Once again, for the third consecutive year, Utah has received top accolades from Forbes Magazine's annual state rankings of the "Best States for Business."

The prestigious business publication analizes six vital categories for businesses: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. They factor in 33 different points of data to determine the ranks in the six main areas. Business costs which include labor, energy and taxes are weighted the most heavily. They relied on nine different data providers. Moody's Economy.com is the most-utilized resource.

Our educated workforce drove the #3 ranking. Utah placed #2 in the 2008 ranking.

Business Costs Rank            #14
Labor Rank                                 #4
Regulatory Environment         #11
Economic Climate                   #11
Growth Prospects                    #22
Quality Of Life                            #17

Sources: Moody's Economy.com; Pollina Corporate Real Estate; Pacific Research Institute; Tax Foundation; Sperling's Best Places; Census Bureau; SBA; FBI; Dept. of Education; Forbes

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate.  See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, Holladay, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

Herriman and Riverton  single family homes sales have increased compared to the same time period in 2008.  This bump in sales is mainly due to the recent foreclosures and short sales in the area drivng the average home price to $312,720.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate. See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com.

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

Draper single family home sales have increased compared to same time period in2008 mainly due to the recent number of foreclosures and short sales from overbuilt new homes.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate.  See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

Herriman and Riverton  single family homes sales have increased compared to the same time period in 2008.  This bump in sales is mainly due to the recent foreclosures and short sales in the area drivng the average home price to $312,720.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate. See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com.

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

Herriman and Riverton  single family homes sales have increased compared to the same time period in 2008.  This bump in sales is mainly due to the recent foreclosures and short sales in the area drivng the average home price to $312,720.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate. See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com.

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

SKI Magazine has rated Deer Valley Ski Resort the #1 ski resort in North America for the third consecutive year based on its poll of more than 20,000 skiers. 

"Deer Valley delivers what the Ski magazine reader wants, which is consistently good snow, few crowds and exceptional service, dining and lodging," magazine Executive Editor Greg Ditrinco said Thursday. "That all adds up to a pretty solid ski vacation."

"We're happily stunned and we'll gladly accept this award" said Bob Wheaton, Deer Valley President/General Manager "To receive this prestigious accolade three years in a row is just incredible.  This award reflects the efforts of our many Deer Valley employees who have a commitment to excellence to everything they do."

I personally think Deer Valley in Park City Utah separates itself from the others by their:

Food - Infamous Deer Valley Turkey chili, crisp salad bars and deserts to die for by the infamous Letti Flatts.

Snow - They are famous for their groomers - perfect corduroy which is their big tourist draw.  There is a variety of terrain so the rest of us that like steeps and power find delicious pockets tucked away everywhere!

Service - Skier valet; friendly, well-mannered employees; beautiful lodges, decadent accommodations and even perfectly clean fresh smelling bathrooms!

 Deer Valley just shined the most but 6 other local resorts hit the op 30 resorts in North America with Park City Mountain Resort #4, The Canyons #20, Snowbird #25, Solitude #26, Alta #28 and Snowbasin #29.

Yea Baby - Utah Pow - Best Snow on Earth!  Gee I love it here!

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City, UT real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market including Salt Lake City homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City real estate.  See for yourself, visit www.BuySaltLakeCityHomes.com

For a FREE Weekly List of Homes for Sale in Salt Lake City, Park City, UT and surrounding areas, you may fill in the form below and we will compile a list from two wholesale databases and send them to you right away. 

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will e-mail you the list.

You may specify in the comments box if you have a particular interest in Salt Lake City foreclosures, or Salt Lake City HUD homes for sale. 

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah , I hope you will contact me.

The Salt Lake City, Utah real estate market is not what is was just two years ago but the sky is not falling.  Those that have bought in the last three years should just sit on their investment if they can. 

If you are a first time home buyer this is a terrific time to start shopping for your first home.  There is good inventory, prices have come to an affordable level, there are a number of foreclosures and short sales available AND there is the $8,000 tax credit that can be claimed this year!

If you are thinking of moving up this also is great timing.  Granted, you will not recieved the amount that you hoped for in your current home but you will get much more home for your money.  The ratio is relatively the same so the amount that you don't gain or in fact lose will be more than ofset by what you gain in your purchase.

