About Uintah County, UT

The weather has been kind of cold and unusual out this way. Now it is warmer and it seems like summer is going to stay. A sure sign of summer in Vernal is seeing the beautiful planters and pots along Main Street filled with petunias. Varieties of purples and pinks, with a touch of white. Thought I would share this wonderful site!

Cobble Rock Park

Fountains at Cobble Rock Park

Petunias along the front of the park

Petunias along the Natural History Museum

Welcome to Spring of 2008! Did you know June is National Homeowners Month? This year's theme is "Back to Basics".

From the HUD.gov website: This year's theme - "Back to Basics" - is designed to underscore the importance of having strong, common-sense fundamentals as a way to maintain a sustainable housing market. Many of those basics were ignored in the lead-up to the housing bubble. HUD's Federal Housing Administration is at the center of the Administration's efforts to help qualified homeowners refinance into safer, more affordable mortgage products.

Despite many news stories that suggest that buyers must put down at least 20% as a down payment in order to buy a home, there are many loan programs that allow a buyer to put a lower down payment, or even to refinance an existing loan with a fairly high loan-to-value ratio.

One of the oldest, most stable loan programs is the FHA loan program. FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration and as you can glean from the name of the program, it is a government-backed loan program, administered by HUD.

You might not realize that the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) has insured over 34 million home mortgages, and has been in existence since 1934.

FHA loans are for ANYBODY -- not just first time buyers. FHA loans can be used on single family houses, certain condominiums, duplexes, 3-plexes and 4-plexes. If duplex, 3-plex or 4-plex, the borrower must live in one of the units, and the loan limits for these kinds of properties are higher than for single family homes.

I have started collecting FHA tips from several lenders I work with. Here are a few that I think many of you may find helpful and interesting.

** The cost for the seller to accept an offer with an FHA loan is now only the tax service fee which is about $85. It previously cost $100 - $200 in years past.

** FHA requires only 3% down. Some of the loans above the standard FHA loan limits (temporary limits by Congress) do require 5%, but some lenders offer a loan program only requiring 3% down for the temporary limits too.

** FHA does allow seller paid closing costs. The minimum contribution for funds to close by the borrower is 3% and the funds can be gifted.

Buyers, or homeowners wanting to refinance, can apply for an FHA loan through a local mortgage lender. Not all mortgage lenders can or will do an FHA loan, so don't hesitate to ask for referrals. Take the time to explore your financing options before you go home hunting, it can well pay off in valuable information.

If you would like to learn more about an FHA loan, or apply for one, simply CLICK HERE to contact me today.

Kyle

When you decide to head out on the hunt for Living Dinosaurs in Uintah County, Utah you will need to obtain a Dinosaur Hunting License. This will allow you to capture the Living Dinos you find without any problems.

You can obtain this document online or when you arrive in Vernal, Utah at the The Utah Fieldhouse of Natural History on Main Street. (Also known as The Dinosaur Museum)

Fill out the form and make sure you have lots of supplies such as water, food and sturdy footwear for the journey. Be sure to wear Dino Scent to blend in with the Dino Habitiat.

Be Careful!

Sneak Up Whenever Possible!

It will work much better when the foilage is out!

Photos by Julie Kippen ,Vernal Utah Real Estate --Thanks

MORE DINOS

Driving thru and around Northeastern Utah you might just think you see a Big Horn Sheep up on a ledge. It might just be and you will be in for a treat.

Bighorn sheep have been successfully introduced into the area from locations such as Montana.

We have seen the Big Horn Sheep on our way south of Vernal past Bonanza. If you take a river trip you may see some along the way. The trips go from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir down to The Dinosaur National Monument.

Don't forget to keep your camera handy!

Spring is finally here. I took the chance to enjoy nature and photograph the beautiful flowers here in Vernal. It was nice to get outside and relax. I did not worry about things that needed to be done and just enjoyed the beauty of nature.

Hope you are able to just relax and enjoy the view! Check out the Hawk Moth that is in two different picutres! They look like hummbirds, but they are moths.

On the technical end I learned more about my camera today and will use the micro lens next time to get closer to the flowers. I will also be watching for shadows, especially mine!

I even caught a Hawk Moth enjoying the flowers. They look like hummingbirds with the way their wings move so quickly. They also have the long proboscus for getting nectar from the flowers. If you look closely at the left side of the first picture on my blog you will see the hawk moth in it too.