The above graphs show just how promising the Iron County market is for home sellers as 2022 gets into its stride.

Although they took a very slight seasonal dip in December, median sold prices are higher than they've ever been, demonstrating the amazing returns sellers are enjoying.

Better yet for sellers, the graph showing the current number of active listings shows a fairly steady decline since September.

Admittedly some of the lower supply can be attributed to seasonal factors, however right now there is a shortage of available property for buyers across the board, meaning reduced competition and more robust asking prices.

It's clearly a great time to sell, so why wait until the spring when there will inevitably be more homes to choose from!

Contact us at 435-327-2090 today to discuss the exciting current options.

Merry Christmas From The Zimmer Family

Wishing you a holiday season and new year filled with love, health and happiness

Thank you for all your wonderful support throughout this year.

We're excited to help you realize your real estate goals in 2022.

Best wishes
Jared, Cheryl, Wyatt, Axel, Gunner and Zoey

Winter arrives next week (Tuesday 21st to be precise). Of course it's already very cold and we've had fresh snow, so we thought it would be a good time to suggest some great tips for presenting your home for sale at this time.

Theme your home for the season - The holiday season presents a unique opportunity to make your home even more inviting with seasonal decoration. Buyers are more emotional right now, so try to appeal to that sentiment. It's also important not to clutter your room with decorations. Tasteful but sparing is a good maxim.

Seasonal scents - This season presents good opportunities for themed scents in the home, cinnamon and vanilla being two popular options. The smell of freshly baked cookies, for example, can be another winning aroma. Make sure windows are often opened to remove stale air.

A warm welcome - Make sure your indoor temperature is comfortably warm and not sweltering. This can encourage buyers to view for longer.

Keep it light - Less daylight means there's a greater need for artificial lighting both indoors and outside. This can be a wonderful and inviting advertisement for your property. It's amazing how many people who've viewed the home during the day will pass by your home at night to see what the area is like after dark.

Floor coverings - Keep them in first class condition by placing mats at entrance doors, in case your viewers arrive during or after rain or snow. Be sure to stay on top of your floor cleaning regime.

Snow and ice - Good quality ice melt is so important in creating safe driveways and pathways for your viewers.

Fireplaces - If you're fortunate to have a natural or artificial fireplace, this can act as a wonderful central feature and, let's face it, nothing is more welcoming. Mantles offer a great location for seasonal decor.

We hope these tips are helpful. As always, we welcome your questions on real estate at 435-327-2090. 

It's quite possibly the biggest myth in real estate...

Every year, all over the nation, sellers temporarily withdraw their listing for the holiday season, incorrectly reasoning that they have no chance of receiving an offer until they relist in the New Year.

This is simply a huge mistake. Here are just some of the very serious and motivated buyers you'll miss who will be very active in the coming weeks:

• Job relocators. This is the peak season for job changes requiring a home move. These buyers need to be in their homes before their new role starts at the beginning of 2022.
• Buyers looking to finalize a home sale before year end for tax reasons.
• Those wanting to be in their new homes in time for Christmas entertainment etc.
• There will be less choice for buyers in the coming weeks and, as a direct result, a strong chance of an exceptional return on sale.
• The holidays are actually a great time for those buyers who are able to take time off and focus on making an informed decision without any distractions.
• This is an emotion-laden time of year, meaning that buyers are more likely to view your home favorably and make an offer.

Remember also that, by selling now, you can be a non-contingent buyer in the spring when there are more houses on the market for less money, enabling you to sell high and buy low.

And if you are concerned about viewings when you are entertaining in your current home, you can arrange with your agent for no showings to take place over an agreed time period.

Your home will also be looking so welcoming with seasonal decor, so what better time to show it off!

We are seeing an impressive number of home buyers still actively searching for a home, unquestionably encouraged by the recent drop in mortgage rates. They most certainly aren't postponing their home search, so it makes no sense to suspend your listing...

Contact us today at 435-327-2090 to discuss your best options.

We've been studying a range of recent Iron County real estate statistics, and one that really stands out is that it's taking even less time, on average, to sell your home in Iron County!

