Why I Wanted a Second Home
As everyone knows, there are a few months out of the year where the weather is “less than desirable” in Park City. I’m talking about our “shoulder” season or “mud” season, which is generally the months between ski season and summer (Mid-April through Memorial Day) and the late fall, after the leaves depart our trees but before ski season begins (Late October through early December). It is during these times of the year that I enviously watched my friends who do not have school age kids travel or depart for their second homes. It has been a long-term goal of mine to have such a home to escape to once I am an empty nester. Well, come June 1, 2019, I will be an empty nester.
My Criteria for a Second Home
Even though my husband retired in 2018, I intend to continue my real estate business for many years, as it is my passion. I want to have the flexibility of traveling from my second home to Park City to meet with clients on super short notice. I wanted a second home that was a reasonable driving distance to Park City and had good weather during Park City’s shoulder seasons.
Why Hurricane, Utah
I have been visiting Southern Utah during shoulder season since I first moved to Utah. I am in love with the beautiful red rocks, mountains, and numerous state and national parks. St. George is the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. (after Greely, CO), and with over 80,000 residents it seemed too cosmopolitan to me. Moab and Springdale are small towns like Park City, but they are touristy. I don’t feel like fighting crowds on holidays to go to the grocery store or to find a parking spot near a trailhead.
Hurricane (pronounced hur-a-kin) is considered a “rural suburb” of St. George, only it’s about 20 minutes closer to Park City (4 hours from my house). Its population was 13,748 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is considered a gateway to both Zion National Park (20 miles) and the Grand Canyon (130 miles) and boasts two state parks with kayaking & fishing as well as public golf courses.
In 2014, when I was the President-elect of the Park City board of REALTORS. I met the President-elect of the Washington County (St. George area) Board of REALTORS and she invited me to her home in Hurricane. It was love at first sight. I dreamed of one day buying her house and we used to joke about it. Last November she told me about a home for sale near her home. It had all the things I loved about her home: single story, on the Sky Mountain public golf course, big rooms, high ceilings, and views of Pine Mountain. Thanksgiving weekend, my husband, Larry, and I drove out to see it and bought it.
Larry asked me if it was a good idea to buy the one and only house we saw in Hurricane. In this case it made perfect sense because I knew exactly what I wanted and this house checked all of my boxes. We closed on the home on January 8th. My goal is to have it furnished so we can spend time there during my daughter’s upcoming school breaks.
My friends and colleagues have purchased homes in Long Beach, Scottsdale, Moab and St. George. Somehow, Hurricane felt right to me. I’m not a golfer, but I’m certain my husband will enjoy the Sky Mountain course. I’m excited about the CrossFit box located in LaVerkin, the next town over, and the plethora of yoga studios nearby. I’m eager to check out the outdoor recreation this spring. If you are driving through on I-15, let me know and I can show you around! And if you are looking for real estate in Washington County, I will hook you up with the best agent in the area.