Housing data by Salt Lake Board of Realtors®. The forecast is an estimate based on data from multiple sources. While it is deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
The pandemic has supercharged Utah’s housing market driven by historically low interest rates and low unemployment rate. Utah housing market has been ranked as nation’s #1 housing market for strongest pace of job growth, along with low unemployment, low mortgage rates, few mortgage delinquencies, and low state & local taxes, according to Bankrate.com.
Salt Lake City is the largest city in the state of Utah, though it tends to be overlooked by real estate investors as just another part of “flyover” country. The city is the core of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a population of roughly 1.2 million. Today, the Salt Lake City is a major tourist spot in the U.S. The city is also the national hub of industrial banking.
The Salt Lake City real estate market has been one of the toughest real estate markets for Millennials due to limited supply relative to demand. It has become one of the top markets to watch in 2021. People are moving there due to lower cost of housing, a good quality of life, and outdoor recreation. The economy is strong and the city has on of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.
The median home price in “Salt Lake County” was $378,411 in 2020, +10.5% increase from the previous year. Total home sales were up 5.5% as compared to 2019. The inventory has sharnk to an extremley low level and home prices in Salt Lake City are expected to rise by record levels in 2021. On top of that, a strong job market and a robust economy have been contribuing to the rising housing costs over the past several years.
Salt Lake City Real Estate Market Trends 2021
December 2020 housing stats show that whole of Salt Lake County is hot seller’s real estate market. Home are slling fast with the median days on maket being just 26, down 40% from last year. Months Supply of Inventory has dropped to 0.7, down 61% from last year. It refers to the number of months it would take for the current inventory of homes on the market to sell given the current sales pace. Here’s the market report released by the Salt Lake Board of Realtors®.
Salt Lake County
December 2020
Year to Date
Key Metrics
2019
2020
% Change
Thru 12-2019
Thru 12-2019
% Change
New Listings
801
978
+ 22.1%
21,890
21350
– 2.5%
Pending Sales
934
1166
+ 24.8%
18,187
19615
+ 7.9%
Closed Sales
1390
1649
+ 18.6%
18,143
19145
+ 5.5%
Median Sales Price
$350,000
$399,500
+ 14.1%
$342,400
$378,411
+ 10.5%
Average Sales Price
401738
469220
+ 16.8%
$390,461
$434,459
+ 11.3%
Percent of Original List Price Received
97.3%
100.2%
+ 3.0%
97.90%
99.3%
+ 1.4%
Days on Market Until Sale
44
26
– 40.9%
38
31
– 18.4%
Inventory of Homes for Sale
2657
1168
– 56.0%
—
—
—
Months Supply of Inventory
1.8
0.7
– 61.1%
—
—
—
Salt Lake City Housing Market Forecast 2021-2022
Salt Lake City is a moderately walkable city with a population of approximately 186,419 people. While the city limits encompass 110 square miles, downtown runs nearly two miles from east to west and nearly two miles north to south. Salt Lake City’s population is also very young. The largest percentage of the city’s population falls in the 25 to 39-year-old age group.
Couple that with a high school graduation rate, and a large number of college graduates and you have an attractive workforce for many large companies. The state of Utah’s population grew 9 percent over the last five years, much of it concentrated in Salt Lake City, where the median home price at the end of 2020 was $399,500 (still significantly lower than the average in Denver).
The economy of the Salt Lake City Area is doing well, and it has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S., ringing in at just 3.5% in December 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Utah’s employment outlook during the pandemic continued to outperform the rest of the country in December. The state of Utah’s unemployment rate was 3.3%, well below the nation’s 6.5%.
The strength of the overall economy significantly impacts the real estate market as buyers’ ability to support housing prices largely depends on key economic factors. State’s economy has proved to be “one of the nation’s best in reemploying workers” as officials continued to actively encourage those drawing unemployment benefits to seek work in sectors less damaged by the pandemic.
What are the Salt Lake City real estate market predictions for 2021? Let us look at the price trends recorded by Zillow over the past few years. Salt Lake City has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in the U.S. Since 2012, the median home prices in Salt Lake City have appreciated by roughly 54.7% from $218,000 to $474,416, according to Zillow’s proprietary Home Value Index.
