How We Research Utah Neighbor
Published August 5, 2026 · Last reviewed August 5, 2026
Short answer: Utah Neighbor combines current public records, official local sources, housing-market data, and Jordan Sheffield's firsthand Wasatch Front experience. We date important facts, link readers to the original source, and correct information when a source or local condition changes.
Utah Neighbor exists to make researching a move along the Wasatch Front more useful and less overwhelming. A national housing portal can show listings. Our job is to add the local context behind them: how communities connect, what public amenities are available, what the current market is doing, and where to verify the details for yourself.
This page explains how we compile that information.
Who publishes this guide
Utah Neighbor is curated by Jordan Sheffield, REALTOR® with Real Estate Essentials, serving Sandy, Utah and communities across the Wasatch Front. Jordan was born and raised in Utah and uses his local experience to identify the questions a map or listing page usually leaves unanswered.
Local experience helps us ask better questions. It does not replace source verification. When a claim can change — such as a home price, transit route, event time, park amenity, school boundary, or public rule — we aim to pair it with a date and an authoritative source.
Our source hierarchy
We prefer sources in this order:
- 1 Primary public sources: city and county websites, Utah state agencies, the U.S. Census Bureau, school districts, UDOT, UTA, park operators, and official event organizers.
- 2 Primary housing sources: Utah MLS or UtahRealEstate.com reporting where permitted, county records, and reports from established Utah real estate organizations.
- 3 Reputable secondary sources: established housing-data providers and local news organizations used to add context or compare methodologies.
- 4 Firsthand observations: Jordan's local notes and on-site observations, clearly described as firsthand rather than presented as official policy or market data.
We avoid relying on anonymous summaries when the original source is available.
Housing market data
Every market snapshot should identify:
- the geographic area measured;
- the reporting month or date range;
- whether a figure is a median, average, count, percentage, or estimate;
- whether prices refer to list price, pending price, or sold price;
- the source and publication or retrieval date; and
- any known limitation in comparing one city or period with another.
Housing data changes frequently and different providers may define the same label differently. For example, "days on market" can vary by system and calculation method. We keep one definition within each comparison table and explain it in the source note.
Neighborhood guides
Neighborhood and city profiles focus on verifiable features of places and properties, including:
- housing types and current price context;
- transportation and commute options;
- parks, trails, recreation, and public amenities;
- shopping, dining, and community destinations;
- municipal services and official planning resources; and
- practical location tradeoffs.
We follow fair housing principles. We do not describe the type of person who should live in a place or rank communities by protected characteristics. Readers should verify school assignments, boundaries, taxes, zoning, transit schedules, and other property-specific details with the responsible authority.
Dog-park and outdoor guides
Park rules and conditions can change because of construction, maintenance, weather, season, water availability, or local ordinance. Each park record should show a "last verified" date and link to the operator's official page when one exists.
Amenities such as fencing, separate areas, shade, water, surfacing, and accessibility are recorded from official descriptions or a dated firsthand visit. "Best for" notes describe physical features and expected park conditions; they are not guarantees of another dog's behavior or a substitute for an owner's judgment.
Before visiting, check the official source for current hours, closures, leash rules, licensing requirements, and seasonal restrictions.
How park data is sourced. Our dog parks guide is compiled using the methodology described on this page. Each park record draws on official city and county sources, operator websites, and firsthand visits. This methodology explains how we research, date, and verify every entry.
Events
Event details come from the organizer or host venue whenever possible. We record the event date, location, official link, and the date we last checked the listing. Times, admission, weather plans, and cancellation policies can change, so readers should confirm with the organizer before leaving home.
Dates and update schedule
Our target review cadence is:
- market snapshots: monthly;
- event listings: monthly during the relevant season and again near the event date;
- neighborhood market facts: monthly or quarterly, depending on the source;
- transportation, civic, and amenity details: quarterly;
- dog-park records: at least twice a year and after a reported change; and
- author, brokerage, license, and contact details: at least annually and whenever they change.
Each page should display both its original publication date and its latest substantive review date. A cosmetic edit does not reset the review date.
Corrections and updates
Local information changes. If you see an outdated fact, broken source, closed amenity, or calculation problem, please send the page URL and the corrected source through our contact page.
We review correction requests against the best available source. When a material correction changes the meaning of a market figure, ranking, rule, or recommendation, we update the page's review date and add a brief correction note.
What this site does not provide
Utah Neighbor offers general educational information. It is not legal, tax, lending, appraisal, inspection, school-placement, or investment advice. Real estate conditions and property details vary. Verify decisions with the appropriate licensed or official professional.
Work with Jordan
If you want help applying this local context to a real home search or sale, visit JordanSheffield.com or book a consultation. No pressure — just a practical conversation about the move in front of you.