Market Analysis With an Appraiser's Eye | Updated Monthly
Current Edition: January 2026
This tier-based analysis isn't marketing, it's data-driven methodology applied to help buyers make informed decisions.
My background as a certified residential appraiser means I approach every market analytically. I began analyzing Salt Lake real estate through an appraiser's lens 20 years ago — now I help buyers navigate these same markets.
JANUARY 2026 HIGHLIGHTS
Classic Homes: $756,000 median
→ Strong seller's market (0.9 months supply)
→ Strategy: Tour immediately, offer same day on the right home
→ Two speeds: best homes move in 14 days, others give you time
Forever Homes: $1,250,000 median
→ Balanced market (2.0 months supply)
→ Strategy: Time and leverage on your side
→ Negotiate 3% below list, don't rush
The $500,000 Upgrade Arc
→ Same community, different entry points
→ Same buyer, different life stage
There are markets within markets within markets.
Holladay and East Millcreek contain distinct buyer pools that a single median can't describe. This report tracks them separately — with the same locked parameters every month — so you can see exactly what's happening in the market you're actually buying in.
Classic Homes and Forever Homes are where the majority of homes are selling — the predominant tiers with the cleanest datasets, which is why they are analyzed in this guide, and where the five questions every buyer should ask can be answered with confidence.
You will never see zip code data or unfiltered All Sales data presented as the market story in my guides. The only time All Sales appears is as a cautionary tale — because context changes everything.
At A Glance — Find Your Tier
Classic Homes
January 2026
47%
median $8,000
Forever Homes
January 2026
42%
median $8,000
IF YOU'RE BUYING A CLASSIC HOME
Buyers negotiated a median 1.48% below list price
● Seller's market — strong demand
~23 homes sold per month (24-month avg)
Active now: 21 · Under contract: 29
● Two speeds — best homes move fast, the rest give you time
30% sold in 14 days or less
17% took 90 or more days
Tour immediately when you see a listing that fits. Make your offer the same day — this market doesn't reward hesitation. Sellers are pricing at market ($756K median), so focus on finding the RIGHT home, not on getting a deal. The deal is getting in.
IF YOU'RE BUYING A FOREVER HOME
Buyers negotiated a median 3.11% below list price
● Seller's market — strong demand
~9 homes sold per month (24-month avg)
Active now: 18 · Under contract: 9
● Slower pace — room to evaluate
7% sold in 14 days or less
39% took 90 or more days
Time and leverage. Don't offer on day one. Tour multiple properties, compare features, and make sellers compete for you. With 18 active and only 9 pending, you're not in a bidding war. Aim for 3% below list, and don't be afraid to walk away — another home will come.
The Holladay Upgrade Arc
Classic Homes to Forever Homes: 25-Month Price Trends
Two distinct buyer pools within the same market:
Classic Homes (green) held stable over the past two years — this is the core market tier where homes sell frequently. It's the entry point: the home that gets you into the location, into the neighborhood, into the schools.
Forever Homes (rose) show typical upper-end volatility but overall stability. These sell less often because buyers purchase with the intention to stay 20+ years.
The $500,000 gap between these tiers represents the upgrade arc. Many buyers start in Classic Homes to establish roots in Holladay. Years later, the same buyer may move into Forever Homes when ready to settle in for the long term. Same community, different entry points. Same buyer, different life stage.
Understanding both tiers separately makes the full market arc visible — and helps you know where you fit.
This is just the beginning.
My background as a certified residential appraiser means I approach the market analytically. This tier-based analysis isn't marketing—it's appraisal-grade methodology applied to help buyers make informed decisions.
Searching in Classic or Forever Homes? I'll tighten the analysis even further — smaller geographic focus, predominant features for your specific pocket of Holladay, refined square footage ranges.
Searching outside these ranges? I'll build custom analysis for exactly what you're looking at — newer construction, larger lots, different size ranges, whatever your search requires.
Let's find your market within the market.
tanyambates.com
For curious readers: Why the pooled median doesn't tell the full story
The headline number — and why it needs context.
When you search Holladay real estate, you'll often see a median around $983,000. That is the 2025 sold median for the City of Holladay boundary — 231 single family home sales.
Markets within markets within markets. Holladay is one of the most diverse real estate landscapes in the Salt Lake Valley — from a charming 1920s bungalow near Holladay Village to a gated estate along Walker Lane. You cannot tell that story with a single median. This is why I am tracking Classic Homes and Forever Homes separately with locked parameters — so you can see exactly what is happening in the market you are actually buying in.
Search Parameters
Shared across all tiers
Tier-specific parameters
Map boundary used for this analysis
