The Joy of Being a Kid!!!!

If only life could always be this exciting..... Kids can make the simplest things a lifes journey.

 

Boogie boogie lets go racing boys Amen!!!

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Daily Real Estate News  |  July 14, 2011  |    Share
1 Million Foreclosures Delayed Until 2012
An estimated 1 million foreclosure-related notices for defaults, auctions, and home repossessions that should be filed by lenders this year will be pushed back until next year, according to the latest report by RealtyTrac.

While the delays could give home owners more time to catch up on their payments and try to avoid foreclosure, housing experts warn this means the looming shadow inventory of distressed properties likely will continue to plague the real estate market even longer.

"The best-case scenario is we don't get back to normal levels of foreclosure activity until 2015, which means the housing market recovery gets delayed by at least a year," says Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at RealtyTrac.

Foreclosure Notices Drop, Threat Still Looms
Overall, the number of homes repossessed by lenders in the first half of this year dropped 30 percent compared to the same period in 2010. But foreclosure processing delays — with lenders taking longer to take action against delinquent borrowers — is stalling the housing recovery, experts note.

About 1.2 million homes received a foreclosure-related notice in the first six months of this year — in other words, one in every 111 U.S. households, RealtyTrac reports.

Nevada continues to face the most foreclosures; one in every 21 households in that state received a foreclosure notice in the first half of the year.

The foreclosure process continues to lengthen too. From April and June, homes took 318 days on average to go from the first stage of foreclosure to ultimately where it was repossessed by the lender — that’s up from 298 days in the first three months of the year. (In New York, the foreclosure process took the longest at an average of 966 days or 2.6 years; Texas boasted the shortest at 92 days.)

Source: “Delays in Bank Processing Push Likely U.S. Foreclosures Until 2012, Stalling Recovery,” Associated Press (July 14, 2011)

Browse all of today's news

Stranger moves into foreclosed home, citing little-knownTexas law | khou.com Houston

via khou.com

wow nothing will surprise you in today foreclosure market

Sellers Disclosures - Could this have been provided

http://connect2utah.com/get-gephardt-story?nxd_id=154747

Reported by: Matt Gephardt
Tuesday, July 05 2011
The red cliffs of Ivins, Utah is the place Dayna and Kent Birrell want to spend the rest of their days, they just need a house.

"We'd been looking in the area for about a year," Kent says.

Then, in January 2010, they found what looked like the perfect home on the internet. Dayna and Kent were living in Mexico, so they say they called the selling agent, Randee Taylor.

They say Taylor told them there were no known problems in the home.

"We put an offer in and they accepted it," Dayna says.

The Birrells arrived at their new home a few months later, in march of 2010. But, quickly, they got a surprise visit.

"three days later, the previous buyer came by and said 'did you know that this house has roof leaks and mold issues?'" Dayna says.

That previous buyer: Tiauna Simkins. She and her husband planned to buy the same house just a few months earlier but during an inspection, they made a disturbing discovery: mold in multiple rooms. Simkin's inspector reported, "visible mold" all over the place; some caused by a leaky roof and some caused by plumbing problems.

Tiauna and her husband walked away from the home and they say gave a copy of their inspection report to selling agent Randee Taylor.

But, months later, none of the leaks or mold issues are mentioned in the "Seller's Property Condition Disclosure" that Taylor gave to Dayna and Kent.

So, armed with this new information, the Birrells called in their own expert, veteran mold cleaner, Paul Brennan.

Brennen's equipment showed the walls were saturated and lab tests on the mold gave a grim report.

"We found stachy, the worst kind of mold," Brennen says.

That began a lengthy and expensive remediation process for the Birrells, as Brennen cleansed the mold from the house.

Dayna says it's cost about $90,000.

The Birrells paid a visit to Randee Taylors E.R.A. office in St. George. The broker of the office is Thayne Houston, one of the five commissioners for the Utah State Division of Real Estate.

"We explained what we had run into," Kent says. "We explained to them that we know, have proof, that they had knowledge of the previous mold issues."

Dayna and Kent say they asked for the mold to be cleaned up from their home.

"That's all that we asked of them," Dayna says, "Fix the problem and we'll be happy."

But the Birrells say their request was not met. And they have not talked to either Randee Taylor or Thayne Houston since then.

"The last word when we left his office were we will get back with you and make it right," Kent says. "That was over a year ago."

