First steps

A home you live in, a home you visit, and a home you rent are three different plans. Say which one this is before you tour. The answer changes the neighborhood, the association rules you need to read, and the loan a lender will consider.

Be specific about the week. How many people sleep there. Whether you need a lock-and-leave house or a house you are happy to look after. Whether winter driving is acceptable. Those facts narrow the search faster than a list of features.

If you will pay cash, you can skip the letter and still get the documents ready that show the funds. If you will use a loan, talk with a lender you choose and ask for a pre-approval, not only a quick conversation. The next page explains the difference.

You can look at houses before the letter is in hand. You should have the letter before you write an offer. Sellers often want to see it with the contract. It is not a promise that the loan will close.

Two houses can look alike and sit in different worlds. Old Town, Park Meadows, Deer Valley, Canyons Village, and the club communities are each their own setting. Read the neighborhood hub for a place before you decide you want a particular house there.

Public homes are on the listings page. Some homes are shown privately before they are listed. Ask your advisor to look in both places. A list price is the seller’s asking price. It is not a value opinion and it is not a sold price.

If the house is in an association, the rules are part of the house. Dues, rental limits, pets, parking, and what the association fixes are in those documents. A summary from a neighbor is not the document.

If a private club is part of why you want the house, the membership is a separate question from the deed. Confirm it with the club, in writing. The ski-home page goes further on associations, rentals, and mountain inspections.

Choose the advisor you want at the start. That person stays through closing, including the offer, the deadlines, and the questions after the deed is recorded. You can write the group from the contact page, or start from the team page.

If you live in another state, you can still start now. Deadlines in a Utah contract run on Mountain Time. If you cannot be here for the inspection, say so early. Someone you trust still needs to walk the house.