get on the green

It's the perfect golfing weather - temperatures in the high 60's and 70's with a crisp fall breeze and sunshine. With four major golf courses, the Heber Valley is a well known golfing destination and haven. How about a review?

Wasatch Mountain Golf Course - located on the north side of Midway and Wasatch State Park, amid lush shade trees and also beautiful fall scrub oak.

Soldier Hollow Golf Course - located on the south side of Midway near Deer Creek Reservoir with beautiful views of the valley and the surrounding hillside behind the course.

Crater Springs Golf Course - located on the north side of Midway at the historic Homestead Resort and the lush gardens on the property.

Red Ledges Golf Club - located on the east side of Heber City in the pines and mountainous terrain with great views of Mount Timpanogos.

Homes and home sites are available on the fairways or nearby all four golf courses. Golfing in the Heber Valley could be right at your doorstep. 

For a few Red Ledges real estate options from $498,000 click here, here, here and here.

To see a few gorgeous properties near Soldier Hollow Golf Course click here, here, and here.

For properties on and near Crater Springs Golf Course click here, here, and here.  

For new homes for sale near Wasatch Mountain Golf Course click here, here, and here.

Get out and enjoy the perfect golfing weather in the perfect golfing valley. For more great real estate options, call me for a one on one consultation. 801-631-3430

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Thumbs up

I recently worked with a great couple who were looking for their
dream recreational property in the area. We looked at a few
properties near Strawberry Reservoir and also in Fruitland. After
working with them for a few months and trying to find exactly
what they were looking for, we found the perfect fit for them.
It was a pleasure working with Curtis and Lisa and I look forward
to future experiences with them. This is a recent post they posted on my Facebook page:

"We want to thank Heath for finding Curtis and my dream

cabin for us. He is a wonderful realtor and made the process 

really easy. We also enjoyed the time we spent with him and 

his wife Rachael. I would recommend him to anyone looking 

for property in the Utah area that he services. Thanks again 

Heath, look forward to seeing you sometime when we are up 

there in our "Trapper Cabin"."

I enjoy helping clients find the perfect fit for their real estate needs and forming lasting relationships with good people. 

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

How to make tree stories

So there is a guy named Jeff Meyer. He is a passionate man. Passionate about trees. He wrote a book called The Tree Book. His book is a practical guide to selecting and maintaining the best trees for your yard and home. He also shares his tree passion on several public TV documentaries and broadcasts.

I checked his book out at the library because I wanted to write a blog post about what varieties of trees are best for small yards, big yards,  the best street trees, shade trees, etc. As I read the first few pages of his book I was inspired by his passion for trees AND for history. He started and owns a company that collects seeds from trees that are important to the history of this nation and grows seedling trees and sells them. 

He sells trees that are grown from a honey locust tree (MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SHADE TREE) that lived when Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address during the American civil war at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He grows seedlings from the last living apple tree planted by John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed. He grows and sells seeds from trees involved in the lives of many American historical heroes including many of our past presidents and figures like Amelia Earhart and Henry Ford. It's touching that Jeff Meyer allows all kinds of real life history to continue through his passion for trees.

Gettysburg National Cemetery

I love trees. I love history. I am a bit of a romantic and extremely sentimental so his words spoke to me:

Most trees live longer than people do, and planting one is an act of faith, a gift of hope for the future, and a powerful gesture.  I look at a tree and see history - my personal history as well as my connection to all that's gone on before me and what will happen long after I'm gone. Watching a tree grow is like watching time pass - barely perceptible, yet happening all the same.  Trees change with gentle seasonality, reminding us of the invisible hand of nature.  And losing a tree make us realize our own vulnerability, marking a permanent shift in time and place. 

So with that said, let's get you planting a tree!  Figure out a reason to plant a tree this month and go buy one! Whether its celebrating your teenager's football season, your youngest getting potty trained, maybe your own birthday or anniversary, or an accomplishment of anyone in your family; planting a tree is a splendid way to mark great events in your lives. Sometimes we need an excuse to get out the good dishes, use the good silver, or do something without needing a special occasion. So find an excuse to plant a tree as well.

I've planted a bunch of trees in my yard over the years and they are all attached to some kind of memory. I see trees in my yard and think "I planted that tree when I was pregnant with my second child," "I planted that tree because my friend Sandy loved that kind," and "I got that tree from sweet old Ralph and I hope he makes it through the winter." My children have been involved in the planting of some of them and I've told them the stories behind some of them as well. They all have a story to me. But there many more stories to be written and told. Tree stories that involve your family and friends.  Stories that remember, honor, memorialize, and commemorate the important people and events in your life. 

Every individual tree we plant is an expression of the relationship between man and planet, time and place.  Like others, I plant trees to mark important personal moments or events in my own and my family's life. - Jeff Meyer

Happy tree planting this fall and happy tree story making. CLICK HERE if you want to read a little more info about Jeff Meyer and his Silent Witnesses historical tree program. 

