There was never a truer saying than a picture is worth a thousand words.

This is arguably even more applicable in real estate, where, to coin another well-known phrase, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

And these days, maybe more than ever before, how your home looks from the moment it is listed is of vital importance.

We have long recognized this and use high res video and high quality internal and external photography.

We work very closely with leading local photographer and videographer Greg Lovell.

"In real estate," says Greg: "it's important to get as many eyes on a property as possible."

"One of the best ways to do that is to create a real estate video that is supplemented by quality still pictures of the home or property. We like to incorporate drone shots in the videos we create to help the video come to life, with the goal of driving more traffic to each listing."

This is all presented on our social media platforms and our website that has been purpose designed to not only present homes optimally, but to generate inquiries through a variety of visual prompts and other opt-in lead acquisition systems.

With almost every home search now starting online, this level of presentation is absolutely essential. Why not contact us today and find out more about the extra steps we take to help ensure your home sells not only as quickly as possible, but also for the maximum return.

(Greg Lovell can be contacted at greglovellvideo@gmail.com or 385-414-1015, call or text)

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We'd like to share some recent information issued by Redfin that reflects what we are seeing here in Iron County, in terms of a really strong comeback for real estate.

Redfin says that home buying demand is actually 22% up from pre-pandemic levels, after seven straight weeks of gains.

Additionally:

• Sellers are beginning to return to the market in significant numbers.
• Inventory of available homes isn't keeping pace with demand, creating fantastic opportunities.
• All time low mortgage rates are helping prices to remain robust and increase competition among buyers.

With the relaxation of restrictions, we are witnessing something of a return to the incredible strength of the market prior to the current issues.

In practice, buyers continued to be motivated throughout the past few months and the return to normalcy is further encouraging already high levels of sentiment.

If you've been on the fence about listing or re-listing your home, there are so many reasons why right now is just a phenomenal time to do so.

Why not call us today on 435-327-2090 for an informal discussion related to your individual situation.

We're absolutely thrilled to be able to tell you that our new Re/Max office is now open at 1194 So. Sage Drive, Cedar City, 84720.

As you can see, this is a brand new building on a very prominent site within Cedar City in the area's most vibrant retail district and with easy freeway access.

The building is a bold statement of our commitment to this wonderful area and will enable us to enhance our service to clients with a more distinct, prestigious and prominent headquarters, fully equipped to enable our agents to work even more effectively for you and featuring a great conference room for client meetings etc.

You are more than welcome to pop in to say "hi" and check the facilities out for yourself and we look forward to seeing you.

Alternatively please take a video and virtual tour below.

Despite all the difficulties of the past couple of months, we are currently seeing some of the most motivated buyers in all our years in real estate!

A good deal of the incredible degree of positive sentiment can be attributed to mortgage rates which are currently at the lowest levels across the board on conventional and government loans, since modern records began almost half a century ago!

The buying power of these lower interest rates is incredible and is really helping a lot of buyers to obtain their dream homes that otherwise they thought they couldn’t afford. The cost savings represent savings of many thousands of dollars compared with just a few months ago.

Clearly the advice is don't wait if you're considering either purchasing or refinancing as there are never any guarantees how long this wonderful situation might last for.

And if you've been thinking about selling, this can be conducted completely safely and, if you're not listing at the moment, you could be missing an amazing chance.

Please don't hesitate to contact us today for an informal discussion of how best to safely take advantage of these stunning market conditions.

It's all too easy, and very incorrect, to think that only bad news is everywhere right now.

Of course it hasn't been a straightforward time for anyone, but in the midst of it all is a more positive narrative that has rightly highlighted what heroes our wonderful healthcare professionals, first responders and other essential workers are.

And innovation is everywhere, as we gradually begin the return to more normal business for everyone.

Real estate has certainly been quick to make greater use of information technology to compensate for the recent challenges. This has been important, because what's never gone away is the need for some people to move, whatever the circumstances.

Moreover, with the lowest mortgage rates since records began half a century ago, buyers arguably have an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of a situation that certainly won't last forever.

