Toni's Blog

Starting your search online

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:14:55 -0500

I once heard a study that 90% of home buyers first go online when looking for a home. Whether that is proven satistic or not I would have to agree. It only makes sense in this day and age that you first start looking for a home online. The internet is an important tool for both home buyers and home sellers. It is good to be able to look at multiple homes all within one click. You are able to get the right idea of what you are looking for and compare multiple properties at once. This blog entry was not written with intent to advertise my company and brag about how great it is, although it really is. Our website offers great features unlike most home search websites. I am very grateful for all of our resources we are able to provide for our clients and the public. Our website allows you to put in your search criteria which will then pull up all the homes that are within that criteria. From there you can look at multiple pictures of each of home, see how many days it has been on the market, price reductions, and see maps as well as Google street views and much more. It is really convenient and very helpful tool when looking for a home. Whether you are ready to buy a home or just want to browse for fun you can search for homes at www.utahcornerstone.com or www.tonidorigatti.com.

Have a Vacant Home You're Trying to Sell? Consider Home Tending

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:21:16 -0600

Via Alan Barker - Utah Homes (Cornerstone Real Estate):

Yesterday at our weekly office meeting we had representatives of Prestige Home Tending come tell us about their services. This caught me as a great idea, something that can be very valuable for people who have already relocated and are still trying to sell, as well as for people who want really cheap rent for really nice homes.

Right now there are thousands of vacant homes in Utah, especially of the more expensive variety. Vacant Homes sell slower, get more low ball offers, are more suseptible to vandalism, and can be substantially more expensive to insure.

One solution to overcoming vacant home syndrome is to get people to live in them. With Prestige Home Tending this costs the sellers nothing, but gives them a lived in, professionally staged home, and someone to take care of it.

Here are some of the things having home tenders does:

It makes the home alive.

Saves them money on:

Utilities

Lawn care

Snow shoveling

Lower home owners insurance. A non occupied home insurance averages 6 times more than an occupied home.

Less chance of vandalism

Catch problems before they become a crisis, such as water line breaks or damages.

Enhances curb appeal

Prestige home tending makes sure they get qualified, responsible tenders. To qualify as home tender, applicants must pass furniture checks, ensuring that their furniture is professional enough to accomplish staging purposes, as well as background checks. The home tending companies also perform random weekly checks to make sure the home is always in tip top condition and ready for home showings at a moments notice. Home tenders are employees and will move the people out if there are any problems.

The owners of Prestige Home Tending also own a moving company, Smooth Movers, and will provide moving services for the home tenders. Prestige home tending is currently available for Cache Valley Homes, Brigham City Homes, Weber County Homes, and Davis County Utah Homes.

Utah First Time Homebuyer: 5 Do's and Dont's

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:57:11 -0600

Via John Neil (Wasatch Mortgage Solutions):

Utah First Time Home buyer: 10 Dos and Don'ts!

1. Do hire a real estate agent: Hiring a real estate agent won't cost you anything (in the state of Utah the real estate agents commission is paid by the seller) and it could save you a ton of money. A good real estate agent will not only make sure the transaction goes smoothly but that you don't get taken advantage of.

2. Do get a home inspection: A good Realtor will also recommend this to you. A home inspection in Utah will run you anywhere from $200 to $300 but it could save you thousands in the long run. A licensed home inspector will check all the components of the home and can detect things that can't be seen with the naked eye. I recently had a borrower whose inspector found Asbestos in the home he was going to buy. The repairs would have cost him thousands. Luckily he only spent $250 and moved on.

3. Do attend a first time home buyer workshop: In most cities in Utah you can find a home ownership workshop sponsored by either a local University or a local real estate professional. In most cases, these workshops are free and can give you some much needed insight into the world of buying a home.

4. Do establish a realistic budget: What you can afford and what you can qualify for can be two very different things, even in today's climate. It would behoove first time home-buyers to establish a realistic budget to see how much they can afford. In particular, they will need to analyze how much they are currently paying in rent and how much more they will pay for a mortgage (including property taxes and insurance), utility costs of a the new home, annual home repair costs, etc.

