It depends heavily on what’s being built, not just whether transit is nearby. In Micah’s words, a million-dollar single-family home right next to a FrontRunner station would probably decrease in value, while a townhome that’s walkable to that same station would probably increase in value. The reason is who each product type actually attracts. Walkability…
It’s a genuinely common pattern in Utah new construction, and one Micah has had plenty of buyers get stuck waiting on. Builders frequently won’t open a new phase of a community until the current phase is fully sold out, which can leave a buyer waiting for months hoping for a better lot in the next…
Yes, and Micah has seen it work in more than one form. He recently closed a buyer relocating to Utah whose employer gave her a line of credit she could use toward her down payment, to be repaid once her previous home sold — a bridge-style benefit tied to a high-level relocation package. Two other…
Most Utah builder contracts include a clause allowing the builder to raise the price if circumstances genuinely outside their control — like a sudden spike in material costs — increase what it costs them to build your home. Those same contracts typically also give the buyer the right to back out if that happens, rather…
Likely yes, and it’s a pattern Micah has flagged before: the Mountain View Corridor extension and the new 2100 North freeway in Lehi are both already underway. Buyers willing to go a little further out into Eagle Mountain or Saratoga Springs today are getting bigger lots and better prices than they’d find closer to Silicon…
Utah’s HB184, the Small Lots and Starter Homes Amendments bill, would have let builders or property owners petition for smaller minimum lot sizes — down to as little as 5,400 square feet — specifically to build lower-priced starter homes, with automatic approval if a city didn’t respond within 45 days. It did not pass; it…
It’s too early to say — and that’s the honest answer, not a gap in anyone’s knowledge. Utah’s Division of Housing and Community Development officially launched July 1, 2026, created by HB68 and led by a state housing coordinator. It consolidates existing housing programs, including the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, and administers a new…
Utah’s HB217, effective May 7, 2025, made several real changes to how HOAs operate. It created a new Office of the HOA Ombudsman to help resolve disputes and educate boards and residents on their rights, required HOAs to register annually with the state, added new caps and restrictions on transfer, reinvestment, and late fees, and…
Yes. A Utah new home’s 10-year structural warranty, administered through a company like Residential Warranty Corporation, automatically transfers to the next owner if the home sells during the warranty term — there’s no fee, no application, and no need to contact the builder. Whatever years remain on the warranty simply carry over with the house,…
There isn’t a single foolproof check, but there are real, practical steps Micah has used with clients. For a custom builder, that can include a background check. For a production builder, driving through the builder’s other communities is a simple, telling exercise — Micah has had buyers drive one tract builder’s community before buying in…
It’s worth asking about, even though it’s not something Utah builders currently offer or promote. Utah sits in what’s sometimes called Hail Alley — the Salt Lake Valley, Davis County, and Utah County are all active hail corridors, and a real storm hit Orem, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, and Saratoga Springs with golf-ball-sized hail…
Not necessarily — and the actual answer surprises most buyers. HOA fees are often driven more by how many homes are splitting the cost than by how many amenities the community has. Large communities with extensive amenities — pools, clubhouses, trails — like North Shore, The Exchange in Lehi, or Viridian in Salem commonly run…