It’s not uncommon for people to think of a real estate agent as someone who only helps buy or sell properties. And, of course, that’s a big part of what Renee and I do for our clients.

But you may not realize that we can do a lot more.

For example, if you have questions about the local market, you can contact us. We are happy to answer your questions and, if needed, provide you with more in-depth information and advice.

Renee and I are also well-connected in the local real estate community. So, if you’re looking for a recommendation — for a contractor, painter, electrician, etc. — we can probably give you a name or two.

So, please think of us as your real estate resource. We're here to help however we can.

Renee here,
Before we get to jump in to Jeff's fun hike I wanted to give a quick market update.  With the tight inventory that we have there’s a perception that fewer listings are being launched.  To everyone’s surprise, that is not the case.

Year to year for the first quarter of the year we have almost the same amount of listings becoming available per month, we just don’t have the baseline inventory that is typically there.  That baseline consists of homes that have a higher rate of days on market, homes that may take a bit longer to sell.  Right now, it is rare for any listing to sit very long. 
The days on market average has significantly dropped due to the competitive nature of this market. To help understand how 2021 compares to previous years, let’s jump into some numbers.

Average Days on Market

• 2021 - 69
• 2020 – 93
• 2019 -  103

Number of New Listings January - March

• 2021 – 430
• 2020 – 432
• 2019 – 373 

So as you can see, the perception that fewer homes are coming on the market is in fact not what has happened in our first quarter of the 2021. What has happened is that up to this point, we have used all our reserves in active homes. Currently in Flagstaff, we only have 78 homes on the market, we should have 300 or so.

As we move forward in 2021, please never hesitate to reach out to Jeff or I, we would be happy to discuss any of your needs.

Taking a Stroll on the Arizona Trail

It was a sunny Monday afternoon, Jack and I headed to the base camp at the Saddle Mountain trail head about 20 miles as the crow flies south of  Payson Arizona.
Once at the Base camp, we meet up with Rob and Robert, our hiking partners for this hike.
Tonight, is just getting together, and finishing our trip plans.

This will be a little different since we have a 2 day hike on Passage 22 of the AZ trail,  then a layover day into Davey Gowens cabin, and then up to Barnhart Falls to the north of us, as the crow flies maybe 6.1 miles for our Barnhart hike.

Our goal over the next couple days is Saddle Mountain Passage 22 of the Arizona Trail.

