Yesterday, my husband and I attended The Backyard's Grand Opening (previously named Plant World) celebration at their beautiful nursery facility located at 1335 South Dixie Drive in St. George, Utah. We were greeted by and smiling friendly staff, festive balloons, food galore as they showed off their wares, not to mention an enormous variety of plant material everywhere! And LIVE Entertainment!  There were drawings throughout the day for plant supplies, home décor items and decorative outdoor garden objects. I thought the Bank's Roses below behind the bench were exceptionally pretty and could picture that in my garden at home!     My husband prefers shopping for his landscape plant supplies at The Backyard because they have an onsite Horticulturist, Angela Quail to answer any/all quest... 03/21/2010

Friday March 19 & Saturday March 20, 2010 ~ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Stop by and tour both of these lovely homes, I'd love to see you! For Sale - 1954 East View Point Drive, St. George, UT 84790 - MLS# 09-111672   Wanda Kubat-Nerdin | Prado Real Estate | 435-632-9374 1954 East View Point, St. George, UT Ultra Modern Home with resort-style pool amenities awaits you at Stone Cliff, a Gated Community in St. George, Utah! 1BR/2+1BA Single Family House   offered at $748,900! Year Built 2008 Sq Footage 3,500 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking Unspecified Lot Size 15,246 sqft HOA/Maint $195 per month DESCRIPTION Totally custom, one-of-a-kind modern masterpiece complete with lavish amenities including: Imported Brazilian granite, a gourmet kitchen boasting top-of-the-line... 03/19/2010

At the intersection of St. George Boulevard and Bluff Street, St. George City personnel make this area look like its always dressed to the nines year 'round. A clear indication that Spring has arrived is when the Daffodils bloom and spread sunshine across the entire city. Mother Nature is just starting to show her true colors! And I'm so lucky to have a front row seat! 03/18/2010

St. George, Utah is on the Nation's "hot spot" list for retirees who are seeking active adult communities.  It's the perfect community for those who will soon retire or who have already retired and want amenities like clubhouses, tennis, golf, boating, arts & craft, trails and much more all within close proximity. Sun River is among one of the most entertaining, active adult communities in St. George, Utah today.  You'll find all the essentials of everyday life such as home, work, play, and leisure time, all brought to you in one magnificent setting that creates a harmonious community of perfectly balanced sociability and privacy. The social hub of Sun River is made up of the luxurious 29,000 sq ft multi-purpose Community Center that's packed with plenty of fun activities.  You'll find ... 03/17/2010

St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Members! Join the ranks of business owners and become a St. George Area Chamber of Commerce member in the southern, Utah area. It will help to bring more local business your way, especially when offering exceptional customer service with a high degree of professionalism.  St George Area Chamber of Commerce97 E St George Blvd, St George, UT 84770Phone: 435-628-1658http://www.stgeorgechamber.com   03/15/2010

How is the Fastest Growing City in the Nation from 2000 to 2006 (according to the US Census Bureau) doing? Basically, the St George Utah real estate market was slow to come on at the beginning of the housing boom and then like a mad rush, investors drove up prices because it is quite attractive here. A lot of California people looking for a better life style to raise a family see St George Utah as very attractive. If there were more industry established it would grow like the next Scottsdale, Arizona. We have the high dessert appeal of the red dirt and local red rock features like Zion National Park. Then what went up went back down as fast and hard. We were more like the aluminum frying pan, quick to heat up and quick to cool down. Only local perceptions have driven us back down so fas... 03/06/2010

Hello!  I'm hoping to reach the potential buyers out there searching for a good St George Realtor.  I have noticed that when it comes to actually seeing and viewing real estate, that buyers, for the most part will really let their guards down and be very no nonsense about disclosing and interacting and sharing information that can really help them get down the road in purchasing something. But that first contact or moment of picking up the phone and calling 'that' Realtor seems to be hard and difficult.  I wonder why?   Well, I think it is because most buyers have had a bad experience OR they don't want to be SOLD or given or taken to areas of conversation they are not ready to go with at this time.  They or YOU of course like the subject matter to APPLY to what it is you are trying to ... 03/06/2010

