Two Big Myths in the Homebuying Process The 2020 Millennial Home Buyer Report shows how this generation is not really any different from previous ones when it comes to homeownership goals: “The majority of millennials not only want to own a home, but 84% of...

5 Simple Graphs Proving This Is NOT Like the Last Time With all of the volatility in the stock market and uncertainty about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), some are concerned we may be headed for another housing crash like the one we experienced from 2006-2008. The...

Yes, You Can Still Afford a Home The residential real estate market has come roaring out of the gates in 2020. Compared to this time last year, the number of buyers looking for a home is up 20%, and the number of home sales is up almost 10%. The increase in purchasing...

Equity Gain Growing in Nearly Every State Rising home prices have been in the news a lot lately, and much of the focus is on whether they’re accelerating too quickly and how sustainable the growth in prices really is. One of the often-overlooked benefits of rising...

Mortgage rates fell to their lowest level on record Thursday, pulled down by fears that the spread of coronavirus could weigh on the U.S. economy. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.29 percent from 3.45 percent last week and down from 4.41...

Entry-Level Homeowners Are in the Driver’s Seat One thing helping homeowners right now is price appreciation, especially in the entry-level market. In the latest Home Price Insights report, CoreLogic reveals how home prices increased by 4% year-over-year and projects...

You May Have More Home Equity Than You Think​ With home values appreciating, there's a good chance you have more home equity than you think. Let's connect to explore how you can use your equity in your next move.

The #1 Misconception in the Homebuying Process After over a year of moderating home prices, it appears home value appreciation is about to reaccelerate. Skylar Olsen, Director of Economic Research at Zillow, explained in a recent article:  “A year ago, a combination...

How Trusted Professionals Make Homebuying Easier to Understand In the spring, many excited buyers get ready to enter the housing market. Others continue dreaming about the homes they’d like to buy. The truth is, many potential buyers continue to dream longer than they...

The Overlooked Financial Advantages of Homeownership There are many clear financial benefits to owning a home: increasing equity, building net worth, growing appreciation, and more. If you’re a renter, it’s never too early to make a plan for how homeownership can...

Reasons to Fall in Love with Homeownership Some Highlights: There are many benefits to love about homeownership, and they’re not all financial. Being a part of a neighborhood, driving academic achievement, and improving mental health are just a few of these...

How the Housing Market Benefits with Uncertainty in the World It’s hard to listen to today’s news without hearing about the uncertainty surrounding global markets, the spread of the coronavirus, and tensions in the Middle East, just to name a few. These concerns have...

The #1 Reason to List Your House Right Now The success of the U.S. residential real estate market, like any other market, is determined by supply and demand. This means we need to look at how many potential purchasers are in the market versus the number of houses that...

Underwater with Two Mortgages? Here are 5 Ways to Refinance Having a second mortgage or home equity line can make refinancing an underwater mortgage nearly impossible, but one of these five strategies might bail out your refinance. The mortgage market is awash in...

Homeownership Rate on the Rise to a 6-Year High Regardless of the lack of inventory on the market, the U.S. homeownership rate has climbed to a 6-year high. The United States Census Bureau reported that it increased to 65.1% in the fourth quarter of 2019, representing...

How Pricing Your Home Right Makes a Big Difference Even though there’s a big buyer demand for homes in today’s low inventory market, it doesn’t mean you should price your home as high as the sky when you’re ready to sell. Here’s why making sure you price it right is...

The Top States Americans Moved to Last Year Some Highlights: Americans are on the move, and the most recent Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns Survey tracked the 2019 traffic flow from state-to-state. Idaho held on to the top spot of ‘high inbound’ states for the...

Great News for Renters Who Want to Buy a Home Rents in the United States have been skyrocketing since 2012. This has caused many renters to face a tremendous burden when juggling their housing expenses and the desire to save for a down payment at the same time. The...

Strength of the Economy Is Surprising the Experts We’re currently in the longest economic recovery in U.S. history. That has caused some to ask experts to project when the next economic slowdown (recession) could occur. Two years ago, 67% of the economists surveyed by...

The median single-family home price in Salt Lake County in the fourth quarter increased to $378,000, up 8 percent compared to a median price of $350,000 in 2018's fourth quarter. Strong demand for homes is being driven by net in-migration and population increase. In...

