Saturday, November 22, 2008

Huge Price Reductions...


We have 8 Villas completed and the builder is ready to blow them out...check out the new pricing!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

First Snow of the Year...

Today it snowed at the Jordanelle! While late by all standards snow is very welcome around here!!! There is a part of me that cringes at the thought of snow shovels and boots...the sigh quickly turns to a grin when I think about the fresh powder that makes skiing in Park City unlike any other place on earth!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Green Building Trade Show!

The Retreat at Jordanelle will be a participate! Come check it out!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Fall Leaves and my little pumpkin!



If you aren't in PC right now you are missing one beautiful fall. The leaves have changed and sadly enough won't last long...This morning it's raining which means the end of the fall leaves...the good thing is that it's probably snowing on the top! Ski season is fast approaching and next thing you know we will be heading up the hill (which by the way is only an 8 minute drive) to take advantage of SKI Magazines rated NUMBER 1 resort in North America!! For more information on what's new at Deer Valley check out their website at www.deervalley.com. Oh yeah, I couldn't resist sharing this cute photo of my little girl!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Wow! It's been a long time..Updated Photos!

Well, I have to apologize it has been so long since I have posted...but it has been a BUSY Summer. I do have some very exciting news! We have recently adjusted our pricing and our Villas now start at $399,900. I have attached a new photo album displaying our progress out here. For more information, just call or email!
Nikki Keye
435-658-2300
nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com

Sunday, August 24, 2008

An Entire Month???

Has it really been an entire month since my last post?? Anyway we just are in the middle of the Showcase of Homes and it has been very successful. If you haven't checked out the homes you are missing out on some of the latest in technology and design in home building! For more information check out the link www.pcahba.com!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Benefits of Green Building

This article brought to you by Laurie Nadeau on behalf of the Environmental Task Committee of the Park City Board of Realtors...


Environmental benefits:
Enhance and protect our shared environment
Improve air and water quality
Reduce solid waste through recycling and conservation
Conserve natural resources

Economic benefits:
Reduce operating costs
Lower energy consumption
Increased value and profits (equity)
Improve employee productivity and satisfaction in the workplace
Longer life-cycle of building and green products


Health and community benefits:
Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments
Enhanced comfort and health
Better overall quality of life


Simply put Green homes are better built, more comfortable and last longer.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Updated Slideshow

Check out our updated slideshow. We are making great progress. The PCAHBA Showcase of Homes will be here before you know it. We currently have 4 homes with 30 days or less move in ability. Email or call us for more information. retreat@raineyhomes.com or 435-658-2300.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Interesting information...

I stumbled upon this article today. This article lists the "Best places to live", specific to "Where the jobs are" this is based on the top 25 counties which have experienced the most job growth over the last six years.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0707/gallery.BPTL_job_growth.moneymag/6.html

Just a note: The Retreat at Jordanelle sits on the north end of Wasatch County and just east of Summit County, which are ranked #4 and #6 on the list.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Just some 4th of July FUN!

I thought this was a fun little link...of course I am one of kind! How many of "you" are there out there?

HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere is
1
person with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Thursday, July 3, 2008

No more wood waste!



Today we had a demonstration of the onsite recycle "Green Clean Recovery" this basically takes all of our lumber waste and grinds it down to mulch. It's a very fascinating process. Basically the wood is loaded on the belt and thrown into the grinder and comes out mulch. This elimates any wood waste heading to the landfills plus it gives us the ability to use around our homes for final landscaping. What an incredible idea!!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

YOU must read this article!

National Expert Debunks Real Estate Worries

by Jamie Huish Stum
Good news for homeowners and developers: Utah’s real estate sectors are going to make it through the market softening just fine, according to national real estate expert Peter Linneman. Linneman was the keynote speaker at the NAI Utah Real Estate and Economic Summit Tuesday, which discussed the nation’s and the state’s economy.

“I don’t see any chance of a [national] recession in a coming year,” he said. “We don’t have supply that we can’t absorb.”

