Big Scary move to Utah... (Provo, Sandy: sale, how much, custom home)

[Jen38]

Thanks Nicoolio,
Are there any particular neighborhoods in your area that I should look at? We will be making a visit later this month or early next month.
We are looking for a good size house (lots of relatives visiting) on a cul-de-sac with a 1/2 acre or more. I haven't pulled up the Draper area but will give it a shot today.
Thanks for the feedback!

[nicoolio777]

Originally Posted by Jen38

Thanks Nicoolio,
Are there any particular neighborhoods in your area that I should look at? We will be making a visit later this month or early next month.
We are looking for a good size house (lots of relatives visiting) on a cul-de-sac with a 1/2 acre or more. I haven't pulled up the Draper area but will give it a shot today.
Thanks for the feedback!

Well I'm partial to my neighborhood because it's down in the valley and not up on the mountain (the lots on the mountain are almost all on a slope and I just can't see playing a game of soccer of football on the side of a hill). The views of the mountain are great and we are right by a beautiful park and running trail. We also have tons of trees down here in the valley.
The lots in my neighborhood are all 3/4 - 1 1/2 acres and just one street over they are all about 1/2 an acre. There is actually a house for sale on my cul de sac that seems to fit your description. It's about 6000 sq feet and on an acre. The asking price is $750,000 to give you and idea of what homes in this area cost. This particular house backs up against the park so you always have a grassy view from your backyard. It is right next door to my neighboor whose kids go to Juan Diego High School. On the other side is a family that has a big pool (I think you asked about pools) and we are getting ready to put a pool in this summer.
There are several houses for sale just south of us where the lots are more around the 1/2 acre size. I'm not a realtor but if you're interested in these MLS #'s or addresses I can get them for you (I'm new to this city-data thing but I think I can just send you a private message right?). If you use google earth you can see just how pretty this area is.
Just to give you an idea of what our neighborhood is like: When we moved in the neighbors helped us unpack, brought over rolls, and just stopped over to introduce themselves. Halloween is great! Almost everyone gives out the big candy bars and one neighbor grills brats and makes homemade cocoa for the adults. This past Thanksgiving we went to a neighbors' Halloween costume party for adults and it was so fun (I would say about 1/2 the people were LDS. My husband is Mexican and there were several other minorities - so there was a good mix of people. Not everyone was of the same faith or race! I just say that because Utah often gets sterotyped as one way). On Christmas all of my neighbors dropped by something and vice versa. When it's warm everyone is outside and kids are riding their bikes all over the place. Summer is a real social time! Neighbors are always bringing over bounties from their gardens (which is great for me since I don't have a very green thumb). This past spring I was pregnant and had kidney stones - it was very painful and I couldn't do anything about them until after I had the baby. During that time so many of my neighbors brought my family dinner, dropped off books and magazines, and offered to have my kids over for playdates. We have a real sense of community in my neighborhood.
There are quite a few really good local restaurants fairly close. One of my favorites is only about ten minutes away. This is something I was worried about when we moved here because when we go out to eat we want great food with a good atmosphere (there are also your standard TGI Friday type places but I don't prefer those). If you hit up Park City you really should go to Lespri. It's a private club but you can have dinner there 3 times before you have to committ to membership. It's great! All restaurants we have been to serve alcohol - something one of my other friends who is thinking of moving up here had to know!
Well sorry I made this so long but I know this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for when I'm thinking of relocating.

[Abstrakt]

Large houses on 1/2 acre lots in a family friendly cul de sac= Draper

Draper is just south of Sandy and is very nearby all the previously listed perks of Sandy. I live in Sandy myself and love it. We have a 7 year old son and he plays soccer, baseball, Football and hockey. Wrestling is big here if you are into wrestling. It isn't state sanctioned for kids the way it is in the south (and possibly the east?) but they have a lot of private programs available. My son learns his wrestling and jiu jitsu from UFC legend Jeremy Horn there is also a great wrestling program taught by olympic alternate Brandon Ruiz.

[nicoolio777]

We're a big wrestling family too. My son is starting free style this year and here's a link to the club if you're interested: Mountaintop Wrestling Club: Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling Program

[Jen38]

Wow! Thank you for all of that info! I love it. Yes, that is what I'm looking for although coming from the East coast I don't know if I can live up to all of that hospitality! It takes a while before we warm up to people and even more time to actually offer to take their kids!
Oh boy, I was so sold on Park City but after reading your posts I really need to give the Sandy and surrounding areas a glance. The wrestling thing alone will have my husband there in a flash. My son placed last year at Eastern Nationals, so that is a big sport in our family. Soccer is the other "must play" sport and I've been reading a lot about youth soccer in those areas as well. I've done extensive research on Park City but now I'm starting to doubt myself. Ughh, this is so hard.
The one thing that is comforting is that most of the people I have spoken to or have read their post really like living in Utah. Of course there's the whole LDS debate but I lived in California 15 years ago and my close friend was LDS. It affected my life so little that I never even knew what it stood for at the time! I'm not a partier or a big drinker and would value their morals for my children so I'm not sure I would have a difficult time with it all. To each their own I guess.
Nicoolio you mentioned you were pregnant last year, are there a lot of young children in your neighborhood? I would love the MLS number on the cul-de-sac house if you could send that. Thanks, I'll definitley take a look.

