The Palace bar in Prescott, AZ. The Palace Bar first opened in September 1877. In the late 1870's, Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday were patrons of The Palace. Virgil and his wife Allie lived in Prescott where Virgil owned a saw mill at Thumb Butte and was Town Constable. Wyatt and his other brother, Morgan, visited Virgil in Prescott before they left for Tombstone. Doc was on a winning streak on Whiskey Row (possibly at The Palace) where he won $10,000 in Poker. He joined the Earp's eight months later in Tombstone.On July 14th, 1900, The Palace was destroyed by the Whiskey Row fire. The carefully carved 1880's Brunswick Bar, which is still in use, was carried to safety across the street to the plaza by patrons. Today's Palace owners have done extensive remodeling to restore the... 01/24/2011

High winds are caused when there are places that cause the wind to speed up. When the wind goes over a ridge it works the same as an airfoil (shape of a wing that makes it lift). Higher winds also exist in canyons that face the prevailing winds as the canyon acts as a funnel. Have you noticed how high the winds are in a mountain pass? In the selection of land, it is wise to avoid these formations so as to avoid the higher winds. Have you noticed where they build the windfarms? One of the largest windfarms of which I am aware is east of San Bernardino, CA where the conditions mentioned above exist. Another windfarm is planned for the top of the Vermillion Cliffs northwest of Seligman. It is also wise to avoid areas where there are no trees as the trees act as windbreaks to reduce the spe... 01/24/2011

Sara now works at Papa D's Barber Shop located at 1054 N Willow Creek Road.  She is far-and-away the prettiest barber in Prescott.  She also gives GREAT haircuts. Sara loves kids, so The Prescott Barber shop is the best place to take your kids. She will cut your wife's or your girlfriend's hair, as well. The shop is not so masculine as to be intimidating to women and children. Please call Sara for an appointment at (928) 899-8466. Sara also welcomes "Walk-ins" and runs a "father and son" special all the time.   For the month of February, 2011, All Haircuts are $10. Just mention this ad. You can see that Sara IS the Prettiest barber in Prescott! Please call the owner, Sara, for an appointment at (928) 899-8466.   01/23/2011

A few months ago we were ejoying an outing at Goldwater Lake in the Prescott National Forest south of Prescott, Arizona. Goldwater Lake is owned by the City of Prescott and offers picknicking, fishing and a few other recreational activities. Signs are posted in several places saying that it is unlawful for dogs to go in the water. I can see no rational reason for this. Can anyone explain why there would be a law like this? Years ago, I had a Weimariner that loved to swim so much that she would break the ice to get in. Once in the water she delighted in continuing to swim and continuing to break up more ice. 01/16/2011

Hidden Valley Ranch and Haisley Homestead are two neighborhoods on the south edge of Prescott near the Prescott National Forest. These two neighborhoods were built among old Ponderosa Pine trees, so one has a sense of living in the forest. As the homes were built, care was taken to protect every Ponderosa Pine tree possible. Deer are quite comfortable here, as evidenced by this one. She seems to be telling me that she has claimed this place and not to trespass on it. Here is another photo of the deer. This photo was taken by my friend, Rick Henwood, in Haisley Homestead. It looks like the deer are quite content here. Another great thing about these neighborhoods is that they are close to the Prescott National Forest on the south side of Prescott. Access is via White Spar Road aka Highwa... 01/16/2011

One of the most recognizable landmarks that distinguishes Prescott Arizona is Thumb Butte. This picture is unusual in that it shows Thumb Butte "floating on a cloud." Normally Prescott is quite a dry place, but it is in a bowl with mountains all around, so sometimes the weather is unusual and unpredictible. 01/16/2011

Where can you find the best Holistic Veterinarian in Prescott Arizona? Todd L Metcalf, D.V.M.’s holistic veterinary practice, Harmony Veterinary Care in Prescott offers more than you would expect from a conventional veterinary practice. Todd Metcalf often spends 60 to 90 minutes collecting a complete history of your pet during your first visit. He uses many different therapies including veterinary acupuncture and herbs, gentle manipulations, and natural supplements in the care of your animal friends. One of the things that really struck me as different from my previous experience with visiting the veterinarian was his very thorough review of prior medical records where applicable (x-rays, labwork, etc.,). This includes any records you may want to bring from any previous veterinary exami... 01/14/2011

Highland Pines is located in the mountains Northwest of the town of Prescott.  Below, I have compiled sales activity from 2000 - 2010.  If you have any questions, please contact me! 01/13/2011

01/13/2011

Have you noticed or experienced the difficulty in getting a loan modification done?  These guys have an explanation of why it is happening.     The FEDS are reimbursing banks for their "losses" on short sales even to the point that they PROFIT on most of the sales. Of course they are using our own tax dollars to subsidize the banks. You may also want to read the article on the housing bubble and it's contribution to the sad financial state of our country. I think this is happening here in Prescott and across Yavapai County, as well. I had a personal experience with this right here in Prescott Valley. I hired a lawyer at $3,000 to help me with the loan modification. The bank told me first that I did not make enough money to support the reduced payments. I had several really good commissi... 01/11/2011

Granite Mountian is composed of Prescott Granodiorite. The gray granite from Granite Mountain was a popular building stone in the early days of Prescott.  It was used to build the Yavapai County Courthouse and i mony other buildingsa arounf=d town, including Fort Whipple. At almost 10,000 acres, Granite Mountain Wilderness Area northwest of Prescott AZ is a hikers paradise.  Elevation ranges from 5,600 feet to over 7,200 feet.  The main trail is about 8.3 miles roundtrip and covers some wild and scenic area.  I have hiked Granite Mountain many times.  The rock formations are incredible.  The views of the valley below from near the top of the trail are breathtaking.  To find the trailhead from downtown, take Montezuma St to Iron Springs Road for 2.5 miles.  Take a right on Granite Basin ... 01/11/2011

