Jonelle Simons - Park City Utah Real Estate

With all the rain this May/June, you obviously haven’t needed to do much watering for your lawn yet!  Just because the sun has been out for a few days doesn’t mean you need to start now.  You want your lawn to have a healthy, deep root system, this is just one of many reasons NOT to turn your irrigation on yet.  Deeper roots draw moisture from a larger volume of soil, and therefore, require less irrigation.

There are 2 tests you can use to determine if your yard is dry enough to start watering.  The first is a screwdriver test.  Adequate solk moisture at 6 to 8 inches deep is sufficient to maintain grasses during the summer.  A long slender screwdriver pushed into the ground in several locations can give a quick assessment of the moisture condition of the soil.  The screwdriver will easily penetrate to the soil depth that is still moist.

The other test is called foot-printing.  Walk across your lawn late in the day and look back to see if your steps left footprints.  Your footprints will appear in a lawn when the grass has low levels of water.  When the blades are compressed by your feet, the low ater levels prevent the grass from springing back.  If footprints remain for an extended period of time, it’s time to water.

Taller grass has a deeper root system that draws moisture from a larger volume of soil, and needs less irrigation.  Grass should never be less than 2.5 inches after mowing.  Mowing once a week is usually enough to maintain the proper height.  A lawn that is 3 to 3.5″ will have a better chance of surviving prolonged drought and water restrictions.

To keep your root system healthy, water no more often than every third day, and make sure to turn it off after it rains.  If you are served by Park City Municipal, call 615-5301 to obtain your Every Third Day watering sign, and you will be exempt from the every-other-day (odd/even) watering ordinance.

Many of these tips have been borrowed from Tom Ward of the Park City Water Conservation Taks force, so thanks to him for providing this helpful information.

After swimming along with mortgage interest rates at ALL TIME LOWS for a couple of months we were shocked back into reality about 10 days ago when they started climbing rapidly. In a period of 5 business days our best conventional loan rates went from 4.5% up to 5.25% and FHA loans rose from 4.875% up to 5.5%. WHEW.  Of course these were still fabulous rates compared to historical trends, but we were all shocked anyway!!

Well, in the next 5 days the dramatic rise sopped and rates have again slipped back down a little – and today our best conventional rates are at 4.875% and FHA loans can be priced at 5.375%.  No one expects these low rates to stick around forever and every forecast we see has rates rising significantly over the next 12 months. Buyers should take this into consideration and get their bargains now – a difference of just 1.0% increases the cost of ownership of a $300,000 property by $15,000 in the first 5 years. And anyone with a fixed rate of  5.5% or more should consider refinancing to lock in a lower rate NOW.

With the weather warming up, and ski season over, everyone is thinking about summer activities.  One of the great things about Park City in the summer is the wide variety of things to do, and one of my favorites is the summer concerts at Deer Valley!  They are on Wednesday afternoons, and are completely FREE!  You can stop by the farmer’s market at the Canyon’s resort on the way up, and pick up some fresh fruits, maybe a pizza from Volkers bakery,  bring a 6-pack of beer or a bottle of wine, and enjoy a nice afternoon in the great mountain outdoors!  Please see below for the free concert series schedule. They begin on Wednesday, June 24th!

2009 Summer Concert Schedule

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Rich Wyman

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
The No Name Jazz Band

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Fat Paw

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Soul Survivors

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Swagger

Wednesday, July 29, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Mary Beth

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Dr. Bob

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Sin City Soul

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Coverdogs Featuring Tony Oros

Wednesday, August 26, 2009
6:00PM – 8:00PM
The Detonators

Please check back to future posts - I’ll be featuring Deer Valley’s “Big stars, bright nights” series, as well as the free concerts at The Canyons Resort!

If you missed the previous post about the $8000 tax credit - check it out!

In addition to that -there is a $6000 grant available from the state of Utah - The “home run grant”. In a nutshell - The Home Run Grant is a mortgage assistance program that grants $6,000 to home buyers who purchase a newly-constructed, never-occupied, primary, single-family residence in Utah.  Buyers do NOT need to be first time buyers under this program!  CLICK HERE for full details on the program, including how to apply, income restrictions, and limitations.  There are only 1600 of these $6000 grants available - when they’re gone - they’re GONE, so if you’re considering new construction, now’s the time.

What does this mean to you?  If you’re a first time buyer, AND are considering new construction, there’s $14,000 in ‘free money’ out there for you!  With sellers and developers ready to negotiate, and mortgage rates still at historic lows - There has never been a better time to buy!

