My New Blog

Wow--

Back to school time already!  I definitely believe that time quickens as you get older!  Summer is quickly drawing to a close as moms begin to smile and children begin to complain.  Back to school time is a great time to clean out those closets and drawers of unneeded items.  My mother always told me if you are not using it, there is someone in need out there who could use it.  She would always tell us that her grandmother taught her that and it was a way to give to those who are in need.  She is the ultimate "tosser" and Deseret Industries is the benefactor. 

As a child I recall clothes mysteriously disappearing from my room.  I usually could find them down in a bag in the storage room.  My mother figured if I didn't miss them after a few months, she could safely get rid of them and I wouldn't notice.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.  Either way my closet was never packed full of items I didn't use. 

I "encouraged" my daughter to go through her room last week when I dumped out all of her drawers and boxed up everything she owned and painted her furniture.  It took her two days to put everything back together, but she got rid of four bags of items!  She actually enjoyed going through everything and dejunking.  Her room looks a thousand times better!  She told me she feels more organized and ready to tackle her sophomore year in high school.  I felt a little guilty and a little nervous as I dumped everything out, but in the end it was a good thing in more ways than one.

Here is a system I use when dejunking:

1.  Label four boxes.  1.  Keep at current location (I use this and this is the proper place for it!)  2.  Move to proper location (So that's where that pair of earrings was hiding!)  3.  Donate to charity (still in good shape but I haven't touched it for 6 months or longer  4. Toss (not in good shape, don't need, of no worth to anyone)

2.  Dump out one drawer and separate into the four boxes listed above.

3.  Return keeper items to the drawer they were pulled from.  Move the items that were in the wrong place to the right place, bag up the charity items and take to the charity of your choice (MS Society will pick them up, DI is convenient for getting rid of the items quickly as you drop them off yourself.) and take out the trash.

4.  Repeat on another drawer.

You can then move on to a cupboard or closet.  Drawers can be reorganized quickly and without a huge mess.  Closets, however, can take much longer and so you need to plan part of a Saturday to tackle one of them.  I find it always looks worse before it gets better, but it does get much, much better!

Organization will energize you and decrease the amount of time it takes to clean--wow will you feel better!  Let me know how it goes and good luck!

Andrea Cahoon, CRS, TCRES

As we have now past the midpoint of summer everyone seems to be cramming in their summer vacations before the children go back to school.  If you currently have your home on the market, your agent will take care to make sure that showings continue to be held while you are gone and also ask the showing agents to report any odd, suspicious, or worrisome problems to them so they can be dealt with.

Speaking of showings, the local real estate community has seen an increase in the number of prescription drug thefts in the area.  If you have your home on the market, be sure to remove any prescription drugs from your home.  Either take them with you or lock them up.  Rx drugs are small enough they can be pocketed while someone is walking through a home, unbeknownst to the showing agent.  Also keep all cash and small valuables locked away.  Agents do their best to screen clients, but sometimes even people we know well may be tempted to pocket something. 

If you have any questions about real estate in the Tooele area or know anyone ready to make a MOVE please give them my name and number.  I will take good care of them!
Andrea

Happy 24th of July!  As the heat rises the fireworks do too!  We live in a fantastic state and the best country in the world!  As we celebrate our state heritage remember that our freedom makes it possible for us to make our lives the best they possibly can be and we can DO WHAT WE WANT WHEN WE WANT (of course within reason!)  Have a great holiday and those of you who are travelling buckle up and drive safe!

Andrea Cahoon

Good Morning!

As I sat and read the doom and gloom newspaper this morning my thoughts were, "How will all of this affect the Tooele Valley market and the real estate business here?"  What I determined is that EVERY MARKET IS DIFFERENT.  Even though the Nation is going through a down turn, Tooele is not faring too bad!  Our county was just ranked number one in job growth in a national magazine!  We have active civic leaders who continue to promote our County to national companies who will continue to come here!  We will see more of this due to the high cost of shipping materials and the need for regional distribution centers.  Business growth brings the need for more employees.  More employees need more housing!

The housing market has felt a slow down here.  This is due to a couple of key factors.  The subprime lending crisis is self correcting, and so it is more difficult for people to qualify for mortgages.  That reduces the pool of potential home buyers.  A majority of Tooele Valley residents still commute to the Salt Lake area to work.  As gas prices go up, people are considering ways to trim their commuting costs.  For some that will include living closer to work.  For others it will include purchasing smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles or using public transportation. 

The beauty of the American free market system is the opportunity it provides for creativity and ingenuity.  Both are rewarded as people create ways to deal with new problem sets.  Sometimes the adjustments are painful at first, but we, the American people, are resilient and ready to meet the challenge! 

If you would to chat with me about the Tooele Valley market or your real estate questions, give me a call!  I'd love to speak with you!

Andrea