Provo’s housing market is running lean and hot: only 156 active listings in June 2024 for a city of 115,000 residents, according to the Utah County Board of Realtors. The median sale price hit $465k, up from $435k a year earlier, while average days-on-market shrank to 11—one of the fastest clips in the state. Starter inventory under $350k is concentrated in Joaquin, Franklin, and along University Avenue north of BYU, but even those pockets see 6–10 offers within 48 hours.

What’s driving demand?

• Tech corridor expansion: 3,200 new jobs at Qualtrics, Divvy, and MX along the Point of the Mountain
• BYU enrollment growth topping 35,000, pushing investors toward duplexes and mother-in-law suites
• Record low resale supply: homeowners with 3 % mortgages are staying put

Cash buyers still command 28 % of closings, yet NMHL clients win by pairing our fully-underwritten pre-approval with 21-day close guarantees—sellers like certainty more than a slightly higher cash bid.

Utah Housing Corporation (UHC) runs four assistance tiers that layer nicely with NMHL loan products. Most Provo buyers qualify because Utah County’s 2024 income limit for a 2-person household is $95,900—well above the area median.

FirstHome: 30-year fixed at 0.125 % below market; down-payment assistance of 4–6 % that forgives after 15 years. Perfect for Rivergrove or Provost-area condos.

HomeAgain: Conventional 97 with 3 % down and no upfront MI for borrowers over 660 FICO; good for South Provo townhomes.

Score: Complete the free Framework online course plus a two-hour HUD counseling session at the Provo Library and receive a 0.25 % rate reduction for the life of the loan—worth about $70/month on a $400k balance.

NMHL overlays none of the restrictive debt-ratio caps that many banks add, so we can approve up to 50 % DTI on FHA and 49 % on conventional, letting you buy sooner even with student-loan payments.

Provo’s top-rated schools and mountain views make it a magnet for young families. Here’s where NMHL clients are closing most often:

Edgemont (84604): 9/10 GreatSchools rating for Edgemont Elementary; median home $625k; expect alpine-style two-stories with 4-bed layouts and quick access to Rock Canyon hiking.

Oak Hills / Oak Cliff (84604): Larger 0.3-acre lots, average price $575k; a sweet spot for USDA-eligible pockets—zero-down financing possible on the north edge of the zip.

Grandview North (84606): Mid-century brick ranches under $425k; Provo High School boundary; walkable to the new Provo Beach development and food-truck roundup every Thursday.

Property taxes run 0.598 % county-wide, but homes in the Provo metro special-service district add $120/year for rec centers. Our loan officers automatically calculate the exact levy so your escrow is never short.

Utah County has the third-highest VA loan volume in the state, and Provo is home to 4,800 veterans who can buy with 0 % down up to the county limit of $766,550 in 2024. NMHL’s in-house VA team averages 18 days from contract to close—critical when competing against waived-inspection offers near the BYU footbridge.

Utah-specific veteran perks:

• Property-tax abatement: 100 % disabled vets pay zero annual tax on a primary residence
• Utah Veterans Home-buyer Grant: $2,500 toward closing costs for first-time VA buyers earning under 80 % AMI
• Exemption from the 0.15 % state mortgage-tax stamp, saving about $700 on a $450k loan

We also offer the VA IRRRL (streamline refinance) with no appraisal or income docs, letting you drop your rate in weeks—not months—whenever the market dips.

Provo ranks in the top 10 U.S. cities for Etsy shops per capita and hosts a thriving YouTube influencer corridor. Traditional underwriting that relies on Schedule C income often short-changes these entrepreneurs. NMHL’s 12- or 24-month bank-statement program uses gross deposits instead of taxable income, allowing higher qualifying amounts.

Qualifying metrics:

• 10 % down on purchases up to $1.5 million
• 680 minimum score for 15 % down; 580 for 20 % down
• Debt-ratio up to 50 % with compensating reserves

Recent Provo clients include a wedding videographer who qualified for $525k in Grandview North using 24 months of business statements and a lifestyle blogger who refinanced into a 5 % fixed ARM, cutting her payment by $460/month.

Utah County’s average VantageScore is 713, but NMHL routinely funds Provo buyers in the 580–620 range. Our Second-Chance suite includes:

FHA 580–619: 3.5 % down, 31/43 DTI standard; we allow higher ratios if you carry 3 months of mortgage-payment reserves or have a 12-month on-time housing history.

Non-QM Fresh-Start: One day out of bankruptcy or foreclosure; 20 % down; rate adjusts after 24 months of on-time payments. Popular for clients rebounding from tech layoffs or divorce.

Credit-score improvement roadmap: Every NMHL pre-approval comes with a free simulator showing how paying down a $2,500 credit-card balance can raise your score 20 points—often enough to drop your rate by 0.25 % and save $110/month on a $400k FHA loan.

Close in as little as 30 days while you work on credit; we can rescore mid-process and lower your rate before docs go out.