About Washington County, UT

Do you remember that B.J. Thomas song? I loved it as a child and played it over and over and over on my little mini-jukebox, a gift for Christmas one year, I drove everyone NUTS I'm quite sure. I still know all the words by heart! Today is a perfect day for that song.

I have been anticipating my weekly St. George Open House at 1707 South Paragon Drive in the Stone Cliff Community.

And then last night, it began to rain and it came down in sheets and has continued to rain at a steady pace throughout the morning.

We were scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and I have been in town since 8:00 a.m. in order to prepare necessary marketing / advertising materials.

Could someone please turn off the water for a few hours in order to accomodate me?

Sheesh! I almost forgot...the world does not revolve around me!

Oh well, raindrops are falling on my frizzy head...as I wait for it to stop so I can hold my open house....or not!

In order to help 1st time home buyers, the City Council of Hurricane, Utah voted to put into place an affordable housing grant to provide those who qualify up to $2,000 toward closing costs.

In 2010, there will be a total of 70 grants available on a first come-first serve basis.

Qualifications include:

• A buyer (s) must not have owned a home in the last 3 years prior to closing
• Buyers must use a USDA 30 year fixed loan
• Rural Housing Guaranteed or Direct Lending Program to purchase the home
• Home must be primary residence
• This pertains to new construction, never occupied and permanently attached to the foundation
• Home must be located in the Hurricane City limits

So, if you are thinking about buying a home in Hurricane City, take advantage of the $2000 Affordable Housing Grant, they will GO FAST! Contact your real estate agent for more information or if you are looking for an experienced agent, look no further, I am available!

*Photo is of the Sky Mountain Golf Course. Click on the photo to check out the details on this amazing golf course!

The Parade of Homes' Chairman Rod Steurer recently spoke at the Board of Realtors lunch. Mr. Steurer shared some great information in his speech about the 20^th Parade of Homes.

This will be the Parade of Homes 20^th Year Anniversary, with 25 homes on the tour. Half of those attending the event will be coming from out town; mostly from Northern Utah.

The Southern Utah Home Builders Association spent over $80,000 in advertisements, most of which went toward Northern Utah.

Information about the homes on the tour:

* Home sizes range from 1,600 sq ft - 12,000 sq ft

* Home prices range from $205,000 - $3.6 million

* Average home will be 3,363 sq ft

* Average home price is $812,000

Exciting features on the tour this year include:

* 2,100 sq ft master bedroom suite

* Inside racquetball court

* Largest home theater room in Utah

* Kids splash pad built in back yard

* Rooftop observation deck

Tickets will be sold for the event, which will go toward running Southern Utah Home Builders Association and the Southern Utah Home Builders Association scholarship fund.

Almost half of the homes have been pre-sold already and five homes have been built in the last couple of years. However, they have never been lived in.

It takes 10 months to prepare for an event of this magnitude, so planning for next year's Parade of Homes event will soon be under way.

The Parade of Homes has had a good impact on our economy over the last 20 years.

Parade of Homes 20 Year Economic Impact Statistics:
* 468 Parade homes have been built.

* 424,000 people have visited the event.

* 700 businesses have participated in the event.

* The event has made just under half a billion dollars.

* $146,000 has been raised for the Southern Utah Home Builders Association Scholarship.

Event Details:

* February 12, 21010 - February 21, 2010.

* Realtor special: minimum of 10 for $10 each, you can pick up the tickets starting February 1, 2010 at the Board of Realtors office.

* Realtors pass $10 - any home as many times as you like.

* Cannot pick up the Parade magazine until February 11, 2010 at Red Cliff Mall.

Hope to see you all there!!!

The St. George Winter Bird Festival begins today and continues through Sunday, January 31, 2010. This annual festival takes place at Tonaquint Park and Nature Center, located at 1851 S. Dixie Drive in St. George, Utah and is absolutely free to the public. Presented by the Red Cliffs Audubon Society, the St. George Winter Bird Festival is meant for both beginning and advanced bird enthusiasts to learn more about the care, type and history of all different species of birds. The festival will include field trips, workshops, speakers, exhibits and much more. The schedule for the 2010 St. George Winter Bird Festival is:

January 28, 2010:
6pm-8:30pm. - BLM presentation

January 29, 2010:
7am-5pm - Field trips
9am-4:15pm - Presentations and workshops at The Nature Conservatory
7pm-8:30pm - Presentation by Dave Livermore in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College

January 30, 2010:
9am-3:30pm - Field trips
6pm-9pm - Presentations and workshops at The Nature Conservatory
6pm-9pm - Banquet at Best Western Abbey Inn (1129 South Bluff Street, St. George). Renee Van Buren will be the keynote speaker. Tickets for banquet are $20 each.

January 31, 2010:
7:30am-2pm - Field trips

For more information on the festival's schedule or ticket information for the banquet, please contact Marilyn Davies at 435-673-0996 or via email at mk028@msn.com. You can also visit the Red Cliffs Audubon Society website. Come to our beautiful city to enjoy nature at the St. George Winter Bird Festival. You'll be happy you did.

Erika Rogers, your St. George relocation specialist

Despite the slow real estate market rebound and slight decrease in the resale value of many remodeling projects, St. George homeowners are finding remodeling projects that are giving them the most bang for their buck. They are discovering that some of the smartest home improvement projects are also some of the least expensive.

The 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report showed that small-scale exterior projects were the most profitable when it came time to resale. According to the report, eight out of ten projects were recouped when exterior projects costing less than $14,000 were performed.

Remodeling projects such as door replacement, siding replacement and wood deck additions all gave more than 80% of project costs upon resale. Just replacing an entry door with a steel door recouped 128.9% of costs. Upscale fiber-cement siding replacement recouped 83.6% of costs. Wood deck additions recouped 80.6% of costs.

The report really highlights the importance of a home's first impression. Giving your home curb appeal with exterior projects will definitely add value to your home.

Along with your exterior home remodeling projects, don't forget about your interior needs as well. Decluttering your home, adding a fresh coat of paint, cleaning windows, adding fresh lighting, etc., will also help with the sale of your home.