A New Home Perfect for a Growing Family

Our newest floorplan, the Cordova is perfect for a growing family. When designing this home, we took into account all the things our homeowners tell us they want:

Large bedrooms with walk-in closets (up to 4 bedrooms upstairs)
Fabulous kitchen with an island for casual dining, plus a huge pantry
An open concept with great flow between the family room, kitchen and eating area
A separate office or formal room (perfect for a piano, visitors, etc)
Handy mudroom with cubbies to corral clutter
Upstairs laundry room (no more hauling laundry up and down the stairs)
And plenty of storage mixed in throughout the home!

The first Cordova home is now being built at Thanksgiving Meadows in Lehi. Here is a sneak peak at the main floor of this awesome floorplan...



Click here to see the floorplan for this new home in Utah.

Make a Monogram Wreath for Less Than $15

I was inspired by Miss Mustard Seed's post on HGTV where she created a fun spring time monogram. It was such a cute, fun addition to her spring decor. I decided to take the idea one step further and create a giant monogram "wreath" to go on the front door of my new home in Utah.

It is difficult to find a large, affordable letter for this project, so I used a 12" x 36" piece of Styrofoam. Lucky for me, Hobby Lobby is currently running a 50% off sale on Styrofoam and moss! (Check with your local Hobby Lobby, but I think this deal is still going on. If not, you can always go to any craft store and use their weekly 40% off coupons.) The foam cost $6 and three bags of moss cost $7.50 each for a grand total of $13.50. I also used some ribbon that I already had, but you could buy 1/4 yard of any ribbon.


To make my letter, I cut the foam in half, temporarily taped it together and sketched out a large letter A. After many different attempts, I found that a plain old paring knife worked best to cut out the letter. If you have a special foam-cutting tool use that, if not don't spend the money when a knife works just fine. Warning- cutting Styrofoam makes quite a mess, as does gluing on the moss. Make sure you do this in your craft room or even out in the garage.

Once I had the letter cut out, I attached the pieces to each other using toothpicks and a glue gun. Then I began putting hot glue on a 3"x3" area and carefully pressing the moss into the glue. I worked all the way around my letter. At first, I was super skeptical. My lovely wreath looked like a sad piece of Stryofoam with random pieces of moss stuck to it. I was beginning to think this project was one of those things that seems good in theory, or on someone else's blog, but doesn't work in real life.

Happily. the monogrammed wreath turned out great! I love how fresh and simple it looks. Plus, I love that no one else has a wreath just like this.

The "McArthur Homes Snob" -Kipp & Chelsea

We were lucky enough to build our very first home in the McArthur Homes Legacy Ranch community. It is a beautiful community with many amenities. It was in the Legacy Ranch clubhouse workout room that I started to run off my baby weight after having our first child. It was in the clubhouse pool that our child had his first taste of swimming. It was on the trails that go throughout the neighborhood that I have run on to try to get rid of the baby weight from child number two (and who am I kidding, I am still trying to lose the weight from child number one!). It is in the several parks/playgrounds in the neighborhood that we spend our afternoons playing and picnicking. We have loved every aspect of our McArthur home!

As our family continues to grow, we have considered several times to look for a new home, but being spoiled and being able to build a beautiful home just the way we want it in a great neighborhood has kept us right in our place! In fact, the only time we REALLY get serious about moving is when we find another McArthur Home neighborhood that is going up! My husband has absolutely become a McArthur Home snob! He will not even entertain the idea of building with another company! We have been so excited and impressed by the great quality of our home, the great people that work for McArthur Homes, and the ease of the building process. I have spoken to other people that have built their homes who have nightmare stories about their home, the builder etc. who have built with other companies. They say to me, “Don’t you think the building process was so stressful? I never want to do it again!” I had quite the opposite experience! I would do it over and over again!

I remember one of the small things that really impressed me was how excited the company was for me to move into my new home. The gentleman that did our final walk-through with us was so excited for us. He gave us a ton of tips of how to take care of our new home. Then he left us with something that really impressed me-a simple tool box with a couple small containers of colors of paint that were in our home, so that we could do touch-ups throughout the years. You can tell that they take pride in their homes, and want us to do the same. And we certainly do!

