In 1934, the federal government began the Parker Dam construction project to divert Colorado River water to southern California, but neither the feds nor California got approval from Arizona to build on its land.   Also, Arizona thought California was stealing its share of the Colorado River.  The Arizona Governor, Benjamin Baker Moeur declared martial law.  Arizona commissioned a couple of old steamboats to patrol the enemy's side of the Colorado River and the Arizona Navy was born.   The Arizona force included 40 infantry men and 20 machine gunners.   The U.S. secretary of the Interior, halted construction of the dam.   The U.S. Supreme Court eventually issued an injunction prohibiting anyone from interfering with construction of the dam. 04/03/2014

Looking for a vibrant senior community?  Let me tell you about Prescott AZ Real Estate: The Gardens at Willow Creek Subdivision.      The Gardens at Willow Creek is an active 55 plus gated community on the north side of Prescott Arizona.  It is characterized by single level patio style homes, homes with smaller lots which minimize landscape maintenance and free you to enjoy all that Prescott has to offer.   In a nutshell, the homes offer: Level or near level entries for easy accessibility A delightful cottage architectural style with covered entry porches  Raised ceilings in an open plan with abundant windows for natural light and ventilation Split floorplans with 2-3 bedrooms 2 car garages with level or near level driveways All city utilities with AC and forced gas heating Fenced back ... 04/01/2014

I list and sell "bug-out" properties, usually of 36 acres or more. Most of these are in very remote areas in Yavapai County near Prescott, Seligman and Ash Fork Arizona where there is no on-the-grid electricity, where there are few wells and mostly on dirt roads. There is NO institutional (bank) lending on these properties. I have been working on a letter explaining the advantages of Owner May Carry (OMC) financing. Some of the "bug-out" properties in remote areas have been offered 10 10 10 OMC financing with 10% down, 10% interest for 10 Years. Here is an example of how that works out.   For Example, let's assume an asking price is $75,000. Cash offers have consistently been at 80% of asking price. At that discount, our example lot would bring a $60,000 sale price. Estimated commission... 03/28/2014

For many people that haven’t been to Arizona, they may think it is all hot deserts.  In Arizona, elevation is everything.  In Arizona’s dry air higher elevation means cooler temperatures, more precipitation, more vegetation and snow.  Prescott sits at 5,300 feet amongst mountains that are 7,000 feet and above.  Prescott’s weather is cool in the winter and warm (but not hot) in the summer and has a much more moderate climate than most western cities.  Many western cities are much colder in the winter.  Believe it or not, some of the cities are considerably warmer than Prescott in the summer.  Check it out;    City Jan. Avg Temp July Avg Temp Prescott 52 89 Phoenix 67 106 Boise, Idaho 37 91 Bend, Oregon 31 91 Casper, Wyoming 35 88 Denver, Colorado 44 89 Salt Lake City 37 93 Helena, Montan... 03/26/2014

Prescott cost of living index is 98 while Arizona’s is 102.  This is 2% less than the nation. I was actually somewhat shocked by this number.  I live in Prescott and it definitely has very reasonable; property taxes, gas prices, healthcare costs, transportation and utilities.   However, the housing in Prescott is well above the Arizona average.  Prescott’s average homes price is $255,000 while the average for Arizona is $178,000.  But, Prescott offers nicer homes than the average Arizona home.  In addition, I am willing to pay higher prices because of Prescott’s excellent standard of living and the many amenities offered.  It is good to know that other factors outweigh the housing prices to keep Prescott’s cost of living within the good range. 03/26/2014

There are 21 town and cities listed on besterboomertowns.com list of best boomer towns.  Here is the complete list; ·        Aiken, South Carolina ·        Asheville, North Carolina ·        Ashland, Oregon ·        Athens, Georgia ·        Austin, Texas ·        Bend, Oregon ·        Camarillo, California ·        Chapel Hill, North Carolina ·        Charlottesville, Virginia ·        Columbia, Missouri ·        Danville, Kentucky ·        Fort Collins, Colorado ·        Las Cruces, New Mexico ·        Maryville, Tennessee ·        Paso Robles, California ·        Pinehurst, North Carolina ·        Prescott, Arizona ·        Reno, Nevada ·        St. George, Utah ·        Tucson, Arizona ·       Villages, Florida  Prescott, as well as the rest of the list of towns were chosen based on... 03/26/2014