Salt Lake City home values have gone up 13.4% over the past year and the latest forecast is that the home prices will continue to increase at almost similar pace in 2021. The limited supply of houses for sale is continuing to drive home price up. Generally, a balanced market will lie somewhere between four and six months of supply.
If MSI is displayed as less than 4.0, sellers have gained asking power. If MSI is above 6.0, buyers have gained negotiation power. In Salt Lake City, it is less than a month. The demand is exceeding the supply, giving sellers an advantage over buyers in price negotiations.
According to NeighborhoodScout’s data, Salt Lake City appreciation rates continue to be some of the highest in the nation, at 6.96%, which is higher than appreciation rates in 94.14% of the cities and towns in the nation. Based on the last twelve months, short-term real estate investors have found good fortune in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City appreciation rates in the latest quarter were at 2.87%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 11.97%.
If we consider the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, the typical value of homes is $436,390. This value is seasonally adjusted and only includes the middle price tier of homes. Salt Lake City Metro home values have gone up 13.7% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 15.1% in the next year.
Here is a short and crisp “Salt Lake City metropolitan area housing market forecast” by LittleBigHomes.com for the 3 years ending with the 3rd Quarter of 2021. They estimate that the probability for rising home prices in Salt Lake City is 73% during this period. If this price forecast is correct, the Salt Lake City home values will be higher in the 3rd Quarter of 2021 than they were in the 3rd Quarter of 2018.
Here is the visual representation of how home prices have grown from 2011 and their forecast (in the green area) until Jan 2022.
Courtesy of Zillow.com
Salt Lake City Foreclosure Trends 2021
Here are the recent foreclosure trends for the Salt Lake City housing market. As per Zillow’s old data, the percent of delinquent mortgages in Salt Lake City was 0.4%. Currently, 1 in every 6834 houses are foreclosed in Salt Lake City.
NEW FORECLOSURE FILINGS FOR SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (On Realtytrac.com)
Foreclosure Type
Prior Month
Prior Year
Pre Foreclosures
– 30.8%
– 75.7%
Auction
+ 133.3%
– 56.3%
Bank Owned
No Data
No Data
Currently, the top 5 areas in Salt Lake City having the highest foreclosure rates are:
84101 – 1 in every 3193 housing units
84120 – 1 in every 3461 housing units
84106 – 1 in every 5062 housing units
84103 – 1 in every 5841 housing units
84111 – 1 in every 6933 housing units
Why Should You Invest In The Salt Lake City Real Estate Market?
Now that you know where Salt Lake City is, you probably want to know why we’re recommending it to real estate investors. Is Salt Lake City a Good Place For Real Estate Investment? You need to drill deeper into local trends if you want to know what the market holds for the real estate investors and buyers in 2021.
If you are looking to make a profit, you don’t want to buy the most expensive property on the Salt Lake City real estate market and expect to make a good profit on rents. Perhaps you are looking for a slightly different hold-over, an investment property in Salt Lake City that you might move into or sell at retirement in the future. Either way, knowing your profit potential and purpose is the first thing to consider.
So what makes Salt Lake City Downtown so appealing to home buyers and investors? Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City, Utah. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple. Downtown Salt Lake City encompasses the areas of Temple Square, The Gateway, Main Street, the central business district, South Temple, and others.
Throughout the last decade Salt Lake City has seen a significant increase in development, from City Creek Center to 111 Main, these and other developments have played a crucial role in improving the vibrancy of downtown. Like the rest of the state, Salt Lake City Downtown is benefiting from the region’s healthy economy.
More people live and work in downtown than ever before. But according to local real estate experts and representatives from the Downtown Alliance, despite the boom, the supply in downtown Salt Lake City isn’t catching up to the demand and more development is needed in the city’s central business district to accommodate the growing demand for housing and office space.
The Urban Land Institute ranked it the nation’s third-best market for commercial development in its 2018 Emerging Trends report, fueled in part by the big names relocating here like Goldman Sachs, which now has the fourth-largest office in the world in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City housing market is booming because of an ideal combination of business growth triggering in-migration and strong native population growth.
