Salt Lake City Real Estate Podcast with Justin Udy

Justin Udy

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Justin Udy and Team- your professional Salt Lake City Real Estate Agents.

  1. 01/22/2019 ·  Video

    Protect Yourself From the Winter Inversion

    Our area suffers from a winter inversion, but there are a few tips you can follow to protect yourself from it. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale If you’re feeling the effects of the winter inversion in our area, I have a few tips to share with you that will help you feel better and keep your family safe. First, let’s recap what the winter inversion is. You see, air quality is often best in the wintertime when the weather works to clean the air, trapping ozone and other pollutants in precipitation or blowing them off with sharp, gusty winds. As the inversion goes on, this trapped air begins to stagnate, and the concentration of fine particle pollutants in the air, emitted by the consumption of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants, and factories, increases. An extended period of inversion sometimes results in the formation of a brownish fog. The first thing you can do to minimize the effects of the winter inversion is visit www.air.utah.gov to check the air quality in your area on any given day.  “ If you can physically feel the air affecting you in your day-to-day life, invest in an air purifier for your household. ” Second, if you’re like me and you prefer to exercise outside, try doing it during hours with low traffic activity. You can also exercise in high-altitude areas above the fog. There are several tips you can try that will also help the environment at large, including: Not burning trash  Recycling Carpooling Turning off your car when you’re waiting to pick up your kids from school Lastly, if you can physically feel the air affecting you in your day-to-day life, invest in an air purifier for your household. My family did this, and although it was expensive, it’s made a big difference for us. If you have any more questions about this topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

  2. 12/26/2018 ·  Video

    How to Accomplish Your 2019 Goals

    Make 2019 your best year yet by setting and reaching your goals. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale 2018 is quickly coming to an end, and next year will be here before we know it. We want to wish you a happy new year, and we hope midnight on the 31st kicks off a great 2019 for you and your loved ones. Now’s the time where people start to think about what they want to change in their lives throughout the coming year, and I’d like to help everyone do so. One of my favorite recently discovered quotes comes from G.K. Chesterton, who said, “When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” “ We can put ourselves in a place where we can bless the lives of others. ” We’re so fortunate to be where we are, but we also need to have goals so we can put ourselves in a place where we can bless the lives of others. To do this, we need to improve. Here are a few things that have worked for me when it comes to self-improvement: I write down my goals. Along with my children, I come up with things I want to accomplish in the future. After some decoration, we put up our lists and are able to keep track of our progress throughout the year. I make SMART goals. This acronym is about how to structure your goals and stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Following these criteria will ensure that you reach the goals you wish to accomplish. I would also like to share Tony Robbins’ rapid planning method with you. What is the item that you’re looking for? What is the purpose? What are the actions you can take today? I hope some of these methods can help you accomplish your own goals in 2019. If you have any questions or real estate needs I can help you with, reach out to me. Until then, have a great new year! I look forward to hearing from you.

  3. 12/06/2018 ·  Video

    Is Our Market Undergoing a Shift?

    Our market is undergoing a bit of a shift, but this is normal and nothing to be alarmed about. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale For the past several years, we’ve seen our real estate market go up and up and up, but lately, things have cooled off a bit.  Prices are softening—not as many buyers are inquiring about our listings, and we’re not seeing as many showings happening. The good news is that this is nothing to worry about. The housing market goes in cycles that typically last seven to 10 years. When interest rates rise and prices go up, these factors essentially make the housing market adjust. “ Unlike other parts of the country, our job rate isn’t going down, and we still have a lot of people moving here. ” In our case, it’s not a housing availability issue—it’s an affordability issue. Home prices and interest rates have risen so quickly that it’s made homes unaffordable for many people. We’ve also heard new construction builders say they won’t be building as many homes above $500,000. Our local economy, however, is still doing fantastic. Unlike other parts of the country, our job rate isn’t going down, and we still have a lot of people moving here. This shift is nothing to be scared of, but it’s still something to keep in mind moving forward. If you have any more questions about our Salt Lake City market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

  4. 11/02/2018 ·  Video

    4 Things to Consider When Buying an Investment Property

    Considering investing in property? Here are four things to keep in mind. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale How do we know when a property is a good investment deal? There are four major things we need to look at to before we decide to buy: 1. Pricing. Is the property price in line with the market, as well as features of the home? We need to pull values and look at criteria, such as curb appeal, bathrooms, and amenities. We want the price to make sense with what we’re getting. 2. Features and benefits. You need to decide if it’s worth paying potentially tens of thousands more for a good view or a pool. Is there an exit strategy for us if we need out? These are things to keep in mind. “ We want the price to make sense with what we’re getting. ” 3. Location. Sometimes the best deals aren’t actually places we ourselves would want to live. We have to think of it from the perspective of, “Could I see myself living here? Would I want to stay here for years? Would I be happy here long term?” 4. Condition. You may love a property, but it could become a money pit if it’s in bad condition. We purchased an investment property and had to renovate it for $250,000. With properties such as this, it doesn’t matter what the details, location, and benefits are—a place in bad condition needs a long, hard look. If you have any questions, need information, or have video topics you’d like covered in the future, we’d love to help you out. Please call, email, or message us; we look forward to hearing from you.

