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The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it.
That’s what this newsletter delivers.
The Marketing Millennials is a look inside what’s working right now for other marketers. No theory. No fluff. Just real insights and ideas you can actually use—from marketers who’ve been there, done that, and are sharing the playbook.
Every newsletter is written by Daniel Murray, a marketer obsessed with what goes into great marketing. Expect fresh takes, hot topics, and the kind of stuff you’ll want to steal for your next campaign.
Because marketing shouldn’t feel like guesswork. And you shouldn’t have to dig for the good stuff.
Southern Utah County Real Estate
Monday Edition — Week of May 11, 2026
From the desk of Lori Collins, Associate Broker — Collins Team / eXp Realty
Mid-week pulse check: what's actually moving in southern Utah County, the one mortgage decision most buyers get wrong, and how to read an inspection report without panicking.
Local Market Snapshot
This Week’s Activity Report
Three days into the week, here's what the southern Utah County market is showing. The story isn't the headline price — it's the spread.
What's listing
Listed in Springville as of 5/9/26 there are 55 single family homes on the market. They range in price from $300,000 for a 2 bed, 1 bath, 1556 sq.ft. to $1.95M for a 4 bed, 3 bath, 7005 sq.ft. And that’s not counting the condo’s and townhomes. In Springville there are 29 condo’s and townhomes ranging from $207,500 for a 2 bed, 1 bath, 983 sq. ft. to $477,000 for a 4 bed, 3 bath, 1601 sq. ft. So you can’t say there is no choice out there. And that’s just Springville. Add in all the nearby cities and the numbers just go up. If you are thinking about buying and want to have lot’s of choice now is the time. CALL ME!
What's going under contract
The sweet spot for fast contracts in southern Utah County continues to be the $400K-$525K band, where first-time and step-up buyers overlap. Homes priced cleanly in that range are still seeing offers within 14 days. Above $700K, expect 60+ days unless the home is genuinely turn-key.
Price reductions to watch
Reductions in week 4-6 of a listing tell you something useful: either the seller mis-priced and is correcting, or there's a condition issue surfacing in inspections. As a buyer, a fresh reduction is often your best opportunity to negotiate further — sellers who've already cut once are emotionally closer to taking another offer.Utah County Lending Update-2026📊 The Short Answer (What people really want to know)
Mortgage rates are holding in the mid-6% range, with:
Slight ups and downs week to week
Gradual improvement compared to last year
Continued pressure on affordability
👉 Translation: Financing is stable… but still expensive enough to matter.
Lending Pulse
Conventional vs. FHA — The Decision Most Buyers Get Wrong
The default assumption: "FHA is for first-time buyers, conventional is for everyone else." That's not how it actually works. Here's the real breakdown.
FHA loans
Down payment as low as 3.5% — useful if cash is tight
More flexible on credit scores (580+ for the 3.5% down option)
BUT: mortgage insurance is permanent on FHA loans now — it stays for the life of the loan unless you put 10% down (then 11 years), or refinance out
Loan limit in Utah County for 2026: approximately $546,250 for single-family
Conventional loans
Down payment as low as 3% with the right program (Fannie Mae HomeReady, Freddie Mac Home Possible)
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) drops off automatically once you reach 78% loan-to-value — it's not permanent
Better long-term cost if you'll be in the home 5+ years
Loan limit for conforming in Utah County 2026: $806,500
The real-world example
On a $475,000 home with 5% down: an FHA loan locks in permanent mortgage insurance. A conventional 95% loan with PMI runs higher upfront but the PMI typically falls off in 5-8 years as you build equity. Over 10 years, the conventional path saves most buyers $15,000-$25,000.
Talk to your lender about both. If they default to FHA without showing you conventional options, ask why.
Seller's Corner
This Week's Seller Tip: Photos Make or Break Your First Two Weeks
Buyers are looking at your home on a phone screen. They're swiping through 12 listings in 5 minutes. If photo #1 doesn't stop the swipe, nothing else matters — they don't read the description, they don't see your finished basement, they don't notice the new windows.
What stops the swipe
Daylight, not lamps. Professional photographers shoot during the day with windows open and lights on for warmth — not at night with overhead fixtures alone.
Wide-angle lens, not phone camera. There is a real, measurable difference.
De-personalized but not sterile. Empty rooms feel dead. Lived-in clutter feels chaotic. The middle ground is what sells.
