Abel Bayardo was born and raised in Los Angeles, but when it came time to buy his first home, he set his sights on Utah.

In April, he purchased a $170,000 home in Herriman. When he did so, Bayardo joined the growing ranks of Hispanic or Latinos purchasing homes in the Beehive State and across the nation.

In fact, in 2004, there were 30,295 Hispanic or Latino homeowners in Utah, a 28.9 percent increase compared to 23,501 in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Faced with half-million-dollar entry-level home prices in Los Angeles, Utah offered what California couldn't — a chance at owning a piece of the American dream, Bayardo said

"I just couldn't beat the prices," he said. "An acquaintance of my wife said, 'You should come and look at the homes out here in Utah.' We drove out here in the winter of 2004. We were impressed. We liked it."

The visit persuaded Bayardo to make a move. After a couple of months, Bayardo, a former maintenance worker for the Los Angeles County School District, landed a job with the Jordan School District. He put $10,000 toward a down payment on his new three-bedroom home.

Herriman's family-friendly environment appealed to his wife and three children — a stark contrast, he said, to the gangs and crime of Los Angeles.

"Herriman is a very nice town," Bayardo said. "As you drive down the street, you've got people actually waving at you rather than giving you the finger."

In 2004, the 30,295 Hispanic homeowners in Utah nearly equaled the number of Hispanic renters at 30,493. That was a significant change compared to the year 2000, when Hispanic homeowners totaled just 23,501 and Hispanic renters numbered 29,319.

Duane Padilla, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in West Jordan, said he has seen firsthand a wave of Hispanics buying homes in Utah.

"We've seen a lot of people coming in from California," Padilla said. "Utah still ranks really well as far as affordability."

Padilla, who speaks Spanish, said roughly half of his clients are Hispanic buyers.

"Rents in California are not uncommon to be $1,200 to $1,300 for a two-bedroom apartment," Padilla said. "They can come here and basically for the same price be able to purchase a home."

Most Hispanic homebuyers, Padilla added, will typically save large amounts of cash for down payments on their homes.

Hugo Ornelas, 21, and his wife, Cristian, lived with their in-laws for three years in order to save enough money to purchase a mobile home in Heber City. Ornelas, who is originally from Mexico, said he will pay cash for the mobile home when he closes on the transaction next week.