A little history. The Arizona Trail was envisioned in the 1970s by Dale Shewalter.  In 1985 Dale while working as a Flagstaff school teacher hiked from Mexico to the border of Utah exploring the feasibility of a trail. Shortly after Dale began traveling the state giving presentations and the trail progressed from there. In 1994 the Arizona Trail Association incorporated as a 501(c)(3). The trail moved forward and now encompassing 43 passages , stretching 800 miles from border to border with the predominating hiking direction of south to north.  The Arizona Trail outlines the diversity of the state as it connects the Deserts, Mountain’s, Forest, and Canyons of Arizona. We had spread our sleeping bags under the stars for the night, well 3 out of 4 of us, since our base camp was Robs new Trailer, which did not have room for us…. Cool night, woke up to frost on the bags and scattered clouds. Today’s goal is to get two shuttle vehicles, one down to the end and the other we would use to get to the Mt Peeley Trail head, our starting point. This was my opening and exploratory hike with two new pieces of camping equipment. The family has been concerned we are out in the middle of nowhere with no form of communication. Since I will also be taking up Bikepacking, more to come on that later, they all chipped in to get a new Garmin GPS 700i,   besides the normal GPS, this unit includes inReach Satellite communication via text or email. Really neat system with communication through the Iridium Satellite System, ‘The Iridium constellation is a fully meshed network of 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO) cross-linked satellites that ensuring coverage over the entire globe.” Along with this the Garmin Fenix Pro 6 Watch with the full route map on my wrist. A combination of the two has the goal of keeping us on track and Sue and the kids knowing where we are  through the Mapshare site that pinpoints my location every 10 minutes. Backpacks are repacked and, in the trucks, mine weighing in at 35 lbs. with 1.5 liters of water.  As we got to our takeout point at Mt Peeley, elevation 5744 ft shortly before 10, we were welcomed by cloudy skies, cool temps and some spitting snow. Before we get started on the hike, the question begs to be asked?  How do we not get lost, how do we know where we are at? I my case, the Arizona Trail Association puts out a very detailed GPX file the can be loaded into most any GPS devices, mine included.  For most doing the thru-hike, they load an app into their phone called GutHook, available both for iphones and androids.  Here is what they say, ‘Our Guthook Guides smartphone apps feature world-class hikes, wilderness regions, and trails from all over the world. Feel secure in your adventure by following our easy-to use hiking guides, whether you are headed for a backcountry wilderness thru-hike or a countryside cultural walk’ The Trail is in great shape as we start our mainly downhill hike of 17 miles. Though we know not to let that fool us since the first 7 miles of the hike will be up and down a lot. The AZ Trail Association has Trail Stewards and they have done a very good job of keeping this passage in great shape. We had no goal for the day, other than getting out 5 or so miles and finding a nice camp site with water and space for the tents. At mile 5.5 we found that spot at McFarland Canyon, had water, flat camp sites and an old mine that we explored some. Though it only went back 20 feet or so. We had plenty of wood for a fire, snow kept on spitting on us as we set up tents and fixed our dinners for the night. This was our first night and as you have read in the past, my tradition meal is Pepperoni Pizza from NiMarco’s in Flagstaff. I get the evening before, cool off, wrap 3-4 slices in foil and they are good to go. As mentioned in the past, we are each self-sufficient in what we carry and need. One of those items are water filters. I carried three possibilities, my predominate use was the Katadyn Befree, also carry a Katadyn Steripen Adventurer and as an emergency, a few Potable Aqua Tabletsin my first aid kit. I know the main filter Robert had was a Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System, Jack carried also carried the Steripen from Katadyn, and then Rob carried something else. Being in the Desert with water sources not always clear and flowing, options are good to have. Another question you may be thinking about, where is all the water?  Well, that is a great question that the Arizona Trail Association has handled. All the hikers help with that as they hike passages, by posted to the AZ Trail Association site.  The AZ Trail Water Report is the go to source for this info.  What I have not mentioned is the number of folks we ran across that were thru hiking the Arizona Trail, the traditional direction is South to North. The groups ranged as small as 1, to 3 or 4 hikers. Rob kept track of the states the hikers were from. Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, California, Washington, and Hawaii, so as you can tell, because of the diversity of the AZ Trail it attracts folks from all over the nation. Above are pictures of some of those we talked with. At this point depending on the miles per day they had planned and layover days, they have each been hiking between 20 and 32 days into there 800 mile thru-hike of the AZ Trail.  Up early the next morning, tents wet and semi frozen from the intermittent snow, and not much time to dry them out. As we finished our breakfast, mine being oatmeal, we are packed and ready to go before 8 this morning. This is a much longer day, starting with some uphill for 2 miles, then for the remainder of the 13.2-mile day being predominately a slight downhill. Again, the trail was very good, had some water spots, but not as much as we had thought there would be. As you notice in a picture above, being good trail stewards is part of hiking the AZ Trail. In this case, there was some downfall logs together we moved off the trail. Also the middle picture above, Rob is signaling we are as close as we could tell at the 1/2 way point in the AZ trail at mile marker 400 As we lowered in elevation, heading to the 3481 ft. at the end of the day, the trail did tend to deteriorate some but still considered good. The vistas we saw as we hiked were stunning some showing the storms as they rolled our way. After 8 ½ hours of hiking we found the end of the trail and headed back to our base came at the Saddle Mt. Trail head. The next step was for Robert and Jack was to retrieve Robert’s truck from the Peeley Trail head. This was when things took a slight turn south for our hike. One of the vehicles had a flat which they had a spare, but only one and with the next hike to the trail head of Barnhardt Falls on a gravel road, the group felt best to hold off on that hike cutting our trip short. But as I write this, looks like we may reschedule that hike for June 7th if not to hot already. I have included a lot of links to the Arizona Trail, it is a Arizona Resource that is hard to put into words. There is so much more info they provide on their site, so go to their site at https://aztrial.org to explore to your hearts content. I will see you on our Next Hike, we are always looking forward to getting out.

