• Why Live in Sedona?
• Buyers & Sellers
• Feature Subdivision
• Lender Update
• Recipe

#97 - Verde Valley Sky Diving

Indescribable. Awe-inspiring. Exhilarating? Sedona may be described as many things to different people, but exhilarating is not a frequent term we hear. Unless… you just got done with a Verde Valley Skydiving experience, then your Sedona depiction is all the more unique.

If you are a daring soul looking for adventure with an unmatchable view than skydiving near Sedona is just the place! Red Rock Skydiving gives visitors & locals the chance of a lifetime. Just take a look at this amazing photo, courtesy of the Red Rock Skydiving website.

Red Rock Skydiving Information...

Click for full article: Verde Valley Sky Diving.

#109 - Sedona’s Convenience to Snowbowl Ski Resort

As some of you have seen in our previous post, sometimes Sedona gets a late spring snowing. One perk about that is Sedona residents can sneak off to Snowbowl Ski Resort. Well it is not as large as some of Colorado’s ski resorts, Snowbowl is perfect for that beginner/ intermediate snowboarder & skier that wants to get out in nature and shred the mountain, a.k.a experience the snow and gorgeous blue skies!

Snowbowl is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and is a quick 45 minutes from Sedona’s Red Rocks. For many Sedona residents, winter weather means lots of trips up the Oak Creek Canyon to play in the snow of Flagstaff. As many of you know, Sedona’s winters consist of warm weather with sparse snowfalls that typically melt by noon the following day. That is why Sedona’s proximity to Snowbowl (and Flagstaff in general) allows the community of Sedona to experience seasons such as winter snowstorms.

Please click here for more information about Snowbowl’s Schedule and Passes...

Click for full article: Sedona’s Convenience to Snowbowl Ski Resort.

Buyers

Reasons to Buy Before Spring

As we approach Sedona’s busy Season, March-May, we are finding that buyers that are ready to buy now are getting great deals. While the inventory is low, we are advising clients to take a look at homes that have been sitting on the market for some time. Now might be the right time to negotiate a deal.

Don’t overlook the overpriced listing.

As we work with buyers and get feedback from other agents, overpriced listings can become stagnant on the Sedona Real Estate Market. This leads to high days on the market and little activity. If you have recently previewed a Sedona Home that has been on the market for a long time and is a bit over your price range, consider getting the ball rolling by making an offer. Note: Always consult with your Realtor as to what is an appropriate offer in today’s market.

Rents are High

You are paying a mortgage every month - is it your own or is it your landlords? We know that often times you are able to rent a nicer home than you may be able to afford to purchase. What we are seeing in Sedona’s current real estate market is that that is not always the case. An example would be a home closed in 2013 for $330,000. It is listed to rent for $1,650 through a Sedona Property Management firm. With 20% down and 4.00% interest rate, an approximate monthly payment would be $1,260 (Principal & Interest). This is only considering monthly payment. If you consider the tax benefits, rents are much higher than purchasing your own home.

Mortgage Interest Rates are on the Rise

Jonathan from Pinnacle Capital Mortgage can better assist in this area, but from our observations on the mortgage market, interest rates are going to increase. Economists believe that a 30-year-fixed rate (which is now around 4.00%) will increase by at least a full percent by the end of 2015. What does this mean for you?

Let us take a look: A home priced at $375,000 (Sedona’s median sales price) with a 20% down payment and an interest rate of 4.00% has a monthly payment of approximately $1,432.25. If the rate were to increase to 5.00%, the monthly payment increases to $1,610.46. This is $2,138.52 more per year if you purchase a year from now. Interested in what your mortgage payment would be? Take a look at our Mortgage Calculator on our website or talk with Jonathan at 928-282-3200.

Prices Will Rise

The years of countless foreclosures are behind us. If you are looking for a good deal, purchase soon. The median sales price is up to approximately $375,000 for 2014. This increases us from $355,000 in 2013 and from $320,000 for 2012. Although prices are not skyrocketing, they are consistently rising in the Sedona Market.

Overall, if you are ready to purchase your piece of Sedona Property, now is a great time. We will leave you with a quote from the Chief Economist for Realtor.com - Jonathan Smoke,

"...You might get lucky one or two times, but overall, timing the market does not work..." "It all points to purchasing power, and that’s a reflection of price and interest rates, which will both be higher in the future."

As always, we are available to assist in your search for Sedona Property. You can do a custom search here on our website, email us, or give us a call at 928-821-3508. Good luck and happy home hunting.

For more home buying tips, click for our Sedona Home Buying Guide.

Sellers

First Impressions – Photo Do’s & Don’ts

Put the Toilet Seat Down

When searching the Sedona Real Estate Inventory, we often come across listings where agents do their clients a disservice by not hiring a professional photographer. Real Estate Photography should be bright, open and simplistic. Especially in Sedona, the main goal is to bring the outdoor views inside.

Most homes do not require staging, but as professional Sedona Realtors, we always accompany the photographer on the shoot to show the home in its best light. This often includes turning on all of the lights, opening the window coverings, arranging things like dining room chairs and bar stools, and our personal pet peeve: making sure the toilet seat is down.

