You went to a firm that practices green architecture (such as we do) you went to a builder who also is well versed in green building practices, and you did the planet a favor by going as ‘Green’ as you could on your home…. I want to congratulate you; I think you made a wise choice, but what next?

I would like to take just a moment to talk about what the next step in the eco-environmental movement should (at least in my mind) be. The next step needs to be using your land wisely, if that means your 5 acre lot, your half acre lot, or rooftop loft there are things and ways to make it pay.

I think everyone (yes I said everyone) should have a garden of some sort. You can plant herbs in a small pot in your window sill, or you can plant a full fledged garden…just plant something. With the economy in chaos and the price of food and gas rising regularly I feel it is wise to be as self sufficient as possible.

Trade in those flower beds for colorful and decorative vegetables….I would like to state here that I try to practice what I preach and this year we have swapped out our 7 flower beds for herb, and vegetables. I might also add that they are just as kept, and tidy as the flower beds, but instead of begonias growing this year we have corn, and squash!! Choose plants that will compliment your yards layout, and be sure to plant things you will use and eat!

We also converted and old shed into a chicken coop…. We currently have 9 chickens (6 of which lay eggs every day) and we have not had to purchase eggs in nearly 6 months. It has been an adventure, overall rewarding (but not without its challenges).

In conclusion to this brief post, I just think that we all need to be doing whatever we can to be as self sufficient as possible. We need to look at going ‘Green’ as a lifestyle change, not just a fancy term to use when building your new home. Get creative, and really use all of your recourses to the best of your ability.

Here is a list of the various Utah Parade of Homes dates….We are showcased in the Utah County Parade. (We hope to see you all there)!!

Utah Valley Parade of Homes
Utah County
June 3 – 18, 2011

Weber, Davis, Box Elder, Morgan, Parade of Homes
June 24 – July 10, 2011

Salt Lake Parade of Homes
Salt Lake & Tooele Counties
July 29 – August 14, 2011

Just want to take a moment and let you all know that we have our Facebook page up and running. Please feel free to join us there for all the latest Salt City News, photos, and updates. Make sure you ‘Like’ the page before you leave!!!

Facebook link (click here)

Everyone here at SCHD, would like to take a moment to thank all of our clients from 2010. We want to wish all of you who moved into your homes a happy and prosperous new year. It was a pleasure working with you, and we hope the experience was pleasant for you as well.

We would like to thank our many, many business partners for making 2010 a year of re-growth. After the horrific housing crash in 2008 it is good to see that the pieces are getting sorted out and that some of our developers and contractors are starting to breath again.

We are excited for 2011, we are working hard with one of our builders (Pepperdign Homes) to create and amazing home for this years 2011 Salt Lake County Parade of Homes. And we are happy to be part of another parade.

May this year be good, prosperous, and exciting for all!

Sincerely, The SCHD Team.

This article hits home as to why it is SOOOO important to get a meth test done when buying an existing home. Even if you forgo the inspection…..ALWAYS TEST FOR METH.

This article is from the CNN.com web page

Couple’s first home is a meth houseBy Sarah Hoye, CNN

The couple also received a certificate of approval from the borough inspector stating that a general inspection revealed “no imminent hazards” and the home was “in compliance” with borough codes.

The couple thought they had done everything right. But there was one thing missing from the to-do list for the first-time homebuyers: a test for methamphetamine.

“It’s horrifying,” said Quigley, 31. “This is the worst possible thing that could happen to a homebuyer. Period.”

Routine home inspections generally do not include searching for signs of meth labs, according to David Tamny, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors.

“That would be well beyond the scope and well beyond states’ statutes for home inspectors,” he said. “There are certain trainings or awareness seminars, but there’s never been much more than voluntary participation.”

Check out the full article here and let us know what you think!!

Couples's first home is a meth house

Can you believe the volunteer build day is this Saturday the 7th??? We are all very excited and this will be the last blog before the event!!! Just a reminder to all who are attending;

Time: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Place: 47 West Dewer Grove Lane (2700 South and approx. 50th West)
Please bring: Gloves, appropriate clothing, WATER

Once again, thank you all for helping out with a good cause, and we will see you on Saturday.

If you can believe it we are only one month away from the Habitat for Humanity build day event. A big thank you to all of those who have volunteered…Last year we really had a good time, and I think this year will be just as fun.

A quick reminder to all of you who still need to get your Volunteer application, and your waiver forms turned in…Please have them to me A.S.A.P. so that we can reserve your spot on the team. (If you need the form please contact us and we will get it to you).

For those of you whom have turned them in…stay tuned for more information (regarding time and location).

Thank you once again from the Salt City Home Designs Team.

Buyers, sellers, and agents should be prepared for extra costs and delays as cautious mortgage lenders order stricter reviews. This article comes from MSN Real Estate…. I have seen first hand what this article is talking about with some of my own investments. We had a home this last winter that appraised for $5,000 under the approved sales price. The buyers were ready to close (the appraisal was all that was left)….and when it came back low it threw everything into disarray…..

Here in as excerpt from the article;

“Any time you have a market in transition; appraisals aren’t going to keep up because the appraisal is based on historical data…… Inadequate “comps” can present problems as well. (“Comps” are recent sales of nearby homes that are similar, or comparable, to the home that’s the subject of the appraisal.) The mortgage lender may deem the comps inadequate if the homes were too far away or were sold in such nontraditional circumstances as a short sale or foreclosure or if the sales occurred too long ago. If the comps aren’t sufficient, the lender may order a review or second home appraisal to verify that they were chosen correctly.

Read the whole article and as always…please send your comments and tell us what you think.

MSN Real Eastate Home appraisals

Heavens know I hate to hear bad news (we all do)… but I ran across this article on MSNBC talking about how the standards for home loans have become so stringent that they are boarding on the ridiculous.

Here is an excerpt:

“The real estate business seems to have switched its motto from “location, location, location” to “documentation, documentation, documentation.” Potential buyers must chronicle every dollar of income and all assets via pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, bank statements, credit reports and sometimes even letters from employers or family members. Mortgage brokers blame new federal lending rules for injecting unneeded delays in the loan process, and they accuse some underwriters of focusing on their own job security rather than fairly analyzing a consumer’s default risk.”

Lets all keep our eyes open for solutions to these problems!! (Read this article and let us know what you think)

Read the entire article here
MSNBC….Tighter Standards

I just wanted to send out a quick thank you to everyone who tuned into the radio this weekend to hear our radio ad campaign. We will be running advertisements again in the near future so stay tuned for upcoming information.