November 07, 2008

Investing to Retire & Retiring Where You Invest

Posted to Northern Utah Recreation & Attractions, Steve Randall

Today is a travel day for my wife and I on our way to beautiful Orlando, Florida to attend the National Association of Realtors Convention. As my wife and I boarded the plane we could see lots of families with excited children who could hardly wait to arrive at Disney World. As the plane lifted off from Salt Lake International it was easy to see the first real blanket of new snow that had covered the mountains of Northern Utah. The day before, all the ski resorts with planned openings were busy moving up those opening dates as some resorts got 46 new inches of the world famous Utah powder. Even though we are life long residents, we were impressed with the beauty of the moment and experienced a fresh appreciation for how quickly the season can change in Utah. Two weeks ago I was riding with my son down the newly completed Legacy Highway bike path on our road bikes traveling from the new Farmington FrontRunner Commuter Rail Station… and ending up 14 miles down the trail in Salt Lake County. The trees were full of color and the cool Fall air was perfect for the biking activity. When we return from the convention next week, we can choose from snowboarding, skiing, or snowmobiling. What a beautiful place to live…. and to invest in real estate that will rise in value in the years to come.

On the plane I was able to read my emails and noticed another wonderful project being built by Nilson Homes in the hills of Mountain Green, just minutes away from the 2002 Olympic downhill event at Snow Basin. This development is also only 20 minutes from Powder Mountain, another excellent ski resort that many Utahans want to keep quiet about in order to enjoy it themselves! Having learned to ski at Beaver Creek in Colorado and being somewhat acquainted with the resort pricing in those areas, I could appreciate how comparatively inexpensive real estate was in Northern Utah, even though it lies so close to some of the greatest skiing and winter activities in the world.

The Townhomes built at Aspen Meadows start at about $250,000 with the following luxury amenities: granite countertops, tile, rock fireplace, two-tone paint, raised panel knotty alder staggered cabinets, wrought iron railing, jetted tub (great for skiers), pre-wired for surround sound, faux wood blinds, 1500 sq.ft. rock and hardy plan exteriors, and 9’ main floor ceilings. What a great value to invest in now and rent for a number of years to those who come to enjoy the beauties of Northern Utah. Over the years, as one’s mortgage is reduced and retirement approaches, you have an investment that has appreciated in value, the mortgage paid down or paid off, and a place you can retire to with a whole host of activities to be enjoyed during the retirement years. One aspect that I love about being a real estate broker in Utah is helping families buy investment properties that they can use now, assist them in renting the properties for a portion of the time, and then retire to that property in the future. How could it be any better than that!

Posted By: Steve Randall