Here it is, the end of on hell of a year. There’s so much commentary out there about what went wrong in the world and this country I don’t need to add my two cents worth to the negativity. Instead, how about we venture into some year end house porn and see what the highest sales in real estate this year were!

Per the Wasatch Front MLS, the highest sale in Utah was in January in Park City of a 14,595 sq. ft home with 7BR/11BA and a four car garage on 5.76 acres in the White Pine Canyon subdivision. At a cash sales price of $27,875,000 it topped all records of $1,909 per square foot. Amenities inside included a fitness room with a morning bar, pickleball/basketball court, wellness massage room and high end finishes like an Onyx slab entry door and shinnoki oak wall finishes, and outside a covered outdoor BBQ kitchen and dining space, heated outdoor pool and hot tub, fully heated decks, walkways and driveway. It was listed by Engle & Volkers and sold by Summit Sotheby’s.  There were two other estates in the same subdivision that sold this year: 15,078 sq. ft w/ 8 BR/10 BA for $25,787,514 (over list) by Berkshire Hathaway and another for $26,600,000  also with around 15,000 sq. ft, 5 BR, 8 BA listed by Berkshire Hathaway and sold by Engel & Volkers. The other highest sale was at Marcella at Deer Valley East Village for $18,400,000, with 8000 sq. ft, 6BR/9BA, listed by Berkshire Hathaway and sold by Summit Sotheby’s.

The most expensive home sale I could find in the country was a beachfront compound in Naples, Florida for $133 million. That area is an ultra-luxury market that has low property taxes and excellent privacy, and two properties (one on each side) also sold, making the hat trick of three sales for $225 million. The highest sale ever of a residential transaction that I could find was for a penthouse along Central Park in Manhattan for $238 million in 2019.

In Salt Lake County, a 11,438 sq. ft. home with 4BR/9BA just closed escrow this month for $11,100,000 in Olympus Cove. The buyer and seller were represented by Summit Sotheby’s. Washington County had a sale of $7,300,000 in Westgage Hills of a 9,000 square foot home with 5BR/8BA listed by ERA Brokers Consolidated. In Davis County the high sale’s price was $4,588,000 in Shepard Heights in Farmington with 10,363 sq. ft., 6BR/10 BA listed and sold by Summit Sotheby’s, and in Utah County a home sold for $10,365,000 in October in Old Orchard Estates, listed by Summit Sotheby’s and sold by Real Broker, LLC.

With one of the biggest concerns of 2025 being housing affordability, it looks like the rich aren’t suffering too much here in the state, but when the average Joe or Jane working 40 hours per week can’t afford a two bedroom home here or in the U.S., the market looks bleak for 2026.