BY RYAN SPELTS
Settlers by the surname of Lake first came to this area and established North Ogden City. Those settlers are forefathers of Blake Cevering. Blake grew up in North Ogden and, other than the two years he spent on a mission and a few years at BYU, resided here his entire life. Blake and his wife Melanie have four children who they raised here.
Blake had a strange hobby as a teenager. He would get up on Saturday mornings, look through the paper, and study real estate. He would look at listings, open house announcements, and watch the ads for new houses going on the market. He had a sense back then of what houses were worth in the area and had the dream of being a Real Estate Agent someday.
Blake has been a realtor for many years, working part-time while he taught high school religion classes for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After 26 years of teaching, he was able to retire and move into real estate full-time two years ago. Blake says there are four philosophies that make him the best choice: 1. Blake knows the market inside and out and has literally been studying it since he was a teenager; 2. He was born in North Ogden and has spent his life here, so this area is his specialty; 3. Blake believes that professional fees should be negotiable; 4. He also believes that an agent should create marketing that is professional but fun, and that it should stand out to draw attention.
Blake can help clients buy or sell any property, but one of his specialties is helping first-time home buyers. He spent the time to develop a detailed, 8-step buying guide for first-time homebuyers. Blake gives an infographic printout to each new client so that they can easily navigate the sometimes complex experience of buying a home for the first time.
Here are Blake’s easy eight steps:
- Pre-qualify for your loan – That way you know what you can afford and look at the right properties.
- Have a buyer/realtor consultation – Get a free lunch and make a plan so you can get what you want as well as what you need.
- Find your future castle – Search for homes that meet your needs and wants that are within your budget.
- Make an offer – The seller can either accept your offer, counter your offer, or reject your offer.
- Offer acceptance – Once your offer is accepted, it is time for due diligence to make sure that your future home is what it is advertised to be.
- Financing and Appraisal deadline – Finalize your financing in the allotted time.
- Settlement and Closing – The money transfers to the seller or their bank through a title company after you review, approve, and sign the paperwork.
- Move in!!
This attention to detail is what makes Blake a top choice. When I asked him about the current market, he was very optimistic. Despite COVID-19 making some leery of entering the market, Blake has seen prices hold steady and even continue to rise. Experts are saying we still expect an increase in values this year.
Blake is also excited to make a local impact with his real estate brokerage. He has established a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that will receive a 10% donation of each commission earned by Blake and his company. The non-profit has been established to help complete the rest of Barker Park. They plan to start with at least grass and sprinklers and then go from there. As a local North Ogdenite, he is excited to help preserve the Barker Park legacy and make it a place where all residents can enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
INFO:
Business: Realtor
(801) 549-8202
blake@bcrgut.com
blakeceveringrealtygroup.com