A little history. The Arizona Trail was envisioned in the 1970s by Dale Shewalter.  In 1985 Dale while working as a Flagstaff school teacher hiked from Mexico to the border of Utah exploring the feasibility of a trail. Shortly after Dale began traveling the state giving presentations and the trail progressed from there. In 1994 the Arizona Trail Association incorporated as a 501(c)(3). The trail moved forward and now encompassing 43 passages , stretching 800 miles from border to border with the predominating hiking direction of south to north.  The Arizona Trail outlines the diversity of the state as it connects the Deserts, Mountain’s, Forest, and Canyons of Arizona. We had spread our sleeping bags under the stars for the night, well 3 out of 4 of us, since our base camp was Robs new Trailer, which did not have room for us…. Cool night, woke up to frost on the bags and scattered clouds. Today’s goal is to get two shuttle vehicles, one down to the end and the other we would use to get to the Mt Peeley Trail head, our starting point. This was my opening and exploratory hike with two new pieces of camping equipment. The family has been concerned we are out in the middle of nowhere with no form of communication. Since I will also be taking up Bikepacking, more to come on that later, they all chipped in to get a new Garmin GPS 700i,   besides the normal GPS, this unit includes inReach Satellite communication via text or email. Really neat system with communication through the Iridium Satellite System, ‘The Iridium constellation is a fully meshed network of 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO) cross-linked satellites that ensuring coverage over the entire globe.” Along with this the Garmin Fenix Pro 6 Watch with the full route map on my wrist. A combination of the two has the goal of keeping us on track and Sue and the kids knowing where we are  through the Mapshare site that pinpoints my location every 10 minutes. Backpacks are repacked and, in the trucks, mine weighing in at 35 lbs. with 1.5 liters of water.  As we got to our takeout point at Mt Peeley, elevation 5744 ft shortly before 10, we were welcomed by cloudy skies, cool temps and some spitting snow. Before we get started on the hike, the question begs to be asked?  How do we not get lost, how do we know where we are at? I my case, the Arizona Trail Association puts out a very detailed GPX file the can be loaded into most any GPS devices, mine included.  For most doing the thru-hike, they load an app into their phone called GutHook, available both for iphones and androids.  Here is what they say, ‘Our Guthook Guides smartphone apps feature world-class hikes, wilderness regions, and trails from all over the world. Feel secure in your adventure by following our easy-to use hiking guides, whether you are headed for a backcountry wilderness thru-hike or a countryside cultural walk’ The Trail is in great shape as we start our mainly downhill hike of 17 miles. Though we know not to let that fool us since the first 7 miles of the hike will be up and down a lot. The AZ Trail Association has Trail Stewards and they have done a very good job of keeping this passage in great shape. We had no goal for the day, other than getting out 5 or so miles and finding a nice camp site with water and space for the tents. At mile 5.5 we found that spot at McFarland Canyon, had water, flat camp sites and an old mine that we explored some. Though it only went back 20 feet or so. We had plenty of wood for a fire, snow kept on spitting on us as we set up tents and fixed our dinners for the night. This was our first night and as you have read in the past, my tradition meal is Pepperoni Pizza from NiMarco’s in Flagstaff. I get the evening before, cool off, wrap 3-4 slices in foil and they are good to go. As mentioned in the past, we are each self-sufficient in what we carry and need. One of those items are water filters. I carried three possibilities, my predominate use was the Katadyn Befree, also carry a Katadyn Steripen Adventurer and as an emergency, a few Potable Aqua Tabletsin my first aid kit. I know the main filter Robert had was a Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System, Jack carried also carried the Steripen from Katadyn, and then Rob carried something else. Being in the Desert with water sources not always clear and flowing, options are good to have. Another question you may be thinking about, where is all the water?  Well, that is a great question that the Arizona Trail Association has handled. All the hikers help with that as they hike passages, by posted to the AZ Trail Association site.  The AZ Trail Water Report is the go to source for this info.  What I have not mentioned is the number of folks we ran across that were thru hiking the Arizona Trail, the traditional direction is South to North. The groups ranged as small as 1, to 3 or 4 hikers. Rob kept track of the states the hikers were from. Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, California, Washington, and Hawaii, so as you can tell, because of the diversity of the AZ Trail it attracts folks from all over the nation. Above are pictures of some of those we talked with. At this point depending on the miles per day they had planned and layover days, they have each been hiking between 20 and 32 days into there 800 mile thru-hike of the AZ Trail.  Up early the next morning, tents wet and semi frozen from the intermittent snow, and not much time to dry them out. As we finished our breakfast, mine being oatmeal, we are packed and ready to go before 8 this morning. This is a much longer day, starting with some uphill for 2 miles, then for the remainder of the 13.2-mile day being predominately a slight downhill. Again, the trail was very good, had some water spots, but not as much as we had thought there would be. As you notice in a picture above, being good trail stewards is part of hiking the AZ Trail. In this case, there was some downfall logs together we moved off the trail. Also the middle picture above, Rob is signaling we are as close as we could tell at the 1/2 way point in the AZ trail at mile marker 400 As we lowered in elevation, heading to the 3481 ft. at the end of the day, the trail did tend to deteriorate some but still considered good. The vistas we saw as we hiked were stunning some showing the storms as they rolled our way. After 8 ½ hours of hiking we found the end of the trail and headed back to our base came at the Saddle Mt. Trail head. The next step was for Robert and Jack was to retrieve Robert’s truck from the Peeley Trail head. This was when things took a slight turn south for our hike. One of the vehicles had a flat which they had a spare, but only one and with the next hike to the trail head of Barnhardt Falls on a gravel road, the group felt best to hold off on that hike cutting our trip short. But as I write this, looks like we may reschedule that hike for June 7th if not to hot already. I have included a lot of links to the Arizona Trail, it is a Arizona Resource that is hard to put into words. There is so much more info they provide on their site, so go to their site at https://aztrial.org to explore to your hearts content. I will see you on our Next Hike, we are always looking forward to getting out. About the Authors:   Jeff Ross * Renee Gaun Your 1st Choice in Real Estate® Your Team for Success 928-607-5556  Jeff Jeff@AllFlagstaffHomes.com 928-606-6232 Renee Homes@ReneeGaun.com www.AllFlagstaffHomes.com   15 E. Cherry Ave Flagstaff, AZ. 86001

