Cranefield is a Club Ivory community that sits adjacent to an 18-hole golf course and offers 1/4 – 1/2 acre home sites. Besides the golf course, it provides amenities such as 2 pools and private and public parks. And along with a variety of home sites, we have 4 available homes that are waiting for the right buyer. These homes start from the $260s, which is an incredible value. We have a lot to celebrate this year, so tell your friends and family and come join the party!

For directions and more information on Cranefield Estates, click here.

While existing home inventory may be scarce, Ivory has over 25 new locations spread throughout the valley and over 1,000 new home sites that will be available to build on throughout 2013. We have over 200 floor plans for you to choose from and with over 50 fantastic locations, you’re sure to find your Ivory home exactly where you want to live.

So far this year, we have sold 344 homes with no sign of slowing down! As the market shifts from a buyer’s to a seller’s market, now is the time to be locking into the still historically-low interest rates on the homes and lots that are selling as quickly as they come onto the market. It is predicted that home prices and interest rates will only continue to climb. That being said, if you’re in the market for a new home, now is the time to buy!

If you’re not sure what you qualify for, don’t make assumptions. You won’t ever know until you take the fist steps to finding out whether or not home ownership or a move-up is attainable for you. To find out whether a new home is within reach, Veritas Funding, Ivory Homes’ preferred lender, can help you through the steps of pre-qualifying and helping you understand what you qualify for.

First, it’s important to know what you’re searching for.  Mold can be hard to identify because it comes in various forms and colors. Another tricky thing to keep in mind is that often times mold grows where you can’t see it or wouldn’t think to look. For example, we found mold in our basement because some liquid had leaked from a can of food onto the cardboard box it was in and sat there for a long time. So moisture provided just the right environment for mold to grow on that box.

Make sure your home has ventilation. That means it should have some air flow through the whole house–especially in areas like the bathroom (use the ventilation fan during and after a shower) or basement where it’s common for moisture to cause mold growth. Make sure to use cleaners that will destroy or prevent mold growth in bathrooms and other areas of the home.

The Environmental Protection Agency has published a document called “A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and your Home,” which gives practical tips about how to identify and clean up mold if you find it in your home. If you choose to clean it up yourself then make sure to take precautionary steps to keep yourself from inhaling or touching it. Or hire a professional to take care of it for you.

Many banks or other lenders require that you have two or more current lines of credit. Some common options are car loans and credit cards. But that doesn’t mean that if you don’t have two, you should just go out and get yourself a loan or open new accounts right before you buy a home. On the contrary; you should not do anything that affects your credit until after you have closed on your home, unless specifically guided to do so by your mortgage consultant or loan officer. That includes closing accounts, which can hurt your credit. A long, positive history with each account is what you should strive for.

So if you’re looking to buy a home in the near future, avoid opening or closing any accounts or getting new loans. Try to pay down some debt if you’re worried about your debt-to-income ratio, and absolutely make sure all of your payments are made on time. Late payments have a huge effect on your credit score. It’s your job to protect it so that you’ll be eligible for a good loan and good interest rate when you purchase a home. We offer a wonderful program called Ivory Financial Fitness to help you do just that. Give us a call to learn what we have to offer!

Whitney Ulrich | A mommy’s life…with a touch of Yellow | www.tyandwhitneyulrich.blogspot.com | Primary Children’s Medical Center 

Ruthie Knudsen | United Ways | www.whatscookingwithruthie.com

Isabelle Thornton | Le chateau des fleurs | http://lechateaudesfleurs.blogspot.com/ | Autism Council of Utah

Ashlee Prisbrey | http://www.imtopsyturvy.com | Spectrum Academy | For Children on the Autism Spectrum

Leanne Jacobs | Organize and Decorate Everything | http://organizeyourstuffnow.com | Epilepsy Foundation

Heidi Ferguson | www.honeybearlane.com | Liz Logelin Foundation

Aly Brooks | http://www.entirelyeventfulday.com/ | Autism Council of Utah

Stacie Skinner-Hoxsie | www.redcherries22.blogspot.com | Charity: March of Dimes

Stillwater and Saratoga Hills

Saratoga Springs is home to both of these neighborhoods, offering affordability and a beautiful location. Imagine owning a brand new Ivory home in the $230s! You can conveniently use Redwood Road to get to nearby shopping within 10 minutes, or hop on I-15 within 15-20 minutes via Pioneer Crossing. You’ll love the peaceful atmosphere and gorgeous view of the valley and Utah Lake.

