What’s Right with Real Estate

It’s interesting to me to read all the conflicting opinions about real estate and Realtors. Public opinion of Realtors is rising in studies, yet I read about how all the new companies are trying to fix the broken system. Technology geeks are telling buyers and sellers to use their services instead of agents because they can do it better, news reports offer conflicting accounts about Realtors, and FSBO’s have their opinions. But what’s really interesting to me is that the people slamming Realtors most are…. Realtors!

It seems to be the thing for agents with blogs- Become the consumer’s advocate- not by giving them value and education (or a better value proposition), but by slamming the industry so they can say, “See, I’m pointing out bad stuff so I must be on your side”.

I’ve definitely given my share of criticism toward things in the business I disagree with, but I balance it with pointing out the good that agents are doing and the belief I have in utilizing one of the best agents in the area to help you when you buy or sell property. Sometimes when I post about the market being good, or not as bad as some think- people think I’m being biased or self-serving. Almost as if they think the only way to be truthful is to be negative. This year Salt Lake City has led the nation in appreciation for most of the year, yet some people think that because we aren’t shattering records, things must be horrible. Others see the reality and take advantage of a healthy market (1000 homes will be sold in Salt lake county this month- the same number as before last-year’s records), with a ton of inventory to choose from. I call it like I see it- the good and the bad and everything in between.

We all play our role in society.Some people fix roads or cut hair. Some study traffic patterns and others serve coffee and muffins at the local coffee shop. I’m a Realtor and I help people take that new job in Chicago by selling their home, and I help the first-time home buyer find their first place, and I help people make good financial decisions- usually the best source of investment income in their entire lives. I help people have closure after a divorce or death in the family by coordinating the sale of property. And I, along with thousands of Realtors locally and millions nationally, help protect property rights, fight property tax increases, and help educate the public about zoning, transportation, and housing issues that affect us all.

I help my clients with my knowledge and by giving them information and helping them to make good financial decisions that will make their lives better. There are differences between information and knowledge. You can go to websites or read the newspaper to get information- but if you want knowledge, you need a professional with years of experience and a real understanding of the area and the process of wisely investing money in real estate. And that’s where I, and many other great agents in the area, earn our living. Sure there are a lot of bad sales people out there- in every sales profession. But there are a lot of us who earn our money every day. And that’s something that’s right about real estate…

BlueRoof on InMan TV

Real Estate Video by - Real Estate Blogger

The interview was filmed in San Francisco during InMan connect a couple months ago where I was also a panelist discussing blogging and had other interviews and a lot of people to meet and things going on. Before the interview we were joking around, having a few drinks and having some fun, and I remember telling myself to slow it down and relax so I wasn’t going too fast or being silly. I may have taken it a bit too far because I seem tired or slow or something. But no worries- I’m grateful to have the support and respect of people in the real estate industry. As I’ve said before, this is an exciting time to be in real estate.

Thanks to InMan and Jessica- the whole crew was really great to work with.

BlueRoof.com Wins W3 Award

 

The W3 Awards were announced today and BlueRoof.com was awarded a silver award, which is probably much more exciting to me than to you, but I thought I’d share it with you anyway. A Gold award went to Zillow, and then they have a ”Best in Show” award, but that always goes to a new home development website with flash tours of the floorplans and stuff (they’ve never had a home search website win that award).

I feel good knowing that BlueRoof is the only local home-search site to win an award, and it’s always nice to get some recognition for your work and effort (and expense).

BlueRoof.com is still very unfinished. We have a lot of cool ideas to make the site much better, but it’s expensive and time-consuming developing new ideas (especially the ones I have) so I’ll take it a step at a time. For now, thanks to the W3 organization for the award…

New Oquirrhs Ski Resort Proposed

Kennecott Land, owner of the largest metropolitan landholding by a single owner in the country (75,000 acres) unveiled it’s master plan showing what it has coming in the next couple decades along the west side of Salt Lake county.

It includes 41,000 acres of hillside neighborhoods and businesses, a “transit spine” which would run along the west side Kennecott developments (south to Daybreak) at approximately 8400 West, an urban center north off I-80, and over 10,000 homes (in addition to the 13,500 at Daybreak) broken up into “town centers”, “village centers”, and “neighborhood centers.”

And a Ski Resort.

The new ski facility and Deer Valley-style resort would be in an area called Soldier Flats southwest of Magna and would be the closest ski resort to an international airport in the world (just 18 miles from Salt Lake International).

The resort would begin at a base elevation of 6200 feet and rise to 9350 feet. By comparison, Park City goes from 6900- 10,000 feet and Snowbird from 7760-11,000 feet.

“It’s not a matter of if, ” says Jim Schulte, Kennecott’s vice president of long-term planning, “but when.” He adds, “It’s certainly skiable terrain, and a lot of it.”

Nathan Rafferty, president and chief executive officer of Ski Utah, adds, “They could easily do it. I don’t know that it’s the kind of resortthat would compete with the Snowbird’s, Alta’s, and Deer Valleys of the world, but would be something that would benefit Salt Lake.”

City counselwoman Jenny Wilson may have expressed my sentiments best when she said, “[It] would create a great niche that we don’t have.”

“Great Streets” of the Nation

 

The American Planning Association yesterday released it’s first list Great Streets in the country. Among the ten great streets was South Temple Street in downtown Salt Lake City.

From the article;

True to Its Original Character Down to the Smallest Details

First envisioned in Joseph Smith’s Plat of Zion of 1833 and later employed by Brigham Young in 1847, South Temple Street was meant to be the finest and most prominent avenue in Salt Lake City, as well as a model for other cities and towns in the west. Much of South Temple’s success today is a direct reflection of this original bold vision.

The American Planning Association has selected South Temple Street as one of 10 Great Streets in America for its historical residential design and craftsmanship, diversity of land uses, and the integration of multiple forms of transportation throughout history — as well as commitment on the part of the community to preserve its legacy.

A major east-west corridor, South Temple Street is bounded by a historic residential neighborhood and the University of Utah to the east and the historic Union Pacific Railroad Depot to the west. Running 18 blocks long, the street encompasses everything from a mature tree-lined, mixed use district with historic homes, churches, commercial services, and retail establishments to the city’s central business area and downtown.

“South Temple simply tells the great story of our city’s past,” says Salt Lake City planner Ana Valdemoros, “and is also a statement of the efficient combination of historic preservation and modern planning tools.” Thanks to community leaders, residents, planners, and others, there is an ongoing commitment to Brigham Young’s vision that this be the finest street of the city.

Keeping the integrity of the original street, while incorporating the new (including the new City Creek development) is what sets South Temple apart from many other streets, and this blend and character in the heart of a downtown metropolitan city makes it even more impressive. It began with smart planning, being part of the overall smart design of downtown Salt lake, and carried on with the help of residents and city planners. Just one of the many jewels of Salt Lake City.

The other great streets on the list were:

Bull Street
Savannah, Georgia

Canyon Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Delmar Loop
University City and St. Louis, Missouri

Main Street
Northampton, Massachusetts

Monument Avenue
Richmond, Virginia

North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, Florida

125th Street
New York, New York

St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana

Lynn Richards

In memory…