FORCLOSURES

My company deals heavily in foreclosures. It is super sad to see so many families loosing their homes. I blame the consumer to a degree, of course, but I also blame the lenders who "creatively" finance loans to people who truly can't afford it. People should know better but lenders can be very persuasive.Not all foreclosures come from living above one's means. Some people just fall on hard times or have unexpected job loss. In either case, it is very sad. Sometimes, when we go in these houses, the home owner's have left so much behind because they have no place to store things. However, there are other times when they just don't want to clean their crap up(and sometimes there is literally crap). It can be pretty disgusting. At one house the people moved out but put their chickens in the house to live for the several months before we took over. Can you say nasty! Homeowners often just take whatever they can off a house..light fixtures, electrical equipment, pool equipment, plants, cabinets, and the list goes on and on. One guy took all of the above and even the castle block throughout the yard, as well as the light switches and vent covers!! He did leave, however, a few months worth of garbage and dirty diapers. Nice.
On the up side of all this, boy can you get a deal right now. Houses are selling thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, less than their value. I have a closing on Tuesday that is just a little townhouse that originally sold 4 years ago brand new for $120,000. It sold for $60,000 to a sweet, soon-to-be divorced mom of two, who really benefited from this foreclosure.
The house below is in a upscale-gated community with all the amenities. It was on the market prior to foreclosure for $529,000. It is now on the market for $265,000. It is all brick, 5 bed/ 4 bath on a full unfinished basement. Crazy!
When I first started with foreclosures it really made me so upset because I would see kids belongings in the house and conjure up all kinds of sad scenarios of the family having to move out of their beloved home. I eventually had to toughen up a little but it still bothers me a lot.

On a happier note, we have a new addition to our family.
After A LOT of begging and pleading, my kids convinced me to let them get a dog. Kayla's friend's dog had puppies and she wanted really wanted one. Megan has been begging for ANY kind of animal. She is an animal lover. We went to take a look when they were about 2 weeks old and that was my first mistake. We went and visited Callie every week until she could come home with us. She is a Labradoodle and is extremely smart. We have had her for over a week and NOT ONE ACCIDENT in the house (knock on wood). Labradoodles are more of an inside dog and not meant to be kept outside.(They have soft fleece fur and it curls as thay grow so it could get pretty yucky living outside.) However, they love and need a lot of exercise so she plays with the kids outside until she is exhausted. The only trouble we are having is the normal puppy nipping. She starts puppy school with us in a few weeks so maybe that will improve.

Utah

We are back from Utah. We had so much fun! ( I will post some pics when I find my camera!)We stayed at a new Marriott at Thanksgiving Point. It was such a great location because we were going back and forth from Salt Lake to Provo and Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) was right in the middle. The day we flew in we drove down to Provo for an appointment Hayli had at the Wilkerson Center with her adviser. We dropped her off and drove around for a bit. Parking around campus is crazy! We drove around and around and let me just say we are very familiar with Heritage Halls and everything on 9th. Luckily, her apartment/dorm is basically right across the street from the Wilk and will be super convenient for her.
Friday we went up to the Salt Lake temple to meet a sister missionary that served in our area (for like 10 months) and had just come home the day we got out there. That was a great experience for all of us. Hayli really enjoyed temple square. That night we met my nieces Ashley and Aimee, and Ashley's boyfriend, Ben for dinner at the famous Cafe Rio! (We had heard so much about this place and for good reason...we ate there two more times before we left!)
Saturday we went to University Mall in Provo to look for Hayli a prom dress and boy did we hit the jackpot! We found the most gorgeous dress and she looks FABULOUS in it. That night we went to the men's BYU volleyball game. That was awesome and they won! Sunday we went to church in the Meadowbrook 2nd ward in Taylorsville to see Emily Burgess (the sister missionary) and went back to her family's home for dinner. It was a great time and we enjoyed ourselves so much. They are a super family.
Monday, Hayli spent some time on campus at BYU and I think she has come to the realization that she is going to have a blast! ( I think it may have something to do with the hot LDS guys she met!) The energy on campus seems so fun and I am excited for her to experience college life at the Y.
Monday we went to lunch with a family friend, Kari, and got to see her precious little kids Clate, Hali, and Chloe. Her husband is doing his residency at the U of U. That night we got a fun surprise when my brother Jody flew in town and spent the night with us! That was so great to see him, even if it was just for a day. We left the next morning EARLY!!!! It was a wonderful trip and a good way for Hayli to get a quick taste of what she will be in for. I can't wait to go out again in June..except for the having to leave her there when we fly back home. That will be tough!
Also, today is Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!