Cache County Utah Real Estate

Logan Utah Real Estate News And Neighborhood Updates

by Lisa Udy on January 6, 2011

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post here and there’s a good reason why. I have been focused on my new website regarding Logan real estate.

As I focus on building that site, I have left this site on the back burner. But, if you missed me, here are a few things I have been working on at my new site that may peek your interest.

First, I decided I needed to update my Cache County communities page with some more useful information for potential buyers looking to relocate to the area. I am not finished updating the page yet, but you can check it out.

I have added a little blurb about why I think Cache County is a great place to purchase a home, a little information about our business sector, and a few links to the best places to have fun while visiting the area. I am looking for any suggestions on what else to add, so if you have a few tips, please let me know.

Secondly, I have been spending a lot of time updating my Logan neighborhood pages with more detailed information. Google has stated they are putting more and more weight on ranking due to the quality of content on a website.

If you compare these pages for Country Manor, Cottonwood Cove, Willow West, and Parkside Estates. You can see that I have added a little more content to give my visitors a better experience with my site.

And lastly, I have a new blog on my new website which is in dire need of some content. Thusly, I have been updating that blog more regularly to feed my visitors some more content about my area.

I’ve also asked a few people to guest post some blogs to help me keep it updated. My new blog will probably be a bore to most of you as it will be more focused on my local community, real estate statistics, and neighborhoods.

So, I apologize for not updating this blog recently, but I plan to change that over the coming weeks as we head into the new year. Thanks for reading!

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How To Increase Your Logan Homes Value Before Selling

by Lisa Udy on August 17, 2010

Before putting your home on the market, it’s best to get it in pristine condition. In a market that’s over saturated with inventory, your home doesn’t only have to be priced correctly, but it has to shine like a diamond in a coal pit to bring top value.

I have witnessed home sellers ignore my staging advice and left their homes in dire condition when listing. These sellers find out later the huge mistake they made. Taking the extra time to get your home looking good will save you time, money, and will give you the best chance to increase it’s value.

Spruce Up Exterior Paint And Repair/Replace Siding

A first impression comes from the outside of your home. Retouching paint, fixing lose siding, or replacing damaged or missing siding on your home shows you care about the maintenance of your property.

If you feel you need to repaint the home entirely, please be cautious of the colors you paint it with. (Bright pink does not bode well for selling a home.) Talk to your Realtor about paints colors that will appeal to the largest amount of buyers.

Update/Repair Windows And Doors

If you have an older home with inefficient windows or single pane, updating them can add some value to your home. Choose stylish and efficient windows when replacing to give your home a better look, while keeping your utility bills lower. You can also get a $1,500 tax credit for replacing your windows and doors until the end of 2010. (Energy Efficient Tax Credits)

Reinvigorate Your Landscaping And Update Old Outside Lighting

Pretty Flowers

Go to the local garden shops here in town and see if you can get any ideas on updating your landscaping. Adding some new trees, shrubs, colorful flowers, and replacing sod can create an inviting space over night.

Updating your outside lighting will give potential buyers who drive by at night a better view of your home. During the day it will give the exterior an updated look to go with your new landscaping.

New Flooring

Flooring has a huge pull on buyers. Many people don’t like carpet in kitchens, raggedy carpet, and wood flooring that’s in bad shape. Your Logan home’s floors need to be clean, modern, and stylish to help increase your value.

Update And De-Clutter The Kitchen

Updating counter tops, cabinets, and plumbing is a good way to add value. Be careful not to overdue it though. You shouldn’t over improve your home. Your home should be comparable to your neighbors but doesn’t necessarily have to surpass them. De-clutter counter tops and remove anything that you don’t absolutely need to survive.

Update Bathrooms

Even the small things can give your bathroom a refreshing look. Remove grout, re-caulk as necessary, and a fresh coat of paint can go a long way. If you have chips in porcelain sinks and tubs, you may want to look at repairing or replacing them. Also, updating lightning fixtures is an easy, yet effective way of adding value to your home.

Update Interior Panting

It’s a good idea to walk through some open houses and model homes to get an idea of the current paint colors buyers are looking for. If you have rooms with outlandish colors such as bright pink, neon green, or orange sherbet. Your home will appeal to more buyers if you paint over those colors while your home is on the market with something more subtle and neutral.

Deep Cleaning

If you don’t have the time or feel you aren’t as cleanly as need be, hire some professionals to give your home a deep cleaning. Clean carpets, re-finished wood floors, and removal of stuck on grime in the corners will give your home a fresh feeling. Keeping a home in showing condition is very important to getting the best value out of your home from a potential buyer.

You don’t have to do every one of these tips to get your home to stand out, but you do need to take care of the items that are most important to your home. If your home needs landscaping attention more than interior attention, do what you can. Work your way down the list from worst to best and do what you can, but don’t stress to much over every little thing. As your home gets shown, you will get more feedback on what items need the most attention.

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Questions Every Buyer Should Ask Their Logan Utah Real Estate Agent

by Lisa Udy on July 30, 2010

In Cache county, there are over 300 active real estate agents, which means you have a whole lotta choice when it comes to deciding on an agent to represent you. Yes I know lotta isn’t a word, but that’s beside the point.