A widely-published economist, Linneman is the founding chair of the Wharton School of Business real estate department at the University of Pennsylvania and was also recently named one of the most 25 influential people in real estate by Realtor magazine.

Many buyers panic unnecessarily about the local residential real estate market when they see national media reporting a plummet in housing prices, Linneman said. While growth in Utah’s real estate market has slowed, standing inventory will be filled in the next six to 14 months. The U.S. economy is doing exactly what it should be doing, he said.

“All areas…are doing normal, except housing, which is doing less than normal, which is what it should be doing to get back on track,” Linneman said.

The real estate market is not booming as it was a few years ago, but it’s not crashing, Linneman said. Growth is down, but prices are fine, a common misunderstanding, Linneman said. Growth in the sector is slowing, which is a normal, necessary outcome after the spike of the past three years. Real estate continues to appreciate at a normal rate of 1.3 percent annually, which is a healthier, more sustainable pace than the country has previously experienced.

“The housing sector should be weak,” he said. “If the housing sector were still doing well, we’d be setting ourselves up for a bigger problem.”

Currently, 450,000 homes sit unoccupied across the nation, Linneman said. However, 25 percent are located in southern and central Florida and an additional 25 percent in Phoenix, Las Vegas and southern California. The rest are scattered fairly evenly across the United States.

“You know what that says about the rest of the housing market? It’s not in bad shape,” Linneman said. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t a little excess, but that excess gets used up in months, not years.”

Contrary to many reports, the national economy is still performing well, he said, and will continue to do so during the upcoming year. More than 89,000 new jobs were added nationally in August, according to Linneman. Looking beyond the data, Linneman said key indicators of a strong economy are airports, hotels and restaurants, all of which are bustling.

“People do not go on big holidays when the economy is in bad shape; you don’t send six employees to a conference when the economy is in bad shape,” he said.

Linneman predicted a slight recession in 2009 and 2010, largely due to the introduction of a new presidential administration, which will lead buyers to pause as they see what decisions the new president will make. He counseled commercial real estate developers to be cautious about how much speculation space they bring online in 2009 and 2010, because a recession could lead to less job growth and slower business expansion.

Utah’s economy also continues to experience growth, and the quality of life in the state is a key driver, said Jason Perry, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, who also spoke at the event.

“By all key indicators, we have the hottest economy that exists right now,” Perry said.

According to a report from the Utah Department of Workforce Service released Tuesday, employment growth was 4.4 percent and 53,500 jobs were added during September in the state. Unemployment remains at a historic low of 2.7 percent.

“We are competitive with any state for bringing business into the state,” Perry said.

Because of this strong performance, Utah has been able to attract larger, more prestigious companies as possible move-ins. Perry mentioned a potential relocation deal with manufacturer Procter & Gamble, which would bring 1,300 jobs into the area.

“There is reason to be very optimistic about our future,” he said. “Things are happening here in the state of Utah.”

Friday, June 27, 2008

Updated Photos of our Villas!



Well, it's about time I got around to posting these! There is a ton of action happening around here. Check out the photos and let me know if you have any questions. We are still offering our visionary discount to the next 9 buyers...email me to find out how you can save up to $40,000!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Green Homes = Mortgage Savings

Check out this article...and YES, the Retreat at Jordanelle is Energy Star Certified as well as Built Green Certified!

Countrywide offers discounted rates on LEED homes in 13 states

PRNewswire
SEATTLE, March 19 – Countrywide Home Loans, a division of Countrywide Bank, FSB, today announced the retail launch of its Green Incentive Program, which will initially be available to qualified home buyers in 13 states: Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana., Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The program provides an interest rate reduction of 0.125 percent on a Countrywide loan used to purchase a new home that is built meeting recognized green and energy efficient standards.

