Gary Clay – Residential Real Estate – Power List

Gary Clay started in the finance industry soon after graduating from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance in 1997.

The experience gained led him into the mortgage industry, and today, Clay is vice president and a loan officer for Citizens Community Bank, where he’s been for nearly 20 years. He said the best part of residential lending is helping people achieve their dreams of home ownership.

“I take pride in helping educate borrowers about all the aspects of owning a home,” Clay said. “Some people think the process of buying or building would be overwhelming. I show them how easy the process can be.”

Clay said he’s been busy lately, and with rates at historical lows, he’s seen strong demand for housing. And though no one can predict the future, he said that based on market data, he thinks housing will remain strong for at least the first half of 2022.

“Interest rates should increase gradually, which will put some additional pressure on both buying and refinancing,” Clay said. “Residential construction should stay strong for most of the year, since there is still a shortage of housing in the market.”

With both rates and housing prices likely to increase, pressure will be placed on the market, Clay said, but he thinks because of the competitive rates and fees and variety of services offered by Citizens Community Bank, the bank will continue to be a major provider of financing in southeastern Idaho.