Flagstaff Blog - Real Estate and All Things Flagstaff: March 2007

Lots of great things coming up this month in Flagstaff. The highlight of the month is, in my opinion, the 10th Annual Northern Arizona Book Festival. Books and Downtown Flagstaff -- yummy, what could be better? You'll find a link to the website for the event where you can find the full schedule, below:

April 1 "Music Hall Favorites" by Flagstaff Light Opera Company, at Jotini's on the Green (Continental Country Club), 6:00 p.m., $30 adults, $20 children, 928-774-9287. Enjoy a buffet dinner and 150 years of musical favorites.

April 4 1st Annual Italian American Club Wine Tasting, Picazzo's, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., $15, 928-527-1370. Enjoy wine, appetizers and NAU student performers.

April 6 First Friday Art Walk, starts at the Artists Gallery, 6:30-9:00 p.m., free. Browse the downtown galleries, meet local artists and enjoy live music and refreshments.

April 6-8 NAU Opera: Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-6749, www.nau.edu.

April 7 Sunnyside Youth Easter Egg Hunt, Ponderosa Trails Park, 10:00 a.m.-noon, free, 928-213-5900. Over 1,000 eggs will be hidden for Flagstaff children to find.

April 8 Martha Brady on-stage, live at the Orpheum. $10. A one-woman show benefiting Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County, in celebration of Martha's "retirement" (we know she'll never be retiring).

April 7-May 5 5th Annual Recycled Art Exhibition, Coconino Center for the Arts, 928-286-9088. Opening reception and fashion show April 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

April 10 "A History of Arizona's Snowbowl" Brown Bag Lunch Lecture, Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, 12:15 p.m., free, 928-779-7395. Jane Jackson, NPS, will talk about the history of the Snowbowl and the unique people who made it what is.

April 10 A Face in the Crowd, NAU Cline Library Assembly Hall, 7:00 p.m., free. Part of Humanities, Arts and Religion Film Series.

April 13 Themes from Opera, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. $20-38. An evening of opera favorites by Bizet, Verdi and others featuring soloists and a full orchestra.

April 14 World Music & Dance Festival, Orpheum Theater, call 928-556-1580 or visit http://www.orpheumpresents.com/ for details.

April 14 Live Bug Zoo, The Arboretum, 4001 S. Woody Mountain Rd., 9:30-11:30 a.m., free, 928-774-1442, http://www.thearb.org/. Join entomologist Robert Delph for a up-close look at live, creepy, crawly insects and arthropods such as tarantulas, scorpions and hissing cockroaches.

April 14 Ghost Towns of the Second World War, Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, 12:15 p.m., free, 928-779-7395, www.azstateparks.com. A slide presentation by Erik Berg on important Arizona bases including the Navajo Army Depot, Kingman and Winslow Army Air Fields, Patton's Desert Training Camp and others.

April 16 Piano Ensemble Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3413, www.nau.edu.

April 17 North by Northwest, NAU Cline Assembly Hall, free. Part of Humanities, Arts and Religion film series.

April 18 Wind Symphony Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free. 

April 20 Martha Scanlan with the Mars Hillbillies, Coconino Center for the Arts, 7:00 p.m., $20. Opening benefit for Pickin' in the Pines Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival.

April 20 BFA III Exhibition Reception, NAU Beasley Art Gallery, 7:00.-9:00 p.m., free.

April 19-21 Northern Arizona Book Festival Weekend. Day and Evening activities. Visit http://www.nazbookfestival.org/ for the full calendar.

April 20-22 & 25-28 Grapes of Wrath, NAU Clifford E. White Theatre, 8:00 p.m. plus 2:00 p.m. on April 21 & 22, $8 students, $10 staff/seniors/faculty, $11 general.

April 21 National Astronomy Day, Lowell Observatory, 1400 W Mars Hill Rd., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (no admission after 9:30 p.m.), $6 adults, $3 ages 5-17, $5 students/seniors/AAA members, 928-233-3211, http://www.lowell.edu/. Guided tours, telescope viewing, presentations, historic displays and prize giveaways.

April 21 Walk for Wishes, Buffalo Park, 2400 N. Gemini Rd., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $5-20, varies by event, 1-800-324-9474, ext. 126, or 928-606-5827, http://www.walkforwishesaz,kintera.org/. Make-a-Wish Foundation of Arizona's annual event to help fund wishes of northern Arizona children with life-threatening medical conditions, 1-mile walk, 5K walk and 5K run.