Where ever the road may take us (which will most likely be another McArthur neighborhood, because of previously stated reasons. Aka-my husband, and really myself as well) we will never forget our beautiful McArthur home.

Bang for Your Buck -The Strain Family

After searching extensively for over 6 months for our first home we decided to go with McArthur Homes. Our choice was simple, they offered us the most bang for our buck and we were extremely impressed with the craftsmanship of their homes.

We were eager to start the process of building our home and the staff at McArthur Homes was ready to guide us through the entire process and answer even the silliest of questions or concerns we had.
We were overwhelmed with excitement to preview the endless possibilities in the design studio. There were so many options in all price ranges that we really could personalize our home just the way we wanted, on the budget we had set for ourselves.

Week after week was just as exciting to go to our homesite and watch the progress of our new home. We couldn’t wait to get into our new home, so much that we moved in at 11pm on a day that our child had the flu! We just passed our 1 year anniversary this month and couldn’t be more happy with the choices we made and our experience with McArthur Homes. Superb customer service!

Complete & Secure -Mickelson Family

My boyfriend works in construction. For the longest time ever I thought he was working with McArthur Homes. I didn’t know that he was going to the Lehi location so much because he was trying to buy a home. We have been together for 6 years and have two kids, every time we shopped for a home the deal never happened.

Well one day he wanted to show me a home, so I started to walk though the place having no idea that in the master bedroom he had a giant bouquet of flowers and a card. The place had no carpet yet, so I had no idea that he had bought the home. I got really excited because I thought he was proposing Marriage!!!!! But he was not, he was letting me know, he had got the home and we were moving in about a week later. I was so confused. I thought he was joking with me.

We love our home so much because of this story, we have been living here almost a year now and we love having the pool so close to our home for our kids. We love our open living room area, with the high ceiling. We customized a built-in platform bed in our master bedroom, where I can relax while looking out the window and see the beautiful mountain views. We love the amount of extra storage, the nice real wood cabinets and more. We love all the families around us and we are finally going to get married this year. By getting this home everything in our life is complete and secure, so we feel ready for MARRIAGE…… yeah! Thank you McArthurs.

Building Family Memories -The Mangelson Family

We have been married for 8 years and lived in our McArthur Home for the last four years. Before we built our home with you, we had moved from place to place. We moved 11 times in four years searching for a place we could call home.

When we were looking to build, we looked everywhere. When we walked into the McArthur model home, in Legacy Ranch… we Loved it! We drove around the neighborhood and thought it was a place we would love to settle. When we worked with Doug, our Commmunity Sales Manager, to find the floor plan and the lot we were very happy with the choices. Though there were many great models, the one we chose is so perfect for our family. We love our floor plan! Our experience with the design personnel was great. Kristi, the Design Studio Consultant, knew how to help us build a home we love.
When we were in the process of building our home, we loved all the attention that was given. The many emails and pictures with updates, and the willingness to change what we wanted throughout the process. It all came together very well.

When we moved into our home just under four years ago, we had one child, a little girl. Happy to say we have three children now, we added two boys! We are happy to call this our home… we are building many memories here and plan to stay forever! We love the friendships we have made and are happy to have a clean and safe neighborhood. One of our favorite places to be is on our front porch. Hanging out while the kids play! We just added a basketball standard and love to play hoops with the kids.
We love sharing our home with friends and family, we try to make our home a place all would like to be. It is easy to do with our beautiful and welcoming floor plan.

Thank you for taking pride in your work, so we can take pride in our beautiful home!

Every Step, Every Minute -Matt & Bendi

I can't say I have just one favorite experience when it came to building our home. For me and my husband, each step in the processing was exciting. This is our first single family home, so to be able to have it built was an amazing experience.

We loved going to the design center (I went a lot) to pick out our colors, fixtures, carpets, upgrades etc. I loved that I could take carpet samples and put them beside tile samples to see how the colors went together or I could take a counter sample and put it by my cabinets to see if I liked the look. I loved that I was able to choose a different counter top in each of my bathrooms or different floors (I didn't, but I love that I had that option). I loved that I was able to pick out my double ovens (which I love).