2News spoke to both Randee Taylor and Thayne Houston on the phone. Both refused an interview or to even talk about the Birrell's home saying the case is now in litigation and they cannot comment.

Kent and Dayna say their attorneys are now dealing with the realtor's insurance company. They're trying to recover the money spent to rid their home of mold... And fix all of the damage.

Concerned about mold in your home? Watch this extended interview video with mold expert Paul Brennan of www.moldminers.com - CLICK HERE

(Copyright 2011 - Four Points Media)

Air Force veteran given a hero's welcome with new home

Air Force veteran given a hero's welcome with new home

FOX 13 News

6:53 p.m. MDT, July 14, 2011

He served his country proudly, and thanks to a special donation, one U.S. Air Force veteran is returning to Utah.

Family and friends were on hand to give George Rice a hero's welcome and a new home through the donations from Have a Heart program.

Rice is paralyzed on the left side of his body after surviving a stroke in 2006. Now, thanks to the special design features, his new home will make it a lot easier for him

The number 88 Car in Transformer 3 --- My Favorite

Went to see transformer 3 tonight and to my surprise there was the #88 car as a Transformer saving the world!!!! You go Dale Jr saving the world

I MADE YAHOO SPORTS NEWS!!! Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ride along supports great charities and offers NASCAR fans a thrill of a lifetime - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

via sports.yahoo.com

NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., began a great tradition last year with his Make A Wish Ride Along Day. Fans were able to purchase the opportunity to ride laps with Jr, with all proceeds going to The Dale Jr. Foundation.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Public Domain
Dale's foundation supports Speedway's Children's Charities, the Make-A-Wish foundation of Central and West North Carolina, Victory Junction Gang Camp and more.

Last year, Jr.'s foundation said he was able to raise $50,000 an hour for his charities. During his final ride on the inaugural event, Dale gave nine year-old fan, Dillon, his custom-made racing helmet.

Dillon was thrilled beyond belief . "He's just got a big heart for kids," Dillon said after his ride. He added that his friends at school would never believe him, so he was going to take the helmet to school as proof.

This year, the bidding has started on eBay for Jr.'s Ride Along with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. & VIP Race Weekend that will take place on October 17, 2011.

Bidding ends on the morning of July 18, 2011, and it is currently at $7,600.00. The winning bid will allow you to ride for three laps around the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, and you'll be able to tour both the garage and pit areas. You'll also receive two Grandstand tickets to both the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series events, three nights lodging, Dale's autographed racing gloves and much more.

Apparently, Lori Fleming, a real estate agent in Utah, is requesting donations so that she can win this thrill of a lifetime. She is hoping that enough people will help make her dream come true, and has even set up a can in her office for coin donations. Well, you never know, but I think it might take a lot of coins to win this experience, and her story may need to be a little bit more compelling.

Maybe I can try that. It sounds like a lot of people might come up with some great sob stories in order to spend some time in Jr.'s presence. On Dale's Facebook page, some of the comments posted include Debbie Giles-Heaton, " OMG——I WOULD JUST DIE!!!!! I LOVE DALE JR. I wish i had a million dollars for that, it would be soooooo awsome!!!!! OMGGGGG……YOU R THE BEST DALE!!!!"

Anyone got an extra can?

I grew up watching auto racing at the old Baylands Raceway in Fremont, California, and have been a fan ever since.

More from this contributor:
Here is the link to the Donation Site (the site that started this)
http://lorifleming.posterous.com/send-a-girl-on-a-trip-of-a-life-time-sure-to

This is crazy Maybe I can make this happen Keep those nickels and Dimes coming

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is always a winner: A fan's perspective

NASCAR's top ten winningest drivers
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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06/28/2011

Utah #1 (Again) for Economic Outlook and Other Good News

By EDCUtah

 

Utah's economy continues to strengthen and is picking up accolades in the process.

On Wednesday, the American Legislative Exchange Council released its fourth annual Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index, which ranks Utah #1 for the fourth year in a row with the "best economic outlook in the nation". Written by supply-side economists Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore and Jonathan Williams, the report attributes Utah's #1 economic outlook to its economic policies and notes the strong correlation between a state's economic performance and its policies toward taxes, debt, and regulation.