ARIZONA SNOWBOWL

Just 12 miles outside of Flagstaff is one of the oldest running ski areas in the world, open from mid-November through mid-April. Skiers have access to 777 skiable acres with a 2,300-foot vertical drop, eight lifts and amazing views of the red rocks in Sedona. The Grand Canyon Express is the only six-person, high-speed chair lift in the state. It can elevate to 1,500 feet in less than six minutes, giving riders incredible views of Sedona, the Grand Canyon and the cinder cone volcanic fields.

GRAND CANYON

This natural wonder is Arizona’s most notable landmark. The breathtaking sight of its uniquely-hued rocky walls and the Colorado River below attracts visitors from around the world. The canyon stretches 277 miles long and 18 miles wide. Hike or bike near the park’s south rim, which is the most-visited area of the park and is accessible all year-round.

GRAND CANYON RAILWAY

Ride the rails and see beautiful scenery on this day-long train ride along the beautiful Grand Canyon. The trip includes an onboard lunch. Bring your camera to snap the amazing views along scenic Arizona desert.

MAVERICK HELICOPTER TOURS

See the Grand Canyon from the sky in a quiet, eco-friendly helicopter with luxury seating. Individualized tours are interactive, as the pilot narrates through riders’ headsets, and questions are encouraged.

ELDEN PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

On U.S. Highway 89 north is the site of an ancient village thought to have been part of a major trading system The Archaeology Project makes the study of ancient civilizations and artifacts accessible to the public. Annual programs include public archaeology events featuring site tours, excavation and artifact washing. Visitors can also test out ancient hunting weapons.

GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AREA INFORMATION CENTER AND MEETING SPACE

Serving the community for 125 years, Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce welcomes new residents and offers a wealth of resources on local businesses, events, activities and recreation.

HERITAGE SQUARE AND HISTORIC DOWNTOWN FLAGSTAFF

In the center of historic downtown, Heritage Square is the site of community events including concerts, art festivals and movies in the square every Saturday during the summer. The square is framed by unique shops and restaurants, making it a must-see destination for dining and shopping.

LAVA RIVER CAVE

Explore a 700,000-year-old lava tube, stretching a mile long, in northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. Warm clothes, flashlights and sturdy shoes are recommended for exploring the cave, which is as cool as 42 degrees in summer.

LOWELL OBSERVATORY

Established in 1894, the observatory is best known for the discovery of Pluto, moon mapping for the U.S. space program and spotting the rings of Uranus. In 1994, the Steele Visitor Center opened, providing tours, telescope gazing, multimedia shows and exhibits. Lowell continues to expand, and plans are in the works for the Giovale Open Deck Observatory. This 4,300-square-foot, elevated plaza will contain sophisticated telescopes that can also project images onto monitors.

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA

View rare Native American artifacts and art and science specimens at this museum, which has become a regional learning center. It is dedicated to interpreting and preserving the region’s natural history and is home to exhibits, collections and research projects.

SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT

The youngest crater on the Colorado Plateau, Sunset Crater is a place to hike and take in the scenery and wildlife. Visitors can walk around the Lava Flow Trail and go hiking along the Lennox Crater Trail.

WUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT               

Tour the amazing ancient pueblo near the San Francisco Peaks. The site, rich in Native American ruins, is run by the National Park Service.

DAY TRIPPING

There’s much to see and do near Flagstaff. Day-trippers can see many fascinating places such as, mountains, deserts, a four-season climate that cannot be found anywhere in the U.S. and one of the state’s largest ski resorts.

HISTORIC ROUTE 66

Get your kicks on Route 66 by traveling across the northern half of Arizona, through Flagstaff, Williams and Kingman. Must-see spots include the Museum Club, Galaxy Dinner, Petrified Forest National Park and Meteor Crater. Explore hidden gems like the Mother Road Brewing Company and La Posada Hotel, Winslow.

*Article from Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce publication, “Destination Flagstaff @7000ft”: 2019-2020 Official Relocation & Visitor’s Guide.

www.FlagstaffChamber.com

We will keep the month’s real estate briefing short, we are reading the stories in the news, and Flagstaff is no different,

For the month of February, we sold -12.4% fewer homes than 2020, but on the positive side 6.8% more homes came to the market, though that number was small, at 9 additional homes in Flagstaff general.

What is lacking is our inventory,
When you looked at what our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is showing, we had 268 actives listings on the market compared to the year before of 377 and then in 2019, we had 461 active listings.

There is more to this story though.
Active in the MLS includes all homes that are on the market and those under contract, but not through the  Due Diligence period, or the inspection period.  In today’s market Very few of those homes fall out of contract.
So lets take those out of the mix,
Out of the 377 homes showing Active in our system, only 68 are actually active, and have no contract written on them, but ready for a contract.
You saw that correctly, 68 homes, and as I write this in the 3rd week of March, we are down to 58 homes of all types in all of Flagstaff!

In March,
we would normally sell just over 100 homes. The experts in the Real Estate field say we should have a 6-month supply, so that would mean we should have 600 active homes on the market. Granted in Flagstaff that does not happen as we are coming out of winter, that number normally may be 300-400 homes, but we have 58…..

So that is the true story on what is happening in Real Estate in Flagstaff and really throughout the nation.

On to a little Jeff's hiking;
Next week we take off for a week, but not to fear Renee will be holding down the fort.

We are doing two separate hikes, one will be Passage 22 of the Arizona Trail. This is a short passage maybe 16 miles or so, we will be headed north to south. This will be a short 3 day 2 night hike with some exploration off the trail at spots.
More to come in April as I include our adventures in next month’s newsletter.

