Happy Thanksgiving from the Zander Team

Corey is the Chef in our home. We are so lucky! We thought we'd share a couple delicious family recipes for Thanksgiving. Corey's parents both immigrated to America from Germany in the 1950's.  He gained his love of cooking from his mother.  Thus, we have a wonderful and unique heritage as Corey is a first generation American.

COREY'S BRINED TURKEY

Brine Ingredients

2 cans Apple Juice concentrate
2 gallons Water

4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 ¼ cup Salt

2 cups Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves

Peel Of 2 Large Oranges

Peel of 1 Lemon

Ice

Injection Ingredients

2 cups apple Apple Juice

¾ Cups butter

Combine apple juice and butter and warm in microwave until butter is melted.  Mix together and using an injector, inject the mixture primarily in breasts and legs.

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve.Bring to a
boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add ice to cool completely.

Place uncooked turkey in large pot or brining bag.  Pour solution with turkey and refrigerate for 20-24 hours. If you do not have room in your fridge, you can cover with ice and place a cooler or other protected area. 

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or
sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess
salt.

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, rinse, pat dry, and cook according to your
normal roasting method. 

VIDEO LINK COMING SOON.

Aunt Irma's Yam CasseroleFor me, this Yam casserole is better than the pumpkin pie! - Tamara

  

YAM CASSEROLE                                         TOPPING

2 lbs. cut and peeled yams                       4 oz. chopped pecans (photo has whole pecans)
1/2 c. brown sugar (I use a bit less)           2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter                                            1/2 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten                                        1/3 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

1.  Boil yams until tender; drain & mash until smooth.
2.  Add rest of main ingredients & put in a greased dish.
      (8x8, or 9x13 if you want a shallower casserole.  I usually 
       1 1/2 times the recipe for a 9x13)
3.  Combine topping ingredients & sprinkle on top of yams.
4.  Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes.

VIDEO LINK COMING SOON.

Delightful Daybreak Home in Great Location

Welcome to your new home!

Quick Facts:

- Carpets were cleaned by Stanly Steamer on August 11, 2014

- The project bulb was replaced on August 16, 2014.

This house sits on a green court. This green court allows one to have a yard without the maintenance of a yard. During good weather children are outside playing in the green court. 

Within a minute walk are the walking trails of the Sunflower Park. This park goes from Grandville Ave to Kestrel Rise with trails connecting to other parks. The walking trails are good for existence, walking a dog, or walking with children.

This house is wonderful for entertaining, family events. We found to open main floor is great for get-togethers with lots of space. We also found the porch comes in handy for entertaining. 

Within a short walk is Daybreak Elementary School Park and Firmont Park, which children use for slip-n-slide or sledding. 

Incredible Upgraded home in Herriman

This home participated in the 2007 Salt Lake Parade of homes (Link) and has all the boxes checked.  As you enter you will be greeted by walnut hardwood floors, a beautiful white tongue and groove paneled ceiling, and a warm gas log fireplace.  Entering the kitchen your eyes will be drawn to the granite countertops, decorative bead-board, pendant lighting, and white staggered cabinets with moldings and glass panels.  Open the pantry to access the built in home sound system which plays music on the main and upper floors.  Heading upstairs to the master bedroom, you will love the large walk-in closet with built in shelving.  The master bathroom is also impressive with its jetted tub and separate shower with four body sprays. You will notice that the high end granite and cabinets in the bathrooms make this home stand apart.  Down in the basement, the family room is decorated with more bead-board and crown moldings, and has two finished storage areas.  The home also has a dual zone air conditioning system to keep you cool upstairs in the summer and a salt water softener.  Local amenities include the village clubhouse across the street with a pool, hot tub, gym and party room. There is a convenient gas station just around the corner and lots of delightful restaurants including Kneaders, Cafe Rio, and Fortune Cookie within a 10 minute drive. For those who like the outdoors, there are a number of running and biking trails close by.

To see more of this gorgeous home, check out the photo tour.

