By Todd Anderson
May 24, 2012
Two appraisals of the same Park City home result with a large dollar discrepancy.
A buying client of the YouInParkCity.com Group was set to purchase a home and was paying cash. Even though it was technically unnecessary, we felt that an appraisal of the home would be good for everyone’s peace of mind ensuring that the second home they were buying was a good value. With the cash purchase, we were on a short timeline and our first choice of local Park City appraisers was on vacation. We asked around and got a few good recommendations for another qualified local appraiser.
The buyers asked that the appraisal be made without the appraiser knowing the contract price of the home. The appraisal came back at approximately 10% below the agreed upon purchase price. Upon getting the appraisal, the Sellers agreed to pay for another appraisal (feeling that this one was incorrect).
For the second appraisal, the Sellers gave the appraiser (another respected local Park City appraiser) a copy of the Purchase Contract. This time the home appraised at the contracted purchase price (10% above the previous appraisal).
We asked both appraisers about their findings. Both stood behind their appraisal values for the home but there were some interesting differences.
Most of the homes used as the comparable sales were the same. In looking at the two appraisals and the adjustments made for the same subject property values of the same item were very different. While one gave a $2500 adjustment for A/C, the other valued it at $5000. A fireplace was valued by one appraiser at $4000 while the other valued it at $2500. One placed a dollar value on the hot tub while the other considered it personal property not attached to the home and gave it no value. The largest discrepancy between the two appraisals was the adjustment for size; one gave a $30/sq ft adjustment versus a similar home (same number of beds, baths, kitchen, etc.) while the other valued the added space at $70/sq ft. This difference was magnified by the 100 sq ft difference between the two measurements stated in the appraisals.
Which one of the appraisals was correct? As it is with most things, it depends upon which side of the transaction you are on. I believe that the value lies somewhere in-between.
Tags: appraisal, Buyer, homes, local, Park City, Real Estate, seller, Utah, value
Posted in Uncategorized, buyers, Park City value, sellers |
0 Responses to "Park City Home Value Appraisals"
By Todd Anderson
Jul 31, 2011
Park City Real Estate Market Turning Upward
The bottom of a market be it stock prices, commodities or real estate in Park City, Utah can really only be seen in hindsight. We can never be sure of the bottom until we look at it in retrospect and study the sales data. While we cannot yet call the bottom of Park City real estate prices, we can see definitive signs of the bottom.
Real estate sales in the second quarter of 2011 show a strong increase in the number of transactions. The 451 closed real estate sales in Park City for the second represent a 20% increase from the first quarter of 2011 and the best quarter since the fourth quarter of 2007.
The recent increase in sales in the area has been accompanied by a decrease in the number of newly listed properties in the Park City real estate market. So while demand is increasing, the supply is falling which should in time lead to an increase in pricing.
While it may be too early to call the bottom of the market in terms of pricing, we may be seeing signs that some of the best deals are gone. It is kind of like that big sale at the store and we are in its last days. There are still good values to be found in the Park City real estate market, but there is far less to choose from. A good example of this may be the Promontory area of Park City: so far this year there have been 15 homes sold for under $1.5M that were not part of the "cabin" communities and only 10 remain in this price range. It doesn't mean that there are no more deals to be had in the area, only that the remaining opportunities have been picked over.
There are other areas within Park City that show real estate values possibly finding their bottom as well as localized areas which have indicators pointing toward further price reductions. For information on specific buying and selling opportunities in Park City real estate contact a realty professional with YouInParkCity.com.
Tags: bottom, Buyer, demand, market, Park City real estate, Promontory, sales, seller, trends
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy, Park City value, sellers |
0 Responses to "Did You Miss the Bottom?"
By Todd Anderson
Dec 16, 2010
The Real Estate market in Park City, Utah has not been immune to the value changes that the rest of the country has seen. Early on in the National housing and credit collapse many agents in Park City claimed that our area was insulated and we would not be affected by the changes the rest of the country was experiencing. An in depth analysis of our market now shows that market changes in Park City mirror the national averages. Prices have retreated to the 2005-2006 levels in many areas while falling well below that in the outlying areas of the city. The change has occurred in residential entry level condominiums and every market segment right through multi-million dollar luxury ski villas.
