The First-Time Buyer's Guide to Salt Lake City
The Utah home-buying process explained plainly, by a former teacher, with no sales angle.
Get Ready Before You Start Touring Homes
Touring homes before you're actually ready to compete for one wastes your weekends and gets you attached to something you might not be able to close on. Two things come first.
The first is representation. Before Delia starts showing you homes, you'll sign a buyer representation agreement, standard practice industry-wide since 2024. In plain terms, it puts in writing that Delia works for you, the buyer, not for the seller.
The second is financing. Getting pre-approved with a trusted local lender before you tour means you know your real number instead of a guess, and it means you can move immediately and credibly the moment the right home shows up. A strong offer starts with a lender letter a seller's agent actually believes.
Understand What You Can Actually Afford
Buying a home means dozens of small decisions, and most of them come fast if nobody prepares you for them. Every one gets explained before it happens, not after, in plain language, so you understand each decision instead of just nodding along.
Part of that is an honest reality check on what your budget actually buys in the neighborhoods you're considering, before you fall for a home that's genuinely out of reach. Better to know that in week one than after touring twenty homes you couldn't have closed on anyway. See real entry points for a first-time budget across Salt Lake City's neighborhoods.
Find the Right Home, Not Just Any Home
Once representation and financing are squared away, the search itself gets built around what you actually need, not just what fits your budget on paper. That includes real talk about a home's condition and price, including telling you plainly when a listing isn't worth pursuing.
You're the one making the decision. The job is making sure you're making it with full information, not with what a listing photo wants you to assume.
From Offer to Closing, Nothing Left to Guess
When you find the right home, the next steps are a competitive offer and negotiation on your behalf. In Utah, once you're under contract, you typically have a Due Diligence period, usually around 7 to 10 days depending on the specific contract, to inspect the home and confirm everything checks out.
Earnest money on a typical deal runs around 1% of the purchase price, held by the title company. Closing itself happens through escrow and a title company, not an attorney, which tends to be more straightforward than what buyers coming from attorney-states expect. See the complete process on how Delia helps you buy.
Common First-Time Buyer Mistakes to Avoid
Touring homes before getting pre-approved is the most common one, it leads to falling for something you can't actually close on. Skipping the Due Diligence inspection to make an offer more competitive is another, one that can turn a good decision into a costly one. And going into a search without representation means nobody at the table is working specifically for you.
The honest fix for all three is the same: get ready first, then look. If you're weighing whether a specific home is a smart purchase rather than just an emotional one, that's exactly the conversation worth having before you write an offer, not after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign anything before you show me homes?
Yes, a buyer representation agreement, standard practice since 2024. It puts in writing that Delia represents you, the buyer, not the seller.
How long do I have to inspect a home after my offer is accepted?
Typically a Due Diligence period of around 7 to 10 days, depending on the specific contract, to confirm everything checks out before moving forward.
How much earnest money will I need?
Around 1% of the purchase price on a typical deal, held by the title company rather than the brokerage.
Is there an attorney involved at closing in Utah?
No. Closing is handled through an escrow and title company, which is standard practice in Utah.
What's the biggest mistake first-time buyers make?
Touring homes before getting pre-approved. It leads to falling for a home you might not actually be able to close on, and it's easy to avoid by getting ready first.
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