5. Do get pre-approved first: Most real estate agents will want you to meet with a loan officer to get pre-approved before they will take you out looking for homes. When you do meet with your loan officer, make sure to bring your last 2 years tax returns with W'2s, Last 2 pay stubs, and last 2 checking and savings account statements. By bringing these documents, the loan officer can give you an official pre-approval and not just a pre-qualification.

Don'ts for Utah First Time Home buyers

1. Don't rush into buying a home just to get the $8,000 tax credit: $8,000 is a lot of money but if you buy the wrong home which requires constant repairs, that $8000 won't last very long and you'll wish you took more time finding the right home.

2. Don't gamble with the interest rate if you are comfortable with the payments: When you finally have a home under contract your loan officer will give you the option of locking or floating the interest rate. My advice is this: Nobody knows the future of interest rates and if you are comfortable with the payments, lock it! Getting a little bit lower rate is not worth the risk of having to take a higher rate and a payment that is more than you budgeted for.

3. Don't do any repairs on the home until after escrow has closed: Once again a Realtor would never allow their buyer to do something so stupid, but I have heard of buyers that did extensive repairs and spent a significant amount of money on a home only to find out that the deal wasn't going to work out.

4. Don't try to time the market. The housing market is kind of like the stock market in that you will never be able to pinpoint the bottom until everything has turned up. How else can you pinpoint the bottom? Teal estate can be a great hedge against inflation but more importantly it is a home. Focus on personal lifestyle needs more than trying to time the market.

5. Don't get a loan from a company that advertises "creative financing"."Creative financing" is just a euphemism for "you are going to get screwed". Stick to the basic loan programs which are easy to understand and, more importantly, are affordable.

Utah First Time Homebuyer: 5 Do's and Dont's

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:57:09 -0600

Via John Neil (Wasatch Mortgage Solutions):

Utah First Time Home buyer: 10 Dos and Don'ts!

1. Do hire a real estate agent: Hiring a real estate agent won't cost you anything (in the state of Utah the real estate agents commission is paid by the seller) and it could save you a ton of money. A good real estate agent will not only make sure the transaction goes smoothly but that you don't get taken advantage of.

2. Do get a home inspection: A good Realtor will also recommend this to you. A home inspection in Utah will run you anywhere from $200 to $300 but it could save you thousands in the long run. A licensed home inspector will check all the components of the home and can detect things that can't be seen with the naked eye. I recently had a borrower whose inspector found Asbestos in the home he was going to buy. The repairs would have cost him thousands. Luckily he only spent $250 and moved on.

3. Do attend a first time home buyer workshop: In most cities in Utah you can find a home ownership workshop sponsored by either a local University or a local real estate professional. In most cases, these workshops are free and can give you some much needed insight into the world of buying a home.

4. Do establish a realistic budget: What you can afford and what you can qualify for can be two very different things, even in today's climate. It would behoove first time home-buyers to establish a realistic budget to see how much they can afford. In particular, they will need to analyze how much they are currently paying in rent and how much more they will pay for a mortgage (including property taxes and insurance), utility costs of a the new home, annual home repair costs, etc.

5. Do get pre-approved first: Most real estate agents will want you to meet with a loan officer to get pre-approved before they will take you out looking for homes. When you do meet with your loan officer, make sure to bring your last 2 years tax returns with W'2s, Last 2 pay stubs, and last 2 checking and savings account statements. By bringing these documents, the loan officer can give you an official pre-approval and not just a pre-qualification.

Don'ts for Utah First Time Home buyers

1. Don't rush into buying a home just to get the $8,000 tax credit: $8,000 is a lot of money but if you buy the wrong home which requires constant repairs, that $8000 won't last very long and you'll wish you took more time finding the right home.

2. Don't gamble with the interest rate if you are comfortable with the payments: When you finally have a home under contract your loan officer will give you the option of locking or floating the interest rate. My advice is this: Nobody knows the future of interest rates and if you are comfortable with the payments, lock it! Getting a little bit lower rate is not worth the risk of having to take a higher rate and a payment that is more than you budgeted for.

