Answers to your Financing FAQ

Thinking about purchasing a new home, but unsure about the financing process? Scott Smith of Primary Residential Mortgage answers several of your FAQ including:
How do I apply for a home loan?
What do I need to apply for a loan?
How long will it take to get approved?
How are interest rates determined?
What is the difference between "locking" and "floating" an interest rate?

Rockwell Howl-O-Ween 5k at Stonebridge this Saturday

The Rockwell Cheer Squad is hosting a fundraiser 5k this Saturday. The event will start and end at Rockwell High School, right across the street from McArthur Homes' beautiful model home in Stonebridge at The Ranches. There is even a FREE Kids 1/4 Mile Race that includes a pancake breakfast. Check out the event details below!

October 29, 2011

Cost:  $20/Adults; $15/Students

Registration will continue to be accepted up to and on the day of the race at $25/Adults and $20/Students. Shirts are not guaranteed after Oct 19th.

Event Highlights:

- All Participants Receive an Event T-shirt (if registered before Oct. 19th)

- Racing Shirts to Top 3 Finishers (Male & Female)

- Best Costume Award (Must be Present)

- Free Pancake Breakfast to All Participants ($1 for non-participants)

- Kids Fun 1/4 Mile Race (Receive FREE Breakfast) No Registration Necessary

When:                        Saturday, October 29, 2011

Starting Location:   Rockwell Charter High School

                                    (3435 E Stonebridge Ln, Eagle Mtn)

Starting Time:         8:30 a.m.

Check-in:                  7:00 a.m. - 8 a.m.

 

More information available online at http://www.rockwellhowloween5k.com/ 

Winter Curb Appeal

In Utah, trying to sell your home in winter can sometime be more challenging. One difficulty is showing off your home's exterior during these cold, snowy months. Here are some tips from Realtor magazine for improving your home's curb appeal during the winter:

• Use evergreens and tall grasses, such as fountain grasses, to add splashes of green to your landscape.
• Make the front door a focal point with a large wreath adorned with a colorful ribbon. You can also place large planters full of evergreens beside the front door.
• Transform an unused bird bath or fountain into a seasonal display by adding twigs with red barries, sparkly baubles and/or winter greenery. For extra sparkle, roll twigs in glitter!
• Use clear floor spotlights to focus on the home's architecture. Keep exterior lights clean and clear of snow.
• Shovel your backyard deck or patio and leave your grill uncovered so that the buyers can envision themselves in that space. 
• Set up outdoor tables and chairs as you would during the summer months. (Just during showings.)
• Keep your front walkways and driveway clear of snow!

In addition, display pictures of your home and landscaping as they are during the summer months. This will help show prospective buyers the value of your landscaping and get you on your way to owning your new home by McArthur Homes.

Photo Source: etsy.com via Heather on Pinterest

Contest Winners!

Congratulations to all of our finalists in the "Beautiful Homes, Beautiful Neighborhoods" landscaping competition. We loved all of the homes and had a very hard time choosing a winner. In fact, we decided to announce two winners for this year's competition.

We chose Home #2 as the landscaping winner because of it's beautiful flower gardens. The homeowners have only been in their home a few months and their hard work this summer transformed this home into a stand-out in it's neighborhood. We are proud to have this home as one of the first completed homes in Herriman Towne Center.





Home #4 garnered the most votes, so we decided to announce a second award for "Most Enthusiastic Fans." This beautiful home is located in our Stonebridge community and is definitely one of our favorites for it's architecture and clean look.

Congratulations again to all of our finalists and to our winners. We love having homeowners like you who show pride in your home and make your neighborhoods beautiful! Thank you from everyone at McArthur Homes!

Beautiful Homes, Beautiful Neighborhood Finalists

McArthur Homes is proud to announce the finalists of our "Beautiful Homes, Beautiful Neighborhoods" contest. The finalists include homes from five different McArthur Homes neighborhoods, with 6 different floorplans in a variety of architectural styles. These homeowners have put a lot of work into their yards and homes, and it shows! Which one is your favorite?

Home #1

Home #2

Home #3

Home #4

Home #5

Home #6

Herriman Pumpkin Festival this Weekend

There will be some frightful fun at the Pumpkin Festival in Herriman this weekend. Free activities for all ages will include candy, scavenger hunt, toy walk, inflatable slide, music, refreshments and a costume contest! Come find out why Herriman is such a great place to live, then come see our beautiful new homes at Herriman Towne Center by McArthur Homes. 

Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, October 15th
5:00-7:00pm
Butterfield Park (6212 W. 14200 S.)

Fall Home Maintenance To Do List

Fall is definitely in the air here in Utah! Before you get out your holiday decorations, spend a Saturday afternoon checking on your home and taking care of the yard. Here are a few "To Dos" to get you started:










Inside Your Home

• Change your furnace air filter and stock up on air filters for the rest of the winter (change them monthly). 
• Check the weather stripping on your doors and caulking around your windows to ensure maximum heating efficiency.
• Review fire safety precautions for your home and replace fire extinguishers if necessary.
• Change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Outside Your Home

• Inspect your gutters and clear out any leaves or other blockage. Make sure that downspouts are directing water away from the foundation of your home.
• Rake leaves off your lawn and sweep off your deck or patio.
• Clean, pack and store any patio furniture that will not handle the coming winter weather.
• Disconnect garden hose and use your indoor valve to shut off and drain water from all outdoor pipes.
• Empty any unused fuel from gas-powered equipment from lawn mowers. Sediment can build up and clog fuel lines.
• Test your emergency generator if applicable.

