I'm Baaaaack!

So, yeah. It's been a while since I've been here blogging about real estate. Just after my last entry in May of this year, I learned that I had cancer. Although I still worked a little bit at real estate, I basically spent the entire summer figuring out how beat cancer (I did). I kept a blog about it here, if you are interested.

And while I was gone, the economy went totally to pot. Thanks a lot economy, I have cancer bills to pay!

Fast forward to November and things look particularly ugly in real estate land. Cancer, always the great clarifier, gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate the current real estate situation, my personal roll in it, and things in general.

My take-away from the whole situation is that I need to use this blog to focus more on my immediate area of Utah (Northern end of the state) and to be more forthcoming with my opinions as I really see things. I see a lot out there, and much is not good. Helping people to avoid pitfalls is the most useful thing I can do for now.

I vow to *try* and blog more consistently!

Remember, home is where the mortgage is - Jennifer

Jennifer Bunker Owner/Broker

Coldwater Creek Properties

Utah # 2 in Home Price Increase

The following article is from the Salt Lake Tribune, dated May 21, 2008:

By Lesley MitchellThe Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 05/22/2008 12:08:25 PM MDT

Posted: 11:28 AM-

Salt Lake City is ranked No. 22 among nearly 300 areas in home-price appreciation from the first quarter of 2007 to the same period this year with a 5.4 percent gain, a new report shows.

But two of Utah's metro areas ranked in the top 10, according to the House Price Index report by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

The Provo-Orem area was No. 6, with a 6.8 percent gain in home prices over the one-year period. Ogden-Clearfield was No. 9, with a 6.6 percent increase.

The Logan area was No. 15, with a 6 percent increase.

Among Utah areas, St. George had the worst ranking, No. 235, based on a 3.7 percent decline in home prices over that one-year period.

Utah as a whole is No. 2 among all states in home-price appreciation with a 5.6 percent increase, relinquishing the top spot to Wyoming, which posted a 6.3 percent gain. Montana rounded out the top 3 with a 4.9 percent increase.

A downturn in real estate markets throughout Utah has pushed home sales down and led to moderating home prices. Utah slipped to No. 2 after five consecutive quarters in the top spot. Nationally, prices were down 3.1 percent in the year that ended March 31.


Jennifer Bunker CRS, GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

The "Hope Now" Hotline

"Hope Now" is the project that the Government has set up to help homeowners heading to forclosure due to variable rate loans that have set to payments the homeowner is unable to afford.

The Hope Now hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for homeowners who are having trouble keeping up with mortgage payments.

The free service helps borrowers contact lenders to try to work out a payment plan or modify their loan. While there are no eligibility guildines, not all callers will be able to negotiate new terms or avoid the sale of their home.

Other housing groups and counseling agencies also working with homeowners at risk. Make sure whomever you're dealing with is certified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Hope Now hotline 1-888-995-HOPE http://www.995hope.org/

Homeowner Crisis Resource Center 1-866-557-2227 http://www.housinghelpnow.org/


Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

Finding a "Good" School in a Foreign New Land

I'm in my 6th year of Real Estate now. It's been a fun, interesting, and an eye-opening ride. One of the most wonderful things about this profession is meeting new people and retaining their friendships for life.

I recently had a new client call me about relocating into Utah. They are currently living in the South and the family's Mom expressed concerns about finding a good Elementary School in the Beehive State. In fact, a good school is her top criteria. "Find us a good school and then we'll move to whatever's nearby," she said.

It's a big order to fill. What is the definition of a "good" school? The answer to that complex query varies according to the paradigm of the person asking the question.

Her quest for information has us both searching the Internet for acceptable data for use in the family's decision. However, there really isn't a central location where schools are "ranked". In the end, this family will have to do what every other relocating family does, make a choice based upon what they were able to find out and then hope for the best.

In Utah, any decision probably won't be a bad decision. While raising my children through three excellent schools here, I continually observed involved, caring parents, intelligent and interested children, teachers who are paid too little to not be doing the job from their hearts, and the highest quality/caring staff anywhere. It's safe to say you will find those same qualities in every one of Utah's public schools. It's how we are as a people. Children are this state's priority.

And, we have a large variety of private choices appearing on our Horizon as well. This is exciting. I believe that choice breeds excellence, which ultimately will shape both public and private schools into the very best that they can be.

I empathize with families moving into Utah (I did it once, too!) It's scary to not know what you are going to no matter where you are relocating. I admire all my clients who take the plunge and dive into the process with the tenacity and the courage of pioneers.

