Maintain Your Arizona Home Day after day of endless sunshine and breathtakingly beautiful turquoise skies. That's Arizona. It makes a great place to live but it does call for some extra home maintenance not needed in many other areas of the country. Extremely dry conditions, brief torrential downpours, and temperature variations that may swing 30 to 40 degrees between midday and midnight make some outdoor maintenance tasks crucial in order to protect your home properly and help preserve its value for decades to come. Take care of your air conditioner. In early spring, hire an HVAC contractor to do an annual tune up which includes changing filters, checking refrigerant levels, and cleaning the condenser. Air conditioning units work hard during our hot, dry summers and you don't want them... 01/10/2011

Closing Up Your Arizona Winter Home for the Summer A big reason for owning a vacation home is rest and relaxation, but it's not all fun and games if you return to it next year to find it's not in the shape you left it. Here in Arizona, as the winter visitors begin to make their way back to their summer homes, closing up a winter home properly can mean a big difference in the work required once you return in the fall. The emphasis needs to be on safeguarding your home against the elements in addition to fire risks. Here are some common closing tasks: Secure all windows and doors. Bring in outdoor furniture. Unplug the appliances, entertainment units, computers - everything. The lightning from our summer monsoon storms can wreak havoc with electrical equipment. Turn off the air conditione... 01/10/2011

Sedona Condos and Townhomes for Sale - Condos in Sedona - Sedona Arizona condos for sale Sedona, Arizona is a magnificent place that has earned a reputation for having a great selection of luxury homes for sale. But many potential buyers, whether searching for a vacation home, investment property, or that very first home, don't realize that there's also a wide selection of properties available for you. In any price range. Condos and townhomes are particularly popular with part-time residents because it's so easy to lock up and leave, without having to worry about maintenance and security. See for yourself by clicking on one of the following links, or give me a call. I'm here to help! Click here to see all condos and townhomes for sale in Sedona. Click here to create your own customized ... 01/10/2011

Luxury homes in Sedona - Sedona luxury homes for sale - Sedona Arizona luxury properties   Over the years, award-winning homebuilders and planners have blended company with the extraordinary red rock country, creating discriminating residences in the breathtaking place we call Sedona. The luxury homes here rival those anywhere else in the world. Find yours now, on the only Arizona real estate website you'll ever need. Click here to see all the luxury homes for sale in Sedona. Click here to create your own customized search.   The next step - finding the right real estate agent - is easy. You're about to experience the power of excellence.    Cat Gunderson, REALTOR, CDPE 928.300.1226 cathi@cathigunderson.com Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, Sedona AZ 01/10/2011

Golf course homes in Sedona - Sedona homes on the golf course - Sedona Arizona homes for sale on golf course Want a challenging game of golf? Almost every day of the year? With gorgeous red rock views from every hole, golfing in Sedona is considered among the world's most unforgettable golf experiences. Find yours now, on the only Arizona real estate website you'll ever need. Click here to see all homes on a golf course for sale in Sedona. Click here to create your own customized search.   The next step - finding the right real estate agent - is easy. You're about to experience the power of excellence.    Cat Gunderson, REALTOR, CDPE 928.300.1226 cathi@cathigunderson.com Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, Sedona AZ 01/10/2011

Waterfront homes in Sedona - Sedona homes on the water - Sedona Arizona homes with water view Soaring red rocks, brilliant blue skies, wonderful climate, views that go on forever. That's the beauty of northern Arizona. But did you know there are also beautifully situated waterfront homes - right here in Sedona? It's true! Find yours now, on the only Arizona real estate website you'll ever need. Click here to see all homes on the water for sale in Sedona. Click here to create your own customized search.   The next step - finding the right real estate agent - is easy. You're about to experience the power of excellence.    Cat Gunderson, REALTOR, CDPE 928.300.1226 cathi@cathigunderson.com Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, Sedona AZ 01/10/2011

Award-winning homebuilders have blended company