St George Utah Blog - St. George Real Estate Market

6 Real Estate Myths to Avoid

With real estate prices, trends and laws constantly in the news, there is a lot of misinformation floating around. Real estate myths spread like wildfire and not doing your proper homework could cost you. Here are six real estate myths to clear up.

Selling a Home Yourself Saves You Money

Some people might think that they can save money by selling a home themselves and saving on a real estate agent’s commission. As shown in another blog post, this is not the case. Sellers who use a real estate agent almost always make more money than those who try to go it alone. Even after paying a real estate agent’s commision, you are still more likely to walk away with more money.

When Selling, You Don’t need to Stage Your Home

You may think it’s…

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The Starbucks Effect: How Businesses Can Affect Home Values

When selling your home, keep in mind that there are many different factors that contribute to the resale value. A recent study shows that one business, one coffee house in particular, is increasing property values of the homes around it.

And yes, that coffee house is Starbucks.

A recent study printed in the book, Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate by Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries, explains how Starbucks is affecting the real estate market. While homes have appreciated by an average of 65% since 1997, homes near Starbucks have appreciated by 96%. To compare, homes near Dunkin Donuts appreciated by 80%, which is still better than the national average, but not as fast as Starbucks. Home prices near Starbucks have recovered more quickly…

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What You Need to Know About Refinancing

A recent article in the New York Times argued it was time to refinance your mortgage since interest haven fallen to their lowest point in years.

“The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.8 percent at the end of last week. That is down from 4.5 percent as recently as last spring, the lowest since May 2013 and far below the 5 percent-plus rates that prevailed as recently as early 2011.”

Is it a good time to refinance your mortgage? Is that always a good decision? Here are some things you need to know about refinancing your mortgage.

How Does Refinancing Work?

Refinancing your mortgage mean you effectively pay down your current mortgage and take out a new one with a new interest rate. As the New York Times article points…

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4 Reasons to Check Out St. George Business School

If you are involved in St. George’s business community, you can’t miss out on the different resources offered by Dixie Business Resource Center. Their different classes and opportunities are meant to help members of the business. Here are 4 reasons to check out Dixie State’s Small Business Resource center.

Business Classes

Dixie State University offers short-term classes on business technology, accounting and grad school prep. These classes are open to students as well as the public. In a recent interview with St. George News, Dr. Kyle Wells, the Dean of the Udvar-Hazy School of business said,  “Past graduates are getting jobs that require additional skills in information technology. We are responding with a few key courses with plans to expand…

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St. George Real Estate is On the Rise

A recent article in The Spectrum reported that St. George real estate is continuing to improve after the recession. People who had to give up homes and leave the market are now in a position to purchase real estate again and get out of rental properties.

Rental Properties

After the housing bubble burst in 2015, many people lost their homes and moved into rental properties. Because St. George doesn’t have a lot of rental properties, a shortage in St. George has driven up the price of rent. This could change as bank regulations loosen and people become emotionally ready to purchase a home again. St. George hopes to see more purchasing and less renting in 2015.

St. George Demographic

The largest demographic group moving to St. George has…

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2015 Real Estate Predictions

As we end 2014 and begin a new year, it seems like a good time for real estate predictions. Home prices have been rising lately, but will they continue? Here are some expert predictions for the real estate market in 2015.

Easier for Home Buyers

Homes have recently become a great idea for real estate investors because prices have been rising so quickly lately. October showed some of the highest home prices since 2008. While home prices will continue to rise, the rate at which they grow will probably slow down. This will lead to less real estate investors showing interest and make room for more home buyers. Instead of a 6% growth, we are more likely to see a 3% growth, which could mean a buyers’ market next year.

Millennials Become Home Buyers…

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What You Need to Know About Property Taxes

If you are a financially-savvy homebuyer, you probably have a budget and an appropriate price range for your home. Beyond the actual price of the home, however, there are other regular costs. One thing many buyers forget about is property taxes. Property taxes can add a significant amount to your monthly costs, so they’re important to remember. Here are some things to know about property taxes.

How much are property taxes?

The rate of property taxes differs from state to state, and even from town to town. In St. George, the property tax rate is approximately 1% of your property’s value. Property value is calculated using the market value of your land and the market value of your home. The value is assessed annually so your property tax can…

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St George Foreclosures and Your Bottom Line

In addition to the old adage, "Location, location, location," most real estate investing tips boil down to one common theme. Buy low, and sell high. Buying foreclosed homes is a great way to do just that. And by buying foreclosed homes in beautiful St George, Utah, with its red rock deserts, sandstone canyons, and excellent golf courses, you can effectively cover all the core tenets of real estate purchasing in one fell swoop.

A foreclosure is when the holder of a property lien is forced to terminate the lien before the expected date, most often due to a failure to make payments by the borrower. This action makes it possible for the lien holder to then place the property back on the market, with the intention of recouping whatever losses they may have…

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Washington County Real Estate Market

Washington County Real Estate Market

Washington County's real estate market, which fell apart in 2006 after an extraordinary run that attracted national attention, is struggling back to health.

An increase in sales of existing single-family homes has been fueled by a revived Utah economy and record low interest rates.  Foreclosed and short-sale properties are almost non-existent.  New construction of homes is on the rise as well.

"In Washington County, we have probably only 20 bank-owned properties left.  A lot of people are no longer upside down [in their mortgages].  The biggest problem we have in our market today is getting enough properties to sell," said Ryan Andersen, an agent at ERA Brokers Consolidated in St. George.

Homes priced under…

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Welcome to SGUTAH.com

Tour Our New Online Home at SGUTAH.com!

We decided it was time for a change and with that has come a brand new updated site, along with a new url - SGUTAH.com - formerly DavidEllisRealtor.com.

The new site features state-of-the-art technology that will make searching your favorite Southern Utah listings a breeze. Let us take you for a tour:

Search the Utah MLS

This stand-by will allow you to create your own search of Utah MLS listings. Just as before, you can search by City, Community, Zip Code, or dozens of other criteria that will help you customize your results.

Receive Updated Listings

We know your time is valuable so we've devised a simple solution to help you save time and get a jump on the competition. Take a moment to Register With Us…

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