If you are considering a move to Utah, please call me. I'll get right to work for you. It is my job to ensure that you have the information and data that you need to feel comfortable with your difficult decisions.

And guess what? You're gonna love it here. You really are!

Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

Green Homes Are Red Hot

Around our Brokerage, we are becoming more and more interested in becoming "green". Not only in our homes, but for social responsibility purposes in business.

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article I just found in Time Magazine:

"For all the professed consumer interest, though, the average home buyer knows little about green building. That's partly because it's a broad concept with several components. The most obvious attribute is energy efficiency. For some buyers, that means investing big money in fancy geothermal or solar technologies—but more often it simply means being diligent about using good insulation, efficient appliances, superior windows and designing the house to take advantage of the sun. Green houses also conserve water, often by using specialized plumbing fixtures. For some builders, going green also means limiting waste, sometimes by using "panelized," factory-built walls or recycling wood from older homes. Inside, green homes often feature sustainable materials, like countertops made from recycled glass.

For a public tired of stories about the latest health scare, green homes have another allure: they're often healthier. Since these homes are built more tightly than drafty older homes, many builders install systems to bring in—and filter—fresh air. Green builders typically use paints that are low in volatile organic compounds, and avoid the carpeting, adhesives and varnishes that often give new homes their distinctive smell—and that have been associated with health problems. When George and Dorrie Sieburg hired Moody to remodel their Asheville bungalow in 2005, this approach was a big selling point. "At the time, we were pregnant, and we wanted to build as green as we could to make sure it was safe for our child," says George, whose wife is expecting again."

Read the entire article here:

Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

Utah Fine-Tunes Complicated Liquor Laws

I've lived in Utah for well over 20 years and I STILL don't understand the liquor laws! Now the legislature has passed a bill to make Utah look more "normal" in this arena. Read the story from KSL.com and you decide ... Utah Fine-Tunes Complicated Liquor Laws ....


Here's a website that explains Utah's Liquor Laws in detail.


Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

South Ogden City Planning Commission

I received a call the other day from the Mayor of South Ogden, George Garwood, informing me that he had chosen me to fill a recently vacated seat on the city's Planning Commission.

I particularly honored because during my interview, Mayor Garwood told me that he had interviewed several very qualified people and that the decision would be very difficult to make.

It's an exciting time to be serving because there is so much going on, not only in South Ogden city, but also in the surrounding perimeters (Ogden, Washington Terrace, Layton, light rail, the Junction, the Powder Mountain debacle, etc).

I am discovering that South Ogden city is nearly built out, and as a result the city's Master Plan charts several courses of action for the revitalization of blighted areas, an interconnecting trail system, the citizen's desire to protect open spaces in the city, amongst others. The recent city survey shows that residents are very happy with their police and fire services, that they feel safe in South Ogden, and that we have a population who has owned homes in the city for many years more above the average.

What a fun time for me to arrive on the scene. The city is safe and thriving. The citizens are interested in revitalization and building up community areas. City leaders before me have carefully, thoughtfully, and methodically laid the foundation for what I envision as a fabulous time ahead for the city. It's like somebody already made the cake and all I have to do is decorate. I especially look forward to learning from my fellow residents as I begin to serve in this position.

Thanks for the appointment, Mayor Garwood!

Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker

No More Fear - Utah is Doing Okay!

While the national mortgage mess is very serious and poised to get worse, I am alarmed at the lack of good information available to Utahns about our local situation. Local papers and news shows are underreporting the Utah situation and this lack of good information is alarming Utahn's unnecessarily.

Utah is a well-managed, fiscally conservative state. Because of this, and because of a recent (within the past 2 years) correction in stagnating home prices, we are still enjoying appreciation in most areas.

Yet I get the same questions all day long from frightened homeowners wondering if they will somehow be affected by the same dire economic forces that are ravaging the housing situation in places such as Detroit, Ohio, and California. The answer is yes and no.

Here's the difference between us and them: We are still enjoying appreciation here (with the notable exception of Salt Lake City and the Provo areas) which means that if a homeowner needs to sell their home quickly, they can without worries about being upside down (owing more than the home is worth). The spring weather and low interest rates have brought out droves of buyers. As a Real Estate Broker in Utah, I've never had such a busy February!

Examine your local market conditions before buying into the scary national stories about what is happening to other homeowners in different situations than ours. If you are thinking of moving or refinancing, do your homework and find the right professionals to navigate you through the process. There are a lot of well-qualified, diligent people in this state standing ready to assist us to stay strong and prosperous together through rocky times.

Isn't that what Utah's always been about?

Jennifer Bunker CRS GRI
Utah Real Estate Broker