Yes, Arizona.  It is called the battle of Picacho Pass. It happened near Picacho Peak which is located between Phoenix and Tucson.  On April 15, 1862. It was fought between a Union Calvary patrol from California and a party of Confederate Pickets from Tucson. Twelve Union Calvary troopers and one scout of the 1st California Cavalry, were conducting a sweep of the Picacho Peak area, looking for Confederates reported to be nearby. The Calvary were under orders not to engage them, but to wait for the main column to come up. However, their patrol surprised and captured three Confederate pickets. It failed to see seven other Confederate soldiers before they opened fire. During the bloody skirmish that followed, two Union soldiers were killed and three others wounded. In 1864, the Union organ... 01/11/2011

10 Reasons Your House Is Not Selling.  A few days ago I wrote about how price and condition will determine whether your house sells or not. Here is a follow up that focuses on many other ways home owners sabotage the process of selling their home.  1. Price is still the most important factor for buyers. Just because you paid $400,000 in 2006 and put in another $100,000 into the house, does not mean you have a  $500,000 house. In today's market $400,000 plus $100,000 may equal $350,000. Its all about price and condition in relation to the other similar homes on the  market. 2. Poor photos. Today we know that 90% of the buyers begin the search online. So I am amazed when I see listings of half-million dollar homes which use "snap shots" the agent took during a 5 minute visit.  I use a pro... 01/10/2011

I have recently become aware of the materials published by Catherine Austin Fitts. I find her video and her message to be quite profound. This video describes the phenomenon whereby the corporate giant banking industry and our society itself sends messages that entice us to use credit to our own detriment and to set up the mechanisms to absorb great portions of our wealth and to suck it away from our localities. embed: She has a solution that I want to investigate to help individuals handle credit card and "loan shark" debt and to retain the margins locally. I plan to see if I can get a "buy-in" to this concept on a local basis in the area of Prescott, Prescott Valley and the rest of Yavapai County. It seems to me that this concept could go a long ways to solving credit problems for our... 01/09/2011

Most of the following material and the graphic were borrowed with permission from OUTFRONT magazine and by Jay Papasan a leading real estate author. This model came from the book SHIFT by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan with additional help from Lisa Walgreen. Here is a link to a Youtube Video of Jay: On the Market vs. In the Market.   Homes are indeed selling in this buyers market, but many listings just sit there. Lets explore what mistakes sellers are making that prevent buyers from writing offers on the seller's home. Just because your house is "On the market doesn't mean its In the Market". Sellers need to keep in mind that buyers now have easy access to listings online. They can quickly narrow their search to a neighborhood and price range. Once they have identified a list of houses, ... 01/08/2011

The anser is five (four really).  The Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican Flag , the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States have all flown over the land area that has become Arizona.   Castilian Flag of Spain Burgundian Flag of Spain  Mexican Flag Confederate Flag American Flag 01/06/2011

Mountain Club is a home subdivision of about 400 homes located 1.5 miles southwest from downtown Prescott Arizona.  Established in 1925, it is the oldest housing community in Arizona.  Mountain Club covers 800 acres of heavily forested hills and small canyons.  The area has a country feel within city limits.  Mountain Club is highly varied.  There are 800 square foot cabins and large homes with over 5000 square feet.  There are steep heavily forested hills and flat lots with perennial creeks.  I am an Arizona native and have lived in Mountain Club for four years now.  It is the best place I have lived.  I have lived in strict HOA's where the stringent rules made feel as though I didn't even own my home.  Really, people here are allowed to just live.  Mountain Club does have a Board of D... 01/05/2011

  Paintball and Property Sales   My 12 year old son got a paintball gun for Christmas. We didn’t know anything about paintball,   and the way I like to do things is to learn everything I can about whatever new task I engage in. So we began the task of learning everything we could about paintball.  We watched instructional videos on Youtube. We talked to people, we visited the local paintball field. We read articles, searched Craigslist and local stores.  And as we went through this learning process together I realized something interesting; When people need to by or sell a home (or do anything new to them) they have to go through the same learning process.  And it occurred to me that the most important element of this learning process is finding a pro who can be the guide and trainer fo... 01/04/2011

Prescott is a charming city in the heart of Arizona and it's appeal is udeniable. The city has a four-season climate, which is moderate in general, so homeowners here enjoy mild winters and escape the worst of the desert summer heat. Its altitude makes it considerably cooler than the lower areas of the state of Arizona. Prescott Homes for Sale, with their diverse designs and charming surrounds, are one of the most sought-after real estate investments in the Grand Canyon State. There are plenty of places to visit and things to do in Prescott including the Sharlot Hall Museum, Fort Whipple, Heritage Park Zoo, Whiskey Row, Smoki Museum, The Worm bookstore, Prescott National Forest, Prescott Lakes Golf & Country Club, the Phippen Museum and lots more! Homes that are available in Prescott in... 01/04/2011

Winter is almost here.  Winter always proves to be a challenging time for Realtors.  The influx of out-of- towners  goes down considerably.  On top of that, colder temperatures discourage people searching for homes.  So, what do we do as Realtors to keep things moving?  I am hiding in a closet till at least March.  No, not really.  I am doing what I always do, sell Prescott.  Prescott in winter is just as beautiful as summer or spring.  And nothing compares to the festivals in Prescott during the winter holidays.  Check out http://www.prescott.com/calendar for winter events in Prescott.    01/03/2011