The Park City Heights development has started work.

What is the Park City Heights Development? It is a Master Planned Development near the corner of Highway 40 and State Road 248. The Quinn’s Junction area commonly referred to as the ‘back door’ into Park City, UT. The development when completed will cover 239 acres and have nearly 240 residences.

The location is just behind the much disputed film studio that was approved earlier this year. Unlike the film studio, this master planned development worked with the city and has met all of their guidelines regarding density, impacts, etc. Because there aren’t any neighborhoods nearby, the public was largely silent during discussions about the new neighborhood. I expect that there will be more of an uproar now that the construction process has started and as the impacts become more visible.

The original Master Plan was a collaboration between Park City and The Boyer Company (which is currently developing the Tech Center at the other entrance to Park City (Highway 80 and State Road 224). The construction of the development has since been transferred to Ivory Homes (one of Utah’s largest builders). Ivory homes is known for entry level home communities throughout the state, but has also recently added some higher end product in the Red Ledges Community in Heber City just south of Park City, UT. Over 70% of the development will be open space. The community will have a 3000’ community center/ club house as well as 15000’ of community garden space. Trails, both paved and dirt will run through the community and connect to other trails in Park City.

The Park City Heights community is slated for 160 market rate cottages and single family homes plus 28 deed restricted townhomes and 41 other deed restricted (affordable) units. Questions about the need or possible overbuilding of the deed restricted or workforce housing components of developments like this have been prevalent with the downturn in the economy. These 79 units will have the added benefit of being within the city limits.

Future residents in the area will have great access to the Quinn’s Junction recreational amenities (Park City’s Ice Arena, soccer and ball fields, the dog park as well as Round Valley Trails and the Rail Trail. The area will though add traffic to the already congested roads in front of the Tri-school area on SR248. This new construction will also have effects on real estate sales and values in the Prospector area as well as the new construction developments in the Jordanelle area (Black Rock Ridge, Parks Edge, and the Retreat at Jordanelle).

For more information about Park City Heights and its impacts on the Park City Real Estate Market contact a Park City Real Estate professional with YouInParkCity.com at (888)968-4672.

Park City is a member of the Western Mountain Resort Alliance which gathers quarterly to discuss and share real estate information in the ski towns of Vail, Steamboat, Sun Valley, Whistler, Big Sky, Jackson Hole and Lake Tahoe. The most recent meeting provided some interesting real estate activity information for the ski towns of the west.

Inventory levels in all of the resort areas providing data fell versus last year (and 2011 had shown a similar decrease in inventory levels). Similarly, all of the resorts reported an increase in the number of sales (with the exception of Park City which reported the same number of sales in the first 2 quarters of 2012 as in 2011). Changes in prices varied among the resorts, but Park City, Vail and Lake Tahoe all reported relatively small changes when compared to 2011.

The resort areas of Park City, UT, Vail, CO and Lake Tahoe, CA appear quite similar statistically. The real estate markets in each of these resort areas are much larger in terms of available inventory, sales, and number of active agents than the other resorts that participate in the WMRA. The average sales price in each of these three resort towns for homes and condominiums showed little variance between 2011 and 2012 (less than 2%).

Statistically the resorts are showing signs of price stability and the decreasing inventories are making it tougher for buyers to find what they want which should in time lead to increasing prices. Many of the real estate markets in California are showing signs of improvement and the fact that all of these resorts see many visitors and second homeowners from California should also lead to increasing demand.

While some people may try and make decisions based on resort real estate values, comparing the different resorts and their real estate values doesn’t make much sense. Each resort has its pros and cons and these vary for the individual purchasing or selling in each area. But seeing the similar trends in pricing and sales currently may signal a bottom of the market.

For more information specific to the Park City, UT area and local Park City real estate values contact a professional with the YouInParkCity.com Group at (888)968-4672 or send us an email at info@YouInParkCity.com.

How much off the list price can I expect to pay for Park City Real Estate?

We live in a time when everyone wants a deal and consequently people don’t want to pay the asking price for just about anything. Discounts flood our email in-boxes, coupons fill the mail and newspapers are delivery vehicles for weekly sale circulars. It has gotten to the point that we readily know that full price isn’t what we’ll pay in the end.

There are of course some exceptions; we know the price of an iPad will be the same wherever we buy it and there won’t be any discounts, and we don’t wait to go to Starbucks until the coffee is on sale.

What about houses and condominiums in Park City, UT? Are people paying full price or is everything on sale?

Over the past 90 days there have been 228 sales registered across the Park City MLS. Of these sales, 36 recorded at or above the asking price. Over 15% of the sales were full price or more. Moreover over half of the transactions recorded with a sales price of 95% or more of the asking price. In terms of a retail sale, a 5% off banner wouldn’t turn any heads. What happened to the big discounts? Only 39 of the 228 real estate sales in Park City were discounted by more than 10%.

This isn’t necessarily an indication that people are willing to pay full price, but rather that people are willing to pay for value. If full price is less than a comparable recent home sale and/or if the home or condo is better than other options or part of a limited supply, asking price can be a good value or deal.

