan to hold it at First Fidelity Financial Services (don’t be afraid of the office setting – it’s a nice place), located at 8820 South Redwood Road in West Jordan. That setting will accommodate plenty of people, but if lots more sign up, then we’ll notify everyone of the change. For this reason, please call ahead to reserve your spot.

Call or email me to let us know if you would like to come. 801-455-0843, or nathanblair@remax.net

We hope to see you there!

Tags: Buyer’s Market,Salt Lake City homebuyer workshop,real estate,home buyer

Affordable starter homes just outside Salt Lake City

One myth that some buyers have been led to believe lately is that if you are looking for a starter home, you’ll have to settle in some way. Either you’ll have to buy one that’s too old for you, too small, or in an area that you don’t think is nice enough for you. People will say that everything is too expensive these days if you’re starting out.

I don’t believe that you have to settle if you know where to look. One prime example that comes to mind is a development in Stansbury Park where the townhomes start at about $146,000. The name is Benson Mill Crossing, located about 3 miles from exit 99 in Stansbury Park. For some people that I’ve talked to, Stansbury Park seems way too far out there. I drove there not too long ago, and I was surprised at how short of a distance away it actually seemed to be. Especially if you work somewhere close to downtown, or on the west side, you just hop on I-80 and stay on it almost the whole way.

People who live in Stansbury, love it. It’s not the west desert, like some will have you believe. They’ve got most everything that you need, and if they dont’ have it, nearby Tooele probably will. The neighborhoods are attractive and well kept. The scenery is nice. I don’t know if there is anything not to like about it.

I encourage you to look into the Benson Mill Crossing website here. They’ve got a list of things that are nearby, floorplans, directions, etc.

If you’re looking to buy a first home, this could be a good choice for you.

*My service doesn’t stop here! In addition to maintaining The Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Blog, I also help people buy and sell homes in Utah. When you need help with either of these, contact me!

Tags: Stansury Park Utah real estate,real estate,Utah starter homes,Salt Lake City real estate