Changes can be seen not only in sales prices, but also in the mindset of the Buyers. Park City is a destination ski resort area offering arguably one of the county's best vacation and second home experiences. The things that made Park City desirable before the economic change have not changed, but the Buyers now have a different perspective on real estate here. Buyers still want to own in Park City and the emotion behind the decision to buy here has not changed. The focus that drives which Park City home a Buyer purchases has changed and the emotional drive toward a particular home is gone. In past years Buyers fell in love with a home, now the buyers can be just as focused on the deal as they are a particular home. Park City real estate buyers now often have a somewhat indifferent attitude to the home or condominium they are purchasing; as long as they are getting a deal, they love the home.
Prospective property owners are writing offers on multiple homes with the intent of purchasing whichever property presents the best bargain. Park City real estate Buyers are still focused within a particular area, property type, and price range, but the message to Sellers is "I like your home best, but I'll substitute it with the home down road or in the next subdivision if I believe it represents is a better value".
Tags: bargain, Buyer, condominium, deal, home, Luxury, Park City, purchase, seller, Ski, Utah
Posted in buyers, Park City Real Estate Notes, sellers |
0 Responses to "Park City Home Buyers Change"
By Todd Anderson
Jul 15, 2010
As the summer heats up, Park City Utah Real Estate Prices have continued to fall.
Outlying areas of Park City have been hit worst in terms of price depreciation with some areas seeing prices equivalent to those in 2001 and 2002. To give you a better feel for this, the largest increase in area prices happened in the 2004-2005 timeframe. There are now condominiums being offered at prices of over 50% off the peak sales prices of 2006-2007.
Granted, these sale prices refer to bank owned and distressed sales, but that currently makes up about 10% of the Park City real estate market. Also, purchasing homes and condominiums at these fire-sale prices requires patience, quick response to new listings and most times cash (no financing contingencies allowed). So the great deals are out of reach for many would be buyers.
There is evidence that these aggressive sales prices by banks and distressed sellers is having an impact on the neighborhoods around them. Prices continue to fall in an effort to compete with nearby distressed property. This is especially true within the condominium market where there is less variation between units than in the single family home market (some local areas have shown a surprising strength and stability with very little downward pricing pressure).
Stringent lending criteria and appraisals based on a falling marketplace is making the pool of qualified buyers smaller which adds to the downward pricing pressure.
Strong value can be found in almost all areas of Park City and Deer Valley real estate and we are approaching pricing in outlying areas that may make investment with positive cash flow possible.
As always, real estate is local and each segment of Park City and Deer Valley can be different. For assistance in finding the perfect home or condominium for you or to sell your current Park City, UT home; contact a professional with YouInparkCity.com at (888) 968-4672.
Tags: bank, Buyer, condominium, Deer Valley, distressed, home, Park City real estate, property, sale, seller, UT, Utah
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy, Park City Real Estate Notes, sellers |
0 Responses to "Park City On Sale!"
By Todd Anderson
Feb 21, 2010
As a real estate professional in Park City, Utah the most common question I hear after "How is the market?" is probably "What's the best deal in town?"
There are so many factors that go into what a deal is that the question is nearly impossible to answer without asking at least 20 more questions. I generally respond by trying to find out how the prospective Buyer will use the home. With nearly 1500 Single Family Homes and Condominiums available in the Greater Park City area, there are many deals.
Often times as we look at a deal, we are looking back and making a comparison to what things were a few years ago. With this as the criteria, there are a ton of great real estate deals in Park City. Unfortunately, they may also have been a deal back then when someone bought the property. We just don't have a crystal ball, and don't know what the future will be in terms of value.
The recent influx of bank owned and distressed sales bring many questions about the "deals" in our market. When we make comparisons between the asking price of the bank owned properties and a nearby home or condominium, a very close look needs to be taken in terms of deferred maintenance and what it will take to make this property a true equivalent of the other nearby properties. The risk factor in what may have been covered up (water damage is very common) and what you won't learn about a home due to banks' "as is" and ‘non-occupant" addendums. Distressed sales throw another variable into the picture: Can the home truly be purchased for the advertised price, and if so, how long will it take?