Don’t put lipstick on a Pig

Now that you know to hire a professional photographer, it is important to find the right photographer for the job! Photoshop is an amazing tool, but at certain points, Real Estate Photographs need to be left alone. With the first home showing online nowadays, our goal is to represent the home with quality photographs that portrays what the home actually looks like.

It is never a good idea to use a photographer’s Photoshop skills to make the home look bigger or better than it is. We want buyers to like a home online, enter the doorway and see that the home is better than they anticipated. If you have never heard the expression, “don’t put lipstick on a pig”, know that it is all about proper expectations.

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly)

Arrange the photos in a sequence that keeps buyers’ attention without any confusion. A good example of an order would be entering the home, showing all kitchen photos together, then all living room photos, master bed and bath, etc. Rather than hopping around from the entry, to the kitchen, to the bathroom, back to the kitchen, to the master suite, back again to the kitchen, etc. You are telling a story, keep to a script, and keep the photographs in some sort of order.

Make the Deadline – Or Adjust

We highly recommend having all of the photos and marketing copy in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) PRIOR to publishing the listing. Once the listing enters the MLS, listing syndication kicks in and pushes the information to large Real Estate websites where buyers can view the listing online. These websites may include Zillow.com, Realtor.com, Trulia.com, REMAX.com and personal Realtor’s websites like SedonaProperty.net & BuySedona.com.

The reasoning for getting all the photos in ahead of publishing the listing is that it can be difficult for changes to pull over to the national websites in a timely manner. We want our best foot forward when your Sedona Property hits the market. On a side note: our personal websites update every 24 hours, unlike some of the larger websites.

Quality Not Quantity – With Exceptions

The number of photos does matter for buyers browsing online. However, we feel it is better to have less photos (that are of the highest quality possible), than to overload buyers with photos of the homes' every detail. Remember, it is better to entice buyers than it is to show them all of your goodies and to limit your chances of getting an in-person preview.

The exception to this rule is that most national websites rank their search results with listings that have over 25 photos towards the top. Paying attention to this filter can be helpful in a world where Sedona real estate photos are not given the professionalism they deserve.

We strive to have at least 25 notable photos, and “toss to the wind” any not-so-spectacular shots.

Keeping these guidelines in mind can help better market your Sedona Property and hopefully attract more showings. Please remember, if you are getting a lot of page visits online, but no showings or lots of showings, but no offers, your property may be priced too high for current market conditions. Always consult with your Sedona Realtor for the best marketing & pricing strategies.

For more Selling Tips, or ideas to Stage Your Home, visit the Sedona Property Selling Tips on our website.

North Slopes Video Tour

North Slopes is only 5 minutes away from town but when you are there you feel as though you are a world away. Deep in Sedona's wildlife, the luxury homes (and lots) of North Slopes are surrounded by nature & red rock formations with gorgeous views of the spectacular Boynton Canyon.

For more information about North Slopes Property for sale or Subdivision Details please don’t hesitate to Contact Us at 928.821.3508 or 928.282.4166 ext 253.

North Slopes Property Listings

Featured Properties

Ingredients

Nachos Chips

• 1-2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• Dash Himalayan Sea Salt

Spicy Chipotle Chicken

• 2 organic chicken breasts
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder

Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 tsp lime juice
• A pinch of paprika
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground garlic, more as desired
• Himalayan sea salt, to taste
• Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper
• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
• Optional: 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Homemade Blender Salsa

• 1 23 oz. jar diced tomatoes
• 1 4 oz. can green chiles
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• Himalayan sea salt, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Garnish with diced red onion

Optional Toppings

• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 3 tbsp scallions, diced
• Any other desired nacho toppings

Directions

Nachos Chips

• Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheet with foil
• Slice sweet potatoes thin, using mandolin
• Spray baking sheet, lay sweet potatoes down, and bake until crispy
• Remove, let cool, and place on plate

Spicy Chipotle Chicken

• Cut chicken into bite size pieces
• Combine spices and coat chicken with the spice mix
• In a skillet, heat oil and add chicken and cook until fully cooked

Guacamole

• Cut avocado in half and remove the pit
• Scoop out avocado and place into a bowl
• Using a fork, lightly mash the avocado (leave some chunks!)
• Add spices and mix well, taste and adjust spices to your liking
• Right before serving, add onion and tomato and mix to combine (optional)

Homemade Blender Salsa

• Add all ingredients to your blender.
• Pulse until salsa has reached your desired consistency. Note: If you like your salsa more chunky, pulse for a shorter amount of time.
• Add salt and himalayan sea salt to your liking.
• Serve with homemade crackers, plantain chips, and veggies!

Everything Else

• Place sweet potato chips, or chips of choice, on plate
• Top with chicken, guacamole, salsa, scallions, jalapeños, and any other desired toppings

Please Help Us Improve

Service Reviews have become a hot commodity on the web. We can tell future clients how hard we will work for them, but it always comes better from a third party. If you haven't had a chance, please take a moment and let us know how we did. For those of you that have already helped out, thank you once again.

If you have any difficulty, let us know and we can walk you through the process. Thanks again for your time!