Interestingly, not all of the sales that were not discounted moved quickly. Nearly half of the sales that show 5% or less discounting from their original price had been on the market for over 90 days.

Your YouInParkCity.com Group real estate professional can help you determine if a Park City or Deer Valley home or condominium is “on sale” and a value in our current market. Call us at (888)968-4672 or email info@youinparkcity.com to discuss current area home values.

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

The Western Mountain Resort Alliance is composed of 13 destination ski resort area Boards of REALTORS®. The alliance was founded on the idea that while the resorts vary geographically, they share many of the same real estate and development issues due to their vacation resort status. The alliance publishes quarterly sales statistics for the various destination ski areas.

While we here in Park City, UT believe that our resort community offers some of the best recreational opportunities and easiest access of any Western North American Ski Resort, a look at what can be purchased in other resort towns can be very informative.

VS.

Having spent 10 years in Vail, CO, I am jaded to believe that it is the resort with most in common to Park City. In terms of total available inventory if we exclude vacant land, the two areas are almost identical although the single family homes versus condominiums is reversed with Park City having nearly double the number of single family homes on the market as Vail. The number of units sold in the two towns shows Park City’s sales being up 18% in unit volume for the first three quarters of 2011 while Vail’s sales were relatively flat. Available inventory is down in both Park City and Vail versus 2010. The average sales price in Park City saw a 10% decline while Vail registered a 25% decline versus the same period last year.

Another interesting comparison stat between Park City and Vail is the median sales prices. Park City area single family home sales saw a median price (half above and half below) of nearly $550K while Vail shows $400K. Conversely, condominium sales median pricing shows Vail at $480K and Park City at $325. Average sales prices for both single family homes and condominiums are considerably higher in Vail than in Park City.

Maybe Park City and Vail don’t have as much in common as I thought in terms of real estate and the associated values. This likely has a lot to do with the differences in terms of Park City having been an old mining town that developed ski resorts versus Vail having been a ski resort that developed into a town.

For in-depth neighborhood by neighborhood real estate information about Park City, UT, contact a realty professional with the YouInParkCity.com Group at (888)968-4672.

            The March 5^th, 2010 edition of Barron’s PENTA ranked Deer Valley, UT as #6 among the top 15 places to own a second home. PENTA is a standalone quarterly pullout section of Barron’s which focuses on individuals with $5M or more to invest.

            In considering the rankings Barron’s focused “In seeking out and ranking these havens, we looked for beauty, comfort, convenience, a range of lifestyles and — always the paramount criterion at Barron’s — value. We wanted prices that had clearly hit bottom and were either rising or ready to rise.”  The article also notes that “home prices in moneyed enclaves climbed more than 10% last year”.

            The accolades are great; Deer Valley deserves to be named one of the best places in the country to own a second (or first) home. Deer Valley without a doubt ranks among the top spots in the world for the criteria of beauty, comfort, convenience and range of lifestyle opportunities. The Barron’s article notes that the proximity of Park City to Salt Lake International Airport gives the area an advantage over other rocky mountain ski destinations. Reasons why Deer Valley and Park City, UT in general are worthy of these accolades are too numerous to list.

            The Barron’s PENTA article goes on to name and include a photo of a home in Tuhaye as the place to be in Deer Valley. The article notes that sales in 2009 in Tuhaye were 0 while the median price for 2010 was $1.3M (there were 9 single family home sales shown across the Park City MLS for the area in 2010).  Worth noting within this is the fact that nearly all of the sales were bank REO or distressed sales (something that wasn’t mentioned in the article). These sales may represent the new market values for the area and very well may mark the bottom of the market in which case the value proposition for Tuhaye is very strong. Tuhaye has great views of Deer Valley though it is not necessarily part of what locals and Park City real estate professionals recognize as Deer Valley.

            This is not the first time that Park City and Deer Valley have been recognized as one of the world’s best places to own a vacation home; the fact that this trend continues points to the fact that what makes this are desirable has not changed.

            Call the YouInParkCity.com Group of Keller Williams Park City Real Estate to discuss the current opportunities for home ownership in one of the best places to own a (first or) second home Deer Valley, Utah (888)968-4672.

            A 160 acre estate complete with luxury home, guest house and barn is to be sold at auction to the highest bidder Tuesday February 22. This estate is currently listed for sale on the Park City MLS for $17,500,000. The auction has no minimum bid and the seller has agreed to accept any offers above $8 Million (there is a 10% buyer’s premium to be added to the sales price).

            This luxury estate features a main residence of approximately 13,000 sq ft with six bedroom suites, seven full and 5 half baths. Beyond the impressive entryway the home opens up to high ceilings and fantastic views. The gourmet kitchen provides and understated country feel capable of both elegance and casual comfort. The master suite encompasses 1000 sq ft including a saltwater spa in a grotto like setting plus sauna, his and hers closets, exercise room and wet bar.  Seven stone fireplaces assure that warmth and ambiance can easily be found throughout the home.