There is no doubt that the National economy is at it's rockiest point since the Great Depression.  Utah on the other hand is still growing.  We never had the great appreciation rates seen in many markets across the country nor have we taken the hit in home prices that other markets have.  We may not have hit bottom yet but many iindicators show that Utah probably has come close to it.

This chart shows home sales from Q1 2004 to Q1 2009.  As you can see the median home price did increase from Q1 of 2006 to Q2 of 2007.  The downward slide has not been nearly as dramatic.  Homes sales have slowed dramatically but as you will see once June's sales are in that things are bouncing back.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Greater Salt Lake City/Park City real estate. For complete information about the Greater Salt Lake City/Park City real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Greater Salt Lake City/Park City real estate at www.KathyOHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

For your FREE list of Salt Lake City  3 - 5 bedroom foreclosed homes for under $170,000 just fill out the form below:

Salt Lake City Market update                                

Here is a real estate market update for the last seven days in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Single Family Homes - 12 Homes Sold with 51 homes going Under Contract

                Median price for these homes - $260,000 and the average Days on Market - 92 days

Condominiums - 5 Condos Sold with 18 condos going Under Contract

                Median price - $163,625 and the average days on the market - 70 days

There are currently 1566 single family homes available and 720 condominiums available offering a wide variety of types and styles and price ranges. 

The Utah State Legislature just approved a $6000 grant for those that qualify to buy a newly built, unoccupied home.  This will be effective immediately as soon as the Governor signs it.  So start looking now as there will only be 1600 of these grants available.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate questions and I will be more than glad to answer your queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Or just fill out the form below for additional information:

You may know someone that is having a difficult time meeting their mortgage payments.  It can be daunting all the advertising and other media on forbearance and foreclosure counceling.  Don't let this person get caught up in a scam...forward on this bit if information that may help them save their home.

In honor of National Consumer Protection Week, which ends today, the Federal Reserve Board has released five tips for helping consumers avoid foreclosure scams: 

1. Work only with a non-profit HUD-approved counselor.  For a list of certified counselors, visit www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm or call 877-HUD-1515 (877-483-1515).  If the name of the organization you are working with isn't on the list, then switch to one that is. 

2. Don't pay an arm and a leg.  Most housing counselors provide no- or low-cost counseling services.  You should not have to pay hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for assistance.

3. Be wary of "guarantees." No one can ensure you good results. 

4. Know what you are signing. Don't let a counselor pressure you into signing paperwork you haven't had a chance to read thoroughly or that you don't understand. 

5. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you feel you are a victim of foreclosure fraud, trust your instincts and ask for help. Report suspicious schemes to your state and local consumer protection agencies, which you can find on the Consumer Action Web site.

 There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For information thats about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage  and real estate questions and I will me more than glad to answer your queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

If you have a specific question just fill out the form below and I will get right back to you:

Daylight Saving Time is finally here!  Tomorrow at 2 AM set your clocks 1 hour ahead or you will be late for everything!  I love that extra hour in the evening.  Spring is on its way!

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For information thats about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage  and real estate questions and I will me more than glad to answer your queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Yippee - the resorts got at least 10 inces of snow lastest night with more to come; tourists and locals alike - rejoice! This snow is much needed after all that spring air and windy days.  Don't tell anyone but, Utah really does have the Greatest Snow on Earth...just watch this cute short video:

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For information thats about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage  and real estate questions and I will me more than glad to answer your queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Or you can just fill out the form below!

Get your piece of the old Port O' Call.  You know that Port O' Call a Salt Lake City mainstay is now closed due to be Federal Government taking the land for a new court house.  Port O' Call has been a local watering hole and tourist attraction for 20 years.  The building is 40,000 sq ftr!

Most everything from the closed private club, will be auctioned Wednesday and Thursday, starting both days at 10 a.m.

About 1,100 items, from neon signs and fancy oak doors to kitchen equipment and top-notch sound systems, will be sold to the highest bidders.

"We've had people calling and asking about certain chairs where they might have met their wife -- or divorced their wife," quipped Kent Knowley, the club's owner for nearly two decades. "There's quite a bit of interest in things like that."