3. Don't do any repairs on the home until after escrow has closed: Once again a Realtor would never allow their buyer to do something so stupid, but I have heard of buyers that did extensive repairs and spent a significant amount of money on a home only to find out that the deal wasn't going to work out.

4. Don't try to time the market. The housing market is kind of like the stock market in that you will never be able to pinpoint the bottom until everything has turned up. How else can you pinpoint the bottom? Teal estate can be a great hedge against inflation but more importantly it is a home. Focus on personal lifestyle needs more than trying to time the market.

5. Don't get a loan from a company that advertises "creative financing"."Creative financing" is just a euphemism for "you are going to get screwed". Stick to the basic loan programs which are easy to understand and, more importantly, are affordable.

Great home in Hyrum

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:21:20 -0500

One of a kind Hyrum home!

Price: $405,000

Beds: 5

Baths: 3.5

Sqft: 4763

Lot Size: 17424

Year Built: 2004

Property Address:
25 E 200 S
Hyrum, UT 84335

Great family home with open floor plan & room for everyone! Large country kitchen with huge bar. Nice deck off kitchen. Cozy up to the beautiful stone fireplace. Huge bonus room with bath. Large master suite with claw foot tub in master bath. Basement could be finished as apartment. Call Toni to see today!

5 Bedrooms
3 1/2 Bathrooms
4,763 sq. ft.
.40 acre
Stone fireplace
Walkout basment
Big deck with hot tub

Much more...

Contact Information
	Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals Toni Dorigatti 1047 S 100 W #270 Logan UT 84321 435-881-3587 More Listing Information Visit Website Email Me

Logan Utah Real Estate - Market Update

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:30:56 -0500

Via Logan Utah Real Estate (Kaleb Kunz - Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals):

Here's the market update for the Logan Utah Real Estate Market: The number of sold homes have consistently risen each month starting at 15 in January to 36 sold homes in May. This is good news and can be contributed to a mixture of low interest rates, buyer incentives, the overall consistent Cache Valley market as well as the normal increase of sales in the summer months. On the other hand, the average sales and list price of Homes For Sale in Logan Utah has been fluctuating over the past 5 months. Below are graphs showing these market updates:

Any person looking to buy or sell a home in Logan Utah or surrounding areas please check out my website at www.realestateinloganutah.com - Thanks!
Logan Utah Real Estate - Cache Valley Real Estate - Logan Utah Real Estate - Cache Valley Real Estate

Cache County Real Estate Comparison for the Third Quarter

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:29:44 -0500

Via Alan Barker - Utah Homes (Cornerstone Real Estate):

For the first half of the year, Cache Valley Real Estate sales were down compared with 2008. During the third quarter, they were also down, but less down. Sounds a bit like the national unemployment statistics. The third quarter is traditionally has the highest volume of real estate sales in Cache Valley.
Well during the third quarter of this year, Cache Valley Ut Home Sales were down 5.65%. 317 Cache County Homes sold compared with 336 during the same period last year. Home sales during the second quarter were down by 12.5% and during the first quarter were down 14.09%, so we are seeing improvement.

Third Quarter Cache Valley Utah Real Estate prices were also down compared with July-August of last year. The median sold price of Homes in Cache County was $166,727, down 3.63% from last years Q3 median sales price of $173,000. The average sold price of $187,075 was down 3.5% compared with last year. While the year over year Q3 comparison was down, both the median and average home prices were actually up compared with the second quarter of this year. Prices for Logan Utah Real Estate may have already bottomed out.

Logan Utah Real Estate - Recommended Loan Officer

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:28:04 -0500

Via Logan Utah Real Estate (Kaleb Kunz - Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals):

If you are a buyer looking to purchase a home in the Logan Utah Real Estatemarket or any other surrounding area, I recommend that you visit with John Neil at Wasatch Mortgage Solutions. He is the consumate professional and always has your best interest in mind.

John graduated from Utah State University and has spent the last several years serving the community as one of it's top loan officers. He is very knowledgeable with various loan programs and will go above and beyond to serve you!

