Entries by Babs De Lay

2012 Salt Lake Housing Forecast

2012    No matter what industry you work in, there is always a year end wrap up and January prediction/ forecast available from some industry expert out in the world. Glass blowers and fuzzy sock makers want to know the prices of materials and demand for products each year just as much as home builders […]

Use Your VA Benefits!

2011        We just commemorated our service men and women on Veterans Day. Unless you are a Vet, it’s hard to understand the commitment that military service requires. There are over 25 million Vets in this country.  Thanks to President Franklin Roosevelt (in 1944), Vet’s can get assistance in buying homes as a reward for […]

Who Slept In Your Bed?

2011 I’m just about to put a home across the MLS that is rather historic…it is the birthplace of Gordon B. Hinkley, the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  There’s not a bronze plaque outside the front door noting the significance of the property, but there could be if the […]

The Sky Falling Is To BUYERS Advantage!

2011    Wow-the economy is crazy! The Dow Jones has tanked, the U.S. credit rating got downgraded for the first time in our history and many people think that this may indicate the sky is falling.  I find it an interesting parallel that many home owners out there need a loan modification ( so does […]

Great Home But Needs A New Kitchen, Damn!

2011    How many times have you heard someone shopping for a home to say, “We saw the perfect house, perfect neighborhood, but needed (insert) a) a new kitchen b) another bathroom c) central air d) all new carpets e) all of the above?!    If you’re getting a bank loan to buy a home […]

Fire Season Is Always At Home

2011 It’s been a snowy, rainy year in the State of Utah. The wildflowers are lush, the hills are green. Pretty!… and pretty scary if we get a hot summer. We could get massive wildfires, many which could be started by fireworks and lightening storms. What was Utah’s largest wildfire on record? The ‘Milford Flat […]

REALTOR vs Real Estate Agent

2011     People often ask me what is the difference between a Realtor and a real estate agent?  Simple answer: a Realtor is a real estate agent, but a real estate agent isn’t necessarily a Realtor.  A Realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtors, is THE largest trade organization in the United […]

Real Estate Sales Can Be Impersonal

2011             Where’s the buyer? Where’s the seller?  These are questions I often get at the closing table when the client is signing their final sales or purchase documents at the title company.  People are very surprised that the other party isn’t sitting with them at the closing table signing papers at the same time. […]

Did You Get Your 1099 On Your Short?

2011 If you’re one of the unfortunate people who had to sell their home on short sale in 2010 because you owed more than what your house was worth, check your mailbox and see if the previous lender(s) have sent you a 1099 form to file with your tax return next month.  That form is […]

We’ve Gone GREENER!

  2011 I’m calling out all the other real estate companies in the state to make a concerted effort to GET GREENER. My firm is now the first real estate brokerage in the state to banish ‘fact sheets’ attached to real estate signs in order to achieve a more greener business practice. Fact sheets or info […]