Most cherished is the private club's bar. It was purchased by the owners of the Haggis, the club that occupied the corner before it was bought by Knowley, who had run a machine tool business.

When Knowley first bought the club, it held about 80 people. But working with his wife, Jannette, brother Scott and a small crew of loyal employees -- "we did all of our own building, plumbing, laundry, everything" -- they expanded over time into a four-story, 40,000-square-foot club with two stages, two dance floors and an industrial kitchen befitting "one of the largest bars west of the Mississippi.

"Because of the size of the place, whatever we have, we have a bunch of it," Knowley said, citing 1,200 or so chairs and bar stools, 60 flat-screen TVs and neon signs galore.

Many items reflect Utah history.

Knowley had neon lights of professional sports teams custom made after legislators banned clubs from having beer signs in windows. He also collected Olympic signs, not just for the Salt Lake Games but for earlier renditions.

"I've always been a collector, so I have a lot of that kind of stuff," Knowley said, appreciative of the idea that his club appealed to commoners as well as celebrities. "All the [NBA] ballplayers came in and a lot of actors, like Ed Harris, spent time here."

The sale will take place Today March 4 and Thursday, starting at 10 a.m., at the club. Cost to participate is $10.  Photos of items, terms of sales and additional information is available at www.salesandauction.com.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For information thats about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage  and real estate questions and I will me more than glad to answer your queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Or you can just fill out the form below!

Thanks to the Salt Lake Trib for some of the information and Photo by Erin Alberty

So the economy is not as robust as it once was...an understatement?  Now is a good time to look at your spending and review what you can do without, or to shop for a better deal.  We all become a little complacient when times are rockin"!

One stone to look under is your insurance deductables.  You can save hundreds of dollars a year and more by raising  your deductibles on your automobile and homeowner's policies from $250 to $500 or even $1,000 and more.  Deductibles are the out-of-pocket costs you must pay in the event of a claim before your coverage kicks in. Many people pay dearly for the low deductibles on their auto and homeowner's policies.  So just make a quick call to your insurance agent and ask what the premiums would be if you raised your decutables.  While $1,000 sounds like a lot of money, remember you are paying less in premiums, so you can put some of the money you save aside to pay for the higher deductible.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.  So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage questions and I will me more than glad to answer you queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

For quick answers to specific questions, just fill out the form below.

Salt Lake County Single family home sales in February has lagged behind sales of the same time period last year with 385 homes sold with a median price of $236,000.  This 34% decline in sales has only forced a 3.7% decline in median home prices.  Some cities have fared better than other as you can see by the chart below.

City                                        Feb Sales             %chg                     median price                      %chg

Bluffdale                                 4                              -20%                      $369,450                        -22.5%

Cottonwood Hts.                  15                           +66%                     $274,900                          -11.6

Draper                                   18                           -31%                      $342,250                           -18.6%

Herriman                               29                           0%                          $262,200                           -12.7%

Holladay                                  7                           -50%                      $444,555                            +41.4%

Kearns                                    6                            -62%                      $152,450                             -11.1%

Magna                                     9                            -40%                      $178,000                              -1%

Murray                                     8                             -60%                      $229,700                             +3.6%

Riverton                                 18                           -22%                      $263,500                              -10.5%

Salt Lake City                      110                         -35%                      $219,500                              -4.3%

Sandy                                    44                           -25%                      $314,250                              +19.8%

South Jordan                       25                           -34%                      $335,000                              -4.8%

Taylorsville                          10                           -47%                      $174,900                               -5.4%

West Jordan                        48                           -43%                      $209,000                              -9.9%

West Valley City                  26                           -47%                      $179,500                              -3.7%

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com.  So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage questions and I will me more than glad to answer you queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

For quick answers to specific questions, just fill out the form below.

Today is Wild Wednesday at the infamous Hogle Zoo.  All day, you can gather up the kids, neighbors and grandpa and go to the famous Hogle Zoo for FREE!  That's saving $8.00 per adult and $6 per child!  It's open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM so go now, its an awesome day outside for some fresh air! 

Here's a little video taken over Thanksgiving Day Celebration  "Feast with the Beast" where animals get special treats:

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com.  So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage questions and I will me more than glad to answer you queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.