  5. 10/22/2018 ·  Video

    Take Advantage of Fall and Sell Now

    There are five primary reasons why fall presents a great opportunity to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale Here are the top five reasons the fall is actually a great time to sell your home. First, there’s less competition on the market. During this time, a lot of other home sellers end up taking their homes off the market because their kids are busy with school, they have work obligations, or selling at the end of the year just doesn’t make sense for them. Second, buyers are more motivated to buy. They want to get into a home before the holidays arrive or before the end of the year. It’s possible that some have been searching since the summer, and they’re ready to become homeowners now. “ During this time, a lot of other home sellers end up taking their homes off the market. ” Third, interest rates are still phenomenal. Interest rates have adjusted, and sometimes when that happens, affordability becomes an issue. If you sell now, though, you can still lock a buyer into a low rate. Fourth, homes show beautifully during the fall. 92% of all buyers start their home search online, and 64% will pay more for a home that looks move-in ready. This is why a lot of folks who plan on putting their home on the market in December or January are taking photos of it now. Lastly, it’s a lot easier to move now than when there’s snow on the ground. If you’d like to put your home on the market now or you have any questions about our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

  6. 08/21/2018 ·  Video

    5 Things You Can Do to Stage Your Home

    Today I am sharing five decorating and staging tips to help maximize the value of your home. Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale Did you know that 63% of buyers will actually pay more for a move-in ready home? Decorating and staging your home can improve its look and feel. To help you maximize the value of your property, I am going to share five home decorating and staging tips for you to think about. 1. Make repairs to the home. There are always a couple of repairs that need to be made. I love to say “pick five.” Sometimes there’s a baseboard missing, a light is missing, or a window is cracked. Find five things that need to be fixed, because fixing them will make your home look well-maintained. 2. Make sure your home is white-glove clean. Your property should be spotless, both inside and out, and free of odors, as well. 3. Look at the colors in your home. People love neutral colors. Paint over the large red wall that was once a great look with a neutral color. It is going to make it feel bright and will help modernize your home. Fresh coats of paint can also help your home smell like it's brand new. “ You need to make sure that your property is spotless both inside and out as well as eliminate all odors. ” 4. Declutter your home. After we have already done some work and added color, you need to declutter. You either want to toss it, give it, or prioritize it. If there are things that you haven't touched in the last two years, you probably aren't going to use them again and can instead get rid of them. Less is more, and the more belongings you have, the more cluttered your home will feel. When you do stage your home, think about the buyer. If your home is in an area where 90% of the buyers are going to have kids and potentially a baby, consider putting a cradle in a room. If it is going to be a business executive that might buy the home, make a room an office. 5. Depersonalize the home. Get rid of the religious photos and the collections. I also think that you should get rid of the personal photographs. The reason that this is important is that while you may worship Dale Earnhardt, not everybody does. You want to make it so that every consumer that goes in there can see what the home is and not what you love. If you have any additional questions about staging or would like a full list of staging recommendations, please feel free to contact us and we can get that to you. And, as always, if you are looking to buy or sell, reach out to us by phone or email. We would be happy to help.

  7. 06/26/2018 ·  Video

    5 Roadblocks on the Path to Your New Home

    When you are purchasing a home, you want to have the smoothest transaction possible. There are five roadblocks that can prevent that smooth transaction from happening.  Selling your Salt Lake City home? Get a free home value report Buying a Salt Lake City home? Search all homes for sale Whenever you purchase a home, there are five major things that can happen that can stop our sales. Today I am going to share those five roadblocks, so you can know what to avoid if you are buying a new home. 1. Damage. Damages can occur when the seller moves out, or from a contractor who has caused additional damage. To remedy this, you must always do a walk-through inspection. This can help you avoid discovering that things are missing, such as light bulbs, fixtures, or—even worse—appliances and cabinetry. 2. Due diligence.  During the home inspection, ensure that all the repairs requested by the inspection are completed. Also, make sure that your insurance is active the day that you close—accidents happen, and you do not want to accidentally cause a fire. If your insurance is not set up at closing, it could cause a delay. 3. Survey. Survey the land to find out where proper property lines are. This is something a lot of agents push to the side, but do not let them. Surveys are very important. I personally purchased a duplex as an investment property and noticed something was strange about the lines. I had a survey completed and found that the neighbor had encroached 15 feet into the property that I was purchasing. I ended up giving him notice and putting up a fence. Now I have an entire parking spot for my tenant. “ I completed a survey of a property that I had purchased, only to discover that the neighbor had encroached nearly 15 feet into my new property. ” 4. Major purchases. Refrain from big dollar purchases. Buying a car will affect your credit score, which may affect your mortgage rate and eventually affect your ability to even purchase the home. 5. Loan approval. If a person unknowingly does something to impact their credit, they may be unable to secure a loan. Leaving a job or making an expensive purchase are just two of the ways someone may accidentally damage their score A loan company verifies your employment the day before closing. If you quit or lose your job the day before, you may end up unqualified for the loan because of lack of income. Having the money in the location it needs to be is also crucial. If you are receiving the money as a gift, it needs to be wired to your account before closing to verify that you have the sufficient funds. Very few people will let you have the keys to your new place if they are waiting for money to be approved for one reason or another—make sure that the funds are ready. If you have any questions about this or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking to you soon.

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If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Justin Udy and Team- your professional Salt Lake City Real Estate Agents.