"This program gives qualified home buyers more incentive to purchase energy-efficient and green-built homes," said Dave Porter, senior vice president and division builder manager for Countrywide. "Concern for the environment and saving precious natural resources doesn't have to conflict with buying a newly constructed home. Reduced interest rates, combined with the fact that most owners of green-built, energy-efficient homes pay lower monthly utility and water bills, make this program very attractive."

The Countrywide Green Incentive Program's interest rate reduction applies to newly constructed homes that meet third-party, certified standards of recognized green building programs, including Energy Star, Earth Advantage, LEED for Homes and Built Green programs of local home builder associations, as well as the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building program.

For more information, call 800-262-4214 to speak with a Countrywide regional builder manager and for a referral to a Certified Builder Representative in your area. Additional information is also available through many local Countrywide home loan consultants in areas where the program is available.

Source – U.S. Green Building Council website: http://www.usgbc.org/News/USGBCInTheNewsDetails.aspx?ID=3631

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Housing market will rally

Real estate guru says sales and prices will rebound this year
By Steven Oberbeck
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:06/06/2008 11:31:43 PM MDT

PARK CITY - Utah's rising foreclosure rate and its moderating or declining home values has not dampened Lawrence Yun's optimism.
As the National Association of Realtors' chief economist, Yun offered Utah real estate agents gathered in Park City on Friday a cheery message on the future direction of Utah's residential real estate market.
Home sales and prices are poised to rebound later this year and may reaccelerate in 2009, he said.
"We went through a period of overly optimistic exuberance," Yun said, adding that he now believes the pessimism that followed the end of the national housing market boom has gone way too far.
It was just what the real estate agents wanted to hear. In an hourlong speech - the keynote address at the Park City Board of Realtors' sponsored Rocky Mountain Resort Alliance Conference - Yun laid out his reasoning.
Nationally, mortgage rates and unemployment are low while corporate profits are strong, he said. And relatively speaking, home prices in Utah are still affordable compared with many other areas.
Yun said in Utah there are many potential buyers who have the financial wherewithal to buy a home but are afraid to jump into the market. And getting those "fence sitters" into the market will be one of the keys to a turnaround.
Real estate agents need to get the message out that it's a buyers market. There is a high inventory of homes and mortgages are at or near historic lows, he said. Buyers have a lot of negotiating strength.
Laying the blame for the current real estate crisis on the subprime crisis, Yun pointed out that such loans made up only 9 percent of the mortgages in the United States but have been involved in 53 percent of the foreclosures across the country.
In many cases, the impact of the subprime meltdown is reflected neighborhood by neighborhood, he said. Home prices in areas where many houses were purchased using subprime mortgages are well down compared to neighborhoods where such financing didn't proliferate.
In Park City, an area where subprime mortgage financing wasn't widespread, real estate prices have held their value, said Tyler Richardson, president of the Park City Board of Realtors. The median price of a single-family home during the first quarter of this year was $649,140, nearly unchanged from the median price of $650,000 in the first quarter of 2007.
"We're weathering the storm very well," Richardson said. "While the volume of transactions is down, we're not seeing the dramatic fall in prices. We've also only seen a slight increase in foreclosures."
Looking at the long-term trends in the Utah real estate market may prove a benefit to those buyers who are waiting to make the leap to home ownership.
"People need to make their [home-buying decisions] not on short-term trends but on long-term trends," Yun said. "Five years from now 99 percent of the markets will have higher values than today."
steve@sltrib.com

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Good News...to share!

Today one of our preferred mortgage lenders (Jeff Morgan/Countrywide Home Loans) sent me a good news update on what's happening around the world of real estate...so read on!

· Sales of new homes rose in April for the first time in six months

· The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that sales of new homes rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 526,000 units.

· The Commerce report showed that the median price of a new home sold in April rose to $246,100 in April, up 1.5 percent from April 2007.

· Sales were up 8.3 percent in the West and 5.8 percent in the Midwest.

