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Kalleen Foster
REALTOR®
    Years of Experience: 6

    Weber State University, BS, Business Management
    GRI-Graduate Realtor Institute
    SFR - Short Sale Foreclosure Resource

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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
2225 Washington Blvd #100
Ogden, UT 84401

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Posts Tagged ‘Buy a home in Ogden’

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It’s Time for a Swim!

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Open water swimming is all the rage in Utah!  Triathlons are becoming quite the rage here in Utah.  To be able to swim in a large body of water surrounding yourself by mountains and glorious scenery versus the pool deck of an average pool, is what summer is all about.  Open water swimming is it for many in Utah and is growing stronger as well.  Open water swimming features enough forgiving conditions to allow anyone to participate.  A pond, lake or even the ocean won’t limit the young athletes.  The races on June 11th had competitors ranging from 22-62 years in age. 

Open water swimming does have its own set of challenges though.  Different swimming conditions with each open body of water.  Conditions are always changing, the water can be smooth and glassy and in the next it can be rough and choppy.   Open water swimming has its own set of challenges that sets itself from the traditional swimming matches.  The growing interest of triathlons is also giving the open water swimming sport a boost. In 2010, there were over 60 triathlon-related events in Utah that included swimming legs.

Here in Utah, we have the Great Salt Lake and many reservoirs up and down the Wasatch front.  The Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim is scheduled for August 13, 2011 at Deer Creek Reservoir that is just north east of Provo and will host races of one mile, 5k, 10k and 10 miles.  Some people think all that Utah has is camping and now we are becoming well known for our open water swimming.  It’s just another great reason why I love to live and work here in Utah.

PS-Let me help you buy or sell a home in Ogden!

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Posted in Buy a House, Sports in Ogden area, Vacations | No Comments »

Great Time to Sell in Top of Utah

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Local Housing Market in the Top of Utah

Homes in Weber, Davis & Morgan counties have had declining prices and shrinking inventory.  This has been reported from the Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors comparing data for April 2011 & 2010.  The drop in prices is because of bank foreclosures and sellers who are increasingly motivated to engage in short sales and are willing to negotiate with buyers in the soft housing market.  The prices may be down, but these counties have fewer homes to choose from.  In Davis County, home sales were down 19.9 percent in April and inventory was down 32.7 percent in Morgan County. Homes were also on the market 38 percent longer in Davis County and 14.4 percent longer in Weber County in April.

The availability of a federal tax break makes Northern Utah a home buyer’s market.  For example, a home owner would pay taxes on $45,000 of income, if a homeowner makes $50,000 a year and pays $5,000 in mortgage interest. The national mortgage interest rate has been lowered to 5.11 percent on a 30-year fixed mortgage also is a great benefit to buyers. Also new home construction is starting progress now that the weather is getting better.

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Posted in Builders, Buy a House, Financing, First Time Home Buyers, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Selling a Home | No Comments »

Snowbasin Opening for the Summer–Historic!!

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

 

Snowbasin Resort, in the mountains near Ogden, will be re-opening for weekend summer skiing beginning June 11. It is the first time the resort has opened in the summer!

Resort officials say above average snowpack and a 100-inch base will allow them to remain open as long as conditions allow. Skiers will be able to use the Needles Gondola to access multiple runs from 8 am to 2 pm. While the snowpack in the mountains of northern Utah has thrilled outdoor enthusiasts, it’s got officials worried about the potential for severe flooding once temperatures warm enough to melt it. 

Snowbasin is well known as the ultimate mountain luxury!  With diverse terrain for beginner ease to challenging expert runs, Snowbasin also offers three progressive terrain parks and 26km of groomed Nordic trails. With 3,000 skiable acres and 3,000 vertical feet, Snowbasin is best known for wide-open bowls, gladed runs, manicured groomers, powder stashes days after a storm, and rarely a lift line.

Snowbasin has world-class snowmaking and one of the most advanced lift systems in the West. Enjoy award-winning cuisine including mountaintop dining with spectacular views and magnificent day lodges.

Make the most of day on the mountain with more than 100 certified instructors, adaptive programs, state-licensed day care and children’s programs. And for more family fun, don’t miss the four-lane lift assisted tubing hill.

