another moving to SLC thread! (Provo, Layton: mortgage, how much, new home)

[johninvegas]

Hi folks!

My wife and I are looking to move to SLC sometime in the next two years. This summer we are coming up (from Las Vegas) to check out some things and to see if we feel comfortable about this move.

No we are not LDS nor are we concerned about that.

What we are concerned about is finding a nice neighborhood. What we are looking for is about a 2000 sq. ft. house possibly with a basement. On top of that, we are looking for a large lot, one that we can build a "mother-in-law" cottage and a four-car garage on.

Can anyone suggest neighborhoods to look for something like this? I realize that our move date makes it hard to locate a particular property as we won't be in the market till we arrive, but we are just looking for suggestions of neighborhoods to look in that might have this type of property so we can get a general feel about the areas.

Thanks in advance.

[SKIorDIE]

go North Of SLC into Woods Cross, Layton, Syracuse, still reasonably priced and more land. The SLC valley is filling up.

[coolcats]

Some of my neighbors have large lots. There are little “ranchettes” of about 2 acres across the street. One family that moved in there runs a traveling petting zoo for fairs etc., so they stable their animals there. Then on my street quite a few people have half-acre lots. I know one house down the street sold for about $370k with half acre lot, large separate garage/workshop and swimming pool. This is about 2800 S. 7000 W. in SL county. Look in far Western SL county or Tooele county. Otherwise up north as suggested or south of Provo. Or maybe Park City/Heber City or Highland/Alpine in Utah county if you are a millionaire.

[johninvegas]

Thanks for the info! No we're not millionaires, but we have two houses to sell in Las Vegas, so we will be able to afford to buy a place and build the garage and cottage and keep our mortgage reasonable. However if we complete our move, my wife will be working near the UofU Medical school and will be on call so we prefer to be in the SLC metro area as opposed to living in Layton which would really be a long haul in bad weather.

More comments will be appreciated!

[coolcats]

I just completed my studies at the U. From where I live it was a 25 minute drive to the U outside of rush hour, 30-35 minutes during rush hour. I traveled along the 21st South Freeway (SR201). The commute, while not ideal, was relatively mild compared to most major cities.

Depending on how much equity you have in your Vegas homes, you may be able to afford something even closer to the U. I know of some homes with large lots in Millcreek and Holladay. The farther east you are, the pricier the land.

[johninvegas]

Hi Coolcats! We hope to have about 500k between the two houses, but remember, we have to buy a property with home plus construct a cottage and garage. I was looking on a map the other day and thought that East Millcreek and Canyon Rim looked like they would be nice neighborhoods. What are the prices in those areas and would they have larger lots?

[coolcats]

Originally Posted by johninvegas

Hi Coolcats! We hope to have about 500k between the two houses, but remember, we have to buy a property with home plus construct a cottage and garage. I was looking on a map the other day and thought that East Millcreek and Canyon Rim looked like they would be nice neighborhoods. What are the prices in those areas and would they have larger lots?

I've been over to a house in Mill Creek a couple times that sits on a one acre lot. The house is nothing special, but the land makes it worth a lot. I think in the 600-700k range, but I'm not positive. In any case, your equity should provide a good down payment. The area is nice -- close to the mountains with lots of trees, a stream etc.

[coolcats]

Also http://www.utahrealestate.com links to the MLS. You can search by Zip code. East Mill creek is 84109. You could probably look up other promising zips as well.

[Elder_Shawn]

Originally Posted by coolcats

Also http://www.utahrealestate.com links to the MLS. You can search by Zip code. East Mill creek is 84109. You could probably look up other promising zips as well.

My wife and I live in East Millcreek and prices have leveled out somewhat in the past year. The new homes are in the 700K - 1 Million range. The lots are long and skinny in my area. Sometimes the people sell half the lot behind them and form a "flag" lot. The commute to the U of U is awesome though! 10-15 minutes @ 35 mph. If you are looking for land and cheaper brand new housing check out the far west side as coolio cats suggested.

[johninvegas]

Thanks Elder Shawn!

Actually, we would prefer an already established neighborhood with older homes. To get away from Vegas to a four-season climate with trees that look like trees is something we both yearn for! I realize it's still at least a year and probably more like two years away but it's interesting to get a personal take on the area versus a realtor's.

Thanks very much!

And Thank you CoolCats! Good website!