· The inventory of unsold new homes edged down slightly to 10.6 months’ supply at the April sales pace, compared with 11.1 months in March.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Showcase of Homes


The Retreat at Jordanelle is proud to announce their entry into the Park City Area Homebuilders Association Showcase of Homes! The Showcase of Homes will be on the weekends of August 23,24, 30, 31, & Sept 1, 6, 7. 10am to 7pm We are so EXCITED to be participating in this event and look forward to seeing you at the Showcase...for more details, check out the website www.pcshowcaseofhomes.com or email me!

Monday, May 26, 2008

It's Memorial Day!



Well, I woke up early this morning to rain at our cabin in Midway which really was a bummer. For a moment I saw our plans of attending the Midway all you can eat Pancake Breakfast down the drain. By the time I dragged my husband and dog out of bed the rain had subsided and we were crossing our fingers that breakfast was still on.

Sure enough they had set up for breakfast inside the town hall and I definitely ate my $5.00 worth of pancakes! There were so many volunteers there it was very impressive. It helps that I was the first person in line waiting for the first flapjacks to come off the grill at 7:05 am, I had been up since 5:30 with visions of syrup in my head.

Midway is only 20 minutes away from the Retreat at Jordanelle. The town is most famous for it's Labor Day Weekend celebration of "Swiss Days" which is not to be missed if you are around. For more information check out their website at www.midwayswissdays.com

At this point in my holiday weekend I am crossing my fingers for sunshine and hoping to see you at our sales center here at the Retreat!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Interesting Article!


Compliments of the Park City Environmental Task Committee and TheDailyGreen.com:

The housing market remains stagnant across most of the country, and analysts are worried about rising interest rates as well as widespread subprime mortgage lending. Some observers are beginning to ask if a beacon of light may be found in the burgeoning field of green building.

In green construction, designers and builders commit to minimizing waste, improving a building's efficiency in terms of energy and water use, using sustainable or recycled products, and protecting indoor air quality. Green features may help homeowners stand out from the competition. People definitely value energy efficiency, especially as utility costs continue to go up, it becomes greater value.

More than 97,000 homes have been built and certified by voluntary green building programs around the country since the mid-1990s, according to the National Association of Home Builders, representing a 50 percent increase from the group's 2004 survey. Further, more than half of NAHB's 235,000 members (representing about 80 percent of homebuilders) reported that they expect to be employing at least some green building practices by the end of the year.

A number of realtors around the country have reported increasing buyer requests for green homes. Many MLS’s are adding search options to include green features which is being driven by consumer demand.

Many new developments are now including green products and building as a standard feature in order to build a better and more marketable home. Many builders are building with green features and don’t even realize they are.

Owners of green homes tend to be happier than when they lived in more conventional built homes. Another interesting fact is that almost 40 percent of Americans who recently renovated their homes did so with some green products.

Now is the time to invest in energy efficiency and green improvements around your house. Start with little things like changing your light bulbs to CFL’s and using reusable grocery bags. Then, gradually add things like tankless water heaters, green flooring, low or no VOC paints and so forth.

Happy Greening!

PS. All the Villas at the Retreat are both Energy Star Rated and Build Green Utah Certified! Email me for more information...nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com

Monday, May 19, 2008

WOO HOO!!!


Recently Rainey Homes received the "Best of State" medal for Residential Construction!

Curious myself, I checked out the website to understand what exactly does winning a best of state medal mean...So, here you go:

CRITERIA

The Best of State Judges are looking for individuals, businesses and organizations that:

Excel in their endeavors
Use innovative approaches or methods
Contribute to a better quality of life in Utah
Each of the three criteria will be used to judge Best of State candidates:

(50%) Achievement in the field of endeavor. Best of State candidates have demonstrated achievement and excellence in their fields of endeavor and have produced superior results and outcomes. Evidence for this achievement may include - but is not limited to - recognition from peers, development of superior products, growth and expansion of their enterprise, and previous awards and competitions won.

(30%) Innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods or processes. Best of State candidates have achieved superior results and differentiated themselves in positive ways from others within their field through innovation or creativity in approaches, techniques, methods or processes.

