News from Paula 
This page will include non specific updates and information I want to share with the readers. Perhaps I will share my newest listing, or offer industry news.
There are currently 11 blog entries related to this category.
St George Utah real estate market report for July 2011
Sunday, July 17th, 2011 at 8:20am. 976 Views, 1 Comments.
This report will explore market conditions for St. George including the St George foreclosure activity/REO inventory. I will also include Sun River St George sold homes and currently listed. The illustrations below are for Greater St. George residential as of 7-16-11.
How Many Homes Are For Sale in St George Utah?
- Active Listed: 1208
- Short Sale Active: 272
- REO Active (foreclosed): 46
- Total Percentage for Active Distressed: 26%
How Many Homes Sold Last Month in St. George?
SOLD from 6-1-11 to 7-16-11
- Sold: 347
- Short Sales Sold: 51
- REO Sold: 77
- Total Percentage for SOLD Distressed: 37%
Is the St George real estate market improving?
Take a look at the graph below. This illustrates…
The Down Payment Saves Money
Sunday, May 15th, 2011 at 8:18am. 403 Views, 1 Comments.
Are you considering a home purchase in St George, Utah? Here is some useful information regarding your down payment. A down payment is the amount of money that a buyer puts down on the home they are purchasing. That is simple enough to understand. However, the importance of a down payment goes beyond just that explanation.
Simply put, as an example, if a house costs $200,000 and the buyer puts down 10 percent, or $20,000 toward the purchase, they will need to be approved for a mortgage of $180,000. The down payment basically lessens how much of a mortgage you need to take out. This may be the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or not.
However, the benefits of making a large down payment are much more far reaching than simply a…
Top 10 Foreclosure Cities and St George in Comparasion
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 at 9:20pm. 407 Views, 1 Comments.
St George Foreclosures and the status of the St George housing market is my number one topic with most buyers and sellers. With the looming housing market, there are foreclosures popping up everywhere. Some markets have a wider range of foreclosed homes than others, but just about everywhere is feeling the blow. Let’s take a look at the top 10 cities for foreclosure investors based on the poll done by CNBC in 2010, listed in order by median price:
Pittsburgh, Pa. Foreclosure as a % of resales 10%, Non-foreclosure median price $123,000, Foreclosure median price $35,000
Cincinnati, Ohio Foreclosure as a % of resales 15%, Non-foreclosure median price $141,000, Foreclosure median price $65,000
Columbus, Ohio Foreclosure as a % of…
The Short Sale Process Pro's and Con's
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 at 9:14pm. 956 Views, 0 Comments.
A question that is being asked frequently in the St George real estate market is, “What is a short sale?” Short sales used to be an infrequent type of real estate transaction, but with current economic conditions here in St. George, more and more homeowners are opting for this type of sale, and banks have begun to offer incentives to sellers to engage in a short sale.
A short sale occurs when a homeowner elects to sell their home for less than what is owed to the mortgage holder. There are pro’s and con’s for both the homeowner and the bank in a short sale, let's take a look from both perspectives.
A Short Sale Perspective From The Bank
There are several reasons why a mortgage holder, or bank, would agree to accept less than…
Hiring A Real Estate Agent – Avoid Common Pitfalls With A Proper Interview
Friday, March 18th, 2011 at 9:40pm. 3268 Views, 0 Comments.
The number of sold homes in St George is on the rise, and more homeowners are considering selling their home. Hiring a real estate agent to help you sell your home is a smart decision, but there are many pitfalls to avoid in order to ensure you are hiring the best qualified professional for you. By understanding what an agent does for their client, why they do it, and what their systems are, it is possible to not only successfully sell your home, but have a pleasant experience as well.
In essence, real estate agents work for themselves, developing their own way of marketing and selling homes, so every real estate agent is different. These differences may be slight, or they may vary greatly, but the only way to discover what services each one…
Paula Smith Re/Max First Realty
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 8:47pm. 350 Views, 1 Comments.
I would like to formally announce that Paula Smith is now affiliated with RE/MAX First Realty of St. George. After a few weeks of deliberating, the choice actually became quite easy. I wanted to surround myself with successful individuals backed by a proven National (and International) brand name.
Selling in St George with RE/MAX First
The exposure I can now offer my clients in my efforts to properly market my listings will be incomparable. My website attracts an average of 4000 visitors per month, and ReMax.com attracts 4000 visitors per day! I have a team of agents that are highly driven and offer sales statistics that far surpass the competing brokerages. My marketing ability with Re/Max First Realty will allow me to sell the home…
Paula Smith MAXUS Realty
Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 2:50am. 384 Views, 0 Comments.
Paula Smith, REALTOR is now proudly affiliated with MAXUS Realty of St George. The current economic conditions have affected everyone including real estate brokerages. The impending closure of our Unisun office is unfortunate; however I am looking at this move to MAXUS as a wonderful opportunity.
MAXUS Realty of St George is a full service real estate agency, so I will continue to provide all of the services I have provided in the past. In addition, I will have an opportunity to become involved with new construction (and resale homes) in St George with some very exclusive and desirable communities which include: Legacy and the prestigious Stone Cliff. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to join a company with ties to St George that date back over…
St George Utah Real Estate Property Search
Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 6:31pm. 561 Views, 0 Comments.
Enhanced St George Utah Real Estate Property Search
Users have asked, and now I’m happy to report that the St George Utah Real Estate property search page on my website has some great new features. We have enhanced the user search feature to allow searching for Southern Utah MLS listed property to include:
- Lot Size – search for acreage in St George or surrounding areas
- Pool Search – search for Southern Utah MLS listed property with a pool (or without)
- Short Sale listings – include (or eliminate) St George short sale listings from your criteria
- Foreclosure Search – include (or eliminate) St George Foreclosure property
- # Of Levels – if you want to find ONLY a single story home, just enter “1”
Also, on the…
St George Utah Property Taxes Have Been Reduced!
Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 7:10pm. 1071 Views, 0 Comments.
A big thank you goes out to Washington County for finally offering a reduction in property taxes this year. Of course I did not check every single tax value (but I did check for my family and past clients!!) and everyone I know is going to get a little surprise when they open their tax bill this year.
It’s no secret that property values have declined over the past few years, and residents have been frustrated that their assessed value has not been reduced sooner. As property value began to skyrocket in St George, Washington County was quick to make some major adjustments by increasing the value (in some cases tremendously) to all parcels. This was hard to swallow for many residents who are living on a fixed income. There is a group here in town that…
Foreclosure Activity in St George Utah
Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 5:09pm. 909 Views, 0 Comments.
The majority of my calls and conversations with clients involve the St George Utah foreclosure market. Everybody wants a deal, so are they getting them? There are "deals" with foreclosures, but some of the calls I receive are just plain dreaming. No….all foreclosure homes in St George are NOT selling for pennies on the dollar. Yes, there are some great deals, and yes, you can SOMETIMES offer ridiculously low amounts on a property and have it accepted by the bank. BUT…these are fewer than some may expect. Here is how those unbelievable deals sometimes work:
An owner purchases a home back in the height of the selling market lets say 2005 for our example. They purchase their home for $550,000 then in 2008 they face personal trouble and the foreclosure…