After completing this passage, we have a day to explore Davey Gowens cabin, which is in the general area. Here is what the Hike Arizona Website has to say;

History
David Gowan was an early Payson area pioneer, and the first settler at Tonto Natural Bridge on Pine Creek in 1882. In 1916, seeking solitude, Gowan settled on upper Deer Creek in the Mazatzal Mountains, where he built a log cabin, planted a garden and an orchard, and mined some silver claims. Gowan died in 1924 while hiking out of his homestead, and was buried at the intersection of Deer Creek Canyon and Bars Canyon.

This will be a short day hike into the secluded cabin and back out, hope to give you the details next month.

The next day, we head north to the trail head for Barnhart Falls inside the Mazatzal Range Wilderness area, these falls at one time were called Joes Falls. Then on to our camp at  Chilson Spring, which is also on the Arizona Trail system. 
We will be in 4 days and 3 nights for this section of the hike

Normally both of these areas are hot and bone dry, but this time of year and at about 5800 feet, with the recent rains we have had, we should see water flowing or dribbling in most all the washes.

So more to come on this adventure,

Stay safe out there as we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel with Covid

Best wishes to all

Jeff and Renee

Jeff Ross * Renee Gaun Your 1st Choice in Real Estate® Your Team for Success 928-607-5556  Jeff Jeff@AllFlagstaffHomes.com 928-606-6232 Renee Homes@ReneeGaun.com www.AllFlagstaffHomes.com   15 E. Cherry Ave Flagstaff, AZ. 86001

The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Utah that traverses the whole north–south length of the state of Arizona. The 800-mile (1,300 km) long Arizona Trail was completed on December 16, 2011. The trail is designed as a primitive trail for hiking, equestrians, mountain biking, and even cross country skiing, showcasing the wide variety of mountain ranges and ecosystems of Arizona.

The idea for the trail was originally developed and promoted in 1985 by Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff, Arizona, teacher. The Arizona Trail was designated as a National Scenic Trail on March 30, 2009 by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. It forms part of the shortened version of the 6,875-mile (11,064 km) Great Western Loop. This version includes the Grand Canyon National Park.

By popular demand, the Arizona Trail Day Hiker’s Guide was created for people who are interested in hiking the Arizona Trail in smaller pieces. If you follow the recommendations in this guide you can complete the entire 800 miles in 89 day hikes ranging from 3.8 miles to 13.8 miles in length, with an average distance of around 9 miles per hike. Compiled by AZT thru-hiker Jake Baechle, the Arizona Trail Day Hiker’s Guide is available as a free digital download for ATA members.

Printed versions are available for $33 through the ATA Store.

(Photo credit: By Sonoradocent - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49019335)

The vision of the Arizona Trail includes:

• Creating a non-motorized, primitive trail connecting deserts, mountains, forests, wilderness, canyons, communities, and people;
• Linking existing and new trail segments to form a continuous pathway south to north across the state;
• Providing opportunities to experience and reflect upon Arizona's diverse cultural and natural heritage along the trail corridor;
• Providing high quality recreational and educational experiences for Arizona's residents and visitors;
• Promoting land stewardship in the development and use of the trail in a way that cultivates appreciation and protection of the State's natural resources;
• Promoting multiple non-motorized trail use by hikers, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, and cross-country skiers on a shared trail or within a general trail corridor whenever appropriate and in keeping with local land management objectives;
• Continuing the existing model public-private partnership to create and maintain a long-distance trail.

@aztassociation

Aztrail.org

THE ARIZONA TRAIL ON GOOGLE EARTH

You can download a file containing all of the current Arizona Trail GPS data in a format that is displayable on Google Earth. If you are not familiar with Google Earth, you can go to the Google Earth download page to learn about it and download the FREE software. Once you have this software installed, or if you already have it, click on the link below to download the Google Earth/Arizona Trail data file. Save this file on your computer and then open it using Google Earth.

Download the Arizona Trail Google Earth KMZ File
This can be viewed in Google map Apps and imported into any map within the Avenza Maps App.

