Dress up the Bathroom

When building my new home, I purposely stuck with neutral colors in my paint, cabinetry, countertops, flooring etc. I did this so that I could later add color through furniture, accessories and accent paint. When I feel like changing things up, I can easily switch out a few items instead of needing to demo my whole bathroom.

I have finally gotten started on adding some color and interest to the kids' bathroom. This is going to be a long process, so today I'm posting on how to dress up your towels. Look for future posts on adding beadboard and a fun art project!

I purchased very plain hand towels at Target for about $4/each. I know, I could possibly have gotten them for less if I'd shopped stores like TJ Maxx, Ross, etc. but I was in a hurry and these were the perfect color to go with the shower curtain.

After I got the shower curtain and towels home I was found leftover ribbon in my craft room that matched the dark blue color of the shower curtain perfectly. I cut a length of ribbon that was slightly longer than my towel. Measuring as I went, I pinned the ribbon in place about 3" from the bottom of the towel. Then I tucked the ends around the edge of the towel and pinned those too.

I sewed along the edge of the ribbon with a straight stitch. You could also use a decorative stitch in a contrasting thread, especially if you choose a plain ribbon.


Ta da! The finished towel ties in nicely with the design scheme and cost a fraction of a fancy designer towel.

Here's one more idea for dressing up your towels. This is from our McArthur Homes model home in Herriman. I love how simple and elegant the flowers look.

Obviously, this isn't practical if you use the towels on your towel rack, which my kids do. I think this is perfect for a guest bathroom though. I love to have a stack of fresh white towels ready for guests, while still keeping the decorative towels hanging in the bathroom. Imagine how impressive this would be if you used fresh flowers for special guests!

What have you seen or done to dress up your bathroom decor? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Utah Housing Loans

The Utah Housing Corporation provides low cost, low down payment financing to Utah homebuyers. They are able to provide financing by utilizing tax-exempt and taxable bonds, federal and state income tax shelters, conventional lending, federal and state grants, low-interest loans, and other forms of debt and equity.

Who would use a Utah Housing Loan?

Are you a first time buyer* with a 3.5% down payment?
FIRST HOME loans are geared to first-time homebuyers who have access to personal or family financial resources to pay all of their down payment and closing costs. FirstHome loans may also be used to purchase homes in Targeted Areas of Utah.

Are you a first time buyer* with no down payment?
FIRSTHOME PLUS offers financial assistance for first-time homebuyers who do not have personal or family finances with which to pay their down payment and closing costs. These costs generally average 5% - 6% of the home purchase price. Applicants can borrow up to 6% of the amount of their first mortgage to cover this 5% - 6%.

Are you a Veteran?
VEP-FirstHome PLUS offers financial assistance for Veteran homebuyers who do not have personal or family finances with which to pay their down payment and closing costs. These costs generally average 5% - 6% of the home purchase price. Veterans can borrow up to 6% of the amount of their first mortgage.

Are you a single parent?
SINGLE PARENT FirstHome PLUS loans assist single parents who have previously owned or co-owned their own residence and have primary custody of at least one minor dependent. These applicants need to borrow funds from UHC to pay all or a part of their down payment and closing costs.

Not a first time buyer or single parent but still want low cost financing?
Utah Housing provides financing for move up buyers withing its targeted** areas.

Scott Smith at Academy Mortgage has been providing Utah Housing Loans for many years; helping Utah first time homebuyers to purchase new homes. If you are interested in more information or to apply today, call Scott 801-209-3850.

Here are some helpful links:
McArthur Homes Available Homes
Utah Housing Income Limits
Utah Housing Purchase Price Limits
Homebuyer Counseling and Training

*The federal government classifies a first time buyer as someone that has not owned or co-owned a home in the previous three years.

**The federal government has designated certain neighborhoods as Targeted Areas. There are two advantages to buying a home in a Targeted Area:
1) There are no restrictions on former home ownership.
2) Higher income limits are accepted.

Quick & Easy Ways to Personalize Your Child's Room

Children's rooms are the perfect place to take design risks. Use bright colors. Try something creative! Whether you're jumping in with a fresh start in your new home, or just want to add some pizazz to what you already have, here are 3 easy projects that will help you personalize your child's room:

Art Gallery
You can create a custom art gallery wall for your child's room at almost no cost.

I started with some frames I had in the basement. You could find inexpensive frames at garage sales or thrift stores. Remove the glass, then paint them all the same color for a cohesive look.

Next use scrapbook paper or plain colored card stock to fill the frames.  Choose colors to coordinate with your overall decorating scheme.

Attach clips to the top of the frames using a hot glue gun. You can use either bulldog clips or binder clips.

Hang the frames and display your child's favorite art projects. Rotate the art regularly to keep the look fresh and show your child how much you love their creative art projects!

Personalized Wall
Create this bold, personalized wall display with just a few tools. For my letters, I used left over bead board. You could also use 1/4" plywood.

First trace the letters of your child's name onto the beadboard or plywood. Then use a jigsaw to cut the letters. Don't worry about being perfect. Sand out any rough spots then paint to match your child's room.