Since you’re going to be making a huge purchase, you should probably get the best representation you can when buying a home. Use these interview questions to find the best Logan UT buyers agent to suit your needs:

Are They Full Time Or Part Time?

Part time agents usually work other jobs, and may be difficult to get a hold of at times. Although, some part time agents have very flexible second jobs. Full time agents can usually give you more attention and I would recommend going with full time over part time.

How Familiar With The Area Are They?

Every local market is local, and within each local market, there are hyper local markets. Agents that know the area you are interested in can inform you of prices, demand, and what neighborhoods are up and coming.

Using agents from Salt Lake City to purchase a home in Cache County would not be a smart choice. If you have an agent you like in other areas, ask the agent in Cache County to pay them a referral fee, and use the expertise of an agent familiar with the local market.

How Busy Are They?

When choosing an agent, you want to make sure they have the time to take care of your needs thoroughly. Some say that you don’t want to work with busy agents because slower agents have more time to work with you. I don’t think this is true.

Busier agents seem to be more time sensitive and use their time wisely. Busy agents are more efficient and have great systems to give their clients great service. That’s why their busy. They provide a great service, and their clients are happy with what they receive.

Will They Handle All Aspects Of Your Transaction Or Do They Have Assistants?

Many agents have assistants they delegate tasks to. Here at our office, I have two full time licensed assistants to help me make sure my clients needs are met quickly and sufficiently. Knowledgeable assistants are invaluable to a real estate agents business.

If you can’t reach your agent, you can usually get a hold of the assistant. Be sure that your agent doesn’t put all of their work in their assistants hands, you still need to be able to connect with them.

Will They Provide You With Sufficient Community Information?

Information on things such as schools, job growth, real estate statistics, their company etc. should be a high priority. Knowing how to sell real estate isn’t all about selling a home. Knowing the communities and market data they work in is part of a real estate agents job.

Is Their Real Estate License In Good Standing And Do They Have Any Complaints?

You can find out if your Utah real estate agent’s license is valid, on probation, or in-active by going to https://secure.utah.gov/rer/relv. Just type in the agents name and press send. Here is what my record looks like: Lisa Udy’s Real Estate License.

My license says it was issued in 2009, which was when I acquired my brokers license. (I’ve had an agents license since 2001.) Follow this link to find out the differences between a real estate broker and an agent. Also, you can see I have never had a disciplinary action filed against me.

How Much Education And Experience Do They Have?

Education and experience are two different things. An agent could have all of the designations in the world, but if they only sell 1 or 2 homes a year, how experienced are they working with problems that arise in a real estate deal?

Can they handle re-negotiating a repair? Do they know how to win a negotiation to get you the best deal? Just like any school, you can’t teach experience, it has to be learned.

Agents have access to the knowledge of their real estate broker for these situations. Make sure if you’re working with a newer agent, they have the support necessary to keep your deal together. If they have a broker who is unavailable, you might need to find another agent.

Put Together This Agent Interview Checklist:

Contact Availability: Email/Phone/Facebook?
Office Location?
Number Of Homes Sold This Year? Last Year? Career?
Number Of Buyers Represented This Year? Month? Working With Right Now?
Knowledgeable About Neighborhood?
Work Days? Evenings? Weekends? Holidays?
Available On Your Time?
Require Exclusive Buyers Representation Agreement To Look At Homes?
References?
And Anything Else You Want To Add….

Pick The Best Agent – You Shouldn’t Expect Anything Less

Buying a home is a huge commitment. Don’t assume any Logan UT real estate agent can get you through to the closing table with the best price, the best conditions, in the least amount of time, and minimal stress.

There’s a reason 7% of real estate agents do 93% of the business. They work harder, have more experience, are easy to communicate with, and can negotiate the best deals for their clients.

You should pick a real estate agent the same way you would pick a new employee. Ask them qualifying questions, check their background, talk to references, and don’t go easy. You deserve the best.

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5 Things You Must Know Before Selling FSBO In Logan Utah

by Lisa Udy on July 28, 2010

Are you thinking about selling your Logan home on your own? If so, you need to be aware of what’s going on in the Logan real estate market, and what you need to do to get your home sold fast and for more money. Here are 5 tips you can use to put yourself in the best position to get your home sold:

Price It Right:

As of today, there are over 900 homes on the market in Cache Valley surpassing any other inventory level in our history. Our market is flooded with inventory and if you want to sell your home, you have to price it competitively. Home buyers are few and far between, and they know their in the drivers seat when it comes to purchasing.

If your home is over priced, home buyers won’t even bother setting up a showing. There are to many homes for them to choose from to waste their time on an unrealistic seller. How do you price your home right? Since you’re selling your home on your own, it will be difficult to get the right price.

I would recommend putting your home on the market, and see what type of activity you receive. If you’re not getting any activity on your property after a few weeks, you’re likely over priced and need to reduce it. You can also ask a real estate agent to do a market analysis for you, as most agents would be happy to provide this service. They have access to sold data from the MLS, and can usually provide you a pretty good ball park of your homes value.