So, what is changing in the mortgage lending arena for the St George Real Estate market, at least as far as FHA requirements will go. If considering an FHA loan here are changes that may affect you. Here's a pretty clear, shortened breakdown of the changes and what they mean (I have taken these from : 1. Mortgage insurance goes up from 1.75% to 2.25%. Since the mortgage insurance is paid over the life of the loan it is not an overburden, although it still adds some cost to purchasing a home. This goes into effect  on April 5, 2010. 2.  There will be new credit score requirements and down payment. Credit scores of 580 or better only have to come up with 3.5% down. Anything less requires 10% down minimum.  The risk for the FHA is way better balanced this way while still providing affordab... 03/06/2010

The Notice of Defaults have gone down, here in St George Utah, in the first two months of January and February of 2010, suggesting that a break from foreclosures setting pricing on the market and some return of normalcy could be possible.  It is too early to tell as the first two months of the year tend to be a little odd anyway. St George real estate number of sales were down here in the first two months as well.  A pattern of more active homes going on the market in January, more than what sold, is quite evident for the past two years. Lots of changes in the mortgage market have taken place with more and more first time buyers being turned away from the new home buyer tax credit because more time on the job or greater down payments are required even though peoples credit suggests they... 03/06/2010

The official 2010 Census will be in the mail this week to every St. George, Utah household and every other household in the country.  This is a government ritual that is repeated every 10 years to help define the United States population. Most of the nation's 120 million residents will be getting their census forms in the mail by mid-March.  Residents who do not return the questionnaire through the mail will receive a visit from a Census worker.  Therefore, St. George is challenging all its residents to exceed their participation level in this year's Census from their participation level in the 2000 census. Many people don't realize how vitally important the census is.  It is so important that every single person be counted so that Washington County can receive its fair share of federal... 03/03/2010

Just like every cloud has a silver lining, every storm has its calm. This storm was rolling in fast, the cloud cover coming in so quick, it seemed to go eerily quiet and dark at the same time. And then just as I thought the rain was going to come pouring down, the sun broke through! I wonder what clouds sound like when they bump each other? 03/03/2010

Do you know someone who is moving into your area? Or have you sold a home to people who are new to the area? There is a no-profit organization that promotes friendship among members while creating a feeling of belonging in the community. Refer them to your local Newcomers Club! This is the international website: http://www.newcomersclub.com The club was established in April, 1995. There are quite a few interest groups with more added each year: bowling, breakfast buddies, bridge, bunch-a-lunch, bunco, cooking, crafts, dining out, gardening, ladies & men's golf, Mesquite trips, shopping trips, quilting, reading, singles, sketch pads, skiing, TGIF and much more! Everyone is welcome to join, whether you are new to the area or a long-time resident! So, call or check out the local website f... 02/27/2010

    Ruffled feathers!    I was at a stop sign, ready to turn right when the City bus let off a woman at her designated place. I spotted a huge, beautiful white swan over by a pond and the bird suddenly stood, ruffling its feathers, stalking toward her. She started toe-stepping quickly to get away from the territorial bird waving her backpack side-to-side to avoid getting bitten! All I could do was giggle because it looked so funny! This swan wasn't about to let anyone get close to the pond it claimed at Sunbrook Golf Course community in St. George, Utah. I decided to get a quick picture so I pulled up to the curb, rolled down my passenger side window, got a shot and here-comes-the-bird-AFTER-ME! Ok, so now I'm not giggling anymore, especially when I lost sight of it as I tried to pull a... 02/23/2010