Snowbasin is just 35 miles north of Salt Lake City with easy access to the Park City Area.  Après ski in Downtown Ogden, just 17 miles away! How great it is to live in Ogden, Utah, where just miles away you can go snow skiing in the middle of summer!

PS–another reason to buy or sell a home in Ogden?   Great inventory to choose from and interest rates are low…which new home have you picked out?

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Posted in Community, Luxury Homes, Sports in Ogden area | 2 Comments »

Volunteers~Another Reason to Buy a Home in Ogden, UT

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

In May, Ogden City employees, business leaders and community volunteers traded in shirts, ties and cell phones in for shovels, rakes and gloves to make Junction City shine.  Now, more than 62 different locations around the city are sparkling!

This was the city’s third official Make a Difference Day and more than 1,000 volunteers took part with 60-65 percent of the volunteers being Ogden City employees. The city does not mandate that the employees pitch in on the service day, most stepped up and want to help out.  This is an incredible effort by all of the volunteers to take a day and help spruce up and clean the city limits.

The city helped in some areas by providing dirt, mulch and manpower.  The city council also donated $5,000 in city money to the cause, although the man hours saved by the volunteers far outweighed the money donated by the city council.  The council members also participated at locations ranging from the Salvation Army to the north site of the Nature Center on Mountain Road. 

The volunteers have also been able to see what a difference their work that they did last year has done to this year.  The number of volunteers has risen each year as well. Cleaning up Ogden is a big undertaking but it has been a great group effort by many of the volunteers that work and live here in Ogden. 

I’m so glad that I live in a city that is constantly growing and improving and has many people who live in it and constantly want to make it better!

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Posted in Community | 1 Comment »

Compare This Snow Pack in the Ogden, UT Area!

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Guess what?  Last year, I took the first picture of the mountains on May 4th, 2010.  I love the view and am thinking of framing it and hanging it in my great room.   I stumbled across it again while looking for another picture and noticed the snow pack.  Wow!

So today, May 4th, 2011, I took another picture of the same view for ya’ll to compare!  We have had record, and I mean record, snowfall this winter and spring.  You don’t believe it until you see it, especially if you do not live in this area. 

Compare the leaves on the trees and bushes in each picture.  It is amazing.  Even today the temperature was cool for this time of year and spring around here is just beginning–the first of May!   What does this kind of weather do for fruit trees?  I have 14 of my own and it will be interesting to see what happens.

I will keep you posted…just where is all this snowpack going to go and how fast is it going to come down?  Pretty darn scary.

PS-Isn’t it beautiful? When you are ready to buy and/or sell a home in Ogden, UT, contact me and I will help you get exactly what you want, for the price you want.

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Posted in Community, Neighborhood | 2 Comments »

Art and Dining on Ogden’s Historic 25th ST

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Crowley Gallery & Café

About 7 years ago, Tami Crowley and her husband opened Artists & Heirlooms, an art gallery on Ogden’s Historic 25th Street. They just changed the name to Crowley Gallery & Café last month and changed the space to include a dining area where patrons can enjoy artistically designed cuisine by chef John Ewing.  Tami said that she has always wanted to add a café to the gallery to make it a different experience for art strollers and collectors.

Their new chef John Ewing is all about creativity and fine foods.  After training at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he went on to a career spanning more than three decades as head chef at several high-end dining establishments. He even has opened several of his own restaurants in Florida and Philadelphia. His dishes have a Carribean & European flair due to the fact that he spent time as a head chef on a small island in the Bahamas as well as studying as an apprentice with an Austrian chef.

This is going to be a great addition to the other fine places to dine and see art along Ogden’s Historic 25th Street.  And it’s another reason why I love to live here in Ogden. It’s because of places like this right here at my door step.  Buy a home in Ogden and join us!

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Posted in Community | No Comments »

New Additions to Ogden’s Union Station

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

 

The beloved Union Station in downtown Ogden will be getting some new paving stones around the main plaza fountain.  The older cobblestones have been there for more than 30 years and won’t need to worry, they will still stay…they will just be shifted off to the side. The cobblestones were originally salvaged from loading docks north of the station where Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA’s)  Intermodal Uub is now and they were too big and uneven to make a good walking surface.