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Our four year old says "Yellow is a happy color"

It's daffodil time.  One of those incredible 'reap what you sow' lessons. It takes some faith in sweet ol' Mother Nature to plant a little bulb now and expect a glorious yellow surprise in the spring. But it works.  Every year.

Daffodils are favorites because they are one of the first little bursts of happiness in the drab colored spring and because they are deer resistant.  Yep, deer don't like daffodils.  They will munch your tulips to the ground but they will let us enjoy those refreshing daffodils.

So, now is the time to get those sweet bulbs in the ground.  When you buy daffodil bulbs, look for nice, firm, solid ones with uniform color. Don't buy soggy ones or discolored and mottled ones.  They will more than likely rot in the ground.

When you plant these pretty little bulbs, you need to plant them three times as deep as the bulbs are tall.  So 6 to 8 inches deep is perfection.  Plant them with the little hairy rooted side down and the pointed end up towards the sky. 

You know those cool looking circular bulb planters with the handle on top?  Avoid those. They are a waste of $10. The best way to plant daffodil bulbs is to clear out the soil of a bed about 7 or 8 inches deep.  Remove all the dirt in that spot whether its a 1 foot square spot or the entire bed.  Just dig it up and set it aside.  Then you place your daffodil bulbs right on the surface of the soil. They should be one or two bulb widths apart from each other.  If they remain touching when planted, they will probably rot during the winter. If you space them more than 6 inches apart, then they seem too sparse when they bloom.

Daffodils prefer nice soft soil that drains well.  If your soil is compacted then loosen it up a bit. Plant the bulbs where they will receive full or partial sun.  If daffodils are too shady, they will not bloom.

After your bulbs are in place, replace the soil on top being careful to keep the bulbs upright.  If you are planting the bulbs in a location where you can not dig up an entire area without disturbing other plants, you can use a huge (2 1/2" to 3 ") drill bit and drill.  Use the drill and bit to specifically and carefully dig holes. Place the bulbs inside and cover with the soil.  Be sure to get deep enough.  If daffodil bulbs are not planted deep enough, they will spend all their time and energy making many small bulbs that will not produce flowers.

You will be rewarded greatly in the spring by your efforts now. As you chose the varieties you want to plant, pay attention to the height, the blooming time, and of course the color.  For a fun and full planting, use different heights and colors to add variety and dimension to your beds. 

Daffodils are labeled with the expected blooming time.  Usually early season, mid season, or late season.  If you want to extend your daffodil blooming times, get bulbs of each time frame.  You will have beauty from early to late spring.  The only drawback of this plan is that the BOOM impact statement isn't made.  It's a more understated but continuous look.  If you want to make a huge statement and have your daffodils be front stage, then plant daffodil bulbs of just one blooming season so they will all be blooming at the same time. The drawback of this plan is that your BOOM only lasts a few weeks. Oh, but it was a marvelous BOOM! 

In my past experiences, early season bulbs are wonderful to see so early in the spring but usually get snowed on.  When that happens, their bloom time is dramatically reduced.  Late season bulbs are gorgeous as well, but it seems like there are already so many other plants popping out of the ground by then, they are overlooked.  I prefer the mid season blooming daffodils.  They are perfection.





Decide what look you are going for in your daffodil adventure. Either something simple like this to get your spring color on. 






Or possibly something extreme like this to get your spring color going. This is called NATURALIZATION. Click here for an incredible link to an article by USU Extension on how to naturalize an area with daffodils on your property. 


Something in between is the perfect fit for most. Jerry Goodspeed with USU Extension tells us:

            “Fall is an opportune time to walk through your favorite nursery and enjoy the pictures on the bulb boxes,” Goodspeed concluded. “Don’t resist the temptation to buy enough for a large grouping in the landscape, and be brave when it comes to selecting varieties. You might surprise yourself with something spectacular next spring, even if it is by accident.”

Remember 5 or 6 months ago when you saw all the daffodils blooming and you thought to yourself "I love those, I should really plant some THIS year?" Remember that?  Now is the time. Happy fall and happy planting.  You reap what you sow in all aspects of life.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

divorce

Sometimes divorce is not a pretty word.  Especially if you're in the middle of one. It's usually quite rough. What makes it rough is figuring out child custody and dividing assets and liabilities. In most relationships the largest shared assets are usually real estate assets; either the marital home or investment properties.

The division of these assets can be intense, complicated, stressful and can be the hardest part of the divorce process.  Hopefully both parties can come to an agreement and arrangement that is equitable and fair. This drastically reduces court and attorney costs.

When the divorce is finalized, after mediation, or after the court divides the assets, the future of the marital home will be known. Sometimes when one party is awarded the home, they will 'buy out' the other party.  This can be done with awarding the party not receiving the home with more shared assets that equal their half of the worth of the home. It can be done with splitting the worth of the home so one party pays cash in the amount of half of the house to the other. It can be done multiple ways depending on how much equity is in the home and how much is still owed on the home.

