How to Not Pay Too Much for Your Home

Whether you are buying your first home, or your fifth, the process of buying a home is a detailed, time-consuming venture. At the same time, it’s an emotional period laden with difficult choices. You want to ensure that the home you purchase meets your family’s needs now, and in the future.

Each of these decisions often involves money. When you consider all that money represents, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t pay too much. This article helps you become a savvy buyer, by pointing out some of the pitfalls inherent in the home-buying process. These include such things as knowing what you want before you begin shopping, taking your time to shop, choosing the right realtor, and remaining objective while viewing potential homes. With this information, you’ll be closer to finding your ideal home.

Do you have the right agent on your side?

The short sale market and process is constantly changing and can be a long process. Making sure you have an experienced and knowledgeable agent handing your short sale will make all the difference. And this is where Jennifer comes in. She works with many banks and is up to date with every process and new short sale program that comes out. Having the right agent can determine the outcome and your overall experience.

Free Home Valuation

Get a truthful and honest value. INCLUDING the costs associated with a standard sale. Get a truthful picture of what a short sale will be like based on the sepcific facts of your situation. SOme realtors may not know how to handle a listing in this market, let alone a short sale. This is a VERY big decision. I WILL NOT stalk you and force myslef on you. The decision to sell is a BIG one. Sellers just need the honest facts so they they can decide what to do.

SHORT SALE EXPERT

How You Can Avoid Foreclosure Scams
How You Can Avoid Foreclosure Scams. Please visit.

I am a real estate broker, realtor and short sale expert for the state of Utah.
I practice under the WFRMLS board.

• I need to know who your servicer(s) are. that the bank you make your payments to.
• I need to know if you have a first mortgage only or more than one mortgagor.
• I need to know if you have an HOA, any pending assessments or any other liens or judgements against you or the property.
• If you are UT Housing, FHA or VA or USDA (rural housing loan) I need to know that.
• I need to know if you are current or behind.
• I need to know if you live in the property, if its vacant or tenant occupied. I need to know the overall condition of the property.
• If its listed with a Realtor I need to know that, I also need you to know I cannot solicit that listing and am not intending to.
• I need to know if you have applied for HAMP, HAFA or a loan modification before or currently.

bythewayjenngray@live.com

Jennifer Gray

 Jennifer Gray’s experience in Utah’s real estate market is apparent the first time you talk with her. Having won the prestigious Diamond Award in consecutive years, she has established herself as one of Utah's best real estate agents. 

Through the use of several resources, Jennifer is able to leverage her experience to help you achieve your real estate goals. Her strong negotiating skills and dedication to you, her client, will ensure a smooth transaction.

Put Jennifer’s experience to work for you.

The Sweet Smell of a Successful Sale

Scents and aromas can have a dramatic impact on people’s emotions, otherwise, there wouldn’t be a multi-billion-dollar fragrance industry! Don’t ignore the power of fragrance when showing your home. Smoke, pet odors, and cooking smells can each dramatically impact how potential buyers feel about your house. If your potential buyers never form an emotional connection to your home, chances are that they will remain just that – potential buyers. Don’t allow smoking in your house for weeks leading up to showing it, find a pet-sitter for a few days, and clean, clean, clean! Once you’ve removed any aromas that might be off-putting and freshened the air in your home, you can actually use scent to your advantage. Consider doing some baking prior to showings. The scent of fresh apple pie is hard to beat when it comes to creating the atmosphere of a welcoming home! TIP: In a pinch, a mixture of water, vanilla extract, and brown sugar in an oven on low heat can be used to create the pleasing aroma of fresh baking. To a certain extent, buyers make purchase decisions based on their emotional response, so it’s important to make it easy for them to fall in love with your home. Pleasant smells are one more way to do so.

Do you have the right agent on your side?

The short sale market and process is constantly changing and can be a long process. Making sure you have an experienced and knowledgeable agent handing your short sale will make all the difference. And this is where Jennifer comes in. She works with many banks and is up to date with every process and new short sale program that comes out. Having the right agent can determine the outcome and your overall experience.