The average number of days a home is on the market had fallen by just over 43% in the past year at the end of last month.

As the Days On Market graph above demonstrates, September saw a big drop compared with the spike we saw in August and the average days on market now outperforms any month in the past year. This is especially remarkable, given the tremendous year that the market has seen here.

And this is happening in spite of a growing inventory of listings on the market since February. Even better, sold prices in September matched the year-plus high we saw in July.

This is strong evidence that buyers are very likely responding to having more choice once again. Some may have been put off by making consistent unsuccessful bids for homes.

These are great conditions for sellers as we continue through the fall. And let's not forget that many current buyers will want to be in their new homes for the holidays, as a further incentive.

Our market is always very active through fall and winter and it's a complete myth to think otherwise, so why not contact us today at 435-327-2090 to discuss your best options.

The above graphic speaks for itself.

Fall and winter buyers are always among the keenest and most serious that we see in the whole 12-month real estate cycle.

There's every incentive to list right now and it is absolutely not too late to sell your home in time for the holidays.

And with over new 30 subdivisions in the area launching in the next year or so, it makes even more sense to sell before there could be a lot more competition in future.

Click here or call us at 435-327-2090 for an informal chat about your best options.

It's certainly been a roller coaster summer of weather here in Iron County and, astonishingly, we are now under a week away from the official beginning of fall!

With night temperatures due to temporarily drop into the low 40's early next week, and with colder days ahead, there's still going to be plenty of good weather to get those essential fall home maintenance tasks under way. But the clock is ticking.

So here are some great tips for the coming days:

Roofing - We have, of course, endured some very challenging weather conditions in Iron County at times during this summer, including damaging hail storms. So it's arguably even more imperative than usual to carry out a visual inspection of your roof, or hire a qualified and reputable local professional to do one for you. The last thing you need is an undiscovered leak.

Gutters/Downspouts - Make sure these are clear of debris that can cause overflow. Rainwater should also be discharging a few feet from the building perimeter to avoid possible foundation damage.

Sprinkler Systems - The first freeze cannot be too far away, so you're fast approaching the time to winterize your system. Use compressed air to blow any remaining water out of the pipes. If left alone it could freeze and cause a burst, which you'll not notice until you switch everything back on in the spring.

Heating - Our hot summers mean that heating systems almost become a distant memory by mid-September, but it won't be too long before we begin to switch from cool to heated air. Make sure your furnace filters are being replaced as recommended. A full system service right now avoids the potential issues of having problems during the holidays, with a home full of guests, right when it's also very difficult to obtain professional help.

Plumbing - Make sure any exposed pipes are properly insulated. Know where your home's water controls are if you ever need to switch off your supply.

Chimneys/Flues - Now's the time to get your chimney cleaned, if you have one, and to check for flue sealing.

Air Sealing - In summer, we are concerned with keeping cool air indoors and in fall and winter we focus on doing the same with heat. Air leakage from your interior is expensive and uses more fuel, so make sure doors and windows are properly sealed when closed.

Propane Levels - Now is the time to make sure your tank is ready for the winter. Some local propane suppliers offer payment plans to allow you to spread the cost, smoothing out the contours of expense in the coldest months of the year, which are on their way once again.

Ceiling Fans - When heating becomes necessary, it will also be the time to reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Fans should turn clockwise at a low speed in winter to gently draw air up towards the ceiling and force it down and out towards the walls, avoiding the wind chill effect that's so welcome in summer.

Outdoor Lighting - It's possible that you have bulb failures that you've not spotted during the summer, so now is a great time to check these from the viewpoint of safety and security. Now is also a good moment to review how effective your external lighting is and to make upgrades while the weather's still good.

Fences/Decking - These can take a real battering from fall/winter weather so now is the time to be completing any maintenance/staining/painting tasks that ensure everything will emerge from the coming months in great shape.

Critters - Seal holes and gaps where they might seek entrance to your property. Like all of us, critters prefer to be indoors as it gets colder.

Trees/Shrubs - Pruning will help to avoid the possibility of falling branches in stormy conditions. Look for signs that trees/shrubs might be in need of treatment. These include thin/brown pines, dead branches and very early leaf color changes.