Then came the building experience. I remember the day my husband called and told me that they had dug our hole. We were so excited, it finally felt real. We were going to have a home of our own, one that where we got to choose everything. Then to see the foundation poured. My husband happened to come by just as they were pouring our foundation so he filmed it on his cell phone for me so I could see it when I got off work. Yes, we came out everyday to see the progress of our home. By the time the outside framing was done, Chet (our superintendent) knew us by name. I also loved that everyday Tim (our Community Sales Manager) would email us pictures of the progress of our house, even though we had come out and taken our own pictures.

I have to admit, though, my absolute favorite thing about my home building experience was doing the final walk through with Ben (the Warranty Manager). I know you are probably thinking I am crazy, but for me, it meant my dream had finally come true. My new home, one that I had picked out and no one else had ever lived in, was finally done and in just a few days I was going to get to move it. I didn't sleep the first night we moved in, I just sat in bed loving the smell of new carpet and paint.

So in short, we loved every step, every minute of the home building experience and never plan on moving out of our home.

"It's ALL Good!" -Al & Sue Hyer

It is difficult to choose which moment of our home building process was our favorite, because the whole experience was so very positive. We had many great experiences starting with the very first moment we walked into the model home and spoke with Andra, the Community Sales Manager. Our questions were answered right up front and everyone was always so cheerful and helpful.

We loved the fact that there was a Design Studio that we could actually see and compare different options for carpet, flooring, cabinets, tile, lighting, colors, etc. McArthur really has home buying and building down to a science.

To be able to meet with Roger, the Purchasing Manager, and go over all of our plans and make any adjustments was such a positive and exciting moment. It was obvious that Roger had our best interest as his main goal, and that he wanted us to be completely satisfied before moving forward.

We had a bit of a tight schedule, so the fact that McArthur was able to have our home ready for us within 5 months of the time we started the process was a real blessing.

The walk through after our home was framed and wired was great and the fact that McArthur anticipated some wiring additions and some extra lighting was a big bonus. They seemed to know just what we needed even before we knew. Adam, our Superintendent, was so courteous, helpful and professional.

I am a pilot and to be able to fly over and watch the home being built and the progress that was made each week was truly an exhilarating experience!

To have Ben, the Warranty Manager, do our final walk through and catch every little detail to make sure our home was just perfect was truly the icing on the cake. Then to have Ben present us with a toolbox and shovel, and Andra to present us with a Scentsy candle at closing truly put an exclamation point to the whole process. Not to mention that any repairs were completed within days.

As if all of the above was not enough, McArthur provided us with a truck to help with our move. They really know how to make the home buying experience perfect.

Our first family dinner after we were all moved in and settled, was wonderful. We were in our dream home and we had the room for all of our children to visit and feel the warmth and love that this gorgeous home holds.

Our experience with McArthur Homes has been nothing short of fantastic. We cannot say enough about what a positive and rewarding time it has been for us. We truly have our dream home and we recommend McArthur Homes to anyone and everyone. As you can see for us, all of the interactions with McArthur Homes and their people, from start to finish, were wonderful! It is impossible for us to pick our favorite. As they say, it is all GOOD!

Our 2nd Home by McArthur Homes -Craig & Beckah Greenwood

My wife and I were living in the Britney Townhomes by McArthur Homes in a Dover model 2bed/1bath. It was great for us as a couple, but we wanted to grow our family in a larger place. We learned that McArthur was building a community in Herriman and we liked our experience at Britany so much that we checked out Legacy Ranch North.

The Community Sales Manager there was very outgoing and friendly and we signed papers that day to take advantage of a discount on the house’s site. I don’t know why there was a discount because it has a great location in the neighborhood, with one of the best views of the Wasatch Mountains!

We have since had two happy and healthy children. The community is always clean and our neighbors are wonderful. We are very happy with McArthur Homes and we would recommend them to all our family and friends (and we often do) and we would absolutely buy another home from McArthur if the need ever arises.

