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

Monday, July 30th, 2007 at the you may enjoy the 8th Annual Taste of Flagstaff.

This event brings together most of the best restaurants and catering services to support the non-profit Victim/Witness Services for Coconino County. VWS for Coconino Country provides advocacy and counseling services for victims of crime throughout Coconino County. It is also the founder and nuturer of the Northern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault.  

This year, the event is in a new venue -- in and outside (in tents) the Kilted Kat at 2640 W. Kiltie Lane, Flagstaff, AZ.

 The price is $65. Please call in advance to 779-6163 to reserve your tickets -- space is limited.

If you see a home you'd like to buy on the way, give us a call: (928) 714-0001

Ann Heitland, Associate Broker, RE/MAX Peak Properties

www.BestFlagstaffHomes.com

For 5 years the doom-and-gloom prognosticators have been warning of crashes in real estate. Now, they are turning to the stock market. The stock market, of course has much more visible signs of decay - the Dow dropped 208 points Friday, putting the last nail in the worst week in five years. The NASDAQ dropped nearly 6% for the week. (Hmmm, in real estate we toss those numbers around for a year.)

So, I'm not blogging to say one or the other is a better investment. Instead, I'm asking us all to think about the common cause of these "dropping" phenomena: As the Wall Street Journal put it this morning, volume is at record highs and credit (leverage) encourages unprecedented risks. In other words, lots of people have lots of money to spend, lots of people who don't know that they are doing are spending their money on "investments," and the credit markets make it possible for these people to spend even more by going into debt.

It's dangerous in real estate, it's even more dangerous in the stock market.  The overall effect of unsophisticated people buying what they don't know about on credit could lead us all to disaster. I could go on into politics, but I won't.  Just think about it.

Ann Heitland, Flagstaff real estate broker

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This Sunday in Flagstaff -- The Arizona Cardinals training camp begins! It is now very close.

Click here for a link to the Cardinals Training Camp schedule -- the first outing is Sunday, July 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  Now, we just need a sunny afternoon!

For more fun things to do in Flagstaff

For Flagstaff Real Estate

If anyone asks for a home in Flagstaff while you are at the fun, have them give us a call: (928) 714-0001.

This Flagstaff real estate agent, and most of her team, attended opening session of the Annual Star Power Conference yesterday afternoon -- they gave us previews of sessions to come and an inspirational message (good music!). Then, we Newcombers, got a reception with the Stars. Cash bar and half-baked hors d'oeuvres.  But being up close and personal with the Stars was worth it. I chatted with 4 of them, and learned a tidbit of value from each!

Mike Parker, Florence Kentucky, suggested the 40/12 rule as an alternative to the 3 Action Item rule generally espoused at the conference.  Here it is: You're going to have 40 ideas (or more) that you note. From these, you'd normally pick 3 and implement them. Instead, pick 12. Aim to implement 1 per month. Here's the incentive: when you've done one of the 12, you can pick another from the 40 and move it to your list of 12.

Great idea, Mike!  

 Go Star Power!

 Courtesy of Ann Heitland, RE/MAX Peak Properties, Flagstaff Arizona Real Estate Agent

Most of Team Heitland is heading to Phoenix tomorrow for three and a half days of exhausting, exhilarating learning at the Howard Briton Annual Star Power Conference.  Patty will stay home and hold down the fort for us. Tina, Lori, and I will all have our laptops as well as our cell phones.  In addition, our about to be newest team member (she's taking her real estate licensing classes right now), Kody Taylor, will be coming along. So, why would all of these otherwise (we think) sane people go to Phoenix in the middle of the summer and spend a lot of money to sit with a bunch of other Realtors^®? 

Because we learn how to do our jobs better! We'll be learning the latest marketing and sales techniques from the very best real estate agents in the country. We'll learn the latest information on technology and internet advertising. We'll learn how people from all over the country are selling houses in "down" markets.

We'll come back exhausted, but invigorated and excited to apply the new techniques. I've loaded the general conference schedule and course descriptions to our website for any of you who are truly curious about what we'll be doing. We've got our own specific battle plan laid out in writing in a four page document that assigns each team member to a specific place at each time during the conference. And, we've got a "meet-up" scheduled with other Active Rain bloggers on Friday evening.

Our written battle plan starts like this:

Goals:     (1) Learn

             (2) Network - have your cards ready

             (3) Have fun

             (4) Retain and implement your three favorite items - share them at our next meeting

So, good-bye cool, lovely Flagstaff. Hello hot, busy Phoenix.