(20%) Contribution to improving the quality of life in Utah. Best of State candidates have made Utah a better place. Community service, charitable contributions (financial or goods and services), family-friendly employment policies, environmentally sound practices or policies, increased employment opportunities, community beautification, education, contribution to a strong economy, and cultural contributions are just a few ways people and organizations make Utah a better place to live and work.

PROCESS

The judging process is one of the most important dimensions of Best of State. Our goal in designing the Best of State judging process was to make it as fair and objective as possible.

When all applications are complete or at the end of the application deadline, more than 100 judges review the nominations. Each nomination is judged on its own merits and is not ranked against each other by the judges. Unlike many older judging processes, the Best of State judges perform their assignment(s) individually, away from the possible comments, persuasion or lobbying of other judges. This process is carefully overseen by the independent certified public accounting firm Gilbert & Stewart, P.C. who collects and tabulates the scores for accuracy.

After reviewing each nomination, judges assign numerical scores for each of the three judging criteria. Each nomination is judged on its own merits, and judges do not rank the applicants against each other.

The paper ballots are mailed directly to the official Best of State accounting firm, Gilbert & Stewart, CPA, where scores are tabulated and the results are triple-checked for accuracy.

Winners from each category will receive a Best of State medal. Best of State winners also receive the right to display the Best of State logo and year of award on business correspondence, their website and other promotional materials.

Medal winner nominations are then resubmitted to the judges and scored again. The highest scoring entry from each of the ten general categories is selected to receive the BOSS (Best of State Statue). BOSS awards will be presented at the Best of State Awards Gala in Salt Lake City.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Affordable and Green!

Courtesy of the Park City Board of Realtors and HGTV...enjoy this article on 8 green myths!

There are hundreds of studies have proven the financial advantages of green buildings from reduced construction costs to lower operating costs. Green building is proven effective.

Myth #1: Green building is too expensive.
A lot of the high-profile green projects that get builders' attention are very high-end, and that's one reason this myth is still around. The fact is, there are plenty of strategies for inexpensive green building, from right-sizing the structure to optimal value engineering to reducing waste.

Myth #2: Green building is all about material selection.
Many think of green building as using "green materials" such as those with recycled content, low embodied energy, no VOCs, etc. While these are an important part of constructing a green building, it is still a small part of the big picture. Site selection, the building envelope and energy performance are very important as well.

Myth #3: Green building products don't work as well.
New green products work as well if not better than traditional products, they are made/built to last much longer than products of the past.

Myth #4: Green Products are hard to find.
Some green products are not manufactured nationwide and can be hard to find/purchase in some areas. More and more, stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s are carrying more ‘eco’ friendly lines of many products. The number of green products and systems that are available has grown exponentially over the past few years.

Myth #5: Green homes are "weird" or "ugly."
You don't have to build a dome-home, yurt or a home built out of straw, and, have a farm of solar panels or wind mill towers to be green. Many of today's green homes look like other "typical" homes. And if you do want solar power, there are many ways to integrate solar panels that are attractive and effective.

Myth #6: Building a green home is too complicated.
It can be complicated if you are using a contractor that doesn’t understand the fundamentals of green building. Make sure to use a contractor that knows and has experience in building green. You should also educate yourself as much as possible so you understand the fundamentals making it less complicated for you personally.

Myth #7: To get into green building, you have to sign up for some sort of program or third-party certification.
Builders don't have to get your home certified to build green. These programs like LEED and Build Green Utah provide a checklist of items that score points toward the certification process. The homes can be built to the same standards without the certification. Some believe the certificate will increase the homes overall value. Green building is really about the builder and homeowner working together to make better choices.

Myth #8: It's an all-or-nothing proposition.
There are plenty of builders and homeowners using green technologies and techniques and they may not even know it. There are so many aspects to a home, and with many of the latest improvements in building, many of these new products and practices are actually green and energy efficient without the builder and homeowner making a conscious decision to build it green.