And with a variety of affordable homes in high-quality neighborhoods, it is a market that is not yet closed to first-time home buyers. Is Salt Lake City going to be a sizzling real estate market for investors in 2021? Looking at the positive forecast, the annual appreciation rate is predicted to be between 10% to 12%.
You can either choose to invest in your future, or market your home to potential buyers. If you are looking for an affordable real estate market with high potential for return on investment, you should consider Salt Lake City in 2021. Let’s take a look at the number of positive things going on in the Salt Lake City real estate market which can help investors who are keen to buy an investment property in this city.
Positive Demographic Trends
The total fertility rate for the United States hovers between 1.8 and 2.1 depending on the source you want to believe. Mormons, the majority of the population in Salt Lake City and Utah as a whole, have an average of 3.4 children. This puts constant pressure on the Salt Lake City real estate market. It also makes the Salt Lake City housing market unusual in the demand for homes with multiple bedrooms suitable for large families. There is a niche in the Salt Lake City real estate market for large luxury homes, but it is notable for the sheer demand for 4 and more bedrooms in affordable neighborhoods.
Near Certain Real Estate Appreciation
Salt Lake City sits at the intersection of I-80 and I-15. Industry tends to spread out along the highways, and housing follows. Investors in the Salt Lake City real estate market can buy land to develop or invest in housing projects being built in expectation of workers who will soon move to the area. Demand is one factor in the equation that determines the price of housing. The other is supply.
Salt Lake City has seen an increase in housing construction since the economy rebounded. However, geography limits how and where homes can be built. This is causing home prices to appreciate significantly, and there is no evidence Salt Lake City could over-build the way Phoenix did before the Great Recession. A subtle issue hitting Utah is the relative shortage of skilled building trade talent despite the influx of people coming to work in business and tech.
Salt Lake City Market Is Everything Which California Isn’t
California is experiencing an incredible divergence from its ideals. While there is still a red-hot housing market in Silicon Valley, the state also has the highest poverty levels in the nation. They’re chasing businesses out of the state through oppressive regulation and high taxes. In contrast, Salt Lake City is booming because it is business friendly.
So many California tech firms have relocated to Salt Lake City that the area is now nicknamed “Silicon Slopes”. Forbes listed Salt Lake City first on its list of “next tech meccas”. The city is already home to many new startups. Where there are currently good paying jobs, new residents are sure to move in. And that only puts more pressure on the Salt Lake City housing market. The very low crime rate in Utah compared to surrounding states is merely an added bonus.
The Low Cost of Living in Salt Lake City
Housing aside, another reason why people relocate from the West Coast to Utah is the low cost of living. In fact, the $400,000 house in Utah with four bedrooms and a yard looks cheap when you sold a two bedroom condo for 50% more than that in California. The overall cost of living in Utah is cheaper than the nation overall, and it is far cheaper than California, so many choose to relocate here from the high-cost states on the coast.
The Growing Salt Lake City Rental Market
The Salt Lake City housing market can’t keep up with demand, and this is pushing many Millennials and new residents into the rental market. While many would like to own a home, affordability is an issue for the young would-be home owner; the average Millennial earns $68,000 a year while the median home price is $400,000. This explains why Salt Lake City has some of the fastest growing rents in the country.
Rents in Salt Lake City are growing. Only studio aparments have seen a decline. As of March 4, 2021, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Salt Lake City, UT is currently $1,206. This is a 9% increase compared to the previous year.
Two-bedroom apartment rents average $1,450 (a 7% increase from last year).
Three-bedroom apartment rents average $1,942 (a 14% increase from last year).
Studio apartment rents average $999 (a 4% decrease from last year).
The Zumper Salt Lake City Metro Area Report analyzed active listings in January 2021 across 10 metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents. The Utah one bedroom median rent was $1,011 last month. Salt Lake City was the most expensive city with one bedrooms priced at $1,070 while Cedar City ranked as the most affordable market with rent at $590.
The Fastest Growing Rents (Y/Y%)
Cedar City had the fastest growing rent, up 22.9% since this time last year.
Layton saw rent climb 11.8%, making it second.
