Your Best Offer

5 Tips for Making Your Best Offer on a Home

As a buyer in a sellers’ market, sometimes it can feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. When you’re ready to make an offer on a home, remember these five easy tips to help you rise above the competition.

1. Know Your Budget

Knowing your budget and what you can afford is critical to your success as a homebuyer. The best way to understand your numbers is to work with a lender so you can get pre-approved for a loan. As Freddie Mac puts it:

“This pre-approval allows you to look for a home with greater confidence and demonstrates to the seller that you are a serious buyer.”

Showing sellers you’re serious can give you a competitive edge, and it helps you act quickly when you’ve found your perfect home.

2. Be Ready To Move Fast

Homes are selling quickly in today’s competitive housing market. According to the Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“Eighty-three percent of homes sold in November 2021 were on the market for less than a month.”

When houses are selling this fast, staying on top of the market and moving quickly are key. Your agent can help you put together and submit your best offer as soon as you find the home you want to buy.

3. Lean on an Experienced Real Estate Professional

Find a full-time Realtor with additional training. Look for certifications such as: Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE) and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS). If that person is a Broker another added bonus! No matter what the housing market looks like, rely on a trusted real estate advisor. As Freddie Mac also notes:

“The success of your homebuying journey largely depends on the company you keep. . . . Be sure to select experienced, trusted professionals who will help you make informed decisions and avoid any pitfalls.”

Agents are experts in the local real estate market. They have insight into what’s worked for other buyers in your area and what sellers may be looking for in an offer. It may seem simple, but catering to what a seller needs can help your offer stand out.

4. Make a Strong, but Fair Offer

According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index from NAR, 40% of offers today are above the list price. In such a competitive market, emotions and prices can run high. Having an agent to help you submit a strong, yet fair offer is critical in these situations. Your agent can help you understand the market value of the home and recent sales trends in the area.

5. Be a Flexible Negotiator

When putting together an offer, your trusted real estate advisor will help you consider which levers you can pull, including contract contingencies (conditions you set that the seller must meet for the purchase to be finalized). Of course, there are certain contingencies you don’t want to give up. Freddie Mac explains:

“Resist the temptation to waive the inspection contingency, especially in a hot market or if the home is being sold ‘as-is’, which means the seller won’t pay for repairs. Without an inspection contingency, you could be stuck with a contract on a house you can’t afford to fix.”

Bottom Line

Today’s competitive landscape makes it more important than ever to make a strong offer on a home. Let’s connect to make sure you rise to the top along the way.

Marty Gale – Principal Broker MCNE, CNE, CRS, CPRES, SRES

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Thank You for All of Your Support

Thank You for All of Your Support | MyKCM

A Happy Tail: Pets and the Homebuying Process

A Happy Tail: Pets and the Homebuying Process [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights

It’s no secret that we love our furry friends – about 70% of U.S. households have pets. What may come as a surprise is how large a role they play in the homebuying process.
Americans spend $1,163 a year on their pets, and nearly half of pet owners say they would move for better accommodations and amenities for their pets.
If you’re thinking of adding a furry friend, or if you already have, let’s connect to discuss how you can find a home that meets all your pet’s needs.

Samuel Norman Family

Samuel Norman

If I could give Marty a 10 I would but google only allows a 5. We were first time buyers and were very nervous in buying our first home not thinking we’d have much of a chance or the financial capability. Marty went above and beyond the call of duty and helped us every step of the way, from choosing the best loan to driving us out several hours away to take a look at properties we were interested in. He even helped us for several hours to trim up the trees and branches that broke off and covered the property we had just purchased from a snow storm that hit right as we closed on the property. Marty is more dedicated to helping others than anyone else I know of and it was the greatest experience to work with him and learn from him. If you are considering buying or selling a home I can assure you are in great hands. There is no one better that I know of that can and will do as much as Marty has. Thank you Marty for everything.

Taylorsville Chiropractic - Dr. Terry Martin

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

My commercial real estate was complicated and unique. Laurie and Marty went beyond any expectations to successfully market and sell the property. Their experience, connections within the community, and excellent reputation is priceless.

Kelly Costner

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty really knows his stuff. I’ve had him represent me as both a buyer and a seller, and I feel like I’ve got a real pro in my corner every time. He makes the process of buying and selling smooth and easy, and has a real handle on what the market’s doing. That way, you can feel confident you’re getting the best deal and taking action at the right time. His expertise and many years of experience are well worth the fee.

Emily Costner

Very professional. We greatly appreciated the care in the photos that made our home look spectacular! The selling process was quick and easy.

Adia Thornton

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

House hunting was practically a full time job. We were out looking at houses almost every single day. The market is so hot we lost 6 offers. He kept our spirits up and never wavered on quality.