Best Buys can take on many different forms in Park City and will be very different for every buyer. A best buy may be the $4 million ski-in/ski-out home that needs $1 million in renovations or it may be the new studio condominium at the base of The Canyons that is auctioned off with an asking price of under $150,000. Sometimes the Best Buy is the home that hasn't been for sale that you've been watching for years that can finally be yours. In the end, it should be the place that is best for you the Buyer, the perfect home or weekend get-away that you will use to its fullest making memories and enjoying the Park City lifestyle.
Financing can also play a part of a Park City real estate Best Buy, not only what you can get from a conventional source, but Seller financing options and lease options can make a property a deal.
Let us help you in your search for your Park City Best Buy. Contact a real estate professional with YouInParkCity.com .
Tags: best buy, condominium, deal, distressed, financing, home, lifestyle, Park City real estate, sale, seller, Utah
Posted in buyers, Park City Real Estate Notes |
0 Responses to "What is a Real Estate Best Buy?"
By Todd Anderson
Jun 04, 2009
On June 2, 2009 KSL.com News reported that ‘short sales' are on the rise in Salt Lake City, UT. The report gives very few details and goes on to quote a few Realtors in Salt Lake City about the effects of short sales and whether or not they are good for a potential buyer. The overall report had very little information in terms of data, but it does note that 1 in 7 listings in Sandy, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City) is listed as a short sale.
Information like this that goes out nationally (most of the news about Utah is delivered via Salt Lake City) gives people the idea that the news is applicable throughout the state including Park City and Deer Valley, Utah. Real estate is a very local commodity and it is impossible to make assumptions based on one neighborhood and imply that it is true across all neighborhoods. The number of short sales per active listing in the Park City area is less than one in 25. While there is a glut of homes on the market here in Park City, most homes are not a distressed sale.
This is not to say that there are not any deals to be found in the Park City area. Many neighborhoods in the Park City real estate area are seeing prices of homes and condominiums fall by 20% off of their highs. There are also short sales in the Park City & Deer Valley real estate market, and they cover just about every price range including a short sale in the Colony at The Canyons Resort listed at $3.99M down to condominiums in the Kimball Junction area listed at $119K. Of the 50 or so short/distressed sale inventory in the Park City area, nine are listed at over $1M, and 20 are over $500K.
Short sales are not the only way to purchase a property in Park City and Deer Valley at a bargain price, and the relatively few short sales in the area (1 in 25 versus 1 in 5 in Draper, UT) make them a longer and tougher process. Due to the fact that many owners in Park City have a lot of equity in their homes, the deal is often not a short sale, but just an owner taking a large loss.
So when you are looking for a real estate deal in Park City, keep a focus on the end you are hoping for, whether it is a home to retire to, a weekend get-away, an investment or rental property. The deals are there, contact your YouInParkcity.com Keller Williams REALTOR® to find the one that is right for you.
Tags: bank owned, Buyer, deals, Deer Valley, distressed, downturn, foreclosure, housing, Keller Williams, KSL, market, Park City, property, Real Estate, Salt Lake City, seller, short sales, Utah
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy, Park City Real Estate Notes, sellers |
0 Responses to "Park City short sale update"
By Todd Anderson
Jan 18, 2009
The national and global economies have affected the Park City real estate market. We know that at our market peak, Buyers were coming to Park City to buy second homes and vacation property from all over the world. Loose lending standards made finding the money for a second home easy. Housing prices rose everywhere. Higher property values wherever the Buyer's home happened to be made for great equity to borrow against for the purchase vacation property. We know that all this has come to an end with the bursting of the housing bubble. Short sales and foreclosures are now a staple story item for the nightly news. Many boom cities have seen home values drop by 40% or more. Stories abound about the ability to purchase bank owned and distressed properties for truly pennies on the dollar compared to what they sold for just two years ago. In Park City, we're often asked by visitors where the deals are here.
A recent look at the Park City area Board of REALTORS® multiple listing service showed 1871 active listings (653 single family homes, 798 condominiums and 420 parcels of vacant land). Of these, only 26 were listed as a short sale, bank owned or in foreclosure. That is less than 1½ percent of the total number for sale. National figures while the real estate market was booming put the "normal" foreclosure rate at around 3%. Does this mean that Park City has somehow not been affected by the national and global economic changes? No.
