The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight recently reported that home prices were up 5.9% in 2006, the slowest price gain since 1999. In 2005 prices were rising at more than 13%."These data show that, on the whole, prices are still rising, albeit at a much slower pace," said James Lockhart, director of OFHEO. "This suggests that house price appreciation, is for now, more in line with historical norms"However, Provo, Utah (19.9%) and Salt Lake City, Utah (19.8%) were among the fastest price gains and only 25 of 282 cities showing lower prices on a year-over-year basis. Utah has the largest year-over-year price gain at 17.5%, followed by Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Michigan was the only state with lower prices than the prior year.Although not included in the report, Pa... 03/18/2007

Welcome to our blog on Park City Real Estate. If you are visiting, have visited or are planning a trip in the near future we hope you will check in often for updates on Park City, real estate or just fun things about the area. Let us know if we can help you or if you have something you were wondering about our little section of heaven - Park City, Utah. I recently looked over information on blogs the other day. After reading it, and the other materials I have been absorbing this past week, I just wanted to summarize my thoughts on why I think a blog is a great resource for the Hughes Martin Sells Team marketing strategy and our clients. I believe a Hughes Martin Sells Team real estate blog will benefit our listing clients by exposing http://www.hughesmartin.com/ and their properties  to... 03/11/2007

  I have a client looking to buy a single family fixer-upper in Old Town, Park Meadows or Thaynes Canyon up to $1M. You cannot believe the dearth of homes I can realistically show. I ran a search for homes up to $1.2M in those three areas and found 13 listings. Of the 13...1 is dog-doo, 3 have been re-done, the others are "nothing to get excited about". So where do we go...and what do we do? I've suggested to the buyer that we start making some low-ball offers...to wake people up...and prove to them that the frenzy is over...and that PC values, while not crashing are not what they were in the period 2004 to first quarter 2006. One other factors having an effect, is the number of new units, single family/condos etc, available within 20 minutes of Park City. The Heber/Midway area is burst... 03/05/2007

The RMRA recently released real estate statistics covering the major Rocky Mountain Resorts. Park City had the seconded highest Total Volume Sold at $1.9 Billion.  Vail was number one with $2.5 Billion. Summit County, CO., Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, and Telluride followed Park City on the list. In Average Sales Price for Single Family Homes, Park City ranked seventh at $972k.  Telluride was number one at $3.0M trailed by Aspen, Whistler, Jackson Hole, Vail, and Sun Valley.  Park City prices are a "bargain" when compared to the other resorts. Park City ranked number one is "Total number of Units Sold", followed by Vail, Steamboat Springs and McCall, ID. For more information on all of the resorts, please contact us at http://www.jimandbillie.com or review at http://www.rmra.com/ 02/06/2007

 Someday I'd really love to see a comet like this one, wouldn't you?  Light pollution can wreck it all for us.  One of my good friends and a one time neighbor of mine, Anthony Arrigos of Park City, Utah, has started an endeavor to fix this problem.  Most of the information that follows originated with him, but I have to share the story  about being back in the "hood".  After dark, on many a night, we would walk around the block and bump into Anthony with his huge telescopes out in the middle of the street.  We'd climb the ladder and check out the night skies.   Wow.  It was always educational as well as sometimes amusing.  Because, you see, Anthony was on the constant lookout for ski pollution offenders.  And he had no issues with tromping up someones front steps and unscrewing their li... 01/30/2007

The Park City Luxury Home Market, homes over $2.0M, remained strong in 2006 along with other hot spots such as Phoenix, Manhattan and California. There were 104 $2.0M+ homes sold in 2006, which is a 60% increase for similar priced homes sold in 2005.  The $347M gross sales equals approximately 18% of Park City's total gross sales.  The highest priced sold home in 2006 was $6.8M while the highest in 2005 was $8.6M.  Currently there are 194 active listings over $2.0M with the highest listed at $28M. For more information on our market, please contact us. 01/29/2007