After giving much thought to a change in brokerages, my REALTOR® partner, Lee Boerckel and I decided to go forward and have moved over to Prado Real Estate at 21 North Main Street, St. George, Utah due to an optimum business opportunity that presented itself.  How could we say no to all this? Positive & motivated staff/agents A totally paperless office Thriving business environment Prime downtown office location Glass storefront to busy sidewalk traffic Room to grow as the business expands A lot of walk-in traffic from Main Street We are very happy to be part of the Prado Real Estate family and look forward to gaining more long lasting relationships and seeing our business grow and thrive! Here we go!   02/22/2010

Today is the last day of my 11 day open house at 1707 South Paragon Drive at Stone Cliff Community in St. George, Utah! I have met many wonderful people, increased my sphere of influence and may even have an offer (or 2) coming in today! So, once again, I AM OFF TO THE RACES!   02/21/2010

During the St. George, Utah Parade of Homes, thousands of viewers came to see the new spectacular homes.  And, of all the huge jaw-dropping masterpieces, it was the smaller homes that were drawing the most attention. Many St. George residents that visited the Parade of Homes expressed a real interest in the smaller homes versus the more lavish homes.  It shows that real estate trends are pointing toward function and efficiency these days. There were several homes in the parade this year that showed just how attractive smaller spaces can be.  This year, builders easily used efficient designs and focused on the "smaller things." Many people just liked walking through the homes because they were able to get ideas for their own homes and they could easily see themselves living in a smaller ... 02/17/2010

I promise to: Open my doors to you unconditionally Always make you look good Be there in good/bad times Keep you warm in winter Cool you down in the summer Surround your guests in beauty Happily greet your family members Protect you from inclement weather Fill your nights with restful sleep Be your haven when you're weary Share all your joyous occasions Help you cook your meals Clean up nicely Share your point of views Never let you down So, what do you say, can you help? Signed, ME    Home is located at 1707 S Paragon Drive in Stone Cliff, a gated community with resort-style amenities in St. George, Utah. MLS# 09-109626 / $649,000 Fully Furnished     02/16/2010

Experience the Ooooohs! and Ahhhhs! firsthand as you peruse each home in the 20th Annual Parade of Homes brought to you by the Southern Utah Home Builders Association and its many sponsors. From affordable homes to luxurious million dollar homes, we're sure you'll be thrilled and excited to be a part of this amazing event!  Twenty five local home builders will showcase their custom homes to more than 30,000 people from February 12th thru the 21st. Tickets are $12.50 and will be available to purchase: Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 5:00 pm. at Lin's Markets- Service Desks located in St. George, Hurricane, Cedar City, Richfield and center court of Red Cliffs Mall in St. George, Utah. The ticket entitles each visitor admittance to each of the homes once during the 10 day event. Some come ... 02/09/2010

Do you remember that B.J. Thomas song? I loved it as a child and played it over and over and over on my little mini-jukebox, a gift for Christmas one year, I drove everyone NUTS I'm quite sure. I still know all the words by heart! Today is a perfect day for that song. I have been anticipating my weekly St. George Open House at 1707 South Paragon Drive in the Stone Cliff Community. And then last night, it began to rain and it came down in sheets and has continued to rain at a steady pace throughout the morning. We were scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and I have been in town since 8:00 a.m. in order to prepare necessary marketing / advertising materials. Could someone please turn off the water for a few hours in order to accomodate me? Sheesh! I almost forgot...the world does not revolve ar... 02/06/2010

The Parade of Homes' Chairman Rod Steurer recently spoke at the Board of Realtors lunch.  Mr. Steurer shared some great information in his speech about the 20th Parade of Homes. This will be the Parade of Homes 20th Year Anniversary, with 25 homes on the tour.  Half of those attending the event will be coming from out town; mostly from Northern Utah.  The Southern Utah Home Builders Association spent over $80,000 in advertisements, most of which went toward Northern Utah.Information about the homes on the tour: * Home sizes range from 1,600 sq ft - 12,000 sq ft * Home prices range from $205,000 - $3.6 million * Average home will be 3,363 sq ft * Average home price is $812,000 Exciting features on the tour this year include: * 2,100 sq ft master bedroom suite * Inside racquetball court *... 02/03/2010