And we're seeing plenty of evidence of this here in Iron County.

Consider these latest figures for Cedar City and Enoch:

• There are currently 209 active listings.
• 133 of those listings are under contract.
• 48 homes have been sold in the past 30 days.

This, we're sure you'll agree, is an incredibly healthy situation, especially given what everyone has been through in recent weeks.

Our market is so remarkably resilient and it's clear that those would-be home sellers who've thought until now that playing a waiting game is the right strategy are clearly missing a fantastic opportunity.

Why not contact us today and discuss how we can help you make the very best of the current scenario.

First of all we hope that you are well and staying safe.

Today we wanted to share some information with you that demonstrates how well our local Iron County real estate market is adjusting to the new situation we all find ourselves in.

• Over the last week 33 properties closed and 50 properties went under contract (pending).
• There are currently 594 residential listings in Iron County, which is slightly lower than usual but still very much on a par with the average numbers of listings per month over the past year.
• Selling trends in the area are remarkably similar to the past year and, according to the latest statistics we've seen, the number of homes being sold per month has been growing steadily since the beginning of the year and compares very favorably with any time in the past 12 months.

So despite the natural concerns at a time such as this, our market remains in good shape and demand for homes is holding strong with relatively low inventory.

Aware that they can't last forever, buyers are still motivated to lock in the very low mortgage rates we continue to see, hovering around the 3.5% mark.

It's important to remember that we use information technology extensively in the real estate industry, which makes us very well placed to adjust to the current restrictions, from virtual tours of homes to e-signing of documents.

Indeed a recent Realtor.com survey claimed that up to a quarter of home shoppers would be prepared to buy a property without even stepping in it. With today's technology that is very much possible.

If you've been considering your home selling options, why not get in touch with us and we can dive further into the positive local statistics for you and explain how we are continuing to make sales happen for our wonderful clients.

There were over 6.6 million new jobless claims in the US in March, the highest on record.

Unfortunately, many of these people will not be able to go back to their jobs, because their companies filed for bankruptcy or closed their operation and they will not be able to find jobs making the money they were.

In this situation, since many Americans don’t have more than 30 days savings, some will immediately turn to their biggest savings account for money - their homes.

When an unemployed person lists their home for sale, they price it to sell.

Do you think it is wise to wait for this to unfold, or to sell your home now and move?

Please don't hesitate to contact us today to discuss your best options moving forward.

We are delighted to welcome Brynklie Shotwell to our expanding team as Listing Coordinator.

Brynklie handles all aspects of listing your home to reach the most potential buyers. She co-ordinates photography and is very actively involved in marketing our listings through a vast range of outlets, including online presence and signage.

Dedicated to providing the highest levels of customer service, Brynklie works very closely with our clients to ensure that all our listings are achieving maximum exposure on a daily basis.

As always, if you have any questions at all concerning real estate, please don't hesitate to contact us on 435-327-2090 or by clicking here.

We are all negotiating uncharted waters with the current national emergency and we have naturally been asked several times in the past few days how this affects our Iron County real estate market.

There are a number of key factors in our marketplace that have not changed at all as a result of the present situation:

• Our local economy and jobs market is in great shape.
• Mortgage rates remain ultra-low around record low levels and extremely attractive to buyers. Just ask any loan officer how busy he/she is right now!
• Overall real estate sales are better than any other time in the past decade!

And with the Federal Reserve having just announced a dramatic fall in its funds rate, this will reduce the cost of other borrowing and provide an even greater incentive for buyers to act right now!

Even realtors in those areas hardest hit by the current problems are still reporting a normal flow of buying and selling. While there has been the occasional cancellation of an open house or removal of a listing, properties are continuing to sell because the current market is almost a perfect win/win for sellers and buyers alike.

We put four homes under contract last week. We listed two mid-week. Each had multiple showings and we’re writing a full price offer on one today. Two offers came in over the weekend and we helped a dozen agents line up showings for homes we currently have listed. What's undeniable is that the market is still arguably in the best shape ever!

Please stay safe and don't hesitate to reach out to us to discuss any aspect of the current market conditions.