Thirty years and 1,500 closings in the Salt Lake Valley. These are the answers we give at the kitchen table, written down.
Less than most people assume. Conventional loans start at 3% down, FHA at 3.5%, and both VA and USDA can be zero down if you qualify — USDA covers a surprising amount of Tooele and southern Utah County. On a $650,000 Herriman home, 3.5% is about $22,750. Closing costs run another 2-4%, and in a balanced market sellers will often cover part of that. What matters more than the percentage is your reserves after closing; we would rather see you close with three months of payments in the bank than stretch to a bigger down payment.
It depends on price band more than on neighborhood. Well-priced homes in the $650K-$900K range in South Jordan, Riverton and Herriman typically go under contract in under three weeks. Above roughly $1.2M the pool of buyers thins and 60-90 days is normal. The single biggest predictor is whether the first two weeks of pricing were right — homes that need a price correction take substantially longer than homes priced correctly on day one.
For most move-up sellers in this market we recommend selling first with a rent-back, or writing a purchase with a sale contingency and a strong backup plan. Buying first means carrying two payments, and bridge financing is expensive right now. The exception is when your equity position is strong enough that a HELOC on your current home funds the new down payment cleanly. This is the single most consequential decision in a move-up transaction and it deserves an hour at a table, not a text thread.
Radon is the one people miss. Utah has some of the highest indoor radon levels in the country and mitigation runs roughly $1,200-$2,000 — worth testing on every purchase regardless of age. Beyond that: aging water heaters, grading and drainage against foundations, and on homes built before about 1990, polybutylene or galvanized supply lines. On newer builds we look hardest at stucco and window flashing.
Yes — as of August 2024 every buyer nationwide signs a written agreement with their agent before touring. It states plainly what we do and what we are paid, and it is negotiable. We think this is a good change: it made a conversation explicit that used to be assumed.
Our compensation is agreed in writing before we start and is always negotiable. On the sell side it comes out of proceeds at closing. On the buy side it may be offered by the seller, paid by you, or split — that is negotiated on each transaction. We will tell you the number before you fall in love with a house, not after.
An automated estimate is a starting point and nothing more — the public models do not know that you redid the kitchen or that the home backs a busy road. We price from closed comparable sales within the last 90 days, adjusted for lot, condition, view and finish level, then pressure-test against what is currently active because that is your real competition. The written analysis is free and there is no obligation attached to it.
Paint, light fixtures, landscaping and decluttering return more per dollar than almost anything structural. Kitchens and baths rarely return their full cost unless they are genuinely dated. Our walkthrough gives you a prioritized list with rough costs and expected return, and we are just as willing to tell you to fix nothing when that is the right call.
Budget roughly 6-8% of the sale price all in: agent compensation as negotiated, title and escrow fees, a state-required seller disclosure, prorated property taxes, any HOA transfer fee, and whatever concessions the market is asking for that quarter. Utah has no real estate transfer tax, which keeps costs meaningfully below states like Washington or New York.
Thirty to forty-five days is typical for a financed purchase in Utah, driven almost entirely by the lender. Cash closes in as little as ten days. The delays we see most often are appraisal scheduling and last-minute underwriting conditions, both of which we manage rather than wait on.
You get a named agent who owns your transaction start to finish, backed by the whole team. Rod and Melody Moser lead it; every agent on the roster has the same systems, the same marketing, and the same standard behind them. You will never be handed off to whoever is available.
Yes. Our core markets are South Jordan, Riverton, Herriman and the south valley, but the team actively serves Utah County, Davis, Weber, Tooele, Summit and Wasatch. If you are moving somewhere we do not serve well, we will say so and refer you to someone who does.
Relocation is a large share of what we do. That usually means video tours, neighborhood briefings on schools and commute, lender introductions who understand out-of-state income, and a compressed in-person trip that gets you to a decision. Start with the relocation guide and then talk to us.
A real person on the team answers — usually the same day.