Robert Williams can help you manage your money. And he can also give you some good advice on recreational property.
Williams is a guy who enjoys living out in the country. He was raised in Coalville and served in the Army for 11 years. He left military service as a major, returned to Coalville, and took a job in Salt Lake City as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch. He commutes to work. But Coalville isn't country enough for Williams. He wanted a getaway so far from civilization that at night the only noise he could hear was the coyotes howling.
After looking around for quite a few months for cabin property in Wasatch and Summit Counties, he found his bit of paradise at Bandanna Ranch in Duchesne County.
"We looked at a lot of interesting property," Williams said. "But most places had problems, like they didn't have year-round access or they didn't have water, or you had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get a building permit." In Bandanna Ranch he found just what he wanted.
"We looked for a place that our family could enjoy, especially our children and grandchildren," Williams said. "We have a lot of fun up there." The Williams' have three children and four grandchildren.
The Williams family purchased a small cabin from Mike Ford and the next spring began remodeling and enlarging it. The work is mostly done, but there are still odds and ends to finish. "You never really finish," Williams said. "I really enjoy going up there on a weekend and working for three to four hours and then being able to relax."
The family loves the cabin in the summer, but even more during the winter. "We wanted a place close to Strawberry Reservoir, not just for the fishing but also for the snowmobiling," Williams said. "That's beautiful country in the winter." The most fun of all is New Years Eve, Williams said, when the family goes snowmobiling and has a big party. "It's really met all of our expectations," Williams said. "My wife has been involved in the whole operation and she really likes it."
Bandanna Ranch is only an hour and 45 minutes from Salt Lake City, and even closer to Coalville, so it's convenient enough to just go up for a day.
Construction work at a remote location is always a challenge, but Williams said things went fairly smoothly on their remodeling project. "I had a good friend who is a contractor and he just took on the responsibility and did it," Williams said. "You'd be surprised how many good tradesmen are in the general area who are available to work on something like this. We found a lot of good people right on Bandanna Ranch. It wasn't difficult to find skilled people."
The concrete work was a big more of a challenge. They bought concrete from Altamont and hirec a pumper truck from Park City.
Working with Mike Ford, Bandanna Ranch developer, on the purchase and then the remodieling project, was a very positive experience, Williams said. "They are real professionals and have been really helpful," he said.
The Williams are now enjoying the fruits of their labor. "It only takes a half an hour to have our place all nice and warm, even in the middle of the winter," Williams said. We enjoy all the wildlife. We see deer, elk, moose and an occasional coyote. It's so quiet it's sometimes hard to sleep at night. And you can really see the stars. It's just really pleasant - quiet and peaceful."
