Real questions. Real answers.

It's simple — here's a generic breakdown of how it works. You add value to the property: rezone, increase density counts, or rezone to a better use of the property.

Once you identify what the highest and best use for the property would be, you would then get soil testing, feasibility studies, and architect conceptual plans to ensure whatever you plan to do with the property is possible.

Once you have all the necessary approvals, you would then get city permits and approvals, and sell it to an actual builder for the product for more.

At the end of the day, the builder's agent is there to look out for the best interest of the builder. They have an agreement with the builder and a fiduciary responsibility to get the most money for the builder.

The best way to catch anything is to be well informed of the process. If you do not have time to learn about the process, it's beneficial to hire your own agent. Most of the time the builder will pay your agent, so often it's no cost to you.

If you plan on building, I suggest talking to a professional that can walk you through the steps.

You can use the builder's agent. It doesn't hurt you to bring your own representation. The only time you lose by having representation is if you have an inexperienced agent that doesn't know about the process — blind leading the blind.

I would suggest talking to multiple agents to find a good fit for your situation. The builder's agent is there at the best interest of the builder, to get the most money for the builder.

Simply: supply and demand.

If the homes are selling fine without you, there's little to no room for negotiations. If their homes are sitting on the market and the construction costs and interest are burning a hole in their pocket every month, they are likely desperate — and that's where you will likely see the most negotiations.

Look at the lender's APR. The incentives aren't really incentives if you are paying for the incentives. They will likely charge you points for the rate to make it appear that you have a low rate.

The best practice is to look at the APR. The APR dictates all of the cost of the loan translated into a form of a percentage. The higher the APR, the more you are actually paying for the loan.

Physician loans are great. They don't count student debts against you. You can borrow up to $2 million on a loan amount with 10% down. If you do not have any money down, you can go up to $1 million.

The best part of these types of loans is that they don't come with PMI, so you no longer need to have 20% equity to get rid of PMI. We don't even need to be working just yet — we can get a job offer and we can qualify you based on the job offer.

Possible qualifications:

• MD / DO Physician
• DMD / DDS Dentist
• PharmD Pharmacist
• DVM / VMD Veterinarian
• NP / CRNA, Advanced Practice
• PA, Physician Assistant
• Resident, in training
• Fellow, in training

Builders and even sellers are giving concessions as of today in 2026, at the time this article was written.

You can always ask for concessions regardless of whether it's a new construction or resale, and you can use those concessions to buy your rate down further to make the payments more affordable.

You: Hello City. I want to do X to this property. (X = townhouse, warehouse, apartment, etc.)

City: Okay, no problem. Does this fit with our current zoning? Does the zoning fit with all the required parking, emergency services, road base — and still leave enough room for your structures? Can you prove that the soil is safe to build on? Can you show us architecture renderings showing what you're wanting to build will fit on the parcel with all the setbacks in place?

You: You must get all of the necessary items to show the city that this fits with their vision for the master plan for the parcel. If it fits, it will likely get approved and be entitled.

This is the most generic breakdown of the process of getting properties entitled.

If you have to ask that question, then it's probably smart to look for another agent.

If an agent is truly looking out for your best interest, then it should feel natural to close on the transaction — and it would never be a question in your mind whether they have your best interest in mind.

It doesn't matter if it's a $700k deal, a $100k deal, or a $2 million deal. Top agents have experience and they have your interest in mind.

What is defined as a top agent vs. a mediocre agent? If you are referencing an inexperienced agent, it wouldn't really matter if the deal was $50k — they would need more experience on how to best advise you. And the only way to learn how to do that is through experience.

The first thing you have to understand is how developing real estate really works. YouTube is a great resource for self-taught understanding on development. If you do not have time to learn, then hire someone to teach you so you can fast-track your route.

Developers are consistently looking for opportunities to build. They're looking for land, or homes that they can potentially value-add or rezone.

It depends on your current financial situation. A lot of builders are offering concessions to buy the rate down at the time this article was written.

I suggest talking to a professional to see what your local builders are currently offering.

It's always good to have things in writing for clarification purposes. What is the reasoning you want to keep it as a handshake deal, no lawyer?

What if there's a disagreement about a subject because it wasn't spelled out in plain English? I suggest always having lawyers involved, just for clarification purposes.

At the time this article was written (May 2026), 5 years is too short-term to identify where appreciation is actually going to land.

There are many new infrastructures and developments happening all around Salt Lake — and the whole state is going to appreciate long-term. 7-10 years from now, Salt Lake will be completely different and almost unrecognizable.

A good estimate would be approximately 2% of the purchase price.

Closing costs change depending on when you close. For example, if you close November 29th your closing costs will be very minimal — they don't need to collect property tax. Property tax is due November 30th. If you close December 1st, closing costs will be very high because they then have to collect a full year of property tax.

There are other variables that are involved with closing costs, but 2% is a good estimate.

The settlement (effective August 2024) changed two practical things: buyer's agent compensation no longer shows up on the MLS, and you have to sign a written buyer-broker agreement with your agent before they show you any homes.

What that means in practice — you negotiate your agent's fee up front, in writing, before touring. That fee can still be paid by the seller, it's just not automatic anymore. In most deals I write today, the buyer's agent commission gets negotiated into the offer as a seller concession (similar to closing costs). The total dollars usually end up the same as before; the structure is just more explicit.

What didn't change — you still need representation. Real estate is too complicated to navigate solo. Title issues, financing contingencies, inspections, appraisal gaps, and the contracts themselves all need someone in your corner. The settlement made the cost of that representation more transparent, not optional.

Typically 21-25 days, but it depends on the intricacy of the file. If it's a clean file with W-2 income and no DTI issues, it's not abnormal to close a file within 3 weeks — and potentially 2 weeks with everything on rush.

If it's a more intricate file, then 30 days will be a good estimate.

It depends on your current situation and where you are in your stage of life. If rent is significantly cheaper, and at this point in your life having less expenses would be ideal, then renting would be better.

You speak to a lender. They check your income vs. your debt, and they can tell you with your financial situation if you can afford a house.

If you are a buyer, it's an agent that represents you during a real estate transaction.

No, you do not need one — you're welcome to print out a real estate purchase agreement, fill it out, and send it to the seller yourself. However with intricate files you may want to hire one.

You're welcome to buy a house without an agent, but I suggest you learn all you can before this. If you do not have time to learn, it may be beneficial to hire a buyer's agent.