The Jack Nicklaus signature course at Red Ledges just seems get better every time we play it. In 2010 and 2011 Golfweek Magazine ranked it as “Best of State” and we think it is certainly in the top 3. There were no major changes made on the course last year. The reworking of several of the greens that was done a few years ago to make those greens more receptive and hold shots has paid off. The bent grass greens have had a couple of growing seasons since the alterations and they are rolling true and holding good shots.

Red Ledges, one of Park City Real Estate’s premier golf communities, sold 48 properties in the in the past 12 months. For the same time period last year there were 36 sales. This shows a very healthy improvement. Part of what we see as very encouraging (for Park City’s golf community market) is that 10 lots were sold to smaller builders who intend to break ground on spec homes. New homes being built and in the planning stages is yet another sign that the Park City Real Estate market is turning the corner. Another positive indicator that Red Ledges is healthy is that a new neighborhood is breaking ground. It is called Mountain View. Mountain View will offer 4 models that will be priced in the $500,000 to $700,000 range. Red Ledges is differentiating itself in Park City’s golf market by offering homes in more price ranges than the other golf communities. With a few lots still available for under $200,000 and single family homes starting in the $500,000 range Red Ledges has with increased their pool of buyers compared to the other Golf communities. Golf or lifestyle memberships are currently included in developer sales but we expect that to come to an end soon.

Red Ledges amenity package now includes the Jack Nicklaus 18 hole championship signature course, a comprehensive practice facility, the Jim McLean Golf School, the Cliff Drysdale Tennis academy, a golf shop, and swimming pool and equestrian programs. The most exciting news is that they will be breaking ground on the Clubhouse next month. The current goal is to have all of the planned amenities in place in the next 5 years.

For more Red Ledges real estate information or for a tour of the community and facilities contact a realty professional with the YouInParkCity.com Group at (888)968-4672.

The six inches of snow that fell on Main St. Park City yesterday told us that it is probably time to take the golf clubs out of the car for the season and start thinking about getting in shape for ski season.

Golf is near and dear to the YouInParkCity.com group so with the days getting shorter and the golf season coming to an end we thought it would be good to recap what has happened so far this year in five amazing Park City golf communities which boast some of the top courses in the state. Which course ranks where is a matter of opinion but in terms of layout and condition they are all exceptional.

January 1 through August 31 there were 121 sales and pending sales in Glenwild, Promontory, Red Ledges, Tuhaye and Victory Ranch combined. This number includes vacant land, single family homes and condos. For the same time period in 2011 total sales and pending sales were 160 properties. For both years the majority of sales were in Promontory as distressed inventory was sold. Even though the number of sales was less in 2012 than in 2011, there are several very positive indicators for real estate in the Park City golf communities. One, there have been several bulk sales in these communities to builders which are not included in the Park City MLS numbers. Two, in Promontory we are seeing a few developer sales as opposed to distressed re-sales. Three, we are seeing an increase in plans being submitted and homes under construction. Four, Promontory, Red Ledges and Tuhaye have added or will break ground next spring on their already significant amenity infrastructure. We also expect exciting announcements from Victory Ranch as the new owners solidify their plans.

We will present a series of blogs in the next few weeks with an overview of each gated golf course community. For an in-depth analysis of a particular area, part of town, or specific property type that interests you contact a real estate professional with YouInParkCity.com at 1-888-968-4672.

The third quarter of 2012 has slipped by and fall is in the air in Park City, Utah. Real estate sales for the area are changing focus a bit from single family residential to vacation second homes and condominiums more focused toward winter sports.

Year versus year sales data for Park City real estate shows a market gaining strength. Single family home sales so far for the year are up 6% versus the first three quarters of 2011 and condominium sales in Park City have seen a 10% increase.

Sales comparisons for the most recent quarter show condominium sales rising quickly in Park City. Sales of condominiums for the third quarter were up by nearly 25% from the same time period last year. This increase represents nearly the total difference in sales when comparing the quarters. A large portion of this was a bulk sale at the Newpark Hotel. When excluding this bulk sale, sales were still up by over 10%. Also of note in Park City condominium sales is the fact that the median price of the condominiums sold is that the median sales price was up over 10%. The median sales price of $315,000 ($340,000 excluding the bulk sale) would indicate that over half of the sales are condominiums that would be classified as vacation rentals.

Single family home sales by contrast have seen a decline in their median sales price ($705,000 in Q-3 of 2012 versus $750,000 for Q-3 of 2011).

