People considering buying a home in Provo can look forward to a low crime rate, many recreational activities, and all the resources a large university has to offer. With the aid of a real estate agent, buyers can zero in on the homes that best meet their criteria.

 

How do you find the right home in the right location?

Population 105,166	Median Age 22.9 yrs	Household Size: 3.34
Avg Home Value: $149,700	July High: 93.3°F	January Low: 22.3°F

 

Buying a Home in Provo

Nestled just below the Rocky Mountains in Utah Valley, Provo is a great place to look for residential real estate, with its low crime rate, educated population, and recreational opportunities. But those interested in buying a home in Provo would do well to make sure they secure the services of a good real estate professional right from the start.

City Statistics:

Provo’s crime index as of 2002 is a low 195.3, compared to the U.S. average of 330.6. The weather is far from temperate; winters are snowy and temperatures get down to the 20s, while during the summer the temperature may hit above 100 degrees, but these weather extremes make a variety of activities possible, including sledding and outdoor ice skating during winter, and water sliding and jet-skiing during summer. There are plenty of mountains in and near Provo, which allow residents to enjoy hiking, rock climbing, and camping.

Community Information:

Provo’s community is comparatively well-educated; approximately 90% of residents have graduated from high school and about 37% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This may be in part due to the university atmosphere; Provo is home to Brigham Young University, which is attended by over 30,000 students. As a result, residents of the city tend to be young (median age is 22). This is a perk for young families buying a home in Provo, but may not be appreciated by older residents who prefer peace and quiet to partying college students. Fortunately, student housing and neighborhoods are fairly well-separated. An additional bonus for families is that Provo families tend to be stable; the city’s population is split fairly evenly between married people and never-married people, with a mere 3% of the population being divorced or separated.

Real Estate Information:

The median house value in Provo is approximately $155,000. The city has virtually no rural real estate available. Homes in the area continue to appreciate fairly steadily, and appreciated 7% between 2000 and 2001. Due to Provo’s high rental population, there are plenty of opportunities for commercial real estate as well, in the form of condos, apartments, duplexes, and even simply renting out part of one’s own home.

Finding a REALTOR®:

There are about 20 real estate offices in Provo, employing just over twice that many agents and brokers to help you with buying a home in Provo. You can search online, but since Provo is a fairly small city searching in the Yellow Pages is also feasible. Whatever you do, make sure that the agent you obtain the help of has spent some time working in Provo and has the requisite knowledge of the local market. A good agent will make your life easier in many ways, including:

• Providing you with Provo neighborhood and school district information.
• Helping you get the best deal on financing your new Provo home.
• Helping you access all available listings through the Multiple Listing Service, and helping you narrow those listings down according to your budget and preferences.
• Doing a Comparative Market Analysis for any home that you are interested in, to determine whether the asking price for it is fair.

Hopefully, you will enjoy becoming a part of Provo’s thriving community, and with the aid of a qualified real estate professional, the process of buying a home in Provo shouldn’t be that difficult.

A REALTOR® is a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®