Park City and Deer Valley real estate have been impacted by the global economic changes, just not to the extent of Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix and Southern California. The scarcity of land along with tough hillside builds and tight city regulations have meant that the housing boom did not leave Park City overbuilt. Changes in the market have occurred and prices have fallen from their peaks, but there appears to have not been the speculation and dependence on property appreciation to fund loans here that has lead to the demise of markets in other areas.
The local economy in the Park City and Deer Valley area is only beginning to feel the pinch of the national and global economic downturn. I cannot remember previously seeing signs on Main St stating that restaurants are not hiring. A look through the local paper shows few job opportunities (in a "normal" winter, service and tourism industry jobs are abundant). We are starting to experience job losses. It is possible that the downturn may be just beginning here. Or it is possible that the effects of current low interest rates and the push for new jobs on a national level will turn everything around quickly and all our market will see is just a slight downturn. Only time will tell.
All real estate is local. Are there deals to be found in Park City, Utah? Absolutely. Are there short sales, bank owned and distressed properties? Yes. Will you be able to find 5 homes in a row all in some state of foreclosure and buy them all up for a price that previously would buy one? No. Have the fundamentals of what makes Park City and Deer Valley a desirable place to live or vacation changed? Not at all!
For more information on Buying or Selling homes, condominiums and land in the Park City and Deer Valley Utah area contact the YouInParkCity.com Group.
Tags: bank owned, Buyer, deals, Deer Valley, distressed, downturn, foreclosure, housing, market, Park City, property, Real Estate, seller, short sales
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy |
0 Responses to "Park City Short Sales"
By Todd Anderson
Oct 27, 2008
This is a follow-up post from Oct 20, 2008. On the 22nd of October Park City's local paper The Park Record ran an article stating that average home prices in Park City have shown only a 5% decrease while sales volume is down over 40%. In the previous YouInParkCity.com blog post it was noted that some Sellers "don't have/or need to sell" as a reason why prices have remained somewhat stable in Park City and Deer Valley. The homes and condominiums that are currently selling have represented strong values and have been some of the most aggressively priced. So the question is "why doesn't everyone lower their price?"
We want to explore a possibility beyond Sellers being "stubborn" or not truly needing to sell unless they get the price they want. Another reason why Sellers haven't lowered their price may be because they truly can't afford to do so.
While statistics can show that pricing has remained stable here in Park City and Deer Valley, it can also be shown that many of the properties that are selling have sales prices close to those of 2005. For a Seller that bought last year or on 2006, they are not necessarily "upside-down" but they may be "underwater" or in a negative equity position. These owners aren't necessarily in danger of losing their home, but they are in a position of being "stuck". While these owners may wish to move, they would need to bring a check to the closing and actually pay to sell their home. To a lesser extent, Sellers may lose the money they had put down originally. For many residential homeowners the majority of their wealth is tied to home equity. They don't have the ability to walk away from equity they had, or start over again with none.
Some national data has shown that nearly 20% of homeowners that bought their home since 2006 may be in a negative equity position. For many of these homeowners, there are only a few ways out of their home and most of them have very harsh financial impacts. Frequently, these homes stay on the market at a sales price that doesn't reflect the current market conditions. Prices may stay stable due to the fact that these owners truly can't afford to lower their price.
Submitted by Todd Anderson
Todd@youInParkCity.com
Tags: Buyer, condominium, equity, home, home owner, Park City, prices, Real Estate, residential, second, seller
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy, sellers |
0 Responses to "Park City, UT Price Stability"
By Todd Anderson
Oct 20, 2008
I was speaking with a fellow REALTOR® here in Park City last week and she stated that she was surprised that prices here in Park City and Deer Valley hadn't fallen as much as she had expected. While news articles from around the country show home values dropping as much as 30%, Park City hasn't seen very dramatic price changes. Many people ask "why?" Here are some of the contributing factors.
The reasons vary somewhat according to the property involved; primary residences and second or vacation properties. In this article we'll focus on the latter. Second homes and vacation properties are a luxury item and they are bought by people that can afford them. As much as 70% of Park City and Deer Valley area property can be attributed to second homes and vacation property. The majority of these property owners have relatively small or no mortgages on these properties and most have an "if it doesn't sell at this price, I'll just hold onto it" attitude. Few of the second home owners have a true need to sell. In the sellers mind, the property is worth ‘x' and in time it probably will be. Sellers here in Park City have "staying power" and while overall sales volumes are currently down 45%, prices are holding somewhat steady. Sellers are willing to wait, and Buyers are not necessarily willing to jump at prices that have held steady which leads to more property on the market. This Seller's resistance to drop their prices and ability to wait is a major reason that prices in resort towns don't fall as much as national averages in a down market.