Gorgeous West Jordan Home Just Listed

This beautiful two-story home has a full-height entryway featuring a sunburst window and a plant shelf.  The formal living room is bordered by two stylish archways and an impressive staircase.  The kitchen has a large breakfast bar, lots of counter space and a walk-in corner pantry.  The adjoining dining area features a beautiful bay window and door that leads out to the deck in the back yard.  The main floor also has a welcoming family room and good sized laundry room.  All of the upstairs bedrooms have plenty of closet space and the master suite has vaulted ceilings, walk-in closet and grand bath with a garden tub and separate shower.  The basement is fully finished with 2 bedrooms, a full bath and a large family room with salon that could be easily converted to a wet bar.  The basement also features cold storage under the front porch, under stair storage, a storage/mechanical room and a separate entrance.  The 3 car garage has 8’ garage doors and extra height ceilings with above parking storage.  The yard is beautifully landscaped and fully fenced with custom vinyl fencing and precast concrete and features several tiers of usable space including a secluded area for entertaining guests and plenty of lawn for outdoor activities.  The side yard has a walk-through gate, a double-wide RV gate and plenty of room for boat, trailer or vehicle storage.

To see more of this home, check out the photo tour.

Feeling Famous

Last week Daybreak's official blogger called me for an interview.  See link below.  This blog went LIVE on Wednesday to 15,000 recipients and anyone else that goes onto it.  

http://www.daybreakutah.com/whats-happening/new-homes-in-daybreak-utah/better-time-list-home/

They asked for tips to stage and what to look for in an selecting an agent. I felt honored to be invited as the Realtor they interviewed!

Thanks to my community for asking me to share what has made our team successful as well as what has helped all of our clients have a fantastic experience selling and buying a home!

SLC: Hottest housing market this year?

As the market picks up, we wanted to share an article that was published recently. As Realtors in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, we are thrilled to hear that our area is slated to be "the hottest" city for housing in the nation this year.

Here is an excerpt from the article (Salt Lake Tribune):

In Salt Lake City, the burst housing bubble of yesteryear is looking more and more like a distant memory.

That’s according to real estate website Zillow... predicted that Utah’s capital city will have the hottest housing market in the U.S. (in 2014). The rankings were based on data related to unemployment rates, population growth and the website’s "Home Value Forecast." Salt Lake City dominated the list due to low unemployment and a booming population.

That’s good news for people looking to sell; it means home values should rise in 2014 as demand swells.

Among other things, Zillow also predicts home values will rise across the nation and mortgage rates will hit 5 percent by the end of 2014. If that happens, it would be the first time rates went that high since 2010.

The good news for home buyers is that mortgages should be easier to get, though overall homeownership rates will sink to their lowest point in nearly two decades.

The news of Salt Lake City’s booming market comes after earlier reports indicated a strong real estate recovery in the region. Last year, National Association of Realtors noted that Salt Lake City’s market was heating up with home prices rising 7.5 percent over 2011. 

Seasonal Home Maintenance: Keep It Up!

Maintaining your home can be the best investment you make. Keeping track of what needs to be done is easy if you organize the information.

For a seasonal home maintenance calendar, go to this link in Google Docs. You can edit it to fit your needs: Yearly & Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist

Winter Month Recommendations:

Winter is the time to go around the interior of your home and check for any little things you may have overlooked, or perhaps noticed and said, “I’ll get to that later.” Winter is your later. If you have any interior honey-do projects, whether it be painting, building shelves, etc., now is a great time to tackle those as well.

• Remove showerheads and clean sediment. This prolongs its life and helps with water pressure as well.
• Deep clean and inspect the basement. Basements are notoriously overlooked, especially if they’re primarily just storage areas. Dust ‘em up, clean any windows, make sure there isn’t mold anywhere, etc. Give your basement a good inspection at least once a year.
• Tighten any handles, knobs, racks, etc. 
• Check all locks and deadbolts on your doors and windows. 
• Check caulking around showers and bathtubs; repair as needed.
• Regularly check for ice dams and icicles.
• Run water and flush toilets in unused spaces.

This information was collected from "The Art of Manliness" Blog. For more details, click here.

Salt Lake Home Sales Highest in 7 years!

SALT LAKE HOME SALES IN 2013 ARE HIGHEST ON RECORD IN SEVEN YEARS

 according to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors®.

 More than 11,700 homes were sold during the year, a 6 percent increase over sales in 2012.

“Home sales in 2013 surpassed levels seen in 2007, the year prior to the start of the Great Recession,” said Angie Domichel Nelden, president of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors®. “We expect 2014 will also bring strong demand for housing as Utah’s strong economy produces more jobs and in-migration/population levels continue to surge.”

The median single-family home price in the fourth quarter in Salt Lake County climbed to $244,625, an 11 percent jump compared to a median price of $221,087 last year during the same quarter. The biggest percent increases in median prices in Salt Lake County included:

Holladay (84124) up 30 percent; 

Taylorsville/Kearns (84123), up 19 percent

North Salt Lake (84116) up 18 percent.