Best Built Home of All -Rod & Lorraine

We have had two homes built previous to McArthur Homes and this was by far the best built home of all. We were living in Pennsylvania and planning to move to Utah when we discovered McArthur Homes online. We sent our son to see the property in Lone Tree Eagle Mountain. Our son met with Andra, the Community Sales Manager, and they made a conference call to us where we settled on the Sarena model by viewing 3" X 5" photos of the house and a small floor plan photo. The Sarena turned out to be the best fit for my wife and I with its generous floor plan.

The building schedule was maintained and we were enjoying our new home in September of 2010. The house has been economical for utilities and built tight and rock solid. The experience of building was hassle free while working with the exceptional employees of McArthur Homes. McArthur Homes has been responsive to our requests for the few warranty items that arose.

All in all working with McArthur Homes has been a great experience. I would recommend them to anyone building a new home.

Above & Beyond -Rich & Laura

When we started looking for our first home, we wanted to get it absolutely right. You can only build your first home once, right? We went through many different models of different builders and had decided on the house that we wanted. We even put our money down. On our way out, we noticed a sign for McArthur Homes and decided to check it out.

The instant I walked through the front door of the McArthur model, I could tell that I was in a better home than I'd walked through in the past. The quality and the details of the home were above and beyond what we'd seen for homes in the same and even higher price ranges. We didn't choose our house because it was the best deal, it was the same price as the other homes we'd seen. We chose the house because it was the best quality and best house that we could find. From our personal advice in the Design Center to the many questions we asked the builders, to receiving our keys and opening the door of our beautiful new house for the first time, every step that we took was effortless and wonderful. And I know that I have McArthur Homes to thank for that.

Five years later, I don't regret my choice. I've heard so many different horror stories from my friends and their first time home building experiences and I'm so glad I built with McArthur Homes!

Confident & Comfortable -Adam & Marie Bjornberg

“It will just feel right.” “You will just know.” These were two common phrases of advice given to us as we began our search for our new home. I didn’t fully understand what that meant until I stepped into a model of my future McArthur home.

One of our favorite experiences in building our home was visiting the design center. We had so much fun choosing design elements and upgrades. We were impressed and excited again and again as we found multiple ways to add “dream” elements to our home while staying within our budget.

As builders, we faced a challenge. We had our home in Utah built for us while we were living across country in Maryland! The McArthur team really shined and made us feel confident and comfortable every step of the way. They worked so well with our realtor and sent detailed pictures of the building process as often as we asked. They answered any questions we had through regular emails, and even conducted a walk through over the phone. When we left for Maryland, we had a freshly poured basement that we affectionately called “our hole”. On our next visit, 3 months later, we had a beautifully finished home. The house was completed on schedule and the closing process went smoothly.

We have since made our new house into a home. We look forward to continually opening our home to family and friends, and creating lasting memories, as we watch our young family grow in the years to come. We love our home, sweet McArthur home!

Local Utah Easter Activities for Your Family

Easter Sunday is this weekend! I hope you are looking forward to a wonderful holiday weekend with your family. If you haven't finalized your plans for the weekend, here are a few local Easter activities going on near McArthur Homes' new home neighborhoods in Utah.


Lehi, Utah
My new home is near Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah so we'll be celebrating at the Thanksgiving Point Easter Eggstreme this Saturday. The event includes an Easter egg hunt (grouped according to age) that starts at 11:00am. There will also be other great activities like a bean bag toss, Easter crafts, bounce house, face painting, relays and more. Plus, the Easter Bunny himself will make an appearance. Cost is $8 for adults and $3 for kids.
Click here for more info on this fun activity at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

Eagle Mountain, Utah 
McArthur Homes also has two beautiful new home neighborhoods at The Ranches of Eagle Mountain. If you live in the Eagle Mountain area, be sure to check out the Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday at 10:30am. This egg hunt is sponsored by the Eagle Mountain City Fire Department Association and will includes lots of eggs, candy and even prizes!
Click here for more info on this Easter Egg Hunt at The Ranches of Eagle Mountain, Utah.  

