-Donut Falls: a simple hike that leads to an incredibly unique waterfall
-Lagoon Trail : located in Farmington along the back of the Lagoon amusement park, very family friendly hiking trail to take you along the Farmington Creek
-McPolin Farm Nature Trail : this happens to be one of my family's favorite places in Utah. Located on McPolin Farm in Park City and home to the iconic barn this trail is perfect for a family outing.
Lagoon:-Located in Farmington Lagoon is Utah's biggest amusement park and features rides and attractions for all ages. The Park features over 60 thrilling rides, 40 challenging games, live entertainment, the largest "kiddie land" of any amusement park in the nation, the historic Pioneer Village, and a campground where you can camp out for a few days of fun. It also features Lagoon-A-Beach water park. Lagoon's Roller Coaster, or what locals call the White Roller Coaster, is one of the oldest operating wooden coasters in the world.
Fun fact: Lagoon is even mentioned in the famous Beach Boys Song - Salt Lake City! "All the kids dig the Lagoon now"
Utah Shakespeare Festival:-Located in Southern Utah (Cedar City, UT) the Shakespeare Festival produces eight or nine professional plays over the course of a sixteen week season. If you love the theatre and live performances this festival is for you!
Pioneer Park Farmer's Market:-Every Saturday from June 4th to October 22nd you can stop by Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City (350 West 300 South) from 8am-2pm to explore a wide variety of local farms and businesses.
Draper Days:-We reside in Draper so we love taking part in the Draper Days festivities. This year there are many events from July 5th-16th. The event typically features a festival, parade, 5K race, sports tournaments, movie nights, concerts, and my family favorite a rodeo!
-If you don't live near Draper many Utah cities host their own community events: SoJo SummerFest, Butlerville Days, Riverton Town Days, Iron County Fair, and many more!
Utah Days of '47 Rodeo:-Located in the Utah State Fair Park, the Days of ’47 Rodeo is one of Utah's longest-standing traditions to celebrate Utah Heritage. This year the event is being held over July 20-23rd and 25th. The parade portion of the event will be held on July 23rd you can find out more here!
Salt Lake Bees Game:-Playing at the Smith’s ballpark throughout the summer, a Bees game is the perfect summer activity! From Tuesday Family Nights to themed games like Superhero Night, and firework shows the Bees stadium is great for families. Be sure to get a picture with the Bee’s Mascot – Bumble, take a ride on the train, eat ice cream out of helmet, and try their specialty hot dogs!
REAL or Utah Royals Game:-Now through October get tickets at the Rio Tinto Stadium to watch the REAL or Utah Royals soccer teams. Plus, here’s also another chance to get a photo with an awesome mascot – Leo the Lion!
Utah is amazing in the summertime and there is always something fun to take the family to do. Be sure to add a few of these events to your summer bucket list this year!
We are excited to announce we are now offering Utah Housing for first-time home buyers!
Due to the highly competitive market, it’s a harsh reality that first-time buyers might need an extra boost to gain entry into the market. This Utah Housing program can give them the support they need!
The program is dedicated to increasing accessible and affordable housing throughout the state of Utah, which is why they offer several mortgage loan programs to help first time buyers be able to purchase a home. These 30-year fixed-rate loans range from FHA and VA loans to conventional loans.
If cash at closing is a problem for you, the Down Payment Assistance Second Mortgage program could help you purchase with little to no cash investment. Basically, it’s like taking out a first and second mortgage, and the second mortgage covers your down payment.
A client of ours that used the Utah Housing program for their down payment had this to say, “Working with ALV made the initially terrifying process of buying my first home feel so much more doable. They connected me with a great program that assisted me with my down payment, which made all the difference when I submitted an offer on the home we loved. I’m grateful for the team’s patience in explaining everything to me and always being available for phone calls when I needed clarification. ALV did a great job working with us through the process and helping us make our first home purchase a possibility.”
We can provide the same experience for you! We’ll take the time to explain the ins and outs of the program and be readily available to answer any questions you may have throughout the process.
If you are worried that your lack of down payment may affect your chances of competing in the market, although it can be a challenge there are programs like this out there that are dedicated to helping more first-time buyers get homes.
If you think you or someone you know could benefit from this program, reach out and let’s review your situation, and get you qualified so you can begin your home search!
As you can see from the chart at this time last year there was only about 2,700 active listing available for purchase. At the end of May this year we had over 5,000 active listings. This means purchasing today may be easier than it was at this time last year.
There are twice as many homes to choose from, which means more opportunities for buyers to purchase!
I spoke with a realtor recently who had two listings that lasted on market for 13 days, which is twice as long as the usual turn time we have been seeing the last two years. When they did finally receive offers for these listings each home only got one offer each. Interestingly enough each offer was still above list price.
All of this together is equating to a calmer market for buyers to compete in. There are more options today, which means it could be much easier to go under contract.
Although it may feel like a challenging time to purchase, it’s not impossible. This increase in inventory has already brought a positive shift to the market and eased some of the heat from the overwhelming seller’s market buyers have been caught in the last few years.
If you got demotivated last year because you couldn't find anything you liked, there is more inventory available today giving you the opportunity to find exactly what you are looking for.
We always say the right house comes along at the right time and this increase in available inventory could be the moment you’ve been waiting for!
