As I was picking through the Coral Canyon website, I came across an article titled SITLA Acquires Coral Canyon Development.  According to the article, the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration has acquired SunCor Development Company of Arizona's interest in the Coral Canyon master planned community. 

Coral Canyon, which is located in Washington County, Utah, is the premier master-planned community in St. George.  The community currently boasts over 1,000 homes, exceptional amenities and an award-winning golf course.   

Coral Canyon was developed under a master development lease from SITLA by SunCor.  In turn, SunCor manages lands that are granted to the state by Congress, which financially supports Utah's public schools and other public institutions. 

With the completion of the acquisition, SITLA purchased all of SunCors assets, which resulted in the termination of the master lease.  However, the agreement excludes the rights to the Coral Canyon golf course grounds, which were sold by SunCor to Vanguard Golf Management of Lehi. 

By strategically selling many master-planned communities throughout Utah, it has given Utah's school trust a great business opportunity.  The Coral Canyon project alone provided Utah's public schools and universities with over $15 million in revenue.  

SITLA currently manages 3.5 million acres of state trust lands in the state of Utah, which are all for the support of public education, universities and other institutions.

SunCor will continue to maintain an office within Coral Canyon as both parties transition.  And, SITLA will continue to maintain the current level of community amenities.

I just happened across this article on CNNMoney.com this morning.  The article is about  the best places to live in 2010.  St. George Utah ranked 80 in the list of 100 places.  The article notes that St. George is within a 30 minute drive of Zion National park and briefly touches on the golf courses and softball complex that we have.  I feel like St. George should have been ranked in the top 10, but of course I'm biased.

St. George also has a very balmy climate, lots of year round outdoor activities and very friendly people which the article failed to mention.  Housing prices have now become affordable again and there's lots of inventory to choose from.  Every time I meet clients from out of town they comment on how clean our little town is.  I guess I take that for granted because I've lived here so long.  If you're ever in the Las Vegas area you should take the short drive north to St. George, you won't be disappointed!

From its red rock mountains to its clear blue skies, they call this part of southwestern Utah “Color Country,” and in the heart of it all is Coral Canyon, a 2,600-acre planned community offering peaceful living in distinctive neighborhoods with a wide variety of home plans. Coral Canyon is far enough away from the hustle and bustle of St. George, yet close enough for all the conveniences you may need.  Many families and vacation home owners find this the perfect place to call home. Community amenities include a championship golf course, a central village square, schools, churches, parks, recreation, restaurants, retail, and office space. Fifty percent of the land is preserved as natural open space to protect views and trails. There are over 10 miles of paved walking trails throughout the community itself. Membership in the Coral Canyon home owners association includes full use of the Coral Canyon recreation center with two pools, tennis courts, a weight room and a meeting room. You’ll also receive discounts on golf at Coral Canyon Golf Course as a resident of Coral Canyon. To top it all off, Coral Canyon offers some of the finest amenities and the most affordable home owners association fees in the St. George Utah area.

Are you or someone you know looking to purchase a home in St. George Utah but just can't come up with the down payment or perhaps need help with the closing costs?  Well I've got great news for them!  St. George City is excited to announce that its FY2010-11 funding allocation for the Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP) will be in place this July. The program offers a non-interest bearing loan payable when the home is sold or refinanced. If the home is not sold or refinanced within 15 years then the loan becomes a grant and is forgiven. The program provides up to $10,000 toward down payment/ closing costs and is available for homes located within St. George City limits. To qualify, you must be a first time home buyer or have not owned a home in the past 3 years. You must meet household income limits  and  have a gross household annual income that does not exceed 80%of median income adjusted for household size. The maximum home price allowed is $247,368 for single family homes and $131,955 for attached townhome/condos. Five County Association of Governments has partnered with the City to administer the program. To receive additional information visit www.southernutahhousing.com/about/programs

Welcome to St. George, Utah. Why do people choose St. George for their home? It could be because it is surrounded by nature’s beauty. Red sandstone cliffs are a majestic view over the city, Zion National Park is located just minutes from St. George and Bryce Canyon National Park is a short drive away.

While many people choose St. George as a place to retire, it is far from a sleepy town. The City plays host to many sports events throughout the year, including the St. George Marathon and the Huntsman World Senior Games. Also, it was recenty chosen to become the Ford Ironman Triathlon Series’ homethroughout the next five years. If you love to hike, bicycle, go mountain climbing, rafting or skiing,there is somewhere nearby for you to dojust that. The new St. George Airport being built inthe cityhas brought hundreds of jobs to St. George residents and has the potential to bring millions of dollars in revenue to the city for years to come.

St. George schools are some of the best around. Washington County School District consistently ranks as one of the strongest school districts in the entire state. Dixie State College is now a fully-accredited four-year college offering liberal arts, natural sciences and businessdegrees amongst others.

St. George is dedicated to preserving as much of the natural wildlife that makes the city so beautiful as possible. The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Habitat Conservation Plan was created in cooperating with the City and various other agencies to preserve the natural habitat of the Mojave Desert Tortoise. The City has set aside 60,000 acres adjacent to St. George for this very purpose.

The skies above St. George tend to be clean, blue and sunny for most of the year. Thereare two rainfall seasons annually; one early on in the spring and one towards the end of summer. This all helps contribute to the beautiful flora surrounding the city of St. George and keeps everyone in a sunny mood throughout the year. Come see what St. George real estate is all about and own your own little piece of the American dream. Let St. George welcome you!