Utah is No. 6 on 24/7 Wall St. Best and Worst Run States list! 24/7 Wall St. “evaluated how a state uses its resources to provide its residents with high living standards, reviewing dimensions such as health insurance, employment rate, low crime, and a good education.” Utah has the fifth lowest violent crime rate and the seventh highest graduation rate in the country!
USS Arizona Memorial, immortalizing the 1,177 crew members we lost December 7, 1941.
Thought of the Week –
“Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world: We are still masters of our fate. We are still captain of our souls.” – Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Have a wonderful week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
For the second year in a row, Forbes has named Utah No. 1 for business! “No state can match the consistent performance of Utah. It is the only state that ranks among the top 15 states in each of the six main categories we rate the states on,” the website gushed. With overall business costs in Utah being 10 percent less than the national average, along with our excellent population growth, companies will continue to be attracted to the Beehive state. This is especially good news for the real estate industry! Utah is already above the national average for owning homes and with more jobs there will be a greater need for homes, which translates into more mortgages and sales!
American Fork Boat Harbor on Utah Lake
Thought of the Week –
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
Have a great week and an excellent start to December!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
Now that there is snow on the mountains, it’s time to take a trip to SKI Magazine’s “#1 Family Vacation” spot! Park City Mountain Resort was rated number 1, with its “top-notch ski school” and reputation for being an excellent ski-town, it comes as no surprise! In addition to skiing, the resort is opening the Flying Eagle zip line for its first full winter season.
Thought of the Week –
“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” – Bill Watterson, author of Calvin & Hobbes.
We hope you have a great week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
Still don’t know what to pass out to those trick-or-treaters tonight? In this special Halloween edition of The Grass is Greener, we have a few suggestions! For a yummy treat that tastes like coconut raw and bacon cooked, give out Palm weevil larva. Throw in a few handfuls of termites and huhu grubs for a snack that tastes like carrots dipped in peanut butter.
If you’d rather go with the old standby of actual candy, be aware that “you are what you give your trick-or-treaters.” If you give out candy bars, you’re a crowd pleaser and make friends wherever you go. If you shower the little ghouls and goblins with peanut butter cups, you are a generous soul who understands that life gives you salty and sweet. And finally, if you give out pennies, you’re a procrastinator (at least give out dimes)!
Cloudburst, a miniature horse, won Martha Stewart’s 2011 Pet Halloween Photo Contest!
Thought of the Week –
“Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn’t even the star of his own Halloween special.” – Chris Rock.
Have a safe and spooky Halloween!
The fiends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
One of America’s most iconic drives is right here in Utah! Highway 12, which runs between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park, was originally a four-wheel-drive track. The now paved road is surrounded by our famous red rock cliffs and desert greenery. While you’re out in the middle of nowhere, be sure to stop in Boulder, UT (Population 180!) at one of the highest Zagat rated restaurants in Utah, Hell’s Backbone Grill.
One of our favorite drives is Nebo Loop, especially in the fall!
Thought of the Week –
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” – Stanley Horowitz
Keep warm the rest of the week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
Over the next few years, the design of new homes will evolve into a more streamlined and creative design. The average single family home in 2015 will be around 2,150 square feet, less than the average home built from 2007 to 2011. We’ll see an increase in great rooms as opposed to a separate kitchen and family room, along with more spacious laundry rooms, master suite walk-in closets, and porches.
One of the world’s most mysterious sights is Goblin Valley State Park in southern Utah. Thanks to sandstone erosion, we have an eerie, otherworldly landscape to visit.
Thought of the Week –
“A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.” – Mary Sarton.
Have an excellent week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
Entrepreneur magazine rated two of Utah’s undergraduate business schools in the top 25 in the nation! BYU’s Marriott School of Management came in at number 7 and University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business ranked 16th. BYU was also rated number 2 for their graduate program.
Tree Houses are no longer just for children! This Swiss Chalet located in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington has a kitchenette, full bath, family room with a fireplace, and balconies. Despite the opulence of this tree house, it is nothing compared to the 10-story tree house in Crossville, Tennessee!
The Swiss Chalet
Thought of the Week –
“The best part of happiness is in the pines.” – Terri Guillemets
Have a great week and an excellent start to October!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
MSN’s The Street has dubbed Utah as one of the top five disaster-resistant real-estate locations. Having declared only seven major disasters in the last 57 years, and none in the last five, Utah has earned its top spot. The greater part of the disasters we have dealt with came from severe storms and subsequent flooding. So when the flooding comes, head for higher ground; such as Park City’s luxury hotels, ski resorts, and posh homes which are all 7,000 feet above sea level!
Peacefield; the home of John Adams in Quincy, Massechusetts
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.” – John Adams
Have an excellent week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
This week, we have chosen to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of September 11th.
NYPD officers, FDNY firefighters, and Port Authority Police at the entrance of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.
Friends and family of the fallen pause near the 9/11 Memorial.
Retired FDNY firefighter Paul Harding and his two year old son Nicholas watch the September 11 memorial service at Peace Arch-Douglas border crossing between Washington State and British Columbia, Canada.
Utah’s Canyon Country was named as having one of Budget Travel’s 5 Classic American Drives. The sites specifically mentioned were Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Bryce Canyon. Plan your mini road trip from Dead Horse Point to Bryce Canyon and log 287 miles of gorgeous Utah views!
This baby lamb pictured with her Mama is named Irene Hope. She was born at the Central Park Zoo in New York City as Hurricane Irene approached and the city was hopeful for minimal damage and a good outcome.
Thought of the Week –
“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” – Christopher Reeve
Have a great week!
Your friends at GBT
Close with Confidence.
CNNMoney has answered the question on nearly everyone’s mind, “Where are the jobs?” Out of 25 counties in the United States, Utah County came in at number 8, with a special emphasis on American Fork, Lindon, and Provo. With a job growth of 47.1% between 2000 and 2010, along with major companies like the National Security Agency and Overstock.com making homes here, this really is the place!
Thought of the Week –