            The estate lies within the private gated community of Wolf Creek Ranch. The community is comprised of 14,000 acres that border the 2.2 Million acre Uinta National Forest. Over 50 miles of maintained trails run throughout the community. Over 100 acres are devoted to common areas which include a 6000 sq ft Owners lodge, 3000 sq ft community guest house and four yurts.  All of this is only minutes from Park City, Utah and just over an hour’s drive from Salt Lake International airport. The nearby airport in Heber can handle small private jets. A helipad near the front entrance to the community offers quick access to this National Park like get-away.

            The custom furniture that adorns this luxury get-away estate are included to make this estate turn-key and ready to become part of your family legacy and memories.

            True custom luxury estates with the accessibility of nearby destination resorts are seldom transferred but usually handed down among family members. This auction may be the perfect opportunity to obtain a legacy property. For more information contact a Park City realty professional with YouInParkCity.com.

          This auction was cancelled. Bidders showed for the auction, but none were willing to bid above the $8M minimum.

             The Empire Pass area of Park City, Utah’s Deer Valley was launched in 2002 with the Ironwood Development. This began a new phase of luxury ski-in/ski-out homes and condominiums in Deer Valley. The developments at Empire Pass have been clustered close together in order to allow true ski-in/ski-out access and to preserve thousands of acres of open space around them. The density of condos and townhomes at the base of the Silver Strike, Northside and Empire Express chairs at Deer Valley does not necessarily give a feeling of scarcity, but a look at the sales and future development possibilities tells another story.

            Twelve developments have been completed in the Empire Pass area of Park City. Five of these developments have sold out. Another five of the developments are nearly 80% sold through. Two developments are in their early stages of sales; the Montage at Deer Valley and Belles at Empire Pass (14 Single Family Models still to be built). The majority of available units (less that 80 currently) are within the Montage.  Once the current available inventory is sold, there are only 4 development entitlements left within the Empire Pass area of Deer Valley.

            2010 saw 45 sales close in the Empire Pass area (17 sales in the Flagstaff development lead the way with 15 in Silver Strike). This number is enough to sell through the current inventory listed on the Park City MLS. And most Realtors® and developers feel that it was a poor year in terms of sales.

            Pricing in the Empire Pass area of Park City reflects the luxury nature of the amenity rich homes and condominiums.  The scarcity of present and future development in the area as well as the finite supply of ski-in/ski-out properties in Park City and the world also impacts pricing here. The recent completion of the Montage Deer Valley while adding considerable inventory to the area also adds public amenities that the area was lacking. The new restaurant, spa and public spaces will add to the buzz around the area on a year around basis. The opportunities at the Montage also put the Empire Pass area of Deer Valley as a whole that much closer to being built out. The scarcity of future development in the area will only drive prices higher.

            For more information on the Empire Pass area of Park City, UT contact a realty professional with YouInParkCity.com.

             The Headline touts rental revenue, but what is “great revenue” in Park City, UT?

            Park City, UT is home to many second homes and vacation homes that are used infrequently by their absentee owners. Many of these homes and getaways are available as short term rentals for vacationers. Also, the majority of the hotels in Park City are condominium hotels meaning that each unit is separately owned and a rental management company is running the hotel amenities while sharing room revenues with the owners. Thus when a property is listed for sale in Park City, the subject of rental revenue opportunity is often mentioned, if not by the seller, then by the prospective buyer.

            Great rental revenue though is subjective. Will the purchase produce a positive cash flow? Will it be revenue neutral? Or will the buyer be making monthly payments to own a little piece of Park City? The answer is, it all depends.

            I have a “rule of thumb” that generally holds true for nightly rentals in the Park City area. Enough revenue will be generated to cover taxes and HOA fees after the revenue split with the property manager. There are many variable in this simple equation: how much owner usage will there be and during what times? How well is the property marketed? What is the management split (in Park City it is usually around 50% for nightly rental property)? What amenities are available to the renters? Etc. etc.

            Recent price changes have made many of the revenue opportunities look stronger, but you must also consider that rental revenues have been falling along with condominium prices in Park City. A recent travel symposium speaker estimated that nightly rental prices will be off by 17% this year after falling 10% last year and 10% the year before, so while nightly lodging tallies which count room nights show increasing visitor nights, rental revenues are far from their peaks. Buyers and Sellers should also note that added rooms in the Park City area bring more competition to fill each bed.

            Will the “great rental revenue” on the property you buy in Park City prove to be a good retirement scheme?  I doubt it. Will it provide you with a great place to vacation, create family memories, and provide a drive to keep you working in hopes of retiring here? Definitely. I always say “purchase a home or condo in Park City for the lifestyle it can provide and the enjoyment it will bring you”.

            Rarely does a property in Park City “pencil” when it comes to rental revenue. Note that I didn’t say “never” and appreciation cures everything when it comes to investments. Besides, do you really want to stay in that great revenue producing storage facility you bought in Salt Lake City?

            Let the YouInParkCity.com Group assist you in finding a home or condominium in Park City, UT.