Now your new home in Utah is ready for winter! Do you have other fall or winter tips for taking care of your home? I'd love for you to share them in the comments.

Salt Lake City One of the "New Big Boom Towns" According to Forbes

Forbes magazine recently ranked 52 of the largest metro areas in the country according to which cities are most likely to grow and prosper in the coming years. Salt Lake City ranked among the Top 20, coming in at #12. Why did Salt Lake do so well? Here's a look at how Forbes judged the cities:

We started with job growth, not only looking at performance over the past decade but also focusing on growth in the past two years, to account for the possible long-term effects of the Great Recession. That accounted for roughly one-third of the score.  The other two-thirds were made up of a a broad range of demographic factors, all weighted equally. These included rates of family formation (percentage growth in children 5-17), growth in educated migration, population growth and, finally, a broad measurement of attractiveness to immigrants — as places to settle, make money and start businesses.

Forbes discovered what most of us already know; the Salt Lake City area is a great place to live and work! The best news is that as the Salt Lake metro area's economy prospers, home values will likely continue to rise, making now a great time to own a new home near Salt Lake City!

Using Art to Add Personality to Your Home

Adding art pieces to your home can be the perfect way to add a spark of personality to your space. Art can create drama, unify a color scheme or even add humor to a room.

We used many beautiful art pieces in our Award-Winning Parade of Homes entry. One of my favorites was the statement piece we used in the family room. It adds so much color to the space! Click here to see more images from our Parade home.

I noticed an abundance of artwork used in the recent 2011 Salt Lake Parade of Homes. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

And here's a fun way to inspire your own little artists- display their artwork in a playroom!

Traditional Hardwood or Engineered?

Who doesn't love a beautiful hardwood in a home? Woods are warm, inviting, interesting and come in a huge variety of finishes. They are so popular, that almost every home buyer I worked with in the last year has chosen some kind of wood-like finish on the floors of their new home (laminate, engineered or traditional). The question EVERYONE asked was "Which is better? Engineered or Traditional Hardwood?" Well, the answer depends on what you are looking for in your floor, but here are some tips from our Award-Winning Design Studio:

Traditional Hardwood

Source: houzz.com via Meghan on Pinterest

When I say "Traditional Hardwood," I  mean the wood comes unfinished and is installed in your home, then stained and finished. Each plank is one solid piece of wood, not layers or veneers. Usually this wood is given a smooth finish, but it can be given a hand-scraped finish on the edges.

• The major key to traditional hardwood is that you can refinish over and over and over again. The process is a little messy, but it can save you tons of money in the long run because you won't have to replace your floors. 
• Sanding and finishing the wood on site means that you can get a nice, tight floor with little to no gaps between boards. This helps keep dirt and water from getting in between the floor and causing problems down the line. I also personally love the look of a smooth, shining wood floor.
• Staining the wood on site means you can get the exact color stain that you want. This is a perk that is not always available in engineered woods.
• One downside of traditional hardwood is that they may be more prone to shifting and warping.  A home humidifier system can minimize some of the shrinking and warping.

Engineered Wood

Source: exoticfloorsdirect.com via roserobert on Pinterest

Each plank of engineered wood usually has a veneer of more expensive wood on top and then subsequent layers of a more affordable wood below. The layers are laid cross-grain so that on the first layer the grain runs lengthwise, then the next layer is crosswise and so on. The number of layers varies depending on quality and price. Each piece is prefinished and then installed on site, usually as a floating floor.

• Often, you can get a wider plank or more expensive type of wood for less money when you choose engineered over natural hardwood, making it a budget friendly choice.
• The cross-grain layers of engineered wood make it more warp resistant. This can be especially beneficial in climates that have hot summers and cold winters because the climate change may cause wood to shift and expand.
• Most engineered woods have the popular hand-scraped look or some kind of bevel at the edges of the wood. This is done to help hide any flaws in installation. This is a pro for more people, who love the look, but you should keep in mind that those crevices may gather dirt and liquids.
• Engineered woods are prefinished with an aluminum oxide finish. Usually the more expensive the wood, the more layers of finish. This will help minimize scraping and staining, but these woods will show wear especially in high traffic areas. Some homeowners have found that their finish has taken on a scuffed, dirty look over the years. Some engineered woods can be refinished but usually only once. If the wood has the hand-scraped look it can be more difficult to refinish.
• The popularity of engineered woods means that they are now available in a wide range of wood types and stains. However, you will have to choose from the options that are available as you cannot mix and match stains like you could with natural hardwood. 

For more information on wood types and styles, visit our Award-Winning Design Studio and browse the thousands of products available for your new home from McArthur Homes.