[nicoolio777]

I sent you an email with the actual addresses of the two houses I told you about.

[nicoolio777]

The one thing I wish I would have known about when we moved here is how bad the air quality can get during the winter. It's known as inversion and I hate it. It doesn't happen all of the time but when it does the air looks foggy but it's really trapped pollution. I don't think Park City gets this because they are higher up. We just get out of town on the weekends when it gets like this but it is definitely something I don't like about living here. You will experience this anywhere in the Salt Lake area.
More about wrestling - Heber City is a powerhouse when it's comes to wrestling. My brother (who was a state champ and wrestled in college) considered moving there from AZ based on the high school's program. They are only 3A but are great. But if your husband will have a job in the Sandy area the commute would be about 45 minutes to an hour.

[Jen38]

Thanks for those addresses. I wish they showed pictures. I'll ask our realtor to get them for me.

I've heard about the inversion, kind of gross.

Do you or your brother know of any good wrestling clubs in Park City?

Also, do you know of any new homes in Master planned communities with 1/2 to 1 acre lots around SLC/Sandy/Draper?

You mentioned putting in a pool this summer, do it! We have always had one and it's wonderful family time. People ask if it's worth it for the short time you can use it but in the summer when dh comes home from work, it's a great way to spend time together as a family. Barbecue and hang out in the pool - nothing better!

[nicoolio777]

You mentioned putting in a pool this summer, do it! We have always had one and it's wonderful family time. People ask if it's worth it for the short time you can use it but in the summer when dh comes home from work, it's a great way to spend time together as a family. Barbecue and hang out in the pool - nothing better!

No kidding! We had a pool in AZ and I loved it. Even if I have to heat it I want one!

[emu742]

I have lived here about 14 years. From what I've read that you are looking for, you will absolutely want to move to the south sandy/draper area. Especially the south draper area, if commute is not too big an issue (even if it is, its still only 25-35 min to downtown on the interstate from there). There are some beautiful HUGE brand new homes going in this area, since trees are not actually that native to utah except for pine, scrub oak and cottonwoods, most of the south draper area yards are all brand new too with new foliage. There is also a community on top of the 'short' mountain at the very base of draper that is rather beautiful and pricey.
The Juan Diego catholic school is the largest in the nation (or it was at the time it was built a few years ago). I am almost certain it has preschool through highschool and has a better education than the public schools here, which are not one of the best in the nation. It's a private school but it is massive and has football, wrestling, soccer, tennis etc etc etc. This is also located in draper/south sandy area.

Park City is more one of those cities you go to once in awhile 'for fun'. People who live there are very wealthy, and though its still family friendly, it feels more like a tourist/couples/skiing town than anything else. It is more diverse however. But definitely less stay-at-home moms because of the culture and the prices there. Its also far enough away and different enough from salt lake that you will have to make one or another your home or suffer a ton of commuting your kids back and forth to their friends down in salt lake. This is a mountain road, and though its the least steep of the canyon roads, its still just that.
Also, if you want some nice views, more variety of places to go and things to do, you'll want to stay in the valley as well. Park city is nice but since you are actually sitting on top of the mountain (sorta), in a dip, the views are not great- just low mountains surrounding. Salt lake has huge mountains we all love to look at it, and its a spectacular view if you get some windows facing them. Also you can take the 'wasatch' road to any one of the canyons for hiking, fishing, etc, or go downtown to gateway the out door shopping mall or Nordstrom (high end store) in Murray. Since its one big valley of many smaller 'cities' its really appears as one massive city, and you have many hospital/shopping/restaurant options and more than 1 target or walmart to choose from. Park city you'd have to come down the canyon road to get all that, its just less practical for a family imho. It does get the inversion/poor air quality in the winter that makes even a sunny day appear cloudy and its terrible. They refer to it on the radio all the time here. Summers are hot but not bad cuz its dry, winters are cold but not bad (cuz its dry)... water bills will kill you in the summer watering your lawn (which no one should really have, but everyone does anyways). Fall is short, spring is kinda a drawn out winter that turns suddenly into summer haha. Weather here never lasts over an hour- especially rain, will only rain a few minutes usually at a time. Hope some of this helped! And sorry if I repeated any info in this thread already posted, I didn't get a chance to read it all. Oh and another thing- people are friendly, especially more so the closer you get downtown, but you will have to be involved to get to know people. There is a bit of an exclusive feel to friendship here, due to the reason most people stay within their churches (and they are given a specific church and time to go (theres two shifts each sunday) because of the amount of lds)... just get involved with your catholic church (there are quite a few, and a good community I believe centered in Salt Lake) and some sports teams and I'm sure you'll adjust to life here just fine