Many of us ask, "why me?" when something goes wrong in our lives...  Here is a family that has ever reason to ask this question.  Tim and Annette Paget lost their 17 day old son, Shawn on November 26, 2006,  Now there has been a terrible accident that has taken their child, three year old Alexis.  They have a nine year old son, Tanner who was not in the car.Annette has been in surgery for (liver, bleeding on the brain & the amputations). Annette has lost one arm and several fingers on her other hand.  They are still paying off funeral costs for Shawn and now this additional tragedy.  If you or anyone you know is interested in donating to this family you can go to any Wells Fargo Bank and request your money go to the "Paget Family Donation Fund". If anyone has any questions, please conta... 01/25/2007

As I survive the onslaught of slightly hysterical local media hype about all of the famous celebrities in Park City this week for Sundance,  I know there are certain things you can always count on:  Movie Star Sightings, Movie Star Quotes in the local newspaper, and occasionally, even a Famous Person interaction.  And mostly we are completely entertained and bewitched by such world famous (and infamous )characters in our sweet little city.  Today, was a cold call day for me, (really icy cold) and I spent the day attending open houses in the greater Park City area, lucky enough  to see Robert Redford walking down the street as I left the Silver Queen Hotel  www.silverqueenhotel.com .  Jana Potter, the owner, the proprieter, designer, and real estate agent is famous in my book for her vis... 01/20/2007

Today, I was begged by my daughter to watch my five month old grandson for awhile. This meant putting my mortgage business aside, which meant less phone calls, less visits, less running around to open houses, less of a chance to prospect for loans.  I wondered why eveyone thought MY JOB was the expendable one and felt pretty sorry for myself.   So I decided to be productive anyway and I laid this little baby on the floor on a soft old blanket with my big Scotsman Guide www.scotsmanguide.com/mtg beside him.   I alternated between checking fingers and toes and blowing bubbles to reading up on new mortgage products and various articles about whats new and whats hot in the marketplace.  And wondered about my role in my family's life, my personal life and my business life.  After a couple of... 01/09/2007

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mindTo talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.To make all your friends feel that there is something valuable in them.To think only the best, to work for the best and to expect the best.To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater acheivements of the future.To give smiles awy to every living creature that you meet.To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. This really isn't mine,   its an unknown author.  But I added a few words, deleted a few, a... 01/07/2007

The preliminary 2006 year-end statistics from the Park City Board of Realtors report that Gross Sales for all real estate sold through the board totaled $1.9 Billion. Although this total is 11% less than 2005, prices were up 30% on 31% fewer units sold, and less inventory available. Single Family Homes in Deer Valley, Park City, and the Basin followed a similar trend with prices up 45%. The Condominium market saw prices increase 31% and 36%, respectively within Park City and the Basin.Available Vacant Land decreased substantially in the Park City city limits with lot sales down 42% and prices up only 4% due to a lack of availability.   The median sales price was still over $1.0M. Glenwild, Promontory and Tuhaye lot sales were also less than 2005. A good point to remember is that all rea... 01/04/2007

On JANUARY 5-7, 2007 at Park City Mountain Resort, the National Ability Center will host the 20th Annual Huntsman Cup. The Huntsman Cup is one of the nation's leading disabled ski-racing events, bringing together a highly competitive field of racers from across the country and world. About 100 competitors are expected to participate and will utilize mono-skis, outriggers and other adapted equipment as they race for the fastest times three events, two of Giant Slalom and one Slalom event. Members of the United States Disabled Ski Team, the strongest disabled ski team in the world, and other experienced racers from the US will give spectators a weekend of intense and exciting ski racing. Members from the Canadian National Team, Australian National Team and other international team represe... 01/03/2007

We at Crazy Parkite Productions are proud to announce that we have optioned the rights to NBA All-Star (and former starting center for the Utah Jazz) Mark Eaton's inspirational journey into the NBA. At 7'4", everyone assumed that Mark Eaton should play basketball.  Everyone, that is, except for Mark.  As a shy awkward teen, Mark tried basketball in high school, but spent most of his games sitting on the bench.  "Back then, coaches didn't know what to do with big guys like me," says Mark, now philosophical about how he was treated.  High school basketball tore down Mark's confidence so much, that he decided to forego college.  Instead, Mark went to auto mechanic school and then got a job at a Mark C. Bloome tire store in Anaheim.  From there he was literally plucked from the grease pit b... 01/03/2007