Utah leads all other states in the index for:

• Gross State Product Growth 62.2%
• Personal Income Growth 59.8%
• Personal Income Per Capita Growth 35.2%
• Population Growth 24.1%

Utah Tech Sector
On Tuesday, EDCUtah released a project memorandum to its investors announcing that IM Flash and EMC Corp. will expand their respective Utah operations, adding 700 new, high paying jobs to the Utah economy. The new jobs not only bode well for Utah's electronics and IT sectors, but also for the state's rising exports. "Last year, electronics accounted for nearly $2 billion -- mostly from IM Flash -- of Utah's $13.6 billion in exports," according to EE Times. Here are some more interesting figures about Utah's tech sector from the Utah Technology Council:

• Utah is home to approximately 6,000 technology companies: 53.9 percent are in Salt Lake County; 20.3 percent are in Utah County; 8 percent are in Davis County. Interestingly, Washington County owns the greatest increase in technology companies, recording an increase of 10 percent in 2010.
• Utah's tech industries employ more than 76,000 Utahns with an average salary that is 62 percent higher than the average non agricultural wage.
• In 2010 Utah exported more than $1.8B in computer and electronic parts and more than $564M in medical device products.
• Utah is 27.2 percent higher than the national average in technology organizations per capita, based upon data compiled from the 2008-2009 Workforce Data Report.
• Utah is 20.9 percent above national average for tech employment per capita, as compared with other western states and with the U.S. overall.
• In 2009, Utah's technology firms produced more than $4.5B in wages for the state; Information Technology (IT) accounted for more than $3B in Utah wages with $1.5B in Life Sciences wages.

 

 

Enterprising States
In another important event this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday released its Enterprising States study, which places Utah among the top ten states in four of six categories. "Some states, like Texas and Utah, are strong across the board in both economic policies -- and economic results," the study said. The Beehive State ranked second in exports, third overall for entrepreneurship and innovation, seventh in workforce and training, and 10th in favorable taxes and regulation. Here is the U.S. Chamber's take on Utah in each category, as reported by the Salt Lake Chamber:

Utah ranks 2nd in Exports
Utah continues to be a leader in export measures, with exports up 45 percent since 2009. (Editor's note: The Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Utah released a new study this week that says Utah exports sustain 75,721 full and part-time jobs -- an increase of more than 20,000 jobs since 2007. Further, Utah exported $13.6 billion in merchandise in 2010 -- a 31 percent increase over 2009's record -- and the state is on pace to do even better this year. The BEBR study was written by research analyst John C. Downen.)

Utah ranks 3rd in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Utah's top ranking in net business birth rate helps it move up five places to third in innovation and entrepreneurship this year. The state ranks no worse than 18th in any metric and is sixth in small business lending activity, ninth in STEM job concentration and ninth in high-tech business concentration. Utah is making investments in research commercialization infrastructure with its Utah Science, Technology and Research Initiative and offers an outreach and business assistance program for technology companies.

Utah is tied for 7th for Workforce and Training
Utah ranks in the top 10 in higher education productivity and affordability, and 25th in educational attainment of its young workforce. In order to help drive innovation and attract high-tech firms to the state, Governor Gary Herbert's administration has set a goal to expand the number of citizens with degrees and professional certifications to 66 percent of adults by 2020. The governor has also called for an increased focus on science, engineering, and math careers in the state's educational system.

Utah ranks 10th in Taxes and Regulation
Utah ranks in the top 17 in four of our five tax and regulation measures, landing it in 10th place. The Beehive State recently launched an advisory committee to optimize its state government. Comprised of public and private sector experts, the committee made over 50 recommendations, including calling for review of regulatory processes that impact businesses in the state. Greater coordination between regulatory agencies was identified as a way to maintain a business-friendly environment and avoid harmful duplication of services and unneeded red-tape.

"Clearly, Utah is being recognized for its solid financial footing, business-friendly environment, fantastic workforce and excellent quality of life. That's not to say our economy is firing on all cylinders," says EDCUtah President & CEO Jeff Edwards, "but we are making great progress and seeing positive results."

Which U.S. City Is the Most Expensive?

 

The cost of living is improving in America compared to its global counterparts, according to a new report by Economist Intelligence Unit. Los Angeles ranks as the most expensive U.S. city but comes in at No. 41 on the list (LA was No. 24 just six months ago).

Meanwhile, Chicago dropped to No. 44 from 33, and New York is now No. 48.

None of the world's 40 most expensive cities are in the United States, according to the report, which provides a snapshot of the cost of living among 140 cities around the world, calculated in dollar terms (the current weakness of the dollar makes other cities more pricey in comparison). The survey took into account the price of more than 160 items — such as food, transportation, utilities, etc. — for its findings.