First-Time Buyers Are Searching for Existing Homes This Year In the latest Housing Trends Report, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) measured the share of adults planning to buy a home over the next 12 months. The report indicates the percentage of all...

Homeownership matters. That is why the Salt Lake Board of Realtors® this year is giving away down payment housing grants. This is just one way for us to help our community. The next grant is for single parents. The deadline to apply for this grant is March 20.

An Exceptional Year for Salt Lake’sHousing Market | 2019 Was One of theBest Years in Overall Residential Sales  

The 2 Surprising Things Homebuyers Really Want In a market where current inventory is low, it’s normal to think buyers might be willing to give up a few desirable features in their home search in order to make finding a house a little easier. Don’t be fooled, though –...

Homes Are More Affordable Today, Not Less Affordable There’s a current narrative that owning a home today is less affordable than it has been in the past. The reason some are making this claim is because house prices have substantially increased over the last several...

2020 Luxury Market Forecast By the end of last year, many homeowners found themselves with more equity than they realized, and at the same time their wages were increasing. When those two factors unite, it can spark homeowners to think about making a move to a larger...

Buying a Home Early Can Significantly Increase Future Wealth According to an Urban Institute study, homeowners who purchase a house before age 35 are better prepared for retirement at age 60. The good news is, our younger generations are strong believers in...

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day | January 10  2020 Some Highlights: On January 10th of each year, “National Cut Your Energy Costs Day” encourages consumers to reduce their overall energy costs by improving home efficiency. According to Freddie Mac, a typical U.S....

There’s a Long Line of Buyers Waiting for Your House If you’re following what’s happening in the housing market right now, you know that many people believe the winter months aren’t a good time to sell a home. As realtor.com Senior Economist George Ratiu recently...

The New Spring Real Estate Market is Here. Are You Ready? Which month do you think most people who are considering buying a home actually start their search? If you’re like most of us, you probably think the surge happens in the spring, likely in April. Not...

Big Demand for Small Homes Movies, tv shows, and celebrities often have us dreaming of owning large homes, but the reality for most people is quite different. Since 2015, the square footage of newly built houses has been shrinking, according to Yahoo Finances. This is...

3 Benefits to Buying Your Dream Home This Year Outside of a strong economy, low unemployment, and higher wages, there are three more great reasons why you may want to consider buying your dream home this year instead of waiting. 1. Buying a Home is a Great Investment...

Top Renovations for Maximum ROI Some Highlights: If you’re planning on selling your house in 2020, these are the top renovations that will give you the highest Return on your Investment. Regardless of how long you’re planning on staying in your current home, it’s...

The 2020 Real Estate Projections That May Surprise You This will be an interesting year for residential real estate. With a presidential election taking place this fall and talk of a possible recession occurring before the end of the year, predicting what will happen...

Utah Realty had the best year ever in 2019! Thanks to all our clients, friends, Chambers and Connections!  Here’s to a Wonderful 2020! We hope 2020 is a great year for you, both personally and professionally!

Expert Insights on the 2020 Housing Market When closing out another year, it’s normal to wonder what’s ahead for the housing market. Though there will be future inventory issues, we expect interest rates to stay low and appreciation to continue. Here’s what three...

Why You Shouldn’t “For Sale By Owner” Rising home prices coupled with the current inventory in today's market may cause some homeowners to consider selling their homes on their own (known in the industry as a For Sale By Owner). However, a FSBO might be hard to...

When a House Becomes a Happy Home We talk a lot about why it makes financial sense to buy a home, but more often than not we’re drawn to the emotional reasons for homeownership. No matter the size or shape of a living space, the feeling of a home means different...

Where is the Housing Market Headed in 2020? [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Interest rates will be lower than they have been since before 1980 at 3.8% and are projected to remain steady throughout 2020! According to CoreLogic, home prices will appreciate at a rate of...

Get Your House Ready To Sell This Winter Some Highlights Winter is a great time to list a house, since inventory is traditionally low, and most sellers are holding off until spring to put their homes on the market. Waiting for warmer weather when more competition is...

5 Reasons to Sell This Winter Below are five compelling reasons to list your house this winter. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains strong throughout the vast majority of...

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7 Reasons to List Your House This Holiday Season Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to list their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their listings until the spring. Let’s unpack...

