Utah Real Estate Podcast

The Utah Real Estate Podcast is thrilled to present a mini-series about the Salt Lake Parade of Homes. Listeners will be able to peek behind the curtain and hear from the builders how their floorplans came to life.

To kick off this mini-series, we have the Director of the Parade of Homes, Lindie Davis, and the Executive Officer of the Salt Lake Home Builders Association, Jaren Davis. They will be sharing with us about last year's parade and what makes 2022 unlike any other in the past, from a custom skatepark house to a downtown penthouse. 

Witnessing the Parade’s Growing Success

Last year was the Salt Lake Parade of Homes' most successful parade in 75 years, thanks to Lindie. She increased awareness through social media and collaborated with Utah's top influencers. She also single-handedly doubled the parade's numbers by going door-to-door, informing owners of the benefit of having their homes in the parade. She is, in Jaren's words, "a rare talent." 

This year, Lindie wanted to see people bring their unique designs to the parade. For Lindie, Jumping into the organization was daunting and tiring, but it has been gratifying and rewarding to see the parade come together in August. 

Advocating for the Community

The Salt Lake Parade of Homes has a group of volunteers who meet monthly to prepare for the parade. To be featured in the parade, you must be a member of the association. Applications can be submitted at the end of August, which the committee of volunteers will look over and accept.  

The Salt Lake Parade of Homes committee prides itself on being craftsmen who care about the community. Their volunteers are "the best of the best" and are serious about being an association that advocates opportunities in housing. Associations like theirs help keep housing prices down and always eye what's best for the community. 

Improving Living Conditions Everywhere

The Salt Lake Parade of Homes was the first of its kind and is still a great way to promote the industry. The parade is open from Jul 29 to Aug 13, 2022. Houses are available to tour Tues-Sat from 12 pm-9 pm. According to Jaren and Lindie, it's a welcoming environment, as the builders and tradespeople on site are happy to talk about their work. The Salt Lake Parade of Homes owes much to its sponsors, such as Mountain America Credit Union and the Salt Lake Board of Realtors, who help make the parade a reality every year. 

Listen in to learn how the Salt Lake Parade of Homes advocates for housing affordability, the housing market and media, and what memberships the association offers. Use code 'utahrealestatepodcast' to get three dollars off your tickets. 

The post Inside the 2022 Salt Lake Parade of Homes appeared first on Utah Real Estate Podcast.

Ben Hart is the Deputy Director at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity.

One question Ben is asked the most is, why are we still trying to grow and attract people into the state? The answer is because we want to keep your kids and grandkids here. He explains that with each graduating class, we lose many people to more lucrative out-of-state opportunities, but by aggressively bringing in new businesses and growing pre-existing ones, Utah can maintain economic inertia.

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Dejan Eskic is a senior research fellow at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. He earned a Bachelor’s in Urban Planning and later a Master’s in Real Estate Development, both from the University of Utah.

What is the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute?

Dejan describes the institute as a public think tank or holder of information, part of the David Eccles School of Business. Informed decisions are at the core of their mission, researching economy, population, and other trends to help city makers by giving them the information needed to make the right decisions. As part of a public university, the institute is apolitical, and values presenting reliable, unbiased information.

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has a tremendous staff, including leaders with decades of experience, economists, and other world-class researchers at the University of Utah. “Our currency is reputation,” Dejan says, talking about the strong relationship that the institute has with both the city and its builders.

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Envision Utah was born 25 years ago because of the growth Utah was seeing at the time. The question was asked, where is this taking us? From there began the process to bring people together and talk about the best plan for the state’s future.

Ari Bruening is the Chief Operating Officer for the not-for-profit Envision Utah, which engages people to create and sustain communities that are beautiful, prosperous, healthy, and neighborly.