    Prescott Country Club Garage Sales   The bi-annual garage sales are a great opportunity to clear some of your clutter and make a little extra cash in the process. One is held in May and the other in October. Officially, it is a one day event held on Saturdays, however, feel free to make your own sale as long as you like. They begin at 8:00 a.m. and end when you decide you are done.The garage sales are advertised, in advance, in the local newspapers. We always get a good turnout.  Please be sure to stop in at the office and put your address on the sign-up sheet.  We will have the sign-up sheet along with a street map available for all those hungry buyers.The Spring Garage sale will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2014. The Autumn Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014.If you ... 03/24/2014

Many buyer clients come to me looking for a deal.  They assume that bank-owned home is the best deal.  I warn them right up front that a bank-owned home isn’t always the best deal.  Bank-owned homes come with no warranties.  Buying a bank—owned is like buying a car that you can’t take back to the dealership if it suddenly doesn’t run.  There are no SPDS or disclosures of any kind.  There is no seller to hold responsible is there is a hidden defect.  And many times, there is no seller to negotiate any repairs on the home.   So, when looking for a home and considering a bank-owned home, weigh everything carefully. 03/19/2014

I get many questions from sellers about how they should fix up their home before they sell it.  My answer usually surprises them.  I tell them not to make too many assumptions about what a prospective buyer may want.  I tell them that the most important selling aspect of a home is how it conforms to the neighborhood.  Does the home conform as far as number of bedrooms, bathrooms, or garage space?  Sometimes, adding another bedroom or adding a garage is a much bigger selling point than adding granite countertops or replacing old flooring.   03/19/2014

I like to send my clients to contacts that I can trust will do a good job.  If I have a buyer looking for a lender, my preference is to send them to a mortgage broker instead of a bank.  A bank is limited to only the types of products offered by that particular bank.  A mortgage broker brokers loans to many banks.  The types of loans and products offered are limitless.   03/19/2014

Rates have been at historic lows for years.  Rates are now around 4% for a 30 year fixed loan.  The Federal Reserve has been on a $85 billion per month bond purchasing program for many years.  Now, the feds are scaling back.  The Federal Reserve will cut back to $75 billion per month and then even less.  I’m definitely glad that the Federal Reserve is cutting back.  The feds can’t keep buying down the mortgage rate at this monthly amount.  So, where will rates go?   03/18/2014

Many people began their home searches online.  Many people find real estate websites like Trulia.com, Zillow.com and Homes.com helpful in their home search.  I think these website are helpful for general information.  Problems arise when my clients takes these website too seriously.  Many of my clients think they are looking at current MLS data and they are not.  Many clients have tried to compare the MLS data that I am giving them with what appears on these websites.  Of course many times the comparison is not even close.  Zillow.com, for example, may list a home as being actively sold on the market.  The reality is that the home sold over 6 months ago.   03/18/2014

Google Earth Flyover and How to Get There This gorgeous lot is one of the most picturesque lots in all of Prescott and Williamson Valley. The lot has numerous Pinon Pine trees and some of the biggest boulders in Yavapai County. This lot is in the well-planned and gated community of Wikutepa and is located west side of American Ranch and Mint Creek. The property abuts The Prescott National Forest on the west. East edge of lot is adjacent to Cougar Canyon Road. The parcel is crossed by a dirt road, as well. This lot is covered by some of the largest boulders in Yavapai County. Drone Flyover at 90 ft Elevation See Details for this property. 03/15/2014

Curious about Prescott AZ Real Estate and the Haisley Homestead Subdivision in the Prescott pines?  Prescott AZ Listing Agent Lesley Alward is happy to share the many joys of living here. The Haisley Homestead subdivision in Prescott AZ is located two miles south of Prescotts downtown and Courthouse Square.  Nestled in the Ponderosa and Pinyon Pine forest, Haisley Homestead offers single level and two story single family homes as well as town homes and condominiums near Banning Creek to the south of Haisley Road.  Developed in the mid-1970s and later, the subdivision retains the        "life in the country" feel.  The streets are neither wide nor do they have sidewalks.  The rural ambiance remains though shopping, entertainment and restaurants are located within minutes.  Situated on a ... 03/11/2014

