"December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy..."

(Image found at: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm)

A day worth remembering and reflecting upon, the December 7, 1941 attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was the key that unlocked the door of American isolationism during World War II. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, marking its official entry into the war that changed the world.



Below is a link to the Naval History's Pearl Harbor site (with images):



http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm

Refinance!

I admit to raising my eyebrows a couple of times when I've received a PR request for someone who has already refinanced within this past year. But this article (Click here to read it!) helps put it into perspective and shows how people can save money (cha-ching!) by refinancing again.

I really like their example; it says if someone secured a 5% mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage on a $200,000 loan, then refinanced at 4.25%, that's a savings of $100 dollars a month! That's four boxes of diapers, that's 100 $1 DI shirts (maybe a couple less for sales tax), or 100 more dollars in your savings account (which would be 36,000 bucks by the end of the loan, more with interest!) $36,000?! That's a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro! Or that money could go toward your children's education... or to a Camaro! I'm just sayin'.

My mind was just blown, what if you haven't refinanced yet and your interest rate is more than 5%... You'd save even more! You could get TWO Camaros! See? Mind blown.

Talk to your local lender (if you don't have one, we're more than happy to supply you with the best in Utah County) and see what your options are!

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire and mild Chevy Camaro Enthusiast.

Vote!

Or else...

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire.

Is now the time to buy?

It sure is the time to refinance! But it's also a great time to buy! I found this excellent article on MSN.

Here are a couple of highlights.

• Great deals! Prices are down approximately 30%.
• Interest rates are around 4.3%. That speaks for itself!
• Mortgage interest is a tax write off.
• It's yours! Paint the walls purple, indulge in avocado shag carpet!
• You'll find a nicer place, for less money (It might not be quite as nice if you actually go with avocado).
• There are tons of places to choose from! You'll have a variety in any price range.

Are you convinced yet?!

If you're unsure where to begin or who to use as an agent or lender, we're more than happy to recommend our most excellent and noble clients. You will absolutely be taken care of here at GBT, where you can (let's say it together now!) Close with Confidence!

Have a lovely day!

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday, Mr. President of the company... That was as Marilyn Monroe as I get.

Steve is another year older and another year wiser.

Happy birthday!

From: Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire and Chris, Clearer of the Century.

10 Reasons to Buy a Home

I just found this great article from Realtor Magazine.

If you're on the fence about buying a home, this should convince you.

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire.

Let there be light!

I thought of such a good title for this post, but it's way too long. So I'll say it now. Ahem.

Light at the end of the tunnel or just a firefly?

Alright, it's not quite as spectacular as I thought it would be.

Anyway, to the meat and potatoes of the post, home sales have risen!

So the explanation of my mediocre title was longer than the actual post. At least I'm keeping you on your toes!

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

How to Get to GBT!

We've heard it's a little tough to find us, so we're remedying that!

42 North 200 East, Suite 1

American Fork, UT 84003

Coming From Salt Lake to Greenbrier Title
· On Southbound I-15, take the American Fork Main Street exit (278).
· Turn left onto Main Street and continue to follow it.
· Drive for approximately 1.5 miles, then turn left onto 200 East.
o Look for Blockbuster and Wells Fargo.
· We share a parking lot with Wells Fargo, just look for the duck on the door!
· Click HERE for a map.

Coming From Provo to Greenbrier Title
· On Northbound I-15, take the American Fork Main Street exit (278).
· Turn right onto Main Street and continue to follow it.
· Drive for approximately 1.5 miles, then turn left onto 200 East.
o Look for Blockbuster and Wells Fargo.
· We share a parking lot with Wells Fargo, just look for the duck on the door!
· Click HERE for a map.

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

97 Year Old Wisdom

I found this article a couple of days ago and found it very interesting. This man is 97 years old and he's been in the real estate biz for 74 years. That's more years than my grandma is old! I hope that last sentence makes some sense. George W. Johnson, gives some great tips and advice on the real estate market.

The first, which I thought was kind of funny and I'll explain why in just a minute, is this awful, horrible, terrible market is just a "baby" compared to past days. Which reminds me of when my grandparents told me they had to walk to school, uphill both ways, barefoot, in the rain, snow, sleet, and drought (all at the same time, mind you). Really what he's saying is, it could be worse and it will get better again.

He talks about one-company towns, greed, timing, and not selling if you don't have to. It's definitely worth a look.

Have a good one!

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Joseph!

Alright, I'll admit it, this post will have absolutely nothing to do with the title industry.