Top 10 Highest Median Single-Family Home Prices along the Greater Wasatch Front Salt Lake County home prices climbed to an all-time high in the third quarter, according to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors®. The median single-family home price in the...

  Today, on Veterans Day, we salute those who have served our country in war or peace, and we thank them for their sacrifice. This year marks the 75th anniversary of VA Home Loan Benefit offerings through the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, also known as the GI...

Things you should not have your clients put in a letter to a buyer or seller. Protected Class A group of people with a common characteristic who are legally protected from employment discrimination on the basis of that characteristic. Protected classes are created by...

Utah Realty Presents VA Home Loans by the Numbers Some Highlights: The Veterans Administration (VA) Home Loan is a benefit that is available to more than 22 million veterans and 2 million active duty service members to help them achieve the dream of homeownership. In...

The #1 Reason to List Your House in the Winter Many sellers believe spring is the best time to put their homes on the market because buyer demand traditionally increases at that time of year. What they don’t realize is if every homeowner believes the same thing, then...

Taking the Fear Out of the Mortgage Process A considerable number of potential buyers shy away from the real estate market because they’re uncertain about the buying process – particularly when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage. For many, the mortgage process can...

Buying a home can be SCARY…Until you know the FACTS  Some Highlights: Many potential homebuyers believe they need a 20% down payment and a 780 FICO® score to qualify to buy a home. This stops many people from even trying to jump into homeownership! Here are some facts...

What FICO® Score Do You Need to Qualify for a Mortgage? While a recent announcement from CNBC shares that the average national FICO® score has reached an all-time high of 706, the good news for potential buyers is that you don’t need a score that high to qualify for a...

What Is the Cost of Waiting Until Next Year to Buy? Some Highlights: The “cost of waiting to buy” is defined as the additional funds necessary to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac forecasts interest rates will...

Is Your House “Priced to Sell Immediately”? In today’s real estate market, more houses are coming to market every day. Eager buyers are searching for their dream homes, so setting the right price for your house is one of the most important things you can do. According...

Utah had the second highest house-price appreciation of all states in the second quarter year-over-year Utah had the second highest house-price appreciation of all states in the second quarter year-over-year, according to a new report by the Federal Housing Finance...

Utah Realty 4 Reasons to Sell This Fall Some Highlights: Buyers are active in the market and often competing with one another for available listings. Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply found in a normal housing market. Homes are still selling...

The Benefits of Growing Equity in Your Home Over the last couple of years, we’ve heard quite a bit about rising home prices. Today, expert projections still forecast continued growth, just at a slower pace. One of the often-overlooked benefits of rising home prices is...

Utah Mortgage Rates at a 3 Year Low

How to Increase Your Equity Over the Next 5 Years Many of the questions currently surrounding the real estate industry focus on home prices and where they are heading. The most recent Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES) helps target these projected answers. Here are...

If you are Thinking about Selling and Live in Utah? You should read this first! Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Sell Your House As a homeowner, it’s always tempting to dream about the next big project you’re going to tackle. The possibilities are endless. Should I...

3 Expert Insights On Inventory In The Current Market The current housing landscape presents greater home values, low interest rates, and high buyer demand. All of these factors point to the strong market forecasted to continue throughout the rest of the year. There...

What Experts are Saying About the Current Housing Market We’re halfway through the year, and with a decline in interest rates as well as home price and wage appreciation, many are wondering what the experts predict for the second half of 2019. Here’s what some have to...

Home Prices Up 5.05% Across the Country [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report. In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state. Based on the latest...

Wasatch Front median home prices bottomed in 2011, years after The Great Recession ended. Since then, home prices (all housing types) have been on the rise. The median price of Wasatch Front homes sold in the first quarter of this year was $308,000, 75 percent higher...

Some Highlights: Interest rates are projected to increase steadily heading into 2020. The higher your interest rate, the more money you will end up paying for your home and the higher your monthly payment will be. Rates are still low right now – don’t wait until they...

Is Your First Home Now Within Your Grasp? Some Highlights: According to the US Census Bureau, “millennials” are defined as 18-36-year-olds. According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, the median age of all first-time home buyers is 32. More and...

Utah is No. 3 in the nation in house-price appreciation. In the first quarter, prices in the Beehive state increased 8.94 percent, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Idaho was No. 1 in price increases. Maryland came in last place. Home prices there...