I recently had the opportunity to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands.  During the visit I took a ferry from St. Thomas where I was staying to Cruz Bay on St. John Island.  St. John is a fairly small island with the majority of it being a National Park.  The beauty is breathtaking.  Yet, to contrast that beauty lay the ruins of the old slave plantations that operated on the island until 1848.  I had an opportunity to explore them and learn a lot about construction in tropical climates. St. […]

I just closed on the sale of this listing located at 2945 Brinker Ave. in Ogden.  This 3 Bed 2 Bath home was originally listed in June for $144,900.  The home had been a rental property and the owner asked us to get the home ready for market.  We ordered the carpet replaced and paint redone in several rooms.  The home was then ready for show time. Once we got the home on the market, it became apparent pretty quickly that we had been overly optimistic on our pricing. We […]

I just closed on the sale of this mid-century rambler with some buyers in Ogden.  Located at 682 35th Street, this property sits behind Leavitt’s Mortuary.  The orientation of the lot provides for mountain views without the possibility of being obstructed by future development. The home was listed in September for $179,900.  However, the owners had placed a tenant in their mother-in-law basement and their presence kept the home from being shown.  The tenant expressed their intent to leave and the owners had moved out of state which motivated the […]

We just closed on the sale of this townhome in Midway that we listed a just a month ago.  The property was listed at $199,900 on the 20th of October.  Several days later we received an offer from an excited buyer.  They offered $195,000.  Later, they adjusted the offer to $198,300 to help cover the buyer’s closing costs of $3,300.  Inspections and appraisal went very smoothly an the transaction closed on the 18th of November.   Congratulations to our sellers!  

I just closed on the sale of this tiny cottage in Ogden.  The owner purchased it in 2011 for just $38,000 and it has served as a rental property in our management portfolio since that time.  In 2015, the owner ordered a major renovation of the building.  He installed new windows, kitchen, bathroom, and more.  The total renovation costs were about $10,000 to get the home looking in tip top shape.       Here is a before and after video of the renovated cottage:   In June of 2015, […]

Is Utah’s housing market overheating?  Based on historical charts, it seems that it’s a good question to be asking right now.  In the third quarter of 2016 (ending September) house prices in the Ogden-Clearfield Metro Statistical Area increased 1.86% from the previous quarter.  They are up 7.66% over the past year and a whopping 26.4% from 5 years ago.  Certainly, it has been a great time to own real estate.  But how long can these month-over-month increases in property values continue?     The above chart shows an inflation adjusted […]

Maintaining control of a property is an important job for property managers.  Access, maintenance, and community enjoyment are all issues that property managers work to preserve.  But, sometimes tenants can gain an upper hand on that control (albeit temporarily) and make life difficult for landlords.  Here are a few scenarios to watch for:   You Ain’t Sellin’ This Place Selling property with tenants in place is a significant issue in Utah’s market right now.  With creeping population growth and available housing stock near record lows, tenants are having a tough […]

I just listed this quaint cottage in Ogden.  Located at 2175 Jackson Ave. this home has 2 bedrooms and a jack-and-jill bathroom.  The kitchen has been updated and the home has two-tone paint.  The main level of the home has nearly 1000 SQFT and the basement has 226 SQFT of utility and storage space.  The backyard is shaded and has a covered patio.  The yard is also fully fenced.  Much of the fence line is privacy cedar fencing.  Here is a video montage of the property. The home has been […]

I just listed this commercial property in Pleasant View for lease this week.  The space sits at the edge of an industrial park just north of the intersection of 1600 West and 2700 North.  Since 2700 North is a main arterial road, the spot is a prime location for restaurant, office or retail business with easy access to I-15 and nearby amenities. The space formerly housed a soda specialty shop.  The floorplan boasts 2200 SQFT with a drive-through window on the east wall.  There is ample utility space in the rear […]

Sometimes, repairs and improvements defy logic and reason.  Here are some examples of oddities and rarities found while moving about in the housing market. Before you decide to paint your house blue, please call me.   Do you really need a front door for a front porch?  Nah.   This appears to be more of an amusement ride for the wheelchair-bound than a safe access ramp.  I am sure rolling down it is a pant-wetting experience.   So what if this home struggles with curb appeal.  At least they moved the […]

I just listed this spacious rambler in west Layton.  The home has everything you could want for amenities and entertainment.  Outside the home boasts a pergola and hot tub with a large concrete pad for playing basketball.    The home sits next door to a church building and across the street from Sand Springs Elementary School. The configuration of the home is of the contemporary open floorplan design with the kitchen open to the living and dining areas.  The living area has a fireplace as its focal point and large […]

  I just closed on the sale of this beautiful historic cottage located in downtown Ogden.  We originally listed this property for sale in early June for $135,000.  Within days we had four offers with the highest being $150,000.  My sellers and I felt that the highest offer would probably not past muster with an appraiser so we picked the second highest bid of $142,000.  The home went under contract and we proceeded with the sale. Unfortunately, the offer we accepted was contingent on the buyers selling their home and […]

We just closed on the sale of this historic craftsman era home located in downtown Ogden, Utah.  We listed this home on the 19th of August for $169,900 after the owner completed a renovation of the building and brought the home back to much of its original luster.  However, this transaction turned out to be much more complicated than everyone originally anticipated. The buyer’s initial offer came to us at $158,000 while asking for $4,700 in closing costs.  We countered at $164,900 while offering $4,900 in seller paid closing costs. […]

I just listed this 2 bedroom townhome in Midway, Utah which is owned by members of my family.  The unit has been in our family for 11 years and was recently renovated with new flooring and two tone paint.  It is located just a short distance to downtown Midway and is close to skiing, hiking, golf, and a host of other recreation options. The unit has 1070 SQFT with a full bath upstairs and a half bath on the main level.  The kitchen appliances are stainless steel and the kitchen […]

If you are a tiny house aficionado or someone looking to live small and affordably, this house is the perfect opportunity for you.  The home has been freshly updated with a new kitchen, bathroom, new flooring, two tone paint, new windows, evaporative cooler, and more.  You will want to see how this cottage provides for all the basic living amenities in a compact and and highly usable floorplan.   This home was constructed in 1931 and sits on a .14 acre lot.  The backyard is sizable and offers plenty of […]