If you are a person who constantly tries to do the right thing when it comes to the environment, then maybe it’s time to take a look at your pets!  Here are a few ideas to help you pooch get his green on!

• Feed organic pet food!  With the recent recall of more than 100 brands of pet food (some considered ‘premium’), it might be time to take a closer look at what you’re feeding your pets.  I recommend Only Natural Pet Store for an excellent selection of all natural and organic pet foods!  For treats and other pet products - another great resource is Jake’s Doghouse - cool stuff for cool dogs!
• Use all natural or organic pet shampoo!  Many people just use human shampoo on their dog.  This is not a good idea, because many formulas contain chemicals and other stuff that can irritate a dog’s skin and make him itchy.  It also doesn’t rinse out very well.  I recommend Newman’s Own organic oatmeal dog shampoo!  This stuff smells great, and rinses out much easier!
• Consider an alternative way to deal with poo!  Composters.com has some great ideas for pet waste.  This keeps it out of landfills, and also keeps it from polluting the environment! CLICK HERE
• Thinking of getting another pet?  Adopt!  There are SO many pets out there that need homes, INCLUDING puppies, kittens, and purebred pets!  Save a life instead of purchasing from a breeder.  Friends of Animals is a great resource, and also look at Broken Hearts Animal Rescue for some great single pets looking for love!

With the ski season coming to an end, some sellers are more anxious than ever to get their properties SOLD, and they are making some INCREDIBLE deals!  Some are seller financing as well, and for people who are first time buyers, or who haven’t owned in 3 years, there is the extra incentive of an $8000 federal tax credit!  Now is the perfect time to invest in Real Estate!  There are many income-producing properties available in Park City, and throughout the Salt Lake Valley!  It used to be that you had to pay out of pocket every month to own an investment property in Park City - But there are a lot of properties available now, and they are priced RIGHT to cash flow.  Please contact me if you want any more information on properties for sale in Park City and Summit County, Salt Lake City, and the Heber Valley!

In today’s challenging market, more and more sellers are offering seller financing for buyers in order to help sell their home! There are a lot of benefits for both buyers and sellers!

Buyers: Maybe you’re self-employed, and can’t prove all of your income. Maybe you have some dings on your credit due to the challenging economy. Maybe you had a previous foreclosure, and you’re looking to downsize into a more affordable home. Even if you’re just lacking a down payment - Seller financing might be a great option! AND - for first time home buyers (or people who haven’t owned a home for 3 years) the $8000 federal tax credit is STILL AVILABLE TO YOU!  If you buy a brand new home (never lived in) you may also be able to apply for an additional $6000 grant from the state of Utah!!    The bottom line is - with seller financing, you COULD, NOT ONLY BUY A HOME, BUT POCKET UP TO $14000 if you qualify for both programs!!!  Call me for more details!  I’m happy to help you buy a home with seller financing!

Sellers:  Can’t sell your home?  Consider offering seller financing.  There may be significant tax benefits to doing so, AND, you can make a great return on your money!  There is a way around most obstacles, please feel free to contact me if you have questions about this process!

Everyone can take advantage of the current market.

If you’ve ever wanted to own a ski in/ski out home or condo, now could be your best chance! Prices have come down in Park City over the past few months, and with incredible financing rates now available, there’s never been a better time. Some sellers are starting to get more desperate to sell with the season coming to an end, and are more and more willing to negotiate.

Visit my new Ski In/Ski Out Real Estate Page to check out listings that are currently available for sale! CLICK HERE.  You will find listings for homes and condos at all 3 resorts, so whether you’re looking for a luxury second home residence, or an income producing condo, you should definitely check it out.

Do you have a child who is a college student or recent college grad? Or are YOU a college student or recent grad who would rather own than pay rent? FHA loan programs allow for a parent/grandparent/family member to cosign on a loan for another person, in order to help them show enough income to qualify, and the time has never been better! FHA loans will allow a buyer to borrow up to 96.5%, and with the new $8000 tax credit for first time buyers, borrowers in many cases can get into a new home with almost NO money down! Rates are excellent, as low as 5% in some cases, and with so many houses available on the market, it’s a great time for buyers to get an excellent value on their first home. There are some real “deals” available, and sellers are very motivated.

Please call or EMAIL me if you would like more information. I would be happy to send you my first time homebuyer information packet, which contains more details on the program above, as well as many others, and tons of other great information to get you started on the path to home-ownership.