I just wanted to say that I went to PCT's performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and it was awesome! I'm not an artsy person, but I really enjoyed this. The set was amazing (though I'm a little prejudice, because my dad was the one who designed and built it). The voices were lovely (again prejudice because my younger sisters are in the chorus). Costumes immaculate. And of course, Pharaoh was a hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin' love, besides him, the baker was my favorite (alright, so my dad can multitask in a production).

I highly recommend it! So there is my shout out which killed two birds with one stone. Shout out for my peepz and letting you all know that we're still alive and kicking.

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire and Art Connoisseur(ish)

RealtorFest is this Friday

Are you a member of the Utah County Association of Realtors? If so, be sure to come join us at RealtorFest. All the action is happening in only 2 days....it's this Friday, July 30th, from 5 to 9 pm at the McKay Events Center on the UVU campus in Orem.

Stop by the Greenbrier Title booth and say Hello...or perhaps engage in a friendly joust with your friends or your favorite escrow officer.

Come join the fun at RealtorFest!

Fantasy Football

It's almost here. The Inaugural Season of Greenbrier Title Fantasy Football is just around the corner. Don't be left on the sidelines. Participation is free and is sure to be a lot of fun. Call, email, text, or come in to Greenbrier Title today and reserve a spot for your team in our fantasy football league.

Are you ready for some football???

The UCAR Annual Social - REALTOR®FEST!

We hope to see you guys at the UCAR Annual Social this year. Here's the blurb from the official Facebook page.

This event is carnival style and we will have LOTS of booths like Prudentials Rock Band booth, the Relax with @ Home Realty booth with massages and even Guild Mortgage's Sumo Wrestling booth! DJ/MC Casey Scott from Channel 2 will be there to give away our prizes and to keep the party going!

You can even win one of our great prizes!!

Gift Certificates to Chef's Table, Blue Lemon, Carrabbas and Magelbys,
2 massage certificates
2 Home Inspections
Backpacks
Owlz Tickets
iPods
Rockband
a Wii
$500 to Hollywood Laser
...and more!!

We will also have a catered dinner that includes: slow-cooked pulled BBQ pork sandwiches, cowboy molasses beans, corn on the cob, Texas-style potato salad, and homemade cornbread!

Tickets are only $7 in advanced and $10 at the door. Call UCAR today to get your tickets. This is going to be the BEST Social you've ever been to!

*This event is for active UCAR members only*

It will be loads of fun!

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Metaphor

Imagine with us for one moment, just don't close your eyes because you need to keep reading.

One morning you wake up, refreshed, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. You glide through your morning routine without a hitch. Your toast is the ideal shade of brown and there’s no need to worry about how much butter you slather on, because it couldn't possibly go straight to your arteries on a morning like this.

Your shirt is without a blemish, not a hair nor a stray fragment of lint. Your pants are crisp and your socks don’t slip down to your ankle after walking across the room, and your most comfortable shoes are pristine.

Speaking of pristine, your car has magically become five years newer and five shades cleaner. Turning the key in the ignition, it roars to life, then settles to purring like a tiger, no, a Ferrari. Without the drawn “Wash Me!” declaration from the neighbor kids on your back window, you pull away from your house.

Driving up the on ramp, you can’t believe your luck when the meter turns off and you’re free to accelerate smoothly onto the freeway. You also can’t help but smile when you see the car that cut you off before the on ramp has to slam on his brakes to accommodate a semi. But you go by in the next lane while he’s stuck at 45 miles per hour behind the big-rig.

When your exit comes up, you slide easily from the fast lane to the exit entrance. It seems as if you can control the traffic with your mind. Every light blinks green for you and the parking space with the most shade is still open at work.

Hoo-boy, it’s going to be a good day.

This is the kind of experience you can expect at Greenbrier Title. We want your purchase, sale, or refinance to run as smoothly as traffic in our imagination exercise. We’ll make sure the title is pristine. When you wonder, “When is this going to fund?” we’ll be on the other line, waiting to tell you.

We’re always working to fill our clients’ needs. We want to impress you every time you order from us, because with Greenbrier Title, you can close with confidence!


Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Congratulations to Darin and Stacie Rhodes on the newest edition to their family. A baby girl! That's awesome!!!

Independence Day!

Have a safe and happy Independence day!

From all of us at GBT.

See ya Tuesday!

This is Jeopardy!

Last Friday an epic battle of the sexes ensued at the American Fork Prudential office.