Kind words from a few clients

John & Amy Birch “We put our home up for sale a long while back by owner and never really gave it any thought about the work and effort that needs to be done in order to sell a home.    After a little disappointment we finally made the right decision to list with Jennifer Gray and wow were we impressed.   She sold our home in 3 weeks!!!   Not to mention they worked around our busy schedule and had all the answers for any questions that we have.  They also found us the right home in a very short time period too and worked out any details that we were concerned with.   If anyone wants the best for the job, she has what you need!!!  We have been extremely impressed with her work ethic and knowledge.  Thanks Jenn!!!!  We appreciate all that you have done for our family.” Charles & Marilyn Gipson “Jenifer has endless knowledge, energy and honesty.  Marilyn and I are still in awe that she was able to find the home of our dreams.  She is very efficient in understanding how to sell homes to the buyer with minimal stress that often comes with purchasing your new home.   We highly recommend her for others.” Esther Manning “I'm not sure about how to proceed with this 'recommendation'. All I can say is I am very happy with the way my Realtor (Jennifer ) handled my house buying experience. I am definitely impressed that she did everything she could to insure I was properly dealt with; even to the extent of making sure I knew how to turn the outside water on. She has also kept in contact, which had never happened with any other Realtor. Once a Realtor was done selling, he was gone. Not so, with Jennifer. She has followed up on the progress of my home and how I am doing. That makes me want to use her services, again, and also feel like we are friends that I can keep in touch with when I have a house issue. Jennifer is an energetic force” Tom Bowler “I have always been impressed by the hard work and attitude you have shown me.  You have assisted me through the purchase and sale of one of my homes, as well as have been especially helpful and patient as I look for my next one.  You have always been accurate in the information you have given me and have always been true to your word.  I also have referred you to a friend of mine and he also was very pleased with the services you provided as his real estate agent.  I would recommend you to anyone I know.  You are a fantastic agent!” Jennifer & Ben Spencer “Where to begin...we love Jennifer!  My husband and I are so glad that we chose to work with her.  We had a difficult situation to handle, and she was more than willing to try and help us out!  She is awesome at what she does, and knows the business inside and out.  She is such a wonderful, energetic, caring person who we can call our friend. She'll never know how much we truly appreciate everything she did for our family!”

Utility List

http://www.rockymountainpower.net/index.html
1-888-221-7070

http://www.questargas.com/

1-800-323-5517

DIRECT http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/index.jsp?topnavtype=-1 (also see the $100 incentive link on my homepage)

Comcast http://www.comcast.com/default.cspx

Qwest http://www.qwest.com/ 1-866-642-0444

You will need to call the city you are moving to or from and fax your HUD settlement statement from closing. You need to remove or put utilities in-out (of) your name NOT cancel them.

Riverton City http://www.rivertoncity.com/departments.applicationnew.html
Sandy CityPhone: (801) 568-7280
Fax: (801) 568-7277
Email: utilities
Cottonwood Improvement District (Sewer)
8620 Highland Drive
Sandy, UT 84093
Phone: 801-943-7671
Fax: 801-943-1077
www.cottonwoodimprovement.org

Salt Lake City Public Utilities (Culinary Water)
1530 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT
Mailing Address:
PO Box 145528
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5528
Phone: 801-483-6900
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER: 801-483-6700

www.slcgov.com/utilities

 White City Water http://www.wcwid.org/ 801-571-3991

South Valley Sewer http://www.southvalley.dst.ut.us/index.html Telephone: (801) 571-1166 FAX: (801) 571-5339

The District is responsible for the collection and distribution of sewage effluent within the entities of Bluffdale, Draper, Riverton, South Jordan, Herriman, southern portion of Sandy, a small portion of West Jordan City and the unincorporated portions in the southwest area of the Salt Lake Valley (including Copperton).