To create a 3D look, I cut 3/4" pieces off an extra 2X4 and painted them the color of the wall. I nailed those to the wall, then nailed my letters to the 2X4 pieces. This made the letters "pop" off the wall.

Dress Up Station
My daughter loves to dress up, so I created a special dress up area in her room. It was so easy!

Just buy the brushed nickel hooks from 3M, they stick to the wall and then pull away easily. Place several hooks on a wall at child's height. I actually attached them to my daughter's bed to create this little niche.

The final touch is a child sized mirror leaned up against the wall. You can get them cheap if you look for discounts or garage sales. Remember, almost any mirror can become a beautiful, unique statement piece by painting the frame.

Invest in a New Home

It seems that ever since the housing market turned downward several years ago, there have been people telling us that it is turning around. For those who have been waiting for the "perfect time" to invest in a new home, here's something you may want to hear. It's an article by Chris Mayer, quoting John Paulson, a big time investing guru. Here's what he had to say:

01/10/11 Gaithersburg, Maryland – Investment ideas are cyclical. They go dormant for a while, then revive, like fashions or cicadas – obeying their own curious rhythms. During the past few years, rare was the investment thinker who said you should buy a house. Housing was in a bubble that was deflating.
But the investment seasons turn. Today some smart investors are once again saying you should a buy house. John Paulson is one of them.
You may know him as the man who turned the greatest trade of all time. Betting against the housing market, he netted a cool billion dollars for himself in 2007. One fund he managed rose 590% that year. Today, he is one of the richest men in America.
His advice today is very different. “If you don’t own a home, buy one,” Paulson said.

You can read the rest of the article here, http://dailyreckoning.com/buy-a-house-then-buy-another/. Then take a look at some beautiful new homes in Utah by McArthur Homes. 

Thanksgiving Point Theater Expanding in Lehi

According to KSL.com, the Megaplex Theater at Thanksgiving Point will be expanding over the next year, growing from 8 screens to 17. The new theater will offer local Lehi, Utah residents 113,000 square feet of theaters and new amenities. That's over 4 times the size of the current theater! State-of-the-art additions will include drive-up automated ticket kiosks and synchronized motion seats. The expansion should be completed by fall 2011.

This is great news for local McArthur Homes homeowners, who live just minutes from Thanksgiving Point. McArthur Homes is currently building new homes in Lehi, Utah near Thanksgiving Point.

Some Advice for the Newlyweds

McArthur Homes is being featured at the upcoming Thanksgiving Point Bridal Expo, this Saturday, January 15th from 10am-6pm. In honor of those brides-to-be, we put together the Top 5 Reasons Buying Now is Better than Renting. Here they are:

#1 It’s Yours (& No One Else’s)
The best part of owning your home vs. renting is that it is yours. With a new home you get to choose your favorite home design and then personalize it to fit your style. You’ll choose everything from flooring to fixtures. As your family grows, you can continue to style your new home to fit your needs, like painting the baby’s room any color you want! Plus, no more dealing with whatever the last tenants left behind. Your new home comes sparkling clean without any bad history, gunk in the tub or nail clippings in the carpet. Yuck!

#2 Mortgage Payments as Low as Rent
You could own a beautiful, brand new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom McArthur Homes townhome for around $800/month P&I. That’s comparable to many cramped, old apartment rental units. Owning just makes sense!

#3 Interest Rates are Low
Over the last year we have seen some of the lowest interest rates in 50 years, creating the chance of a lifetime for young new homeowners! As of just two years ago, interest rates were up to 6.3%. Compare that to today’s low rates around 4.5% and you save nearly 20% on your monthly payment! That means by buying now you can own more home for your growing family while spending less than you will when interest rates rise again.

#4 Your Home 1s a Great Savings Account
The part of your mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn’t a cost. You’re just paying yourself by building equity. This creates monthly savings that really adds up. On the other hand, when you pay your rent, none of that money comes back to you. You might as well be pouring your money down that dirty drain. (Plus, you can deduct mortgage interest from your income taxes, a savings you won’t see if you are renting.)

#5 Invest in Your Future
Just like marriage is an investment in your relationship, home ownership is an investment in your financial future. Over the long term, housing increases in value, helping happy homeowners to build equity and protect themselves against inflation.

View McArthur Homes neighborhoods and new homes in Utah.

Thanksgiving Meadows Driving Tour

Visit Thanksgiving Meadows, located just minutes from the I-15 Alpine/Highland Exit and Thanksgiving Point. This gorgeous new neighborhood offers brand new homes in Lehi, Utah starting in the low $200s, and townhomes in the $140s. The community features a beautiful clubhouse with exercise facilities and party room, swimming pool, large sun lounging and BBQ areas plus basketball, children's playground and even a putting green!

Video Tour of new Herriman Library

Have you checked out the new Herriman Library yet? I did a quick video tour of the new library, which features a fun kids play area. So, grab the kids and go check it out! While you're out, stop by our new McArthur Homes neighborhood, Herriman Towne Center. With brand new homes in the mid $200s and a view of the surrounding mountains, plus the new library, elementary school and recreation center.