Foothill Park

This community has a limited number of home sites, and they’re already getting snatched up! It’s in a desirable area in the foothills of Provo, with awesome views of the mountains behind and the valley below. It’s near downtown Provo and Brigham Young University, and everything you need is within minutes of home.  The city is growing fast and has such a strong economy. You’ll notice why!

Sleepy Ridge

This is an Orem neighborhood that sits on the Sleep Ridge Golf Course, which is one of the premier courses in Utah County. As you might expect, it provides lovely views of the course and also Utah Lake. You’re close enough to get quickly on I-15 and excellent shopping venues, but back at home you’ll enjoy the tranquility of Sleepy Ridge.

The Villa Murano is a rambler that offers four finished bedrooms, three and a half finished bathrooms, and plenty of open living space. It features granite and stainless steel in the kitchen, hardwood floors, and a 9-foot ceiling in the basement. And the community has so much to offer, sitting right next to the mountain and limitless world-class amenities. You’ll find estate homes, gated villas, and attached villas to choose from according to your lifestyle.

Last weekend we had a grand opening to celebrate and give our guests a chance to walk through the model home, tour the community, visit the clubhouse and of course enjoy the refreshments. And the fun continues! Stop by Pepperwood Creek today to get your own private viewing.

]]> http://ivoryhomes.com/blog/index.php/2013/02/new-model-home-at-pepperwood-creek/feed/ 0 http://ivoryhomes.com/blog/index.php/2013/02/ivory-homes-in-the-community-blood-drive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ivory-homes-in-the-community-blood-drive http://ivoryhomes.com/blog/index.php/2013/02/ivory-homes-in-the-community-blood-drive/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:09:33 +0000 Ivory Homes http://ivoryhomes.com/blog/?p=4160 Blood Drive a Success

Our company is always looking for ways we can serve our community, and recently we hosted a successful blood drive event at our Newcastle model home at Wanderwood Cove in Taylorsville, which is one of our newer developments. It’s one way we can give back and show gratitude to our friends for helping make us Utah’s Number One Home Builder!

Employees from the American Red Cross were there for 4 hours, and a total of 15 people donated during that time. That means they impacted the lives of 45 patients this week! There were cupcakes and treats for all who came out to donate and everyone had a great time. Because it was a success, we’ve already scheduled our next blood drive for October 16, 2013.

An interesting fact is that out of all the people in the population that are eligible and able to donate blood, only 3% of those people actually do. Blood is ALWAYS needed, and is currently in short supply for blood transfusions and other important medical needs. We encourage everyone who is able to give blood to consider donating because it saves lives!

Check out this episode of Ty-ed in to Housing to see what forecasters are predicting for the 2013 housing market in the Salt Lake Valley and what buyers should expect in the near future.

Every year we do the same thing, don’t we? We follow the trend of setting some resolutions for the New Year–sometimes with true enthusiasm and sometimes while dragging our feet–and we often pick the typical goals everyone else is making and then don’t really follow up on them. Most people want to lose those extra 5 – 10 pounds, get more sleep at night, exercise more, eat less junk food, etc. And those are all great goals. But how can we improve our chances of success in completing our goals? On MindTools.com I found the 5 Golden Rules of goal setting:

1. Set goals that motivate you.
For some, this means starting with figuring out what motivates you. Don’t set a goal to achieve something you don’t want badly enough. You have to want it and make the goal into something that will push you toward it.

2. Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).
Here’s an example: do 30 push-ups and 30 crunches every morning at 7:30am for one month (if that’s reasonable for you personally). Plan carefully so you don’t get discouraged by failure.

3. Set goals in writing.
Write down your goal, and I’d also suggest telling someone else about it so that you’re held accountable. We’ve all heard how much more likely a goal is to be achieved when written down.

4. Make an action plan.
Set your goals in increments. Set smaller goals that work toward the end goal to help keep you on track. You’ll also be able to see your progress more easily, which is very encouraging.

5. Stick with it!
This goes back to the first rule of making sure your goals motivate you. Then you need to exercise your discipline to follow through and reap the rewards. Don’t give up!

Happy 2013 from Ivory Homes!