Kimberlie Kerswell, the new president of the Utah County Association of REALTORS® learned the importance of a positive attitude from her son’s Scoutmaster.

The Scoutmaster taught the boys about the importance of building and not “tearing down.”

The fact that Kimberlie knows a bit about building (she’s the granddaughter, daughter and sister of homebuilders), makes that idea hit even closer to home.

With that in mind, Kimberlie has introduced “Be a Builder” as a motto for the REALTORS® in 2010.

“This theme is meant to help encourage all of us to use our tools and talents to build up our communities, families and businesses,” Kimberlie says. “I hope the REALTORS® will embrace this theme to work hard and build up their communities so everyone can benefit.”

Kimberlie is joined in the leadership team of the local, 1,800-member REALTORS® association by Chris Nichols (president-elect), Stephanie Vincent (first vice president), and Mike Burns (treasurer).

For the second year, the association will be one of two sponsors of the Good News department of Utah Valley Magazine.

“The Utah County Association of REALTORS® is happy to continue sponsoring the ‘Good News’ section because it is crucial to always celebrate good news,” says Taylor Oldroyd, CEO of the Utah County Association of REALTORS®. “Bad news is easy to find and the REALTORS® prefer to showcase good things happening in the community. That is what being a builder is about: turning something great into the standard and not the exception.”

TAYLOR’S TAKE
Home sales surged in 2009 on the strength of the local economy, attractive loan rates, and state and federal government incentives. Monthly sales rose 125 percent from 214 in January to 482 in October 2009. Total year-to-date sales rose 11 percent. We’ve sold as many homes in 10 months as all of last year. In fact, many months showed 40 percent increases from the previous year. Don’t wait any longer to contact a REALTOR® and find out if now is the right time for you to invest in your future.

JON’S TAKE
In 2009 mortgage rates remained at unprecedented lows. So far 2010 is looking just as good. Low rates create affordable mortgage options for buyers and new opportunities for owners to refinance and save thousands of dollars on their home loan.

Many people may be intimidated by the idea of reinvesting in their home with new closing costs and appraisal costs. Although the cost to refinance may at first seem prohibitive, often you can roll your closing costs into the loan with little or no out-of-pocket expense.

Three things homeowners should discuss with their loan officer when considering a mortgage refinance:
• How much will your estimated closing costs be?
• How long must your remain in the home to recover those costs?
• How much in interest will you save over time?

Taylor Oldroyd is the chief executive officer of the Utah County Association of REALTORS®. Jon Meier is the mortgage manager at Family First Federal Credit Union.

The Good News section is sponsored by the Utah County Association of REALTORS® (www.ucaor.com • 801-226-3777), an organization dedicated to helping REALTORS® deliver the highest quality professional service to their clients, and by Family First Federal Credit Union (www.familyfirstcu.com), a credit union dedicated to providing a comprehensive set of financial services to members.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAGAZINE ONLINE