Herriman, Utah
Herriman Towne Center is McArthur Homes' newest neighborhood, located at the heart of Herriman. This year, the annual Herriman City Easter Egg Hunt will take place at 10:00am at WM Butterfield Park. Be sure to arrive early to get a good spot!
Click here for more information on the Herriman, Utah Easter Egg Hunt.

Happy Easter!!!

Lawn Tips- Is Your Lawn Water Wise

Local Utah landscaping expert, Chris Jensen shared his tips for keeping your new home's lawn looking beautiful. Thanks Chris for sharing your expertise with our homeowners!

Lawn Tips- Is Your Lawn Water Wise?

 

Don’t Kill it with Kindness

During the heat of the summer, your lawn only needs to be watered about twice a week.

Water in cycles

By dividing your watering time into three shorter cycles with time in between, water has more time to penetrate the soil and reach the root zone. This means run-off is minimized and more water gets to the roots.

Mow high-3"+

When grass is allowed to grow higher, roots have a chance to grow deeper. Deep roots help your lawn withstand changes in temperatures, even the extremes. Deep roots also need less water. Mowing high also means you get to mow less often.

Recycle your Grass

Leave grass clipping on the lawn to provide nutrients and to keep the soil cool. It also helps in reducing waste at the landfill.

 

Let the air in

Roots need air, too. Aerating your lawn helps compacted soils loosen up, and increases the

transfer of air into the soil so roots can breathe deep. 

 

Go on a less-lawn diet

If the only time you’re on the lawn is when you mow it, think of replacing part of the lawn with

low-water, low-maintenance ground covers, or even a patio or deck with a raised fire pit.

 

Monthly Watering Schedule

Start-up until April 30 Once every 7-10 days

May Once every 4-7 days

June, July, August Once every 2-4 days

September Once every 7-10 days

October to shutdown Once every 7-14 days

You may need to water less or more depending on the weather.

If it rains or is windy, remember to turn off your automatic system or add a rain clicker to turn off the system automatically.

 

 

 

All photos are of projects by Chris Jensen Landscaping

How Does Your Real Estate Tax Bill Compare To Other Parts Of The Country?

Mortgage rates may be a function of free markets, but real estate taxes are a function of government. And, depending on where you live, your annual real estate tax bill could be high, low, or practically non-existent.
Compiling data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan educational organization in Washington D.C., published property taxes paid by owner-occupied households, county-by-county.
The report shows huge disparity in annual property taxes by region, and by state.
As a percentage of home valuation, Southeast homeowners tend to pay the fewest property taxes overall, while Northeast homeowners tend to pay the most. But statistics like that aren't especially helpful. What's more useful is to know how local real estate taxes stack up as compared to local, median household incomes.
Not surprisingly, real estate taxes are least affordable to homeowners in the New York Metro area. The 10 U.S. counties with the highest tax-to-income ratios physically surround New York City's 5 boroughs. The areas with the lowest tax-to-income, by contrast, are predominantly in southern Louisiana.
A sampling from the Tax Foundation list, here is how select counties rank in terms of taxes as a percentage of median income:

• #1 : Passaic County (NJ) : 9.7% of median income
• #6 : Nassau County (NY) : 8.6% of median income
• #15 : Lake County (IL) : 7.2% of median income
• #18 : Cheshire County (NH) : 7.1% of median income
• #70 : Travis County (TX) : 5.0% of median income
• #90 : Marin County (CA) : 4.6% of median income
• #110 : Middlesex County (MA) : 4.4% of median income
• #181 : Sarasota County (FL) : 3.9% of median income
• #481 : Douglas County (CO) : 2.4% of median income
• #716 : Maui County (HI) : 1.3% of median income

The U.S. national average is 3.0 percent.
The complete, sortable list of U.S. counties is available at the Tax Foundation website. For specific tax information in your neighborhood or block, give me a call 801-209-3850.

Sneak Peak at New Moen Faucet

Last week I attended the Utah Builders Conference in Layton. Between seminars, I got to browse through some great new products from local and national suppliers. There was one thing I saw that anyone who is building a new home in Utah will want to know about... the new Brantford kitchen faucet by Moen.