April 21 2nd Annual World Dance Extravaganza, Coconino High School Main Auditorium, 2801 N. Izabel St., 7:30 p.m., $5, 928-226-4322. Live music and dance.

April 22 Spring Festival of Choirs, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 3:00 p.m., $10, students free, 928-523-2642. Featuring NAU Men's Chorale, Women's Chorale, University Singers and Harold M. Harter Memorial Handbell Choir.

April 23 Jazz II and Jazz Combo II Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3414, http://www.nau.edu.

April 23 Collegiate Band Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3413, http://www.nau.edu.

April 24 Day for Night, NAU Cline Assembly Hall, free, 928-523-9515, www.nau.edu. Part of Humanities, Arts and Religion film series. 

April 24 Nickel Creek, Orpheum Theater, 15 W. Aspen Ave., 8:00 p.m., $32/35, 928-556-1580, http://www.orpheumpresents.com. Bluegrass superstars in their last tour!

April 25 Symphonic Band Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3413, http://www.nau.edu.

April 26 Oboe and Bassoon Studio Recitals, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3470, http://www.nau.edu.

April 27 Palette to Palate, Coconino Community College Lone Tree Campus, 2800 S. Lone Tree, 5:00-8:00 p.m., $25 general, $15 students. Auction of regional and student art to benefit CCC's Fine Arts Dept.

April 27 Percussion Ensemble Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3739, http://www.nau.edu/.

April 27 Youthfest - a celebration of Northern Arizona's Children. Heritage Square, Downtown Flagstaff, 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Musicians, dancers, poets, media presentations and fire spinners.

April 27-28 The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project (Live Action Play), Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse, 11 W. Cherry Ave., 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., $17.50 opening night, $14. Based on the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, this breathtaking theatrical collage explores the depths to which humanity can sink as well as its heights of compassion.

April 28 Arbor Day Celebration, The Arboretum, 4001 S. Woody Mountain Rd., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., free. Guided tours at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., live "Birds of Prey" programs at noon and 2:00 p.m., and tree-planting instructions from an expert.

April 28 Elden Pueblo Public Day, Elden Pueblo Ruins, 1 mi. north of Flagstaff Mall on Hwy. 89 at Townsend-Winona Rd., 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., tours at 10:00 a.m., noon and 2:00 p.m., free. Learn about archaeology in Flagstaff with a site tour, actual excavation, artifact analysis, atlatl (spear) and rabbit stick throw!

April 28 Soar into Spring, Kite and Activity Festival, Foxglenn Park, 4200 E. Butler Ave., 11;00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., free entry, fees for some activities, 928-779-7690, http://www.flagstaff.az.gov. Kite demos, crafts, entertainment, carnival games and kite fly.

April 28 The 30-Year Photographic Journey of a Grand Canyon River Guide by David Edwards, Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Rd., 3:30-4:30 p.m., $5 adults, $4 seniors 65+, $3 students, $2 ages 7-17, 928-774-5213, http://www.musnaz.org. Freelance photographer Edwards, who has led Grand Canyon river trips for three decades, teaches and lectures on photography, Mongolia and the Grand Canyon.

April 27 Woodwind Chamber Ensembles Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3739, http://www.nau.edu/

April 30 Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo Concert, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., free, 928-523-3739, http://www.nau.edu.

Worried About the Future? Not with this home, which is a model of sustainable living. Perhaps the most structurally sound home in Flagstaff. The home was essentially rebuilt from the ground up in 1997-98. The home features the most efficient and comfortable heating available and a comfortably unique floor plan, including a studio, gourmet kitchen, sunroom or greenhouse, and guest (or rental) apartment above the garage. Quality is everywhere: Pella windows, concrete countertops, restored oak flooring, low maintenance deck and rails, metal roof and eves, super insulation, heated garage. The location cannot be beat: just blocks from Flagstaff Medical Center, the urban trail, forest trails, Buffalo Park, and downtown Flagstaff.  Call us or ask your own agent to provide the five-page feature sheet attached to the agent view of this listing in MLS along with the detailed seller disclosure document. Zoned multi-family so the apt. above the garage can be guest quarters or income property. 1502 N. Beaver, Flagstaff AZ #123396

One of the things that I do this time of year is review the National Association of Realtors^® "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers." There are lots of reasons to study this annual report carefully, but here are a few interesting tidbits from the 2006 report (covering the period July 2005-June 2006):

More than one of five first-time buyers received help with their down payments from relatives or friends. Seventy-three percent tapped into their savings accounts to put together the cash, and four percent took money from their IRAs.

