St George Utah Blog - Guest Post

Buying a New Home? What to Know About New Housing Rules

If you haven’t applied for a home loan in the last few years, things may be a little different. The financial crisis and burst housing bubble caused the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to create new housing rules for borrowers and lenders. These rules won’t necessarily make loan approval more difficult, but knowing what to expect before you shop is a good idea. Here are the basics of the new rules.

Ability to Pay

The new rule is sometimes referred to as the “Ability to Pay.” Mainly, this law forces people to prove they can pay for a new home. Instead of just writing down annual salaries, which was sometimes acceptable before, borrowers have to show a proof of income. For those working regular jobs with a weekly or bi-weekly paycheck,…

1656 Views, 0 Comments

What You Need to Know About Property Taxes

If you are a financially-savvy homebuyer, you probably have a budget and an appropriate price range for your home. Beyond the actual price of the home, however, there are other regular costs. One thing many buyers forget about is property taxes. Property taxes can add a significant amount to your monthly costs, so they’re important to remember. Here are some things to know about property taxes.

How much are property taxes?

The rate of property taxes differs from state to state, and even from town to town. In St. George, the property tax rate is approximately 1% of your property’s value. Property value is calculated using the market value of your land and the market value of your home. The value is assessed annually so your property tax can…

1747 Views, 0 Comments

Home Maintenance: What You Need to Do

One of the best ways to keep your home values high and reduce repair costs is to have important components of your home undergo annual maintenance checks. It’s hard to keep on top of everything, and necessary repairs can fall through the cracks. When this happens, small inexpensive maintenance checks can turn into big, expensive repairs.To help you keep track of everything, we’ve created a handy list of check ups to do every year. That way, you don’t miss a thing!

Electrician

Annual electrical maintenance can help you catch problems early and avoid the possibility of fires. Check your outlets and breakers for any scorch marks or other possible damages. If you fear there might be a problem, or if you haven’t seen one in a year or more, call an…

1668 Views, 0 Comments

New Dixie President Focusing on Community Involvement

If you pay attention, you may notice a few more Dixie State University flags and t-shirts around St. George. This increase of paraphernalia is part of a PR campaign by the new university president, Dr. Richard “Biff” Williams, to try to involve St. George in the Dixie school spirit.

Dr. Williams’ goal is to “create an engagement between the university and the community that is unmatched anywhere else in the country.” as reported by The Spectrum.

While Dixie State has been around since 1911, St. George hasn’t really embraced the college town feel like its Utah counterparts in Provo and Logan have. There are many reasons to embrace school spirit and enjoy the perks of a nearby university. Here are a few reasons St. George residents can benefit…

1439 Views, 0 Comments

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Have you been hearing about how to make your home more energy efficient? Energy efficient homes are good for the environment and cheaper to maintain. If you are renovating, building, or buying a home in St. George you may be curious how so many people are reducing their energy bills. Here are four ways you can incorporate energy efficiency techniques in your home.

Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat can save you money on heating and cooling. Products, like the Nest, learn your habits, schedules, and the weather forecast to adjust the temperature of your home accordingly. This means you only have to pay for heating and cooling when people are home.

Spray Insulation

Insulation is one of the keys to energy efficiency. The greatest energy cost in…

1678 Views, 0 Comments

How to Present Yourself During a Real Estate Transaction

A real estate transaction is one of the most important life and business decisions you will probably ever make. Even so, the process is often foreign to people, especially first time home buyers. The proper etiquette - how to dress, act, and behave - is important to keep in mind when viewing and selling homes. Here are some tips for how to present yourself during a real estate transaction.

Buyers

1. First Impressions

Whenever you look at a house, put your best, most friendly foot forward. There’s a chance you may never meet the current homeowners. Just in case you do, looking nice isn’t a bad idea.They inevitably will picture you in their home, with their neighbors, meeting their friends. Do what you can to show that you would be a great person…

1557 Views, 0 Comments

New Manufacturing Plants Means Jobs for St. George Residents

In the last few months, two major manufacturers, L’Chef and Viracon, took steps to opening new plants in St. George. This means new jobs and a further improved economy. More and more industries are finding their way to Southern Utah. Here is a spotlight on just two of them.

L’Chef

The kitchen machine manufacturer and distributor, L’Chef, opened a plant in St. George Industrial park at the end of September. This company creates Bosch kitchen products and acts as the parent company to NutriMill, which sells home grain mills.

The Washington County plant is dedicated to the production of NutriMill products. As of now, they employ about 10 people with plans to grow. They expect to hire four new employees by the end of 2014 and will also provide…

2866 Views, 0 Comments

Make the Right Choice: Six Tips to Finding the Home You Love

Choosing the right home for you and your family is not an easy decision. It takes a lot of time and planning to finding the perfect place. In spite of all
 this work, or maybe because of it, a recen survey showed that many homeowners regret part or all of their home buying decisions. To make sure you are happy with your home, here are six tips to keep in mind.

1. Prioritize

Make a list of the things that are most important to you. Put them in order from most to least important. Consider what you may be willing to compromise on and what you can not. Think beyond just the house. What do you want in a neighborhood? In the local schools? Try to imagine what your ideal living situation would be and write it all down.

2. Research

…

1587 Views, 0 Comments

Possible Water Park in St. George?

An empty plot of 13 acres behind the Dixie Center could soon be turned into a water park. The city of St. George began negotiations with Island Trading Company last week for the sale of the land.

Investors discussed buying the plot for $6.1 million. If sold, they will pay a down payment of 10% now with 4% interest over the next 25 years. They have 90 days to research and create a plan for the property. Although they have seriously discussed the idea of a water park, they are taking this time to be sure. The area is zoned for a long list of business possibilities. If a water park does not work, a family entertainment complex complete with restaurants, shopping and other hospitality business is possible.

While the details are still being worked out, the…

3423 Views, 0 Comments

Five Home Staging Ideas for Selling Your Home

Home staging is one of the first steps to selling your home. You need to make the area inviting to possible buyers, so they can easily picture themselves in the space. There are a few rules and guidelines to staging a home, however. Here are a few tips.

1. De-Clutter

You need to get rid of all your junk and mess in the home. Everyone accumulates stuff, but now is the time to get rid of everything you don’t need. Begin packing up personal items and accessories too. If buyers see too many pictures of you and your family the will have a harder time envisioning themselves in the space. Remove all of your personal clutter.

2. Clean

This is a step you can do yourself, or you can hire someone else to do it. Whatever you decide, it needs to be cleaned…

1692 Views, 0 Comments