After an hour of instruction from Jeff Weiner, Agency Manager and Vice President of Old Republic National, Stacy and Steve donned their Alex Trebec moustaches (figuratively speaking) and hosted a spirited game of Jeopardy! With prizes provided by Eric Halliday and Darin Rhodes of Security Home Mortgage, the competition was fierce.

In the end, the men won, receiving miniature tool kits, but everyone earned two CE credits for attending.

We'd like to thank the fabulous people who attended; Dan Colfack, Tammy Colfack, Dan Crawley, Liana Brown, Rob Rainaldi, Stephanie Robinson, Alan Jones, and Melanie Jones.

And fear not, ladies! A rematch is coming soon...

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Give Your Home an Edge!

You, your neighbor, and your neighbor’s grandma are all trying to sell your homes. You want the next eager buyer to fancy their welcome mat on your door step, not on Miss Sally Next-door’s-with-20-different-rosebushes. How do you keep her charming cottage from taking your potential offers?

Staging. Now, you can either hire a real estate staging company for around $1,000 or you can take a few minutes to read this post and roll up your sleeves for some good old fashioned sweat equity.

It may be wrong, but they’re judging your book by its cover.
Mow your lawn, weed the garden, plant flowers, rake leaves, and do small repairs to the exterior of your home. It’s the same with dating, business, and real estate; you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. A potential buyer might pass if the yard looks like a natural disaster struck minutes before their arrival.

Uncle Norm’s bowling trophies.
Neutralize, depersonalize; it’s hard for a stranger to come into your home and imagine themselves there when your tchochkes (coolest word ever) are surrounding them. Neutral furnishings and décor makes it possible for buyers to really put themselves in the home and enables them to imagine where they’d put their own stuff.

But don’t shove pictures into drawers and cabinets! Buyers are going to open every drawer, every cupboard, every closet, everything there is to open will be under intense scrutiny. It’s recommended that you rent a storage unit to put personal belongings and nonessentials. Half empty closets give the impression of lots of storage space. It’s especially nice because part of your packing will already be done!

Mr. Clean is now your best friend.
Scour, scrub, rent a carpet cleaner, and power washer. Grimy bathroom walls and soap scum caked shower doors aren’t going to lend much favor when buyers come-a-callin’. You don’t want them to think your home is dirty. And don’t skimp on the details! Dust baseboards, wash windows (inside and out, this will bring in more light ergo making your home bright and more inviting), and freshen up the garbage disposal (Vinegar and lemon juice are both environmentally safe super cleaners, pour one or the other into the disposal, let it sit, turn on the hot water, and run the disposal!).

Don’t forget to put Fluffy, Fido, and Frank the Goldfish away too. Not everyone is an animal lover and it won’t endear them to your reasonably priced chateau if they can see or smell your pets.

You don’t have to be Picasso… In fact it’s probably better if you’re not.
If you’re a fan of canary yellow or fire engine red, you’ll need to repaint for the next buyers. A neutral color, a warm beige for instance, is a perfect canvas for the next owners. Before painting, fill in the nail holes where you took down all your family pictures, if you’re going to put up landscape scenes in your home, try using four penny nails since they leave small holes and are easily filled when you’re ready to vamoose. Really, a coat of paint can change the entire look of your home, making it look clean and fresh.

All your home’s a stage!
Focus on showing how functional your rooms are, part of that is making it obvious what each room is for. If you have a home gym slash home office, choosing one or the other to showcase will bring in more bucks than a room that multitasks. Your floor plan may not be open but the way you arrange your furniture can make it seem that way. This should be pretty easy if you followed the de-clutter and depersonalize step.

It may seem like we want to suffocate your creativity and personality, but the next buyer isn’t offering big bucks for your personality, they’re buying your house! And with these surefire steps, the offers will come pouring in.

Brittany, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Sources: hgtv.com, shine.yahoo.com, frugalfun.com

Welcome

Welcome to the Greenbrier Title blog. We are glad you are here. Greenbrier Title serves the Wasatch Front with professional title services from our offices located in American Fork.

If you are in the real estate or mortgage industries, we are committed to your success. We have the tools, knowledge, experience, and integrity to make your job easier as we provide a smooth closing experience for your clients.

If you are buying, selling, or refinancing your home, we are here to help. We know it can seem complicated and confusing. We will guide you through the process, explain the documents to you, and answer whatever questions you may have. Count on us to provide you with timely and professional service.

Thank you again for visiting our blog. We hope this will become a valuable resource for you to learn about the trends, challenges, and opportunities of the Utah real estate market. We'll help you find answers to your questions, and we'll be there when you need us.

Close With Confidence.

Steve Tuttle, President
Greenbrier Title