  This is the rest of the top 10; 1.    Asheville, NC 2.    Sarasota, FL 3.    Venice, FL 4.    Beaufort, SC 5.    Ft Myers, FL 6.    Charleston, SC 7.    Austin, TX 8.    Prescott, AZ 9.    Naples, FL 10.Myrtle Beach, SC Prescott consistently beats other towns in Arizona because of its perfect elevation, four seasons and many things to do. The variety of housing choices keeps increasing to meet the demand of baby boomers who would like to retire here. You can choose to live in town or in the many outlying area.  There are several active adult communities to choose from, many of which are gated and golf-oriented   At an elevation of 5400 feet it has cooler summers than most of the rest of Arizona. If you love the outdoors or just want to go for walks, this is a great place. The average ... 03/06/2014

Thumb Butte is one of Prescott’s most prolific landmarks.  At 6,500 feet it rises about 1,200 feet from downtown Prescott.  Geologically, Thumb Butte has been known as a volcanic plug.  A volcanic plug is formed when a much larger volcano’s exterior erodes after millions of years and leaves behind its hardened center.  There are several examples of volcanic plugs in Arizona like Weaver’s Needle and Agathla Peak.   Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is one of the largest and perhaps the most famous volcanic plug.  But, there is some evidence to suggest that Thumb Butte is not a volcanic plug.  Some believe Thumb Butte to be a prominent basalt flow.  Basically, a tall lava flow.  The composition of the surrounding mountains and the composition of Thumb Butte suggest this to be true. Check out the f... 03/06/2014

Here’s something that may shock you.  Arizona has 19.4 million acres of land covered by forest, Minnesota has 17.3 million acres.  See; http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/ogden/pdfs/arizona.pdf and http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/forests.html    And “no” the forest in Arizona does not include cactus and scrub brush.  These are forests we are talking about.  Of course, this won’t be shocking if you are from Arizona.  If you haven’t been to Arizona, you may think it’s all desert.  Most Arizona’s know that there are thousands of square miles above 5,000 feet that contain forest.  In fact, Arizona’s average elevation is 4,100 feet.  In Arizona, elevation means everything.  It means cooler temperatures and more rain.  The lowest Arizona deserts receive less than 3 inches of rain per year and ave... 03/04/2014

Prescott has experienced a rise and fall of home prices over the past 10 years.  The graph looks like a steep mountain that would be challenging to climb.   Average home prices were at $200,000 in 2004.  By 2007 the average home price was $345,000.   In 2012 this number dropped to $200,000.  Now, the average home price is $270,000 and is expected to hit $290,000 by the end of 2014.  So why the big fluctuations?  Is the market really that volatile?  The answer is yes and no.  To understand the Prescott market, one must look as several indicators.  Number of homes sold; Take a look at the number of homes sold and compare it to market price.  During the 2004-2007 period, home sales dropped off sharply, but there was an increase in price.  This is because the higher end homes (bought by peo... 03/04/2014

Each deal has it challenges.  I’ve had a few deals lately that have really defined my purpose as a Realtor.  There are times when buyers and sellers make requests that seem unreasonable.  There are times when I disagree with the requests and let it be known to my client that I disagree with the request.  However, if what is being asked by the client is not illegal or unethical then it doesn’t matter if I disagree.  After all, I am not representing my own interests, I am representing the interest of my client.  What I've learned is to move forward with the interest of my client but with a postive spin.  03/04/2014

The mountains around Prescott are home to some of Arizona’s largest trees.  On the national list of largest alligator junipers, Prescott is home to the top two.  The largest is west of Granite Mountain.  I was guided to the tree by a friend.  The location of the tree is not common knowledge and hopefully never will be.  This tree is sacred.  It’s not just the biggest alligator juniper in the United States, it was saved by some of the same firefighters who lost their lives in the fire in Yarnell.  A week earlier, during the Doce fire a few miles from Prescott, this tree was purposely saved by firefighters.  The crew even took a picture near the tree (see below). Being at the tree and looking around will give you a clear understanding of what happened.  The surrounding forest to the north... 03/03/2014