Visit his website here: Logan Utah Real Estate

To search all homes for sale in Logan Utah or surrounding areas please check out the following links: Logan Utah Real Estate or Real Estate in Logan Utah

Update Cache Valley Horse Property

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:27:27 -0500

Via Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals:

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

Description and Features

updated 2158 square foot 4 bedroom 2 bath ranch rambler on .63 acres. Call today this won't last long.
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Parking Spaces: 4
Square Feet: 2158
Lot Size: 27444
Year Built: 1981
Floors: 2
MLS #: 918325

Location

Click to view map: 238 west 100 north Newton UT 84327

Links

TaylorZClark.com
MountainsToValleys
Logan Area Homes
Cache Valley Homes for Sale
Listing Website

Update Cache Valley Horse Property

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:27:26 -0500

Via Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals:

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

Description and Features

updated 2158 square foot 4 bedroom 2 bath ranch rambler on .63 acres. Call today this won't last long.
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Parking Spaces: 4
Square Feet: 2158
Lot Size: 27444
Year Built: 1981
Floors: 2
MLS #: 918325

Location

Click to view map: 238 west 100 north Newton UT 84327

Links

TaylorZClark.com
MountainsToValleys
Logan Area Homes
Cache Valley Homes for Sale
Listing Website

Logan Utah Mortgages: The Eight Hour Rule for First Time Buyers

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:22:51 -0500

Great information to know before purchasing your first home! If you are ready to purchase your first home in Cache Valley. You should meet with a knowledgeable lender and then start your search for your first home! There are many benefits to being a home owner. Contact me today for more information. I would love to help you any way I can! You can start your search at www.tonidorigatti.com now or call me at 435-881-3587.

Via John Neil (Wasatch Mortgage Solutions):

When you are buying a home you can't always rely on your loan officer to tell you what you can afford. The fact is that what you can qualify for and what you are comfortable with can be two very different things. To find out if you are truly comfortable with a potential monthly payment there are a few things that you should do...

Develop a Realistic Budget
You should develop a monthly budget and write down every single monthly cost and include a contingency fund of 10% for the unexpected. After the mortgage payment, do you still have enough to put some into savings? into an emergency fund? Are you going to have to cut out cable/Internet, eating out, or other luxuries that you can't do without? If you are uncomfortable with your answers, look for a different house.

The Industry Standards
You could also use the standard "housing ratio" and "debt to income ratio" which underwriters use to determine whether the payments are affordable. Those standards are that you shouldn't spend more than 28% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage payments and that you shouldn't be spending more than 41% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage payments along with other monthly debts (e.g. car payments, credit card payments, student loans, etc.)

It's possible to get approved if your ratios are higher than these standards, if you have very good credit or a large down payment for example. But unless you live very frugally it's likely that you will struggle with a mortgage payment that high.

Account for all increases!
you need to look at your current housing expenses and take into account all of the increases that you will see if you buy a new home. You will need to ask yourself at least these questions...

How much more is the new mortgage payment (including hazard insurance and property taxes) vs. our current rent payments?

How much more or less will the utility bills be?

How much do we need to set aside each month for potential home repairs? (Studies show that you will pay 3.5% annually of the purchase price for a new home and 4.5% for an older home)

Is there an HOA fee that we need to account for?

*You also need to find out how much more of a tax refund you will get because mortgage interest is tax deductible.

The Eight Hour Rule
If you have taken all of the above steps and passed there is still one more test that you need to be aware of. You can always fall back on the eight hour test to determine whether you will be comfortable with a new mortgage payment. If you find yourself reaching for the Tylenol PM at 2 am, chances are that you will not be comfortable with your new mortgage payment.

Great Providence Utah Home for Sale

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:27:47 -0500

Search for all homes in Providence, Millville and surronding cities at www.tonidorigatti.com.