• Fifty-two percent of all buyers view their home as a better investment than stocks, and another 29 percent say a home is about as good an investment as stocks.
• The demographics of home buyers are shifting rapidly. In 1995, 70 percent of all purchasers were married couples. In 2006, just 61 percent were married. In 1995, 14 percent of buyers were single females. In 2006, they represented 22 percent of the market. Single males, by comparison, were just 6 percent of the market in 1995 and in 2006.
• Foreign-born buyers are becoming an increasingly important component of the housing market. In the Northeast, more than one of every seven purchasers (15 percent) was foreign-born in 2006. In the West, 13 percent were foreign born, 10 percent in the South and 6 percent in the Midwest.
• First-time buyers decreased as a percentage of the total market in 2006, falling to a 36 percent share. That is down from 40 percent in 2005, and is the lowest share since 1995, when first-timers accounted for 42 percent of all sales. (Perhaps another result of the baby-boomer generation moving through life - more of them are now on their second, third, or fourth homes.)

 The market continues to be solid in Flagstaff. We have nearly twice as many homes on the market as at this time last year, but prices continue to be strong. Buyers have choices. Sellers are retaining value. It's a good life for homeowners!

MLS data for single family, townhomes, condos and manufactured homes with Flagstaff mailing addresses."MLS" data is based upon information from the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors® and is deemed reliable for sales reported to the association, but is not guaranteed and does not include all sales in the market area.

And what's happening with all of those condo conversions? Condos are selling, perhaps contributing to the decrease in average price from January to February. Twelve sold in February and are included in the 87 total units. The average sale price for condo units was $215,240 in February. There are 106 units with pending sales as of this writing.

Have a great month!  And please remember to mention us if you hear anyone speaking about real estate!

We often hear complaints about the City Council -- and I'm not the least of those among the grousers. But, this time I think they got it right. We're going to have a new Marriot hotel at the site of the chain-saw massacre at Beulah and Woodlands Village Boulevards, which has been a blight on the west side of town since the owner surreptitiously cut all the tall pines in half and let them die in a criminal (yes, he was convicted) effort to avoid the tree-preservation development ordinance. Something had to be done.

By resisting the initial Marriott proposal for rezoning to allow a hotel larger than existing zoning would permit, the City achieved a lower height for the structure and a commitment to use reclaimed water for the ambitious re-vegetation plan. The unfortunate tradeoff is that there may not be enough rooms to justify 24 hour room service. Hmmm, seems like a decent deal to me. I'm not sure the twelve feet in height matters that much, but the reclaimed water surely does.

In one of the rare unanimous votes, the City Council approved the revised plan on its "first-reading" last night. Second reading and final approval date is March 20.  Anyone who has big objections to this project going forward should contact council members now.  For me, I can hardly wait for the re-vegetation to start. 

•1.     March 1-3 Still Life With Iris, NAU Clifford E. White Theatre, 8:00 p.m., $8 students, $10 staff/seniors/faculty, $11 general public. A magical story about a young girl's search for the family she once knew.

•2.     March 1-10 Lysistrata, Theatrikos Theatre Company, 11 W. Cherry, 8:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. matinees, $14. First play of the 2007 season.

•3.     March 2 First Friday Art Walk, 6:30-9:00 p.m., free. Meet local artists, shop at downtown galleries, and enjoy fine art, live music, and refreshments.

•4.     March 4 Winter Festival of Choirs, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 3:00 p.m., $10. Featuring NAU Men's Chorale, Women's Chorale, University Singers and Harold M. Harter Memorial Handbell Choir.

•5.     March 6 Youth Art Exhibition at Coconino Center for the Arts

•6.     March 8-10 Route 66 by Mac Groves, NAU Studio Theatre, 8:00 p.m. (March 10 matinee at 2:00 p.m.), $8 students, $10 staff/seniors/faculty, $11 general public. Featuring the music and literature of Flagstaff's own Route 66, the two-lane ribbon of road that shaped the spirit of 20th century America.

•7.     March 9 Flagstaff Symphony: Haydn, Symphony #8, Shostakovich, Symphony #5, NAU Ardrey Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., $20-38, 928-774-5107.

•8.     March 10 - 11 Grand Canyon State Games at Arizona Snowbowl: 10:30 a.m. races, free. 2007 Winter Games Events: downhill skiing, snowboarding giant slalom, skier/boarder cross.

•9.     March 27 NAU Humanities, Arts, and Religion Film Series: The Bad and the Beautiful, starring Kirk Douglas. Cline Library, 7:00pm

•10.   Call Team Heitland if you hear of anyone who wants to buy or sell!