Prepare Your Home For Showings

If you want to sell your home for the most money in the shortest amount of time, your home has to look sexy. Putting a sign in the yard and not taking care of the cosmetics will not cut it. Home buyers are picky. They like updated homes that are clean, de-cluttered, well manicured, and fresh.

Staging your home for home buyers is like going to a party at the white house. Your home has to look it’s best to impress, and if you don’t take care of the cosmetics, you’re home isn’t getting through the white house gates. Wow potential home buyers by taking care of the little things from curb to curb.

Clean gutters, wash off sidewalks, mow the lawn, remove weeds, plant some flowers, open up your front porch with some inviting potted plants, and freshen up the paint on the front door.

Remove any personal clutter, pictures, shoes, coats, and unsightly furniture to give buyers a canvas to paint their own pictures. Remove wall paper and paint all rooms with some neutral colors. And don’t forget to remove pets, and get your carpets cleaned!

Market Your Home Aggressively

Many FSBO sellers put a sign in their yard and leave it at that. Give yourself a better shot at selling by doing a few extra things. You never know who might buy your home, and you never know who knows someone looking for a home like yours. So anyone you talk to, let them know you’re selling your home.

Also, there are many websites that will let you advertise your home is for sale. You can check out sites such as KSL.com, CacheValleyDaily.com, and Craigslist.org. These websites get a descent amount of traffic here in Utah, and should help you get your home some fresh eyeballs.

There are also some real estate brokerages who offer a fee service allowing you to list your home in the MLS. They usually cost between $300-$500.

Keep your marketing updated. Many FSBO signs, after a month or so, start to fade. Make sure people can see your phone number clearly. You will also need to re-post your online ad’s about once every two weeks. If anything changes with your price or selling conditions, be sure to update your advertising to show it.

Get Creative With Your Selling Options

What can you do to entice a buyer to pick your home over another home? Adding extras such as closing costs for buyers, furniture, or new appliances can be the difference in getting an offer or not. If you can carry seller financing, you open yourself up to more buyers.

Also, consider doing a lease option if you feel desperate. The rental market here in Cache Valley is extremely competitive right now. There are many people with descent incomes that want to buy but can’t quite qualify. A lease option could be a good way to pay your mortgage and have a chance to sell the home later on down the road.

According to the National Association of Realtors, only 13% of homes sold in 2008 were FSBO’s. Offering these extra incentives will give you a greater shot at selling your home. Be prepared to make the pot sweet enough to entice a potential buyer.

Who Are You Kidding? Hire An Agent

Did you see that last statistic? Only 13% of sold homes are FSBO. If you’ve been on the market for a long time and your time is running out.

Hire a Realtor to get your home sold. Yes, Realtor fees are high, but we provide a valuable service, and statistically will bring you more money than if you sell on your own.

Hate real estate agents? So did I before I became one. The reason I became an agent was the frustration I had with working with them. If you had a bad experience with a Realtor, don’t judge everyone by that experience.

Since becoming an agent, I have found most agents are respectable business people with high integrity. Sure, just like all professions, we have our bad apples. But you can avoid them by doing a little homework and talking to friends.

I admire anyone willing to take on the challenge of selling a home in today’s tough market. Be sure to get all the information you can and speak to agents about pricing your home correctly. I would also recommend you keep an open mind on paying a commission to a buyers agent for a potential sale, and have plenty of patience. Good Luck!

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Utah Home Loan Programs

May 21, 2010

Are you looking to buy a home but don’t know what loan programs you qualify for? If you are, here are some less well known programs that I am aware of as a real estate agent, but if you’re serious about qualifying for a mortgage, you really should talk to a mortgage professional. Utah Home [...]

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Life After The First Time Home Buyer And Move Up Buyer Tax Credits

May 11, 2010

If you haven’t heard, there was this huge commotion over the first time home buyer tax credit. The commotion went a little something like this: Free Money!!!! If you bought a home for the first time in your life during the 2009-2010 home buyer tax credit days, you received or will receive $8,000 from the government. But Did You Read The Fine Print? Did [...]

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Smithfield Real Estate Market Report March 2010

April 7, 2010

In Smithfield Utah there are 63 currently active real estate listings on the Smithfield Utah MLS. In Smithfield Utah there are currently 22 homes under contract. In March of 2010 there were 10 Smithfield Utah homes that sold. Those homes sold were on the market an average of 169 days and sold at an average price [...]

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Logan Utah Real Estate Market Report March 2010

April 7, 2010

In Logan Utah there are 286 currently active real estate listings on the Logan Utah MLS. In Logan Utah there are currently 63 homes under contract. In March of 2010 there were 33 Logan Utah homes that sold. Those homes sold were on the market an average of 167 days and sold at an average price [...]

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Providence Utah Real Estate Market Report March 2010

April 7, 2010

In Providence Utah there are 63 currently active real estate listings on the Providence Utah MLS. In Providence Utah there are currently 8 homes under contract. In March of 2010 there were 4 Providence Utah homes that sold. Those homes sold were on the market an average of 205 days and sold at an average price of $301,750 at an average of $83 [...]

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