The Union Station wants to redesign the plaza anyway and even issued a plea to the public to come help rip out the stones, but it didn’t work. The cobble stones weighed about 20 pounds each so it turned out to be an impossible job to do by hand. Finally enough money was raised to hire a contractor to bring in machinery to rip out the old stones and put in the new plaza.   Among the flat paving stones that will be placed in the plaza, anyone willing to pay a $100 donation will get a stone engraved with their name.

The hedges that flanked the sides of the plaza will be taken out and it will free up space around the linden trees and will open up the front of the station.  The cobblestones will then be used to pave the parking circles on the north and south ends of the plaza area.

It’s great Ogden’s Union Station will be getting these new stones as well as the changes that are going to be made.  It just shows you how the people of Ogden take pride in their town and another reason to buy a home in Ogden.

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Posted in Community | 1 Comment »

Mortgage Interest Rates

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Interest Rates for Thursday, April 19, 2011.  It’s interesting because the rates change daily, but haven’t changed much in the last month.

30 yr fixed  4.78%             last week   4.87%

15 yr fixed  3.99%             last week   4.07%

5/1 ARM     3.30%             last week    3.48%

30 yr Refi   4.78%             last week    4.87%

15 yr Refi   3.99%              last week    4.08%

Please keep in mind these are general figures because credit scores, lenders, and geographical areas differ. 

It is still a great time to buy a home.  When will you contact me so I may help you use these historically low interest rates to purchase your next home in the Ogden area? Let’s get together soon!

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Posted in Mortgages | No Comments »

Tips for First-Time Homebuyers in this Historic Buyers Market

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

Is it the right time to make a move into real estate?  That is a question that a lot of first time buyers are asking themselves.  Below is a reality check list to help first time buyers know if they are ready to buy.

  • Get your finances in order-Before you buy, you need to make sure that your credit is in good shape.  You need to review credit history and know your credit score. You will also need to have enough money set aside for a down payment.  It’s also important not to put all of your money towards the purchase of a home in case of extra expenses afterwards.

 

  • Do not look at homes that you cannot afford-Before you look at homes, you will need to establish your purchase power upfront to determine what you are approved for.  This way you will not set your sights on a home that you cannot afford. At this time, you should also be looking at special loans available from FHA and other government sponsored loans for first time home buyers.

 

  • Get familiar-Familiarize yourself with the process and terminology associated with buying a home, make sure you have a realtor that you trust to help explain the process.

 

  • Interest Rates-There are a lot of misleading mortgages with low rate promises and no contingencies for those who have great credit.  Rates are based upon many different factors and the loan isn’t locked until the application is accepted.

*Basis Point-A term used in the mortgage industry which simply means 1/100th of 1%.

*Closing costs-These are the fees required to process and close your loan.

*FHA-Federal Housing Administration

*FRM & ARM-Fixed rate mortgage loan is a loan where the interest rate stays the same the life time of the loan. ARM is an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage with variable interest rates.

*GFE-The Good Faith Estimate is a document explaining all costs involved in getting a loan.

*TIL-The Federal Truth In Lending Form document that tells you the costs and fees of the loan.

*Lis pendens-An official notice that there is a pending lawsuit over real estate.

*Per Diem Interest-Interest you pay per day.

*Underwriting/Underwriting fees-Underwriting is the process that the lender performs to qualify a borrower for a loan.

*Warranty deed-A legal document guaranteeing the seller has a right to sell a property.

Last but not least, find a realtor that you believe will make the right fit with you to help you find the home of your dreams.  A realtor will become a life- long partner in buying and selling real estate.

Now is a great time to buy or sell in the Ogden area.   Do you need help to take  advantage of this historic time?  You may contact me anytime.

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Posted in Buy a House, Financing, First Time Home Buyers, Mortgages | 2 Comments »

Interest Rates Have Inched Down Again

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Interest Rates for Thursday, March 17, 2011.  It’s interesting because the rates change daily. 

30 yr fixed  4.76%             last week   4.82%

15 yr fixed  4.00%             last week   4.08%

5/1 ARM     3.37%             last week    3.48%

30 yr Refi   4.77%             last week    4.83%

15 yr Refi   4.01%              last week    4.08%

Please keep in mind these are general figures because credit scores, lenders, and geographical areas differ. 

It is still a great time to buy a home.  When will you contact me so I may help you use these historically low interest rates to purchase your next home in the Ogden area?

http://money.cnn.com/real_estate/

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Posted in Housing Market, Mortgages | 1 Comment »

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