His expertise was sooo valuable. He was really looking out for us. If we walked a house and it was cute but would have hidden problems he spotted them and guided us away from it.

We’re now in an adorable house that was exactly what we needed.

Lonnie Woodman

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty is great to work with! He found the exact house I was looking for in a super tough market.

Brad East

Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness

Marty has represented us for years and is an exceptional agent. In addition to his many decades in residential real estate, he also is an experienced luxury, custom home builder. His knowledge of the quality(or lack thereof) of the craftmanship of a home is invaluable. He sees things that even the inspectors may miss. He is thorough, responsive through the entire process, and skilled at negotiation. We certainly recommend him without hesitation

Dwight Christie

Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness

Marty sat down with my and wife and me to explain his process of helping first time home buyers. He took the time with us as we are interested in helping our kids. Marty is very professional and knows the real estate market better than anyone that we have talked to in the past. We will definitely be recommending Marty to help our daughter and her husband to get into their first home.

Daniel Garner

Marty and his team are some of the most knowledgeable and caring people I know. I definitely would recommend his services to anyone!

Kitroen Costner

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

I had a Great experience! Got my house sold super fast for a great price.

Spencer Clark

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty was great to work with. The expertise and experience he offers are unmatched. I highly recommend Utah Realty for all your real estate needs.

Todd Anderson

Positive: Value

Marty and Laurie are veterans in Utah’s real estate market. They understand property valuations in various market conditions. They are adept at finding solutions for the trickiest challenges of buying or selling a home. Marty and Laurie successfully sold three properties for our family. I highly recommend them for your real estate transaction.

B Flow

Marty Gale is amazing to work with. He was able to work miracles for us in order to sell our condo. He goes above and beyond what a realtor is required to do because he becomes invested in his clients. He actually cares about who he is representing. His network of lenders and other people in the industry makes for a seamless process.

We also used him to buy our new home. We had an extremely short time frame and he was able to get us closed on our new home in record time before we went on vacation. He knew we would be worried about the security of our home while we were gone and he offered to keep a very close eye on it to put our minds at ease. He did all this after we had closed on our home and technically his “job” had ended. I can’t recommend him enough! Thank you Marty!!!

Wyatt Anderson

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty is exceptionally professional to work with. He is very knowledgeable in the field of real estate and construction. I was very impressed how he made me feel through the whole transaction of the sale, even during the midst of Covid-19. I highly recommended Marty!

Faye Williamson

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

This is the second time using Marty Gale. He is very knowledgeable and has a keen sense of reading people, especially in negotiating. His advice has never failed. The second time using him had some unique hurdles, especially because it had been a rental property. His advice and willingness to help make the sale happen were above and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend him and Laurie for selling or buying. Thanks to the Gale team!

Greg Anderson

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty was great and had worked hard to sale . I would use Marty again to buy or sale. Marty is a 12 star realtor.

Trevan Thomas

I recently bought my first home with my fiancee and Marty was incredibly helpful. I had no idea how complicated the process of buying a home would be. We certainly could not have done it without Marty’s help. He is experienced and used his connections with a variety of people to make the process as quick and easy as possible. I definitely recommend contacting him if you’re in the market for a new home.

Coulter Baldes

We’ve been through war with this guy and he stood by us the entire time. He always had time for us, and was always going above and beyond behind the scenes for us. His suggestions were awesome and people he works with we’re also fantastic. Can’t speak enough of how much this guy helped us.

Mariah Mills

Marty was great to work with. Recently my fiance and I were looking for a house, and Marty was recommended to us by my mother. She worked with Marty 30+ years ago when my parents bought their house. I had no idea all that went into buying a house, but thankfully we had Marty there to help walk us through it. He was great at using his connections to help us get our house. I would recommend Marty to anyone looking to buy a house.

Cynthia Sayers

They are the most caring, educated, patient agents and go the extra mile to be sure you understand and are in the loop from begining to end. You can’t go go wrong with Marty and Laurie Gale, they are a blessing.

Samantha Cook

Marty Gale is the best! He is a master negotiator! You can’t go wrong with him. I highly recommend him and would recommend him to anyone I know.

Brandon Christensen

I’m a loan officer who was working with Marty and Laurie to help a great family get into a home. No matter how many issues came up in the loan, they would stop whatever they were doing to make sure the issue got taken care of. They were absolutely instrumental in getting the loan closed and I truly do believe that most other realtors would have fallen short. Between their experience and dedication to the families they help, I don’t think that you could find a better realtor to get you into a home. I highly recommend them to anybody who’s looking to buy a home. They will get you both the best deal and experience possible.

Marc J.

Marty does an incredible job with buyers to find them the best home for their money. He then negotiates the Real Estate transaction to make sure their rights are protected throughout the buying process. I highly recommend Marty Gale and his team for your next Real Estate Purchase!