Concrete - Cracks that have appeared during the spring or summer are only likely to get worse when it freezes, so repair these areas asap.

Lawns/Mulch - Cool weather grass seeds should be sown very soon. Laying mulch around shrubs, flowers and bushes helps to protect them from the worst that fall and winter will almost inevitably throw at them.

Ice Melt - The first freeze can happen with little or no notice and we could be seeing snow quite soon too. So make sure you're stocked up with ice melt, rather than having to rush to the store in slippery conditions.

We hope that at least some of these tips will be useful. As always, please don't hesitate to contact us on 435-327-2090 if you have any questions concerning real estate.

The summer is entering its final phase and, while the weather stays warm, this is usually a very good time to sell your home.

While we see a good number of buyers all year, it's undeniable that, in most years, as the weather beings to cool so does the market.

So, with many weeks of mainly sunny weather ahead of us, it makes a lot of sense not to delay listing your home.

What's more significant this year, compared with previous ones, is that we are going to see some fundamental changes to the Iron County homes market in 2022.

There are over 30 subdivisions either planned or currently in construction in the area. This will mean that there is going to be a lot more competition to sell your home should you decide to wait until next year to sell. Not only will this mean buyers have more options, but price is likely to come under pressure as a direct result.

So it is fair to suggest that the market we are seeing right now, which has calmed down a bit from what we were seeing in the spring but remains very lively, could be the best opportunity we will see for some time.

As always, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at 435-327-2090 to discuss your best options.

Yet again, mortgage rates are tumbling and this morning it was announced that 30-year rates are now at the lowest levels since February (Source: CNBC).

This is very welcome news that is likely to drive a very busy market in August.

We've recently seen signs of a more balanced approach by buyers and slight improvement in inventory of available homes for sale, but even lower mortgage rates can only act as an important further purchasing stimulus.

And while inventory has improved, it's still much lower than the very busy market at this time last year, so there's still tremendous scope for new sellers to enter the market.

A combination of lower cost borrowing and wider choice of homes has the potential to really energize the market as we approach the end of summer.

Why not contact us today at 435-327-2090 to discuss your best options.

We have been studying the latest Iron County real estate stats for June and they confirm something we have already been noticing - inventory of available homes for sale has started to climb.

If you look at the above graph, you'll see that last month saw the first upward spike in new listings since March. That's partly in line with seasonal expectations, but it also follows the trend that started in March for the number of active listings to rise.

If you look at the number of sold listings on the same graph, you'll see that the difference between them and the active and new listings is increasing, though we continue to see more sales in total month-on-month.

These patterns reflect the general view across the nation that the real estate market is starting to cool a little from the unsustainably frenetic market we were seeing just a few weeks ago.

But it's also important to put things in perspective. June saw a small improvement in the number of months of supply in our market (see absorption rate graph below), but it's still only about six weeks, so it remains very much a seller's market. There were also hundreds more homes on the market in June 2020 than in June this year (a drop of just over 44%).

We also observed that the average number of days a home is on the market (see graph below) continues to fall quite dramatically, again demonstrating the exceptional demand that's still around.

And if inventory does continue to rise, this may yet attract even more buyers, as they will enjoy having more choice and the reduced possibility of rejected offers.

We are arguably seeing a return to a more normal and balanced market that is also actually good news for sellers too, especially if they are looking to buy another property themselves.

It's important to emphasize that these changes were bound to happen at some point and don't represent anything close to a market collapse.

The pandemic was a time of extremes and we now appear to be progressively moving to living more normal lifestyles again. That will be reflected in real estate, where the fear of living in major cities caused so many people to move here. That fear is not nearly as strong as it was even a couple of months ago.

As the return to normalcy gathers pace, we can expect to see a continuation of the popularity of this area to newcomers. This is reflected in over 30 new subdivisions that will be coming online in the next year or so.

As always, we'd be delighted to talk with you if you have any questions or concerns regarding the current market conditions and/or your situation , so don't hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss your best options - 435-327-2090.