The priciest spots were dominated by cities in Japan, Australia, and Western Europe. In the survey, places like Tokyo, for example, were found to be 61 percent more expensive than New York.

 

 

 

Priciest Cities in the World
The following are the world's 8 priciest cities, according to the report:

1. Tokyo
2. Oslo
3. Osaka-Kobe, Japan
4. Paris
5. Zurich
6. Sydney, Australia
7. Melbourne, Australia
8. Frankfurt, Germany

As for the cities with the lowest cost of living, those are Karachi, Pakistan; Tunis, Tunisia; and Mumbai, India, according to the report.

Source: “Think Where You Live is Pricey? Try Tokyo or Sydney,” MSNBC.com (July 8, 2011)

Buffett predicts job growth when housing rebounds -

 

By Josh Funk, Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Friday the nation's employment picture will improve significantly once residential housing construction rebounds.

Buffett spoke to Bloomberg Television on Friday morning as the Labor Department released a weaker-than-expected monthly jobs report. He said the report shows the economy is still a long way off from where it should be, but Buffett remains optimistic about the recovery and sees no danger of a second recession.

"I would bet very heavily against that," Buffett said. "How fast the recovery will come I don't know, but I see nothing that indicates any kind of a double dip."

Most of Buffett's comments were focused on the long-term outlook. Buffett said he expects unemployment to fall to about 6% within a few years, and the 2.5 million jobs lost in the recession will be replaced. The June unemployment rate rose to 9.2%.

• STORY: Economy adds a weak 18,000 jobs; unemployment rate is 9.2%

The chairman and CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway said he thinks people will be surprised how quickly employment improves once the excess houses are bought and normal levels of construction resume.

"We will come back big-time on employment when residential construction comes back," Buffett said.

For a time, Buffett said the housing industry was building about 2 million homes a year while roughly 1 million households were being formed, and the nation is still working off that excess created during the housing bubble.

Buffett said an increase in housing construction will prompt a variety of businesses to hire more workers, including such Berkshire units as Shaw Carpet, Acme Brick and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad.

Buffett was in Sun Valley, Idaho, attending the annual conference hosted by investment bank Allen & Co. that attracts Wall Street and media moguls.

Buffett's Omaha-based Berkshire owns roughly 80 subsidiaries, including railroad, clothing, furniture and jewelry firms, but its insurance and utility businesses typically account for more than half of the company's net income. It also has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola and Wells Fargo.

SEND A GIRL ON A TRIP OF A LIFE TIME.. SURE TO MAKE HER PEE ALITTLE

I only need to raise $7500..... every little dime helps.

Gear up for the ride... I will never forget! This once-in-a-lifetime experience allows ME  to explore all aspects of the racetrack- from a pit and garage tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway to riding 3 laps in a real NASCAR race car! Get in the passenger seat with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in this exclusive Ride-Along and VIP experience package. This package includes:

• Three heart-racing laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway driven by Most Popular and Championship Driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on Monday, October 17, 2011 YAHOO BOOGIE BOOGIE LETS GO RACING LORI
  

• A three-night stay at the Hampton Inn and Suites in nearby Huntersville. Near the banks of beautiful Lake Norman, the charming area that surrounds the hotel boasts a mild climate, shopping, championship golf course and more If I can stay in one place with all the excitement AHHHHHH
  

• The ride along experience will feature a closed question and answer session for the rider and one guest with Dale Jr., including hors d’oeuvres and beverages Now remember I will need to be able to speak last time I saw him I was like a little school girl and cound not even talk
  

• A personal opportunity to meet Dale Jr. for the LORI  and one guest and get your photograph with him and autograph on your favorite memorabilia

• Take home a piece of your experience; LORI  will receive one pair of Dale Jr.’s custom Skeleton racing Gloves, autographed by Dale Jr. and worn by him during your ride. A DVD of the experience, including footage from an in-car camera and your time with Dale Jr. will be created by Hammerhead Entertainment and mailed to her.... She may pee alittle
  

• Leave in style! LORI and one guest will each receive a SWAG Bag including a pair of SPY sunglasses in Dale Jr.’s favorite, “Dirty Mo” style

• Before taking on the track LORI  will enjoy the Charlotte Race Weekend with Two (2) grandstand tickets to the Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 and Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 1, including a behind-the-scenes Pit and Garage tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to Friday’s Race

• Walk through NASCAR's most memorable personalities and moments with two tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC

HOLY COW that would be a trip of a life time and would make a dream come true .... PS I can always wish.... But if you would like to help you can send your donation to 2609 N Main Sunset Utah 84015 or stop by my office and drop the coins in the DALE JR Can.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ride-Along-Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-VIP-Race-Weekend-/2208101619...