The impact of distressed sales fell again this past quarter with only 25 sales that were bank owned properties. This was down from 38 for the same quarter last year; a 35% decrease. Competition in purchasing bank owned homes and condominiums in Park City continues to be fierce; most experience multiple offers, sales prices above asking price and almost all end in a cash purchase sales.

Real estate sales in Park City, UT are location specific and many factors specific to location should be considered when determining which area or subdivision is best for you. Contact a Park City realty professional with YouInParkCity.com at (888)968-4672 for more information.

This data has been derived from sales statistics as posted on the Park City Board of Realtors MLS using only statistics involving single family homes, condominiums, and vacant land in the greater Park City areas (1-23). Data is considered accurate, but not guaranteed.

Are we entering a Seller’s Market in Park City, UT?

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the median sales price for single family homes in Salt Lake County rose last quarter for the first time in 5 years. Will Park City real estate see similar statistics soon?

National statistics are beginning to show strength and there are many reports indicating prices on the rise (similar to the reports from Salt Lake City). Park City and other resort communities tend to lag the national indicators as people must feel comfortable with their primary home before purchasing secondary homes and condominiums.

Sales statistics so far for the year have been flat with the previous year in terms of volume and again this last period showed a slight decline in the median sales price for single family homes in Park City. The decline was not even across all areas and some areas experienced an increase in median sales prices. Inventory levels are having an impact on sales in most areas and especially in the lower price points in all neighborhoods.

Recent Park City area home sales statistics report that inventory levels are at a five year low. This lack of inventory shows very prominently in the lower price levels in all neighborhoods and also can be seen in the lack of REO product. For example, single family homes in Park City under $500K that aren’t considered cabin properties actively for sale numbers under 50 while over 100 such homes have sold in the past 12 months. A look at the Promontory area shows 14 home sales (non-“cabins”) in the past 12 months under $1.5M and only 9 active non-cabin listings offered at under $1.5M.

Park City Home Sales and Inventory

The lack of inventory is causing multiple offer situations in many situations as well as frustration on buyer’s sides trying to purchase a deal.

Lower inventory levels and lower prices will not last long as the demand will begin to force prices up.

As mentioned above, sales statistics and inventory levels vary between Park City neighborhoods and price ranges. Contact YouInParkCity.com for specifics about the price point and neighborhood matters most to you (888)968-4672.

A look at Park City home and condominium sales in the first quarter plus some interesting resort news.

If we had to pick out what stood out most about the first quarter of 2012 in Park City, the weather might be the first thing to talk about. Winter just never seemed to take hold this season; snowfall totals for the year were less than half of last year.

The lack of snowfall seems to have affected the locals much more than the tourists. Most locals will tell you that they hardly skied or snowboarded at all this past year and yet Park City Mountain Resort reported that ticket sales for the season were down by just 4%. Similarly the lodging occupancy totals for the year so far are off by only 3%. This is a tribute to area snowmakers and groomers who did an amazing job at area resorts.

Park City area real estate sales for the first quarter of the year were relatively flat compared with the first quarter home sales of 2011. Single family home sales in the greater Park City area registered 81 (down from 100 in the 2011 period) with the median price falling to $692K. Condominium sales saw a slight boost with 131 sales and a median price of $402K up from 121 and $381K for the same period last year. Building lots saw a sharp decline but prices were way up as the number of distressed sales have fallen. Distressed inventory (bank REO and Short Sales) made up less than 20% of the sales and are currently under 9% of the active real estate inventory in Park City.

As we move into the summer season (which has come about quickly with the low snowpack from the winter and current 70 degree weather), real estate in Park City is experiencing a decline in available inventory and deals are getting tougher to find.

For in depth information on buying or selling in a particular segment of the Park City real estate market contact a realty professional with the YouInParkCity.com group at (888)968-4672 or email info@YouInParkCity.com.

Real Estate sales in Deer Valley, Utah for the current year.

We here at the YouInParkCity.com group keep a constant eye on what is going on in Park City real estate through a consistent watch of the Park City MLS, regular open house attendance, talking with other agents and monitoring what our clients and local visitors tell us among other things. A recent post indicating that Deer Valley sales were on an uptick caught our eye. Here is a summary of what we found to be true:

Current Park City MLS data shows that there have been 40 sales of homes condominiums and vacant land in Deer Valley since the first of the year. This number is almost identical to the real estate sales for the same period for last year. The average sales price is down a bit at just under $2 million, but the median sales price (half above and half below) is off by nearly $1M. So, thus far in 2012, half of the real estate sales in Deer Valley have been for less than $1M. While we are still seeing movement in the luxury market with sales at the Montage and St Regis Deer Crest hotel residences, real estate sales of above $2M in Deer Valley are currently off by 25% from this time last year. The 16 current pending sales represent a possible upward movement if they make it through to closed sales.