A driving force behind the national market downturn was the sub-prime and "risky" mortgages. Park City saw relatively few of these mortgages. It may seem odd from the outside, but few of the second homes with values over $1M have any mortgage debt at all. Historically, fifty percent of real estate purchases in Park City and Deer Valley are cash. In general even with as easy as credit was recently, it was still tougher to mortgage secondary homes as creditors know that if there is trouble, these are the first thing debtors walk away from. That is not to say that sub-prime mortgages in our market don't exist or that there are no property owners that are in financial trouble, only that this number is smaller in relation to the Nation's trouble spots.
Another reason that Park City second home and vacation property values have stayed strong is that things the have not changed much here. People still want to be here, whether it is to vacation or to live. Park City is a beautiful, easily accessible. The city offers endless recreational opportunities and a great climate. Park City's economy has not been greatly impacted by the national "crisis". In addition, the Utah economy has been touted as one of the best in the country. Finally, there is scarcity built into Park City. There are only so many places in the world that are like our city, and much of the town is truly "built out".
These are some of the reasons that Park City has not seen a dramatic change in its prices as compared with other spots in the Country. That is not to say that prices in Deer Valley and Park City have not fallen; they have. As noted earlier, pricing remains fairly steady, but many of the properties that have sold were priced aggressively and represent pricing similar to 2005. There are good values and realty opportunities in Park City, and the situation for each seller is unique. Just don't expect to see rows of homes for sale with foreclosure signs in every other window as you search for a place to live or vacation in Park City.
For more detailed information about recent price trends in Park City, Utah and Deer Valley, UT go to: http://www.youinparkcity.com/. Price trends, highs and lows, averages and days on market information is available for each Park City neighborhood.
Tags: Buyer, change, home, homes, Park City, price, prices, Real Estate, realtor, realty, second, seller, UT, Utah, vacation
Posted in buyers, Park City Economy, sellers |
0 Responses to "Why Park City Prices Remain Strong"
By Todd Anderson
Jun 02, 2008
One of the most commonly asked question a Park City REALTOR® gets asked is "how is the market?" We've written about this before in the YouInParkCity.com blog, but we think it deserves to be said again. "It really depends on where you are and what you are trying to accomplish in terms of buying, selling or investing, but most important is the idea that all real estate is local.
We've noticed some recent Park City numbers that reinforce this point on a local neighborhood level. The Silver Springs real estate area in Park City, Utah currently has 19 active single family home listings. During the month of May, 7 single family homes were put under contract and 1 sale closed (given the average under contract / pended times, the others should close in June). This represents quite a lot of activity in this neighborhood. So the answer to the "how's the market?" question could be "great" or "hot".
To the contrary, we can look at the available homes, new pending sales and closed transactions for the Promontory neighborhood in Park City: There are currently 63 active single family home listings in this real estate area, zero went pending in the month of May and only 3 have gone pending this year. So, the answer to the "how's the market?" question might be "tough", "slow", or "a Buyer's market".
These two real estate markets are both part of Park City real estate and tell very different stories. The idea that all real estate is local can be narrowed even further than this may suggest. It may be the perfect view of the ski run, access to a great running trail, or proximity to a local school that makes a home "perfect". These limiting factors bring about scarcity and drive demand.
The "perfect home" that you want may be represented by only a few possibilities in a given neighborhood, and the fact that one is currently available may make it the right time to buy.
"How is the market?" is really determined by what is available in a given local area. Think of this in terms not only of a state, county, or city, but down to specific neighborhoods and even streets and which side of a particular street.
For information regarding your present or future home in the Park City area; contact http://www.youinparkcity.com/ .
submitted by Todd Anderson
Data mentioned herein was taken from the Park City MLS on May, 30, 2008 deemed accurate and reliable, but not guaranteed.
Tags: Buyer, investor, local, market, neighborhood, Park City, Promontory, Real Estate, seller, silver springs, Utah
Posted in buyers, Park City Neighborhoods, Park City Real Estate Notes, sellers |
0 Responses to "All Real Estate is Local"
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