Get Your Home Value →
Southern Utah Right-Sizing

Right-size your home. Pocket the difference.

See the cash you walk away with after the move and what your new monthly housing cost looks like. Built for Cedar City and St. George empty-nesters, retirees, and anyone whose home no longer fits the life they are living.

Cash in hand Single-story options Lower maintenance Section 121 aware
Rates and Fees Updated May 16, 2026
Run My Numbers
1

Your current home

What it is worth today, what is owed, and when you bought it.

2

Your next home

Target price, cash-or-financed, and the new ongoing carrying cost.

3

The decision

Cash in hand after the move and how your monthly cost shifts.

Inputs

Tell me about the two homes

Defaults reflect typical Southern Utah numbers. Edit what you know. The math updates as you go.

A Your current home

$

If you are unsure, the valuation questionnaire is the most accurate way to get this.

$
$

Used to estimate gain for Section 121 awareness.

Tax Filing Status

B Your next home

$

Right-sizers often target a lower number, but enter whatever the next home actually costs.

Down Payment Strategy
$
%

Rounds to nearest 0.125% on blur. Buydown rates ending in .99 are preserved.

Loan Term

C Monthly housing costs (now vs next)

Current home, monthly
$

Leave 0 if paid off.

$

Per month combined.

Next home, monthly
New Mortgage Payment (P&I)
Calculated from above
Updates from rate, term, and loan amount.
$

New-build communities often raise this. Single-story patio homes with HOA dues can run higher than expected.

The Full Picture

Sale side. Purchase side. Both columns.

Every line item that flows into the headline numbers above.

A

Sale of current home

Estimated sale price $0
Commission - $0
Owner’s title, escrow, recording - $0
Other sale-side costs - $0
Mortgage payoff - $0
Net cash from sale $0
B

Purchase of next home

Purchase price $0
Down payment from proceeds - $0
Purchase closing costs - $0
New mortgage amount $0
New monthly P&I $0
Cash remaining after purchase $0

Monthly housing cost, side by side

Current home
Mortgage P&I $0
Taxes + ins + HOA + maint $0
Total $0
Next home
Mortgage P&I $0
Taxes + ins + HOA + maint $0
Total $0
Behind the Math

What this calculator is doing

No black boxes. Here is how the two big numbers are built.

Net from sale

Sale price minus commission, owner’s title and escrow, mortgage payoff, and a small line for other sale-side costs. Defaults come from typical Southern Utah numbers.

Down payment strategy

Pick all cash from proceeds, a specific dollar amount, or 20 percent down. The down payment plus purchase closing costs come out of your sale proceeds.

New monthly P&I

Standard amortization on whatever loan amount remains after the down payment. Pick 15-year or 30-year. Rate inputs round to nearest 0.125 percent except .99 buydowns.

Monthly side-by-side

Compares current P&I plus carrying cost (taxes, insurance, HOA, maintenance) against the new home’s P&I and carrying cost. The delta is the real monthly answer.

Section 121 check

If estimated value minus original purchase price exceeds 250,000 single or 500,000 married joint, you get a heads-up. Most Southern Utah primary residences are still tax-free, but homes purchased before 2015 sometimes are not.

What it does not do

It does not compute exact capital gains, account for cost basis adjustments from improvements, or factor investment returns on the cash you keep. It is a decision tool, not a tax return.

The next step

Curious what your current home would actually sell for?

The questionnaire gives you a real number from someone who sells in your neighborhood. It takes a few minutes. No pressure, no obligation.

One More Thing

Right-sizing is one of the most personal moves in real estate.

The numbers above are one input. The right home, the right neighborhood, the right timing, those matter more than the math. When you are ready to look at this in your specific situation, the valuation questionnaire is the next step.

Questions Right-Sizers Ask

The honest answers

What is right-sizing in real estate?
Right-sizing is moving from a home that no longer fits your life into one that does. For many Cedar City and St. George homeowners, that means going from a two-story family home with a big yard into a single-story home with a smaller footprint, lower maintenance, and closer access to amenities. The word downsizing implies loss. Right-sizing reflects the truth, which is that the new home fits the next chapter better than the old one did.
Will I owe capital gains tax when I sell to right-size?
Most Southern Utah primary residence sellers owe nothing thanks to the IRS Section 121 exclusion. If you owned and lived in the home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain filing single, or $500,000 married filing jointly. Homes purchased before the 2020 to 2022 price surge sometimes exceed the exclusion. Run the Capital Gains Estimator if you bought before 2015 or paid under $250,000.
Should I pay cash for the next home or take a mortgage?
It depends on the math and the lifestyle. Paying cash eliminates the monthly payment and removes interest rate risk. Taking a mortgage keeps more cash on hand for travel, investments, or grandkids, and the interest may still be deductible if you itemize. There is no universal right answer. The calculator above shows both columns so you can see the tradeoff. For mortgage math specifically, see the DidYouKnow.Mortgage calculators.
Is a smaller home actually cheaper to own?
Usually, but not always. Smaller does not always mean cheaper. A new build with HOA dues, a townhome with shared maintenance, or a single-story home on a premium lot can carry costs that look surprising next to a paid-off family home. The monthly comparison in this calculator forces you to look at taxes, insurance, HOA, and maintenance side by side, not just the mortgage payment.
What is the best time of year to right-size in Cedar City or St. George?
Spring through early summer tends to bring the most buyer activity and the strongest sale prices. Late fall and winter see fewer buyers, but also fewer competing listings, which sometimes helps move-up sellers more than right-sizers. The bigger question is what is happening with the home you are buying. Coordinating the sale and the purchase matters more than chasing a calendar peak.
Can Scott represent me on both the sale and the next purchase?
I can list the sale of your current home and handle the mortgage on the next home if you are financing it. The buy-side agent on the new home will be a referred trusted partner. This setup gives you a coordinated team across the sale, the mortgage, and the buy, with one person quarterbacking the timing.
Disclosure

Estimates only. Actual sale proceeds, purchase closing costs, monthly carrying costs, and tax outcomes vary. Tax estimates here are simplified and do not constitute tax advice. Consult a CPA for tax-specific questions. Scott Buehler is a REALTOR with Real Broker LLC and a mortgage lender with Guild Mortgage, NMLS 1794818, not a tax professional. On any given transaction Scott can act as listing agent and lender, or as lender only, but cannot serve as both buyer’s agent and lender on the same purchase.

Scott Buehler, Southern Utah REALTOR and mortgage lender

Listing & Lending in Southern Utah

The next step

An estimate is a start.
A real number is a plan.

Tell me about your home. I’ll review the comps that actually matter, factor in current Cedar City and St. George buyer activity, and send you a pricing range you can list against. No pressure, no obligation.

Cash in Hand
$0
View details