Overall the Deer Valley real estate market is a somewhat mixed bag with pockets of strengths and weaknesses but overall fairly stable in relation to last year. For an in-depth analysis of the portion of the Deer Valley or Park City real estate market that interests you contact a realty professional with YouInParkCity.com at (888)968-4672.

Park City, Utah has seen its share of distressed real estate sales in the past 2 years.

A look at the sales statistics from the Park City area MLS reveals that distressed sales have made up 25% of the total sales of homes, condominiums and land in the Greater Park City area in 2010 and 2011.

The sales of bank owned properties have far outpaced the short sales (more than 2 to 1) and 2011 saw a smaller percentage of distressed sales than 2010.

The number of distressed for sale real estate listings in Park City has been steadily decreasing. People looking to buy bank owned properties in the Park City area are increasingly encountering multiple offer situations and sales prices are often higher than the listing price for bank owned Park City properties.

The sales of bank owned in relation to the number available is an indicator of how quickly they move. The number of short sales completed is an indication of how hard they can be to complete. Also of note is that half of the current short sale supply has offers awaiting bank approval. Buying distressed real estate in Park City is possible, but there can be many pitfalls and the competition can be fierce.

For more information about real estate sales in Park City, Utah contact a Park City realty professional with YouInParkCity.com at (888)968-4672.

Data and sales information from the Park City MLS deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

With 45 days left before the end of the year, we probably won’t see significant changes in Park City real estate sales totals.

Current for sale inventory in Park City’s Lower Deer Valley area includes 28 single family homes and 54 condominiums. This number will likely rise slightly as we move closer to the ski season.

To date there have been 7 single family home sales this year and 2 other homes have accepted sales contracts. So the inventory levels indicate a 3-4 year supply of single family homes in the Lower Deer Valley area. The inventory varies greatly with offerings ranging from $775k to just over $3M. Lower Deer Valley has some homes that are beginning to show their age; this fact can be seen in the variations of asking price with the least expensive homes in the low $200’s/square foot and the highest end well into the mid $500’s/sq.ft. Single Family homes sales for Lower Deer Valley are likely to lag 2010 numbers by nearly 30%.

Condominium sales in the Lower Deer Valley area of Park City show a strong increase versus 2010, but there are factors that have skewed this number dramatically. To date 49 condominiums have sold in Lower Deer Valley and another 6 have pending sales contracts. With 53 active for sale condominium listings, the current inventory represents just over a one-year supply. Lower Deer Valley condominium sales totaled 32 for 2010, so this year’s numbers at first blush are very strong. The twist is that 22 of the sales were bank (or corporate) REO properties. The sales of the bank owned condominiums had an average sales price in the low $300’s per square foot. By contrast, the average sales price for non-bank owned properties was over $375 per square foot.

Many of the homes and condominiums in the Lower Deer Valley area were built from the early 1980’s through the mid 1990’s and many of the properties are “showing their age”. The new construction in the past few years in the Empire Canyon area of Deer Valley has impacted sales greatly as buyers tend toward more “turnkey” products. The Lower Deer Valley area offers great access to all Park City has to offer and there are definitely gems to be found in the for sale listings. For information regarding specific realty listings in Lower Deer Valley, contact YouInParkCity.com at (888)968-4672.

Search Lower Deer Valley Real Estate

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.

            Luxury real estate sales in Park City, UT for the year so far show a slight decrease when compared to the pace of 2010.

            2010 saw luxury home sales in Park City, UT buoyed by the St Regis Hotel at Deer Crest and Silver Strike Lodge at Empire Pass.  2011 is seeing strong sales from the new Montage at Empire Pass as well as continuing sales of the Flagstaff condominiums in Empire Pass.

            The average sale price for homes listed at over $2M remains fairly steady at nearly $3M. Relatively small sample sizes in this market combined with the occasional sale in the $10M range have impacts on this data.

            The luxury residence category overall is may be beginning to show more pricing pressure. Currently the Park City MLS shows over 170 homes and 70 condominiums in the luxury category over $2M. Current sales show a discount rate of over 15% from asking price and the influence of undisclosed sales prices across the Park City MLS means that this discount rate could be considerably higher.

            The luxury home market in Park City and Deer Valley is a tough category to consider as a whole because there are many factors which makes each of the homes and condominiums in the luxury category unique. For a more complete analysis and in-depth information about individual properties contact a realty professional with YouInParkCity.com (888)968-4672.