I usually don't get this excited about faucets, but I'm telling you, it is awesome. Anyone who has had a pull down faucet knows that even the best ones come with some hiccups. I love my Aberdeen faucet by Moen, but when I'm done using it I have to push it back up into place and make sure it settles in. I've tried every faucet from all of the national brands, and even Delta's "famous" magnetic faucet catch can't compare to the new Brantford faucet by Moen.

This faucet pulls out SO SMOOTHLY. It twists and turns easily in your hand and when you're done, let go and the faucet retracts itself perfectly. If you don't believe me, check out this video. I sampled all of the national brand faucets, and the new Moen Brantford faucet was last. Notice how it just slides into place. Amazing!!!



This brand new faucet is not even on the market yet, but in May you can see it at the McArthur Homes Design Studio. We have an Award-Winning Design Studio where you can choose everything from faucets to flooring for your new home in Utah!

Habitat for Humanity with McArthur Homes

McArthur Homes, and many of our contractors and suppliers, helped complete the Habitat for Humanity home this year with the Salt Lake Home Builders Association.  Last week, we turned over the new home in Utah to the new owners, the Yussuf Family.  

 

The home was approximately 2000 SF, 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, and built entirely with donated materials and labor from HBA member suppliers and contractors.  It is amazing that even in these difficult times, commonly called the Great Recession, that so many people and organizations are still willing to donate so much to help others.  It really is amazing!  Seeing the joy in the faces of the family – especially the kids – made all the effort worth it, many times over.

Spruce Up Your Home for Spring

I don't know about you, but spring cleaning is in full swing at my house. I've been hard at work indoors while my husband has been fixing up the yard for spring. (It seems I may have gotten the short end of the stick, cleaning indoors with all the beautiful weather we've had!) I love the feeling of everything in the house looking fresh and new. Here are some "to do" items for spring to help you get started on your own home. Is there anything else you like to do to get ready for spring? Leave a comment with your ideas!

Indoor Cleaning Projects:

• Wash windows and repair screens
• Vacuum dusty drapes and window treatments (You can send really dirty drapes to the cleaners!)
• Defrost the freezer and dust refrigerator coils
• Remove grime and grease buildup on the kitchen exhaust fan
• Clean out the basement, giving away or discarding any unwanted items or clothing (My pile has made it to the garage, but I still need to take my donations to DI and discard anything unusable.)
• Shampoo carpets and rugs
• Steam clean upholstery
• Dust corners and ceilings
• Wash baseboards, doorjambs, windowsils doors and walls
• Wipe ceiling fans
• Clean oven
• Wipe refrigerator clean
• Clean out office files

Indoor Maintenance Items

• Check Air Conditioning Unit
• Inspect caulking around tubs, showers and sinks
• Reseal grout on tile floors
• Test GFCI outlets (Press the "Test" button, which should trip the outlet. Then press the "Reset" button to restore the connection."
• Tighten garbage disposal drain, connections and fasteners
• Change furnace filters
• Change batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
• Lubricate door hings and hardware
• Update first-aid and emergency kits
• Replace leaky faucet washers
• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-saving lighting

Outdoor Cleaning Tasks

• Clean and de-clutter your garage
• Wash outdoor furniture
• Clean your grill and check for dead insects clogging the gas line
• Pressure-wash decks
• Scrub porch ceilings and walls
• Clean umbrellas and awnings
• Clean light fixture covers

Outdoor Maintenance Must-Dos

• Inspect and repair or replace damaged roof shingles
• Inspect and reseal roof flashing if necessary
• Pressure-wash driveway and walkway
• Clean and inspect gutters and downspouts
• Check the oil and air filter on your lawn mower
• Trim branches and shrubs that touch your home (They provide a pathway for bugs or excess moisture to enter your home.)
• Check ironwork for rust spots
• Reseal deck
• Seal drafty doors and windows

Phew! That's quite a list (and a lot of work!). You can find more information on many of these and other home maintenance items in McArthur Homes' new home guide. The best part about spring cleaning is that if you get it all done now, you can relax and enjoy the warm summer weather that is on its way! Happy cleaning!