Sales of condominiums in Salt Lake County climbed to 645 in the fourth quarter, an increase of 15 percent compared to 559 sales in the fourth quarter of 2012. During the same period, the median condo price in Salt Lake County climbed to $168,000, up 15 percent compared to a median price of $145,500.

Our team would love to help you sell or purchase a new home this year! 

Give us a call! (801) 815-3355 or (801) 502-1241

Why use an agent when buying / building a NEW home?

We came across this fabulous article today and wanted to share it:

7 Benefits of Working with a Real Estate Agent when Building a Home

Some buyers prefer to simply deal with a builder instead of a real estate agent when they are having a home built as there is a common misconception that hiring a Realtor when building a home is unnecessary. It’s not legally required, however, having a qualified Realtor will actually make the process much easier. Here are six benefits of working with a real estate agent when building a home.

It’s Free

The cost of hiring a real estate agent is included in the purchase price of the newly constructed home. That means that the Realtor is essentially free for the buyer to use. It will not cost them a dime to hire one, making it a no risk proposition. If they do not hire a real estate agent, the extra money simply goes to the builder and in a lot of cases, there are specific real estate agents available to use at any build site.

Hiring a Realtor Will Lead to a Higher Quality Design

Many builders do not consult with a qualified architect when constructing a new floor plan for a home. A reputable Realtor will insist that an experienced architect be consulted before construction begins. The buyer will benefit from a higher quality floor plan and will likely also ensure that a private inspector is hired during the build process, to ensure that all mandatory, unbiased, inspections are completed.

The Buyer Needs Someone to Represent Their Interests

Builders do not represent the person or persons whose homes they are building. They only represent themselves, and their own interest, not the buyer’s. A Realtor is the only person who will represent the buyers themselves. They can help you do research on the area and prices so you can be sure to get a fair price as well as make good decisions on upgrades and other features that might be of interest for a specific area.

They Get Buyers A Better Contract

Realtors will carefully review the contract between the buyer and the builder. Without a real estate agent, the buyer may not receive a contract that is best for them. It is much easier to review the fine print with an experienced eye to help. Buyers will often sign a contract right away because they are so eager for work to begin. A reputable Realtor will work with the buyer to carefully consider every aspect of the contract first. You’ll want to know the different types of warranties your home has and what is protected.

They do the Research for You

If you don’t know much about real estate or are a first time home buyer, you’ll probably feel overwhelmed trying to get information about builders, locations and mortgages. A real estate agent is very familiar with the area and the programs available. For example, if you are in Oklahoma, your Realtor would help you fine different home loans in Oklahoma and information about other builders you might not have looked at yet, so that you can consider all of your options.

They Will Keep Detailed Documentation

Realtors will create and maintain detailed files about the builder’s work and actions, including information about the home and available upgrades. While buyers could do this on their own, hiring a Realtor will save them the time and trouble. The files that real estate agents keep will be crucial if there is any question about the builder’s performance.

They Conduct a Comprehensive Home Review

Realtors will accompany the buyer in a walk-through of their new home and will carefully scrutinize the building for anything that needs to be improved. Similar to contract negotiations, the Realtor may be able to spot things that the buyer would not have noticed until it was too late. Sometimes a buyer will find a building flaw months later and the builder will no longer cover the flaw because they sold the house “as-is”. These are all things to take note of in your contract and things that your real estate agent can help with.

Building a new home can be both an exciting and stressful time in a person’s life. Rather than spending your energy stressing over every little details from finances to home inspections, hand over some of the work to a Realtor. You won’t pay any money out of pocket and you might just find things are moving along much more smoothly than they would if you were doing it all yourself.

Article and insights provided by Kandace Heller.

New Daybreak Listing!

A shout out to our team leader, Tamara Zander, who sold more homes in Daybreak last year than any other real estate agent! We are so grateful for our clients and referrals. Thank you!!

Our newest listing in Daybreak: MLS # 1206200

For full photo tour, please click here

Oakmond Home Photo Tour

Get Inspired (at home) This Year!

Creating routines and cozy spaces 

come to mind.

 

We want to share a creative and practical blog with you. We will share our favorite postings each week this month. May it inspire and motivate you this month to get your new year started off right!

The Inspired Room 

Welcome to The Inspired Room! They share simple, doable ideas for loving the home you have. No big budget, complicated skills or fancy power tools required.

 

Click to read this article

We think you'll find some valuable & fun ideas on her blog.

Happy New Year!

~ Corey and Tamara