One of the downfalls of this situation is that one party wants to hold onto a house they can not afford to live in.  They do this for many reasons but one may be an emotional one. They don't want to let go of the house they may have raised their children in or they don't want to leave neighbors. They willingly keep the house while the other party takes other assets that equaled the worth of the house and find a less expensive place to live. This can leave one spouse buried in bills and debt to keep the house running.

Often the best way to handle the situation is to sell the home and each move on and into their own separate homes. It may seem kind of harsh to suggest this, but during a divorce emotions are on high alert and the decisions made are usually very important and can be detrimental if made emotionally. 

A New York Daily News article about divorce and real estate division stated that one of the worst mistakes made while working out the details of a divorce and distributing property is that one spouse makes the emotional decision to keep the house and is therefore consumed in debt because he or she can not financially make it work with day to day living and bills. Because one spouse is determined to hold onto a house they can not afford, they are drained and in a stressful situation while the other spouse lives easier and less burdened with finances.

If you or someone you know is getting a divorce, I would be glad to help in this emotional time. I give professional yet compassionate service and I would love to help work out the real estate puzzle you or they may be facing.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

DECKOVER: Worth the Price and the Hassle?

The going price for a gallon of Behr's Premium DECKOVER is around $35. Its kind of like painting with oatmeal because it's so thick. It doesn't wipe off your pants, shoes, the house or whatever else you happen to get gooey with DECKOVER. But...... it's a pretty great product.


This is our teeny tiny top story back deck measuring 3' by 23'. Although it is mostly covered by the eaves of our home, it faces west so it gets all afternoon sun exposure and quite a bit of winter wind. It had once been painted/stained, but that was years before we moved in. We rarely use this deck because it's so nasty and it's such an awkward space. We wanted to make it a more inviting place and knew it needed some TLC and decided to try Behr's Premium DECKOVER in the Cedar Natural Tone.

The 2 x 6 boards on the deck were in rough shape, very dry and a some of them with some large cracks. Just pretty much neglected.

                                                                                                                     

















The DECKOVER was applied in an initial, heavy coat using a little over half the gallon.  The second coat was applied mostly to finish filling in the screw holes, knots, knicks, and cracks, and we finished off the gallon perfectly. 

So the $35 gallon of Behr's DECKOVER covered the 70 square feet of our very thirsty and rough looking deck wonderfully. The majority of the hassle of using DECKOVER was talking myself into applying it. We still have a winter ahead of us to see how well it withstands snow and ice, but so far we are very pleased. No more splintered feet, no more ugly deck, no more neglected outdoor living space. That's worth $35. Our teenager wants a hammock out there.  Another $20 and everyone is happy.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

brown sugar muffins

Everyone loves a good yet easy throw-together-in-a-pinch recipe.  Here it is!

Simple ingredients, simple directions, simple treat.

Brown Sugar Muffins
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Beat the shortening, brown sugar, and egg together.  Add remaining ingredients and beat only until mixed. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 12 -15 regular muffins.  This recipe makes great mini muffins as well, just stay closer to that 10 minute range rather than 15 minutes.  This recipe is also super easy to double and have a few extra muffins for later. ENJOY!

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Heath's Favorite Five Spices

September is here and that usually means a little more of a schedule and that in turn usually means more cooking and family meal time.

Just so you can get to know your favorite real estate professional a little better, here is HEATH'S FAVORITE FIVE COOKING SPICES. Heath is a great cook and has a gift for knowing what spices are just perfect for each dish.

GARLIC POWDER AND ONION POWDER

Heath puts them on EVERYTHING! 

He uses them in almost everything he cooks from soups to eggs for breakfast to meat dishes.

SAGE AND ROSEMARY

They are the perfect turkey and chicken accessory.

The house and food smells like Christmas and Thanksgiving when used together. They create a holiday smell that is delicious and they are perfect for poultry.

CHILI POWDER AND CUMIN

WINTER!

 Heath loves using chili powder and cumin in the winter.  They are used in chilies and warm foods.

By the way, Heath makes killer mouthwatering chili.  And it's never the same!

BLACKENING SPICE

So good for grilling and searing steaks.

When blackening spice is applied as a dry rub, it soaks into the meat a bit before you grill it so the flavor is more apparent. It has a little sugar in it so when you put the meat on the grill, it crusts over the steak and keeps the juice inside.

 It can also be added as seasoning in the crock pot for an extra kick.

SEA SALT

Everyone likes salt.  It's essential for human health. It's fitting for everything you cook and it enhances the flavor of your food.

So as the fall arrives and you get in the kitchen cooking again, try one or two of Heath's favorite spices or figure out your own new favorites.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com