Ann Heitland, Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties

P.S. Active Rain gods -- please don't give me the big, fat red X like you gave to Tony.  I'm new and it would totally demoralize me!

Listing #126103 is 5620 E. Atkinson Lane. This fence line at the front of the property points directly to what is, in my opinion, the best view in the Flagstaff area -- the fabulous San Francisco Peaks. And the view to the left of this, behind the house itself, if of Mt. Elden.

This fabulously-built home is the builder's own. With the right offer, he will make modifications to suit your personal needs. But, right now, most anyone could move in and be happy. Kitchen is large enough for two cooks to work at once. Sears Elite Dual Fuel range with gas cook top and electric conventional/convection oven and feature keypad for easy cooking. Under-counter lighting spotlights the counters, a convenience desk area for computer reference, and lots of storage space. A pass through to the dining area can keep the cook in the loop of conversation.  Ceramic tile flooring displayed in kitchen is ready to be installed if the buyer wants it before taking possession. This home has both a large living room and large family room. Great outdoor entertainment area.  Two master suites, on opposite ends of the home! (Plus two more bedrooms.) Heated, three car sized garage with dream workshop space. Breezeway. Attic storage space with thermostat-controlled ventilation. Outbuilding with electrical and water for 4-H use - this could become a fabulous horse property. No highways to cross to get to the Coconino Nat'l Forest. Mature landscaping. Surround-sound in family room and master suite. Stereo sound is wired to workshop and to outdoor entertainment area.  There are so many super features of this fabulous four bedroom home that we've had to create a separate feature sheet - call us to have it e-mailed or faxed to you, or visit our website and pick it up from the documents page.

For more Flagstaff homes: Click, Click, ;)

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We have listed two great townhomes on the west side of town - close, but not too close, to NAU (if you know what I mean!). Both have three bedrooms with a two car garage and a fenced back yard. Each is offered at $285,000. Here are a couple of great opportunities that are in wonderful condition!

Listing #125522 is located at 2430 S. Hibiscus Lane in the Boulder Pointe neighborhood of Flagstaff. This townhome has an extremely popular floor plan with three bedrooms and two baths upstairs and a half bath downstairs. It is 1443 sq. ft. and has a two car garage. 

Listing #124802 is located at 1104 W. Overland Pass Drive in the Ponderosa Trails neighborhood. This townhome is freshly painted inside in attractively neutral tones and has upgraded carpet. The first floor master suite is spacious. The high ceilings allow amazing light from highly placed windows in the living room. There are two bedrooms and a bath upstairs. The backyard fence has a gate opening to open space and leading to the Flagstaff Urban Trail system. The patio is partially covered. Total square footage is 1409. The home will first be available for showing on July 26.  Here's an advance peek:

For more Flagstaff homes: <Click, Click, ;)>

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I know lots of others on Active Rain have posted complaining about the media. Generally, I don't have a problem with them - they have their business, we have ours.

But I need to comment on an article that appeared yesterday in our local paper, the Arizona Daily Sun, concerning the Flagstaff market.  The headline was "Condos, Townhomes Hot Items This Summer."  So far so good, but not actually news.  In our resort/university community, townhomes and condos are always popular with second home owners and students.

The lead sentence, however, went too far: "Townhouse and condo sales are dominating the summer real estate season."   Dominating? I checked the MLS stats according to sales reported to the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors^® (yes, not all sales, but a good representation).   From June 1 through July 21 (an approximation of the "summer real estate season" so far) there were 219 sales of residential properties. Only 79, or 36%, of them were condos or townhomes.

I don't think 36% can be dominance in anyone's book.

I posted some news with statistics about the current market recently.

Ann Heitland, RE/MAX Peak Properties, Flagstaff, AZ

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For a virtual tour and more pictures and information on this home in Flagstaff's Country Club neighborhood click here. Here's the amazing living room fireplace at 1460 N. Fox Hill Road:

The Arizona Daily Sun reported today that the proposal to raise homeowners' association fees in stepped increases over the next few years has hit some resistence. On the other hand, some homeowners support it. The Daily Sun article also points up some interesting historical info -- such as that when the Association was turned over to the homeowners by the developer in 1993 (that recently?), the HOA assumed a $750,000 debt.

The arguments for the increase are contained in the HOA July Newsletter.

More info on the upcoming August 25 meeting (voting permited in advance) at my earlier blog on the topic: Call for Directors

Click here for more on the Country Club neighborhood in Flagstaff.

Ann Heitland, RE/MAX Peak Properties, Flagstaff, AZ

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