No better place on earth to live... So much to love!!!

What a better place to live. So much to offer and love

Dumb Kids -

Illegal fireworks spark brush fire east of Weber State - Be Safe this week and Happy 4th

via ksl.com

Illegal fireworks spark brush fire east of Weber State
July 3rd, 2011 @ 12:19pm
By Jared Page

OGDEN — Illegal fireworks sparked a brush fire that burned nearly 2 acres on Ogden's east bench Saturday night, officials said.

About 10:55 p.m., Ogden fire crews responded to a brush fire near Wildcat Lane and Bona Villa Drive on the mountain bench east of Weber State University.

The mountain terrain and lack of vehicle access made it difficult for crews to reach the fire, said Chad Tucker, Ogden deputy fire chief. Once they did, it took fire crews from five agencies about an hour to contain the blaze.

The people that had been lighting fireworks in the area saw the fire start and immediately called the fire department, Tucker said. That call alerted firefighters to the situation quickly, and crews were able to keep the fire from reaching any homes, he said.

Fire officials said the incident serves as reminder about the dangers of illegal fireworks and importance of handling all fireworks appropriately.

The Ogden Fire Department issued the following firework safety reminders Sunday:

Use only legal fireworks

Only ignite fireworks outdoors in a clear area

Have water handy

Always read and follow label directions

Have an adult present

Buy from reliable fireworks sellers

Never experiment or attempt to make your own fireworks

Light one firework at a time

Never re-ignite malfunctioning fireworks

Never give fireworks to small children

Store fireworks in a cool, dry place

Dispose of used fireworks properly

Never use fireworks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Never throw fireworks at another person

Never carry fireworks in your pocket

Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers

Murky water hid dead body in Mass. pool for 2 days

via ksl.com

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) - A preliminary investigation shows "murky and cloudy" water in a public swimming pool helped conceal the body of a drowned woman for two days while people swam there, authorities said Friday.

The Bristol County district attorney's office said the body of Marie Joseph was submerged at the bottom of the 12-foot-deep end of the pool from Sunday afternoon until Tuesday evening.

Joseph, 36, was a hotel housekeeper in Newport, R.I. She was from Haiti and had five children. Her body was discovered after it floated to the surface shortly before some youngsters sneaked into the pool for a clandestine swim Tuesday night.

The medical examiner's office has determined the manner of her death to be accidental and the cause to be asphyxiation by drowning.

The probe shows the water in the Fall River pool was murky from the time the pool opened for the season last Saturday. Visibility tests conducted Wednesday revealed a diver couldn't be seen at a depth of 3 1/2 to 4 feet below the surface of the water.

"Although this office is releasing this preliminary information regarding the case today, the investigation into the death, the circumstances surrounding it and the delay in discovering the body is ongoing," the district attorney's office said in a statement.

State Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Edward Lambert said the preliminary findings "are deeply disturbing."

The agency will immediately begin investigating issues related to Joseph's death, including clarity of the pool water and whether water quality protocols were followed, Lambert said.

The death at Veterans Memorial Pool surprised and troubled swimmers, residents and public officials.

Lambert's agency, which runs the pool, immediately closed all 30 deep-water swimming pools and began reviewing safety and operational procedures.

Lambert said that 11 pools reopened Friday after safety inspectors found they met all safety guidelines and their staffs are well-trained. Additional pools will reopen once their reviews are complete.

But the Fall River pool will not reopen anytime soon because its entire staff has been suspended. City officials also have said that they will not issue a permit to reopen until state officials assure them that swimmers will be safe there.

Lambert, however, said state-run pools do not require local permits to operate.

"There are some instances where local communities come in and perform inspections. We don't discourage that," he said.

State officials on Friday sought to reassure the public about safety at public swimming pools ahead of the July Fourth holiday weekend.

Lambert said the pool closures and subsequent safety review reflected his agency's desire to "err on the side of caution so the public could have confidence in our facilities."