On December 8th and 9th, 2006 bobsled history was made at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, UT. National Ability Center athletes Aaron Lanningham and Matt Profitt became the first athletes with disabilities to forerun a World Cup bobsled event. Aaron, the driver has paraplegia and Matt, the break man, is a below the knee amputee. As a result of their success the National Ability Center bobsled team has been invited to participate in the America's Cup this weekend. Matt and Aaron had consistently successful runs through out the course of the World Cup. They clearly demonstrated that they are serious athletes and highly capable of competing on an international level. Their times are affected, however, by the fact that Matt pushes the sled solo, as Aaron is already strapped in the sled. ... 12/31/2006

American Skiing Co announced that it plans to sell the nation's eighth most visited resort to an affiliate of Intrawest ULC for $265 Million cash which will be used to pay off all existing senior debt and revolver balances. This cash infusion will allow American Skiing Company to move forward with development plans for The Canyons and its other resorts in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Improving and upgrading The Canyons has been a top priority for the Company with additional investments in the last year in the Tombstone, Dreamcatcher and Red Pine areas. There are currently numerous residential and resort development projects underway at the base of The Canyons and construction of the long awaited golf course may start in the spring. 12/30/2006

The 2006 Park City High School football team season was an incredible one.  The Miner's finished the season with a 10-0 record on their new home field. Although eventually losing in the State Championships this season was certainly a successful one. Now for the third year in a row, RE/MAX Mountain Properties of Park City support the team by underwriting the Park City Television broadcasts of each game. In addition, the agents at RE/MAX Mountain Properties continued with their RE/MAX Maximum Effort Play Program where the sales associates donate to the team $25 for each touch down the Miners score during the regular season as well as the playoffs. With the Miners great success Ron Wilstein, the Owner/Broker for RE/MAX Mountain Properties was pleased to present a check to the head coach fo... 12/22/2006

As the snow continues to fall and Christmas sneaks ever closer the streets of Park City are filled with visitors from all over the world.  As I walked around one of our local markets this afternoon I hear French, Spanish and I think German being spoken.  Park City is increasingly popular as it's name becomes more familiar in the country and the world.Best powder ever!  The snow is predicted to continue every other day until the Thursday after Christmas!  There are a number of beautiful ski-in- ski-out condos and homes for sale and not only are our prices much cheaper than Aspen and Vail but access to the slopes in an easy 30 minute drive from the Salt Lake International Airport.  If you haven't been here you need to come.  If you've been here we want to welcome you back.  If your intere... 12/22/2006

Well for everyone out there that was wondering if Park City would have snow for Chirstmas, let me tell you in deed we will.  Yesterday we got more that 12 inches of Utah's famous powder, and that was only in the valley.  The mountains got hammered!  While lots of people love powder, I am one of those died in the wool groomer girls.  My husband and friends couldn't wait to get out there this morning and as I am writing this they are off to find that perfect untracked run.  I, however, will wait until Wednesday when everything is more packed down and I can comfortably ski down without worry of catching an edge and breaking my neck.I started skiiing later in life and have never really found that inner daredevil.  How about the rest of you?  Groomers or powder.  Let me hear your thoughts...... 12/18/2006

The Park City Board of Realtors Philanthropic Foundation raised $90,000 through the Luxury Home Tour and Auction. All of us at Peace House thank you for the thousands of volunteer hours, hard work, caring and support. You make a huge difference in the lives of many women and children who have experienced family violence. Without your help, we would be unable to provide the services needed to help these families start a new life, free of violence.THANK YOU!!!! 12/16/2006

We are so pleased that The Park City Museum is the beneficiary of Park City Resort's annual Benefit Day this year.  All proceeds will go to the wonderful new Museum Expansion project.  It's fun, it's cheap, it's for a worthy cause. TICKETS MUST BE BOUGHT IN ADVANCE.   Don't delay!  Please call me at 640-6234 or the Museum at 649-7457 to get details or you can also buy them at Jans or Cole Sport. Thank you so much for your support. Park City Historical Society & Museum Board of Trustees 12/08/2006