Saina Carey, Realtor

I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOME WHEN I WAS 26 FOR THE BACK TAXES OF $250.00.

Yes, it was a fixer-upper, but I figured, “hey, my hands move in every direction that every painter’s, carpenter’s, plumber’s and electrician’s hands do.” So I said, “why not, I’ll give it a try.” This fixer-upper was $50 cheaper than my new $300 tent and $50 more than my new $200 stereo. In the “olden days” (the 70’s), by age 26 my tent and stereo were the two biggest purchases I had ever bought on my own. So, I raked the yard, bought 3 gallons of blue paint, used Dad’s power tools to make the ginger-bread trim and with a little help from a few of my friends, my 150-year old house was updated with plumbing, and wiring too. My $250 tear-down was the start of many more to come. I’ve been buying, fixing-up, and selling property 1976. Let me show you what you can do with a fixer-upper.

My First Fixer-upper

Amazing what paint and raking the yard will do

I HAVE BEEN IN MOAB SINCE 1983. I’VE SEEN MOAB IN ITS BOOM & BUST.

After quitting my teaching job in CT in 1976, I decided to come out west and ski at Alta & Snowbird for a year. Well, one year turned into two and two years all of a sudden turned into 18 years. The first four summers I headed to Alaska and the Yukon Territory to do bush cooking. Then while skiing one beautiful spring day in 1983, a burning question alluded me: “Where does the white go when the snow melts?” On my quest to find the answer I decided to drive south and found myself in Moab for the summer, rather than in Alaska. Nobody in Moab seemed to be able to answer my question. So I stayed and got a job as a River and 4X4 Guide, and again started buying fixer-uppers. At that time, Moab’s economy was hurting. Five out of eight homes on every block were for sale. Most people were moving out of town. Ten of my closest friends thought I was crazy for buying property in Moab. Again, I raked the yard and put a new coat of paint on the outside of the houses, and within the next two years, I helped all ten of my friends buy homes in Moab. In 2009, I figured since I’ve been in the business since 1976, I should get my real estate license, so I did. Now you can find me selling property at Arches Real Estate Group.