Salt Lake City is Named After the Great Salt Lake

Living in Salt Lake City, Utah's state capital and largest city is like living in a dream. Not only do the Wasatch Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to the eastern side of the city, it also provides a wonderful venue for outdoor activities that many big cities located in other parts of the United States lack.

With a metropolitan area population of just above 1 million, settling in Salt Lake City feels just like how living in a big city should feel—the conveniences of urban living, the nearness of places where you have to be, the vibrant life—with crowds not as large as in in major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Of course, Salt Lake City is named after the Great Salt Lake and it is a must for everyone who's coming over to the city to visit the Great Salt Lake Park and Marina, a state-run park where boating can be experienced all year round. Despite the cold winters Salt Lake City experiences, water in the Great Salt Lake Marina never freezes.

Since very few power boats set sail in the lake, hanging out along its banks is a sight to behold. To catch site of the city's large pelican colony, check out Antelope Island within Great Salt Lake.

Three Tips for First-time Home Buyers

Now that you've saved enough money for a house to call your own, you must be itching to spend them all and occupy a charming home in a posh neighborhood. However, you must exercise restraint; after all, buying a home for the first time should be given due thought. If you don't want to have any regrets after purchasing a property, read on for some tips for first-time home buyers:

Research

Don't just settle for one or two options when looking for a prospective home. Scour the Internet or approach real estate agents and get as much information about properties up for grabs. Who knows, you might see a domicile with the same features as your original choice yet more reasonably priced.

Allocate

Don't fork over all your cash for a new but empty house. Keep in mind that you'll have to set aside money for additional furniture, repairs (if any), and your everyday needs once you're done moving. Decide on just how much you're willing to spend for a new home sans the aforementioned concerns.

Look Ahead

Do you see yourself in the same house five or more years from now? If so, then find a property that you can easily alter as your lifestyle changes and the number of household members increases. If you're kind of nomadic, then you can also consider renting instead of buying a home.

Fixer Upper Homes—Some Purchase Considerations

Buying a fixer-upper can go two ways: it can be an utter nightmare punctuated by countless unforeseen disasters, or it can be one huge whale of a deal. The direction your purchase goes will depend on choosing the right fixer upper home to buy. For this, you'll need the help of a host of specialized home inspectors.

Fixer upper benefits

One of the best characteristics of a fixer upper is that the price is often independent of the conditions of the real estate market. Any time is a good time to buy these types of homes, especially if they go for way less than other homes around. The advantages are pretty standard: lower price, less competition, and a lucrative resale profit.

The ideal fixer upper to buy

The ideal fixer upper is one whose imperfections are easy to overlook. Most first-time homebuyers aren't able to see past the disarray, and this is something you should take advantage of. What one may think of as a major facelift may be a walk in the park for another, and knowing the distinction is what separates the smart homebuyer from the rest of the pack.

Inspections for fixer upper homes

You need to consider many types of inspections before buying a fixer upper, some of which include roof certification, engineering reports, pest inspections, sewer line inspections, and the like. Always get home inspection done by a qualified home inspector before you commit to the sale.