Via Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals:

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

Description and Features

This providence home has been well taken care of. This home is in a wonderfull community. The owners have done a lot to this home. The basement is almost finished, the yard has been completely landscaped including a full fence. The kitchen has been updated as well as extra finish work in the bedrooms! Call for a showing today!
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Parking Spaces: 3
Square Feet: 2832
Lot Size: 14810
Year Built: 2006
Floors: 2
MLS #: 912258

Location

Click to view map: 514 South 330 South Providence UT 84332

Links

whitney
Real Estate in Providence Utah
Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals
Providence UT Homes
Listing Website

New Real Estate Brokerage for Davis/Weber County

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:25:01 -0500

Search all homes for sale at http://www.tonidorigatti. com today!

Via Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals:

Cornerstone is just steps away from opening doors to a new real estate brokerage in Weber County. We should have everything ready by the middle of October.

Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals started with just two agents at the beginning of 2008. It is now the largest, and highest producing real estate office in Cache Valley Utah. Our growth here didn't happen because we are good recruiters, It happened because we have a good thing going on.

We are looking for FULL TIME experienced agents who reside in Davis and Weber County (Our new office will be conveniently located in South Ogden) who want to take their business to a new level.

Some of the things Cornerstone Real Estate Offers Include:

Real Estate Leads - We're not just talking about an occassional lead, we're talking about daily leads, enough to give you 10-15 additional closings every year.

Generous commission splits, yes good commission splits even though we are GIVING you business.

Nice Office where you will feel comfortable meeting with clients.

Training

Marketing Tools

Quick Commission Checks (As in the day the Title Company Brings them too us).

Our goal is to have all of our agents have triple digit gross annual incomes.

If you are disgruntled with your current brokerage, or are just looking for more business and service the Ogden Real Estate, North Ogden Real Estate, Roy Utah Real Estate, Davis County Real Estate, Layton Real Estate, Clearfield Real Estate, Farmington Ut Real Estate, Kaysville Real Estate, or Bountiful Real Estate, contact Ben Brown Today. 801-756-2998

Price Reduction on great Layton home!

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:20:41 -0500

Via Benjamin Brown (Cornerstone):

Benjamin Brown | Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals | 435-764-6683

2723 N 1600 E, Layton, UT

Clean East Layton Home. 5 Bedrooms, 2 full Bathrooms, Mature trees, Extra RV Parking, Large Deck.

5BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $214,900

Year Built 1983

Sq Footage 2,252

Bedrooms 5

Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial

Floors 2

Parking 2 Car garage

Lot Size .20 acres

HOA/Maint $0 per month

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

• Central A/C • Central heat • Family room

• Living room • Basement • Laundry area - inside

• Yard

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Contact info:

Benjamin Brown

Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals

435-764-6683

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jul 29, 2009, 12:23pm PDT

Increasing Home Values - Logan Utah Real Estate

Toni Dorigatti (Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:24:38 -0500

Via Logan Utah Real Estate (Kaleb Kunz - Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals):

The average American has their home as their biggest investment. There are a lot of factors which determine a home's value including condition, location, size etc. Here is a list of smaller remodeling projects that home buyers find value in when searching for a home.

Change/Update Fixtures: New faucets, light fixtures, hardware etc., all give your home a modern and updated feel.

Refinish Or Install New Kitchen Cabinets: Simply putting new hardware and a fresh coat of paint can do wonders.

Install New Doors: Makes a huge difference in the feel of a room.

Add a Bedroom: Not always possible but if there is extra square footage, 3-4 bedroom homes almost always sell faster than 2 bedroom homes.

New Shower: A great way to bring your bathroom up to date.

Re-Grout Tile: New grout brings out the best in tile!

New Windows: One of the first things buyers look at...also lowers your energy bill.

Entryway: Paint the front door, add a new handle....great first impression.

Deck: Can transform a backyard...a great use of entertainment space.

There are many more things you can do to increase home value. One key is to try to keep pace with your neighborhood. You don't want to be the most expensive home...but you don't want to be the 'cheapest' either.

If you're in the market for Real Estate in Logan Utah please visit my website at Logan Utah Real Estate

You can search all homes for sale in Logan Utah as well as Cache Valley Real Estate.

Logan Utah Real Estate