After more than 30 years of combined experience and approximately 50 real estate transactions each year throughout Park City and the surrounding communities, Drew and I have noticed that the questions buyers ask continue to evolve.
Today’s conversations go far beyond interest rates and home prices. People want to understand where the market is headed, which areas are changing, and how to make smart long-term decisions.
Here are some of the questions I’m hearing most often right now.
1. Should I buy now or wait for prices to come down?
The better question is often: If I find the right property, will I still be happy owning it five or ten years from now?
Buying real estate is a bit like waiting for the perfect powder day. Everyone wants to time it perfectly, but by the time you know that the conditions are ideal, everyone else knows it too.
Many buyers assume lower interest rates will make homes more affordable. Sometimes that’s true. However, when rates fall, more buyers often enter the market, increasing competition and putting upward pressure on prices. In Park City, limited inventory can be a bigger factor than interest rates.
For example, a buyer may wait six months hoping rates fall from 7% to 6%. If more buyers enter the market at the same time and home prices increase 5% to 10%, the lower interest rate may not create the savings they expected. In some cases, they may end up paying more for the same property.
We’ve seen people getting priced out of the market waiting for the market to turn. Park City real estate has appreciated at an average annual rate of 7.1 percent since 2001. Through recessions, booms, and changing market conditions, our community has continued to demonstrate impressive long-term value.
2. How will Deer Valley East Village impact property values?
This may be the biggest long-term story in our market.
The Deer Valley East Village expansion is transforming the Jordanelle area and creating an entirely new luxury resort destination. New hotels, private clubs, ski infrastructure, restaurants, and residential communities continue to attract buyers from across the country.
Communities such as Deer Crest, SkyRidge, Tuhaye, Golden Eagle, and the broader Jordanelle area are already benefiting from increased attention and investment.
3. Which neighborhoods still offer the best value?
This is one of my favorite questions because the answer changes over time.
Many buyers focus exclusively on the most established luxury communities, but opportunities can often be found in emerging areas before they become widely recognized. Depending on your goals, communities such as Hideout, Silver Creek, Kamas, and parts of the Heber Valley may offer compelling alternatives with more space and strong long-term potential.
4. Are luxury buyers still active?
Absolutely. The luxury market above $3 million has remained surprisingly active this year. Buyers in lower price ranges are often more sensitive to interest rates and economic uncertainty, while many luxury buyers are less dependent on financing and tend to focus more on lifestyle and quality-of-life considerations than short-term market fluctuations.
5. Is real estate fraud really becoming more common?
Unfortunately, yes.
Over the past few years, we have seen a growing number of fraud attempts involving vacant land, wire transfers, forged documents, and identity theft. One simple step homeowners can take is signing up for Summit County’s Fraud Guard program. After registering your name and property information, you’ll receive an alert whenever a deed, lien, or other document affecting your property’s title is recorded.
It’s free, takes only a few minutes, and provides valuable peace of mind. Call the county for more information.
6. What would you buy if you were investing your own money?
My answer is usually the same: buy a property that you would personally enjoy using.
The properties that tend to perform best over time are often the ones located in areas people genuinely want to spend time in—close to skiing, trails, golf, dining, and outdoor recreation.
Lifestyle drives demand in Park City, and demand drives value. Those factors tend to support demand regardless of short-term market fluctuations.
Give us a call
One advantage of working in a smaller market like Park City is that relationships matter. Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of local agents, builders, developers, lenders, title professionals, and homeowners. Those relationships often provide insights into market trends, upcoming opportunities, and off-market conversations that aren’t always visible online.
If you have questions about a specific neighborhood, development, or simply have questions about the market, we are always happy to share what I’m seeing in the market.
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