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This past year alone, St. George has added a whopping 10,000 new residents. For the size of St. George, that’s a significant growth factor and made it the nation's fastest-growing metro area. With the addition of a new waterpark and other local amenities, St. George focuses on adding attractions for the locals and tourists alike to keep the money inside St. George.
Neil Gibbs, with ReMax Real Estate, fell in love with the red rock of southern Utah, like many people who have moved to this area. Utah is known for its outdoor lifestyle, and St. George is definitely a region that is a part of incredible outdoor recreation. A close friend persuaded Neil to use his real estate license in St. George, and less than a week later, he moved to the area and has been there for almost three decades.

The post Neil Gibbs | Why St. George is Ranked #1 appeared first on Utah Real Estate Podcast.

All you listeners have heard the Silver Dollar Man complain about how Utah is lacking in water, unlike his beloved East Coast. Linda Townes Cook, Public Information Manager with the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, has over thirty years of experience with water. Her job seeks to make the best use of available water through development, conservation, or servicing the Salt Lake County area.

Why Water is Important to Utahns

Water directly affects the state’s growth. How land is developed in the future will determine how much water there is, and if Utah ran out of water sources, development would stop completely. The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy plans 50 years into the future, as it would take as long to acquire a new water source.

The good news is, Utah’s not about to run out of drinking water anytime soon, as 60% of drinking water goes into watering lawns. With such a large portion of water going to a non-essential source, Linda isn't worried about going thirsty, even in the second driest state. However, the battle for water conservation largely depends on landscaping.

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What is the Inland Port of Utah?

The Inland Port is not a water port but a logistics program used to manage the transportation of goods through the Utah rail system. The Inland Port program allows for the efficient movement of goods in Utah. In addition to the efficiency aspect, this port will become a Green Port, which will reduce carbon emissions.

Meet Senator Gregg Buxton

Senator Gregg Buxton is the Senate rules chair for District 4. He is also the Utah Inland Port Authority Vice-Chair. With a background in construction, he is leading the project to build the new prison in Utah. Senator Buxton is also on the committee for the Inland Port Authority.

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Ashley Atkinson Williamson is the President of the Salt Lake Home Builders Association. The SLHBA develops components to advance efficiency, quality, and cost in the home building industry. In addition, they advocate for land planning and project the long-term effects building has had on our communities for the past 75 years.

The Home Builders Association

The HBA advocates for housing with three tiers - the local, state, and national levels. Although it’s not required for a home builder to be a member, it’s a good idea to become a member as they advocate for the problems that home builders across the nation face daily.

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As we look forward to the future of the beehive state, one of the concerns in Utah with the significant increase in population is transportation. Elizabeth McMillan is the Communications Director at the Utah Department of Transportation, also known as UDOT. She talks about the possible transportation solutions for Utah’s growing population.

The Mission of UDOT

Elizabeth is excited to work in UDOT at this time. “We can be creative about what we explore, technology, human happiness and how the human experience relates to transportation.” Her job is to find out how they can use transportation to maximize and enhance their quality of life.

Utah Traffic Issues

There are several traffic issues UDOT is looking to solve for Utah drivers. First, they are trying to improve delays in car traffic on the highways and in the Wasatch front. “We need to optimize what we have as best we can” since UDOT can’t put in any new highways in the state because of the geography constraints. Their goal is to enhance roadways by building overpasses and similar solutions instead of buying a bunch of land in communities to build new roads. “We want that excellent quality of life and paving over neighborhoods and communities isn’t what we want.”

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Steve Perry has over two decades of experience in real estate and was elected President to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors in 2020. Steve was instrumental in taking one of the largest brokerages in the state from under 200 agents to over 1,100 agents. He has served his community consistently through the years, volunteering his time for local youth sports and was even the Mayor of Kearns.

With so many legalities to buying a home, you'll want a professional by your side to guide you during one of the most significant purchases you'll make in your life. Also, the realtor you choose should have an excellent working knowledge of the area you are buying in, so they can advise you on what and where to buy based on your preferences.

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