Jeff Ross * Renee Gaun Your 1st Choice in Real Estate® Your Team for Success 928-607-5556  Jeff Jeff@AllFlagstaffHomes.com 928-606-6232 Renee Homes@ReneeGaun.com www.AllFlagstaffHomes.com   15 E. Cherry Ave Flagstaff, AZ. 86001

I hope all is well with you and the family during these tough Covid times. It does look like there may be light at the end of the tunnel, now how fast will that train be as we travel to that light:) In the meantime, please be safe. You may have noticed the header to this email has changed! Yes, Renee with all her experience and being in the top 10% of all agents in Home Sales over the past 5 years, has moved over to our office. She and I will be teaming together over the next 2 plus years as I slowly transition out of Real Estate toward the end of 2023. No worries though, over this time we will be melding our two businesses so we can better help you with your Real Estate needs. My email and phone number will remain the same along with adding her contact info. Here is something from Renee; I am honored to be working with Jeff and joining the team at Realty Executives of Flagstaff.  As a Flagstaff native I have a deep connection to the area and its community.  I am so grateful to be raising my children in a place where you are surrounded by wonderful people and just about any outdoor activity you can dream of.  Since starting my career in Real Estate 5 years ago, I have successfully taken on different roles and have a comprehensive understanding of the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Let us be your knowledge of the area and please always feel free to reach out if you need anything!

Some Top Notes in our Current Real Estate Market.

• Inventory or Active Available Homes on the market continue to be all time record lows.
  • In the General Flagstaff area, we have only 62 homes of all types on the market (Active) as I write this.
    • This should be close to 300 to 500  homes including Single Family, Condo, Townhome, or Manufactured homes.
• Interest Rates are still at record lows
  • Allowing Buyers to have even great purchasing power
  • This is continued to remain this way through the year
• Homes Sales in our Market Area
  • Sales down 4.9% for January
  • Homes coming to the market down 11.7%
• Home prices are on the rise
  • Though way too early to tell how much.
  • The early figures are skewed because we have a very limited number of homes in the lower price ranges on the market, thus more higher end are selling, skewing the median price numbers.
• Are we in a Housing Bubble?
  • Doubtful, here is an article recently purblished in USA Today

What does this all mean:

We expect this trend to remain through the Spring and early Summer.

• As a Seller
  • Good time to sell if you have a second home and you find you are not using it as much.
    • Not sure there could be a better time
  • With that said, if you are looking to relocate (Upsize or Downsize) here in Flagstaff, we should discuss. Since finding you that replacement home may be a challenge, unless you have someplace to stay after selling your home, while looking for that replacement.
  • If you are not considering selling, have you checked your current mortgage rate to todays rates for refinancing?
• As a Buyer
  • Patience, is the key word.
    • Hang-in there, as you do your searches.
    • There will be multiple offers on most homes
    • These are unprecedented times
  • Stay Focused, Stay Grounded.
    • Stay focused on your needs and goals.
      • We are starting to see Buyers straying from their goals, sometimes in major ways.
        • For instance
          • Looking in areas they have never been interested in
          • Looking at homes that do not fit their needs
          • Looking outside their price ranges
  • There are ways to compete in this market and some important ways to structure your offer to help move to the top of the pile.
    • Call me and we can discuss what you can do, while still staying within goals.

Our Ask to you....

Sellers;
Please reach out if you or anyone you know is thinking of putting your or their home up for sale. We can do an market analysis at no cost, giving you an estimated value of your home today. Along with discussing if this is the right time for you and your families based on your family circumstances.

Buyers;
Be patient, stay focused! and please reach out with questions. As mentioned above, our job will be to keep the search focused on what you stated your needs were at the onset of the search.
In todays market we may be telling you 'no, that is not the right home', more then ever, about a home you have an interest in.
Why?, because the home you may be asking about is so far outside our original discussions and needs that you and your family stated you were looking for. You may be grabbing at straws that would not be in the best interest of you and your family. 

About the Authors:

Jeff Ross * Renee Gaun Your 1st Choice in Real Estate® Your Team for Success 928-607-5556  Jeff Jeff@AllFlagstaffHomes.com 928-606-6232 Renee Homes@ReneeGaun.com www.AllFlagstaffHomes.com   15 E. Cherry Ave Flagstaff, AZ. 86001