Ogden was third with rent jumping 7.9%.
The Fastest Growing Rents (M/M%)
Salt Lake City rent had the largest monthly growth rate, climbing 7.0%.
Ogden was second with rent jumping 5.1% last month.
Murray saw rent grow 4.3%, making it third.
Source: Zumper.com
Landlord Friendliness
Salt Lake City does require landlords to get a business license, even if you just own one rental home. Fees that you are required to pay as part of the rental program depends on how well maintained the units are. However, Salt Lake City in general is very landlord friendly. Eviction for nonpayment of rent can get someone out in two to four weeks. Courts regularly side with landlords and award triple fees for damages by a tenant. If someone violates the terms of the lease, they have three days to correct the situation. You can end a month to month tenancy with 15 days of notice.
Multiple Luxury Markets
Downtown Salt Lake City properties near the Mormon Temple command a premium, but that isn’t the only upscale market in the area. Park City and the northern side of Oakley, too, have properties that cost on average well over a million dollars. As you move up Highway 80 toward Hoytsville and Wanship, properties routinely cost more than a million dollars despite the hour commute to Salt Lake City.
Looking For Salt Lake City Investment Properties?
Buying or selling real estate, for a majority of investors, is one of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a real estate professional/counselor continues to be a vital part of this process. They are well-informed about critical factors that affect your specific market areas, such as changes in market conditions, market forecasts, consumer attitudes, best locations, timing, and interest rates.
NORADA REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS has extensive experience investing in turnkey real estate and cash-flow properties. We strive to set the standard for our industry and inspire others by raising the bar on providing exceptional real estate investment opportunities in many other growth markets in the United States. We can help you succeed by minimizing risk and maximizing the profitability of your investment property in Salt Lake City.
Consult with one of the investment counselors who can help build you a custom portfolio of Salt Lake City. turnkey properties. These are “Cash-Flow Rental Properties” located in some of the best neighborhoods of Salt Lake City.
Not just limited to Salt Lake City or Utah but you can also invest in some of the best real estate markets in the United States. All you have to do is fill up this form and schedule a consultation at your convenience. We’re standing by to help you take the guesswork out of real estate investing. By researching and structuring complete Salt Lake City turnkey real estate investments, we help you succeed by minimizing risk and maximizing profitability.
Like the Salt Lake City real estate market, the other housing market to go for to diversify your investments is the Baltimore real estate market. The Baltimore real estate market has been in decline for years, but a number of spots offer significant returns. And there are signs that the city is starting to turn around.
The Baltimore real estate market around the new industrial parks built to cater to Amazon will boom, because we can expect as many jobs from Amazon’s suppliers in those areas as Amazon itself – and those workers will want to live close to work. The Baltimore real estate market is promising and shows a new increase of opportunities for both buyers and sellers.
Similarly, Cincinnati, OH is another great market to get started in real estate investing. Cincinnati real estate market is on the upswing and looking strong for the foreseeable future. It provides a number of opportunities to investors, regardless of the market you want to invest in.
Let us know which real estate markets in the United States you consider best for real estate investing!
Remember, caveat emptor still applies when buying a property anywhere. Some of the information contained in this article was pulled from third party sites mentioned under references. Although the information is believed to be reliable, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees, either express or implied, as to whether the information presented is accurate, reliable, or current. All information presented should be independently verified through the references given below. As a general policy, the Norada Real Estate Investments makes no claims or assertions about the future housing market conditions across the US.
References
https://www.zillow.com/salt-lake-city-ut/home-values/
https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/salt-lake-city-ut
https://www.realtytrac.com/statsandtrends/foreclosuretrends/ut/salt-lake-county/salt-lake-city/
https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46284050&nid=1426https://www.buildium.com/laws/utah-evictions-process/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_City
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900024786/salt-lake-city-ranks-among-top-seeing-gains-in-housing-inventory-report-says.html
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865628480/Mormon-families-are-Americas-largest-new-study-finds.html
http://www.cbre.us/people-and-offices/corporate-offices/salt-lake-city/salt-lake-city-media-center/cbre-releases-2018-salt-lake-city-real-estate-market-outlook
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