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SALT LAKE CITY -- Great news for home sales nationwide is translating into good news in Utah, and along the Wasatch Front.
Nationally, sales were up 11 percent this June compared to June of a year ago. Along the Wasatch Front, home sales rose 9 percent; and for the state of Utah as a whole, it's a 4 percent increase.
Utah Association of Realtors President Chris Sloan says it could be a sign that Utah's housing market has bottomed out and is on the way back up again.
"I think we're going to start increasing at a normal, more healthy pace," he told KSL Newsradio. "We're already starting to see that in a lot of places, as you can see from the median prices that aren't dropping nearly as catastrophically as they are in some other places in the nation."
The Salt Lake Board of Realtors still reported a drop in home sales this quarter, but it wasn't as severe as the 25 or 30 percent drop we've had the past two years.
Prices are also down overall in Utah as more homeowners sell their homes for less than they paid in order to complete a successful sale. Sloan believes that's part of the reason for the increased sales.
But Sloan also attributes part of the recovery to a program in Utah, called the Utah State Home Rune Program, aimed at selling new construction. It offered grants to buyers who purchased new homes.
| **Wasatch Front Home Sales and Prices** | |
| **Second Quarter 2009 vs. Second Quarter 2008** | |
| **Single-Family Home Sales** | **Single-Family Median Prices** |
| Salt Lake County - down 4 percent - 2,534 v. 2,648 | Salt Lake County - down 5 percent - $236,000 v. $249,250 |
| Utah County - up 15 percent - 1,146 v. 1,000 | Utah County - down 10 percent - $212,250 v. $235,000 |
| Davis County - down 10 percent - 790 v. 880 | Davis County - down 4 percent - $216,000 v. $225,305 |
| Weber County - down 16 percent - 704 v. 840 | Weber County - down 4 percent - $160,850 v. $167,900 |
| Tooele County - down 11 percent - 170 v. 190 | Tooele County - down 2 percent - $180,000 v. $183,275 |
| *-Salt Lake Board of Realtors* | |
"The values will get there, but we're looking at anywhere from 2-to-8 percent appreciation per year, versus 30 or 40 [percent]," he said.
In Salt Lake, Davis, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties the median sales price of $207,390 for June represents a 3.5 percent drop from the median price of $215,000 in June 2008.
The Utah Association of Realtors reports the biggest monthly gain in June was in Utah County, where home sales were up 33 percent over June 2008.
The only county in the region where sales didn't represent an increase over last year was Weber County, where home sales were down 6 percent.
If you are selling your house, we asked what the best tip is.
"Make sure your pricing is accurate. You gotta look at properties sold around you in order to compete with what's out there. We still do have a lot of buyers out in the market," said Rick Bentley, with Coldwell Banker.
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Story compiled with contributions from Becky Bruce and Amanda Butterfield.