Here is a recent flyer I created showing just a few aspects of our green building...all available for less than $200 per square foot!


If you would like more information...just email me at nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com or call 435-658-2300!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

We've gone PINK!






In honor of Mothers Day and Breast Cancer Awareness we are going pink for a few weeks...On Saturday Rainey Homes put together a team to walk in the Race for a Cure at the Gateway in Salt Lake City! We have done this for the past 4 years now...but this year was by far our best turn out with 18 in our group! Enjoy the photos and Happy Mothers Day!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Our Hideaway & Escape Villas!

Check out this slide show! Things are really coming along on our 2 newly under construction villas! These villas have a slated completion date of June and will feature fantastic finishes...granite countertops, stainless steel, 5" hand scraped hardwood flooring (just to name a few!)



These homes feature very spacious layouts and provide an opportunity to live at Retreat for under $200 per square foot! Please email me for pricing! nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Exterior Painting!

They have just finished painting the "Sanctuary" Side of our Model Home. The sales center will be located through the glass doors in place of the garage door on the front. It's very exciting we should be open for business in our new model soon!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sanctuary Model Home...Leaseback Available TOO!












Here are some more updated photos of the Sanctuary Model Home...I also added the floor plan so you can associate photos with it. This home is available with a seller leaseback as well! It's priced at $554,403. It will feature Jenn Air Appliances & a Maytag Washer and Dryer. If you would like more information about this home and the available seller leaseback options email me at nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com or call me at 435-658-2300.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Lot 210-Solitude Model AVAILABLE!!






Solitude Model Home...Countertops were put in in the last few days, so the home is pretty much complete on the inside. We are still working on the floor to ceiling rock fireplace, and there are a few rooms that still need carpet. This home is available priced at $517,000. We are super-motivated to get this sold with a lease back...so if you like what you see, email me for more details. nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com Oh did I mention...it's going to have a 36" Wolf Range, Sub-Zero fridge with custom cabinet panels and an Asko dishwasher...Pretty SWEET!!!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Model Homes are Nearly Complete...Lease Back Options are Available!








I have posted a few pictures of our model homes. They are coming along nicely. Beautiful finishes throughout! We do have these homes available with leaseback options. We have one listed at approx. $556,000 and the other at $517,000. So if you are in the market for a vacation home but not quite ready to move in yet...buy a model and have us pay your payments for the next year! Give me a quick call at 435-658-2300 or email me at nikki.keye@raineyhomes.com for more info.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Photo updates of the Model Homes!
















I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post, things are really happening around here. We are just waiting for a few warmer days and we'll be finishing up the exterior. Check out the photos, our Sanctuary Model is pretty much finished on the inside.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Cabinets are in and painting is almost done!

Well, I obviously didn't get in there in time to snap a photo before the painters started...which I think was about 2 seconds after the cabinets were installed. So now we have countertops, carpet, finish electrical and some other minor finishing touches left before we have a completed model! The paint color turned out beautifully neutral which is always nice...


Saturday, March 29, 2008

Progress of our other Villas




It's been fun to watch the progress of our other villas under construction! We have NOW poured 6 more foundations and have completed the underground plumbing on them...and framing has commenced on our Villas 225 & 226. These homes should be complete and ready for move in starting in June, then the others 221-224 subsequently after! These are our downhill home plans, Escape-Haven-Hideaway. We should examples of 5 of 6 home plans by mid summer. Please drop in sometime, I would love to give you a tour of our model homes. While they are under construction, sometimes this is the best time to tour a home. You get to see what's behind the walls...which we are never ashamed of showing.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Tile is being set! Things are moving along...








Well there are at least 9 men working inside our first model right now. Things are really moving along. A majority of the tile and slate has been set and now they are moving on to the finish carpetry. The beautiful alder doors are being hung and closet organizers finished up...the exterior finishes are moving along as well.