Niki and I listed this spacious, clean, sunny house just yesterday. It’s a beauty! If you or someone you know are looking for a great house in the Cottonwood Heights area, this one is for you. It has six bedrooms, four baths and the following great features:

• Granite countertops
• Vaulted ceilings
• Full, finished basement
• Tile floors
• New interior paint
• Oversized, jetted tub
• Huge windows
• Pool table included
• Gas log fireplace
• Mature Aspens in the front yard
• New carpet
• Alarm system
• Double-paned windows
• Three-car garage

Plus, the price is right at just $399,900. Check it out!

Many of you noticed my growing belly throughout my posted photos from the last few months…

Well, I am so happy to announce that Miss Harper Quinn Dahl made her appearance at 3:58pm on June 5, 2011! After a 12-hour, all-natural labor, she was born at BetterBirth birthing center in Salt Lake City. She weighed 7 lbs., 8 oz. and was 20 inches long. As I type this, she’s nestled in her wrap on my chest – and she weighs almost 10 pounds at five weeks old!

We are so happy to have her and can’t wait to watch her grow up (although it already seems to be happening too fast!). Here are a couple more photos of her first day in the world:

You’ll probably see her with me knocking on doors in the next few months!

June was both a wonderful and stressful month for many reasons…

FIRST, we successfully negotiated the short sale of 360 E Hubbard Avenue. Short sales are always a bit tricky; there’s the seller side that you have to deal with (if you are the listing agent) which involves a lot of documentation, incessant phone calls to the lender on the property and lots of back-and-forth with potential buyers. Then, there are the potential buyers that must be educated on the short sale process. If you or someone you know is considering a short selling your property (or buying a short sale), please give me a call. I’ve waded through these waters several times, and I know what it takes to get these deals done. I also hold the Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource certification from the National Association of REALTORs.

NEXT, my husband and I purchased a new home for ourselves in the Liberty-Wells community of Salt Lake City. The home was a Fannie-Mae-owned foreclosure with a broken sewer line (more to come in a future post). That’s right: sewage in the basement when we purchased it…not to mention the fact that I was 37 weeks pregnant when we closed the deal. It’s all fixed now, and we are loving our new home and neighborhood. And of course, I had the experience of purchasing another Fannie Mae home. If you’re interested in foreclosed properties (there are some great deals out there!), or if you like old homes and need help navigating through the inspection process (don’t forget the sewer and the foundation!), definitely give me or call!

Yes, I know…we need to do some landscaping! We’re on it!

AND FINALLY…my new assistant, Harper Quinn Dahl, was born! More to come in a separate post.

May brought…well, an ever-increasing waistline for me (approaching nine months pregnant!) and a couple of great homes SOLD by Niki and me. First, there was this beautiful brick charmer near Brickyard Plaza in Sugar House (pictured above – we represented the seller). Next was this adorable fixer-upper pictured below (we represented the buyers). It was a great month filled with great clients and homes!

All I can say is…WOW…and THANKS!!…both to my wonderful partner, Niki Nielsen, AND to our amazing clients! In March, we sold a total of five homes – and we had such a great time doing it. The photo above shows the last three that rounded out the bunch.

With spring finally arriving (can you say 70 degrees?!), buyers are definitely on the prowl. If you’re looking to buy or sell, now is the time. Give us a call for some laid-back, zero-pressure advice!

I knew when I met first-time home buyers Dean and Maegan that we would get along great – and I was right! Niki and I have absolutely loved every minute of working with these two. From searching for homes to negotiations to inspections and appraisals (and MORE inspections and appraisals), they reminded us of why we got into this business.

With that, we give our congratulations to Dean and Maegan on the purchase of their first home! AND, we congratulate Solace International on being the recipient of their charity donation – over $400 will be going toward the organization’s mission:

To integrate education, healthcare, agriculture, and economic opportunity at the community level in developing countries with the goal that projects become self-sustainable, and a source for future local business and community leaders.

Niki and I have had a whirlwind month so far…two deals already closed, and another two in the hopper for the last week of the month. Crazy! The great part about it is that we get to work with so many amazing clients. In addition, we get to donate money to awesome charities! Just last week, we helped Liz and Russ close on this beauty near 9th & 9th. They selected Salt Lake Bicycle Collective to be the recipient of our charity donation. That’s right – $500 went to this great local nonprofit at our clients’ choice! So, give us a call if you have a house to buy or sell and would like to help out your community.

Congrats to Liz and Russ, and congrats to Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective!

Lauren and Niki with Jonathan Morrison, Executive Director of Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective

Wow – what a cute starter home for someone who loves to walk to Liberty Park or downtown! Niki and I are excited to announce our latest listing – 360 E Hubbard Avenue near downtown Salt Lake City. This three-bedroom, one-bathroom charmer features a large back yard, many updates, spacious basement for storage and lots of street appeal. Plus, it’s priced at just $149,900! Give us a call to check it out, or view it on the MLS here. This home is a short sale, so the price is subject to third-party approval!

Wow, I can’t believe that 2010 is over – and we’re already feeling those first tinges of springtime here in Salt Lake City! I wanted to do a wrap-up post for 2010 since it was such an awesome year. I never imagined how much I would learn, the great people I would meet and work with and how much my life would change by becoming a real estate agent. I absolutely love it!

First, I was able to work with so many wonderful clients. Given that 2010 was a pretty rough year in real estate, I felt so privileged to close six deals in about eight months. Here are some photos of these properties:

Next, the best part of my job in 2010 was all the charity donations I was able to give. When I first got started in real estate, I knew I wanted to do something where I was constantly giving back to the community that provides me with my livelihood. So, with each transaction, I ask my client to select any nonprofit/charity to which they would like me to donate 10% of my own commission (up to $500). Here are the amazing charities my clients selected last year:

Finally, I had the amazing honor of being named a finalist in the Salt Lake Board of Realtors “Rookie of the Year” competition. I was so flattered to be among the top three new agents in the board. The photo at the very top of this post is of me with my broker, Kim Farber-Lynch at the awards luncheon.

Looking forward to 2011, I have so many things to look forward to. Already in 2011, my partner, Niki Nielsen, and I have five homes under contract for clients. And on a personal note, my husband and I will be having our first child (a little girl!) sometime in May or June. I am so thankful for all my wonderful clients, my unbelievable broker and the friends and family who have supported me in this career transition. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!

UPDATE: This home went under contract after just five days on the market! It is no longer available, but we would be happy to help you find another one like it.

This beautiful Sugar House bungalow has turn-of-the-century charm galore! Built in 1910, this home features three bedrooms and one bathroom. The basement is unfinished but has taller ceilings that would allow for a great, usable space in the future (or tons of storage now!). The home also has newer electrical/roof/plumbing/garage and central AC. The best part of this house, however, is definitely the location. Come check it out for yourself at the open house this Saturday, February 19 from 1-4pm!