Jenny Bowen

Marty Gale at Utah Real Estate was fantastic to work with! He helped us both with the sale of our home as well as the purchase of a new one. I loved that he got feedback forms on the showings so we could get an idea of what potential buyers thought of our home. He was eventually able to negotiate a very strong offer and even got us above the asking price. On our purchase, he showed us countless properties and provided insight because of his professional background. For the home we purchased, it was in a very hot area and he made sure we were first at the open house. He also HAND DELIVERED our carefully written offer so that we would stand out against other offers. I would highly recommend Marty to anyone looking to buy or sell!

Gilbert Bruce

Both Marty and Lori were fantastic to work with. They went the extra mile during one of the toughest winters in the Midway area to produce a great sale of our residence. Never a complaint to travel to Midway for open houses and potential buyers. They’re the best!

Thomas Alley

Marty is the hardest working and most helpful real estate agent I have met. I have gone through 4 cycles of buying and selling homes in my life and Marty was simply the best. Marty recently helped us sell a house and he guided us every step of the way, providing sound advice from his lifetime of experience. I highly recommend Marty.

DeWayne Brundage

We loved working with Marty Gale! He gave us so many tips on how to stage our home to sell, we followed his advice and sold it quickly. He helped us find our new home and closed on both at the same time. It was a stressful time but he made the process so much easier. I would highly recommend Marty and Laurie Gale to anyone looking to sell or buy a home. They have years of experience and it really shows. Thank you Marty and Laurie for all your help and for helping us keep our sanity through this process!

Doc Carmel Ferreira

Laurie was a delight to have had when I was looking for a commercial space. She was so patient with helping me find spaces that fit my criteria but even more grateful for he knowledge on helping understand some of the complicated lease agreements I was presented with. In the end, she helped me find the perfect space and along that journey I made an incredible friend from that time. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME!!!!

Peter Smith

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty walked me through the entire home buying process, answered all my questions, and advised on the best courses of action while allowing me autonomy. His breadth and depth of knowledge in the industry is unparalleled, rarely did he not know the answer to a concern I had. I could tell he wasn’t just a salesman but a person invested in my family and I’s well-being. HIGHLY recommend, will use again.

Lindsey Fabiano

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

Marty is amazing to work with. You can tell by his actions that he really works toward your personal needs and preferences and never toward his own. He is the absolute best!

Marty Gale

Principal Broker and Owner of Utah Realty™

Licensed Since 1986

General Contractor 2000 (in-active)

e-pro (advanced digital marketing) 2001

Certified Residential Specialist 2009

Certified Negotiation Expert 2014

Master Certified Negotiation Expert 2014

Certified Probate Specialist Since 2018

Senior Real Estate Specialist since 2020

Two Reasons Why Waiting To Buy a Home Will Cost You

If you’re a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, or a renter with a strong desire to become a homeowner, you may be hoping that waiting until next year could mean better market conditions to purchase a home.

To determine whether you should buy now or wait another year, you can ask yourself two simple questions:

Where will home prices be a year from now?
Where will mortgage rates be a year from now?

Let’s shed some light on the answers to both of these questions.

Where Will Home Prices Be a Year from Now?

Three major housing industry entities are projecting ongoing home price appreciation in 2022. Here are their forecasts:

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price of a home today is $353,900. Using an average of the three price projections above (6.53%), a home that sold for $353,900 today would be valued at $377,010 at the end of next year. As a prospective buyer, you would therefore pay an additional $23,110 by waiting.

Where Will Mortgage Rates Be a Year from Now?

Today, Freddie Mac estimates the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the fourth quarter of this year will be 2.8%. However, most experts believe mortgage rates will rise as the economy recovers. Here are the forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2022 by the three major entities mentioned above:

That averages out to 3.73% if you include all three forecasts. Any increase in mortgage rates will increase your costs.

What Does It Mean for You if Home Values and Mortgage Rates Increase?

If both variables increase, you’ll pay a lot more in mortgage payments each month. Let’s assume you purchase a $353,900 home in the fourth quarter of this year with a 30-year fixed-rate loan at 2.8% after making a 10% down payment. According to mortgagecalculator.net, your monthly mortgage payment would be approximately $1,309 (this does not include insurance, taxes, and other fees because those vary by location).

That same home one year from now could cost $377,010, and the mortgage rate could be 3.73% (based on the industry forecasts mentioned above). Your monthly mortgage payment after putting down 10%, would be approximately $1,568.The difference in your monthly mortgage payment would be $259. That’s $3,108 more per year and $93,240 over the life of the loan.

Add to that the approximately $23,110 a house with a similar value would build in home equity this year due to home price appreciation, and the total net worth increase you could gain by buying this year is over $115,000 (the $93,240 mortgage savings plus the $23,110 potential gain in equity if you buy now).