Twilight exterior shots for homes with curb appeal. They photograph beautifully and signal high-end listing care.
What kills the swipe
Toilet seats up. Genuinely.
Overhead lighting only — yellow cast everywhere
Clutter on counters, beds unmade, pet bowls visible
Cars in the driveway when shooting exterior
Professional real estate photography in Utah County runs $200-$500 depending on home size and whether you add drone or twilight shots. On a $550,000 listing, that's a fraction of a single percent. It pays for itself in the first showing.
Buyer's Corner
This Week's Buyer Tip: How to Read an Inspection Report Without Losing Your Mind
Your inspector just emailed you a 47-page report with 60+ items flagged. Your stomach drops. Don't panic — that's what every inspection report on every house looks like. The skill is sorting the items into three buckets.
Bucket 1: Deal-killers
Walk away or get major concessions. These items signal expensive structural problems or systems near end of life:
Foundation cracks beyond hairline, especially horizontal
Active roof leaks or roof at end of useful life ($15K-$30K replacement)
Sewer line failures or major drainage problems
HVAC units past 20 years and failing
Mold from active water intrusion (not surface bathroom mold)
Knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring (insurance issues)
Bucket 2: Negotiate
Real money issues, but routine in older homes. Ask for credits or repairs:
Water heater 10+ years old
Visible plumbing leaks under sinks
Significant grading or drainage issues
Electrical panel concerns (Federal Pacific or Zinsco brand)
Major appliance issues if appliances convey
Bucket 3: Noted, not negotiated
Don't ask for these. They're part of buying any home:
Caulk needing refresh
Cosmetic cracks in drywall
Outlets that need GFCI upgrade
Minor concerns inspector lists to cover liability
If you negotiate the small stuff, sellers tune out. Save your leverage for the items that actually matter.
Recruitment
Thinking About a Move? (Your Career, Not Just Your Address.)
Most agents don't leave their brokerage because of one big thing. They leave because of a hundred small ones — splits that punish growth, training that stalls, tech they have to duct-tape together, and a culture that forgets agents are the customer.
eXp is built differently. Cloud-based, agent-owned through revenue share and stock awards, and backed by training that actually moves the needle on production. The Collins Team mentors agents one-on-one — not in a webinar that gets recorded and forgotten.
If you've ever wondered what your business would look like under a model designed for the agent first, let's have a real conversation. No pressure, no pitch deck.
Reach out: Lori Collins — [PHONE] — [EMAIL]
Sponsor info: Lori Collins, eXp Realty
#RealEstateCareers #UtahRealEstate #JoinOurTeam #eXpRealty #TheCollinsTeam #RealEstateAgent #UtahCountyRealEstate #AgentLife #RealEstateMentorship #SwitchBrokerages
Myth vs. Reality
Myth: "Zillow says my home is worth $X — that's what we should list for."
Reality
Zillow's Zestimate is a national algorithm guessing at your home's value using public records, MLS data, and assumptions. In dense urban markets with high transaction volume, it's reasonably accurate. In southern Utah County — where homes vary wildly by lot size, finish level, and view — Zillow's median error rate is meaningful. We've seen Zestimates miss by $50,000-$100,000 in either direction on homes we've sold.
Zillow can't see that your kitchen is original 1998 oak versus fully renovated. It can't see that the home next door has Spanish Fork Peak views and yours doesn't. It doesn't know your basement is finished or that your HVAC is 22 years old.
A real comparative market analysis (CMA) from an agent who's actually walked similar homes in your neighborhood in the last 90 days will land within 2-3% of what your home will actually sell for. That's what should drive your list price — not an algorithm.
#UtahCountyRealEstate #HomeBuyer #MythVsReality #MortgageRates #BuyNow #SpringvilleUT #TheCollinsTeam #eXpRealty #UtahHomes #RealEstateTips
Coming Up
On Wednesday
End-of-week market data wrap
Lending update: any new programs or rate moves
Seller tip: the prep work with the highest ROI
Myth vs. Reality: "You should always offer 10% below asking."
That’s it for today.
Keep showing up, keep cheering each other on — and as always, keep busy.
Lori Collins, Associate Broker #14213653-AB00
Jeff Collins, Salesperson #1421190-SA00
Springville, UT 84663
385-543-5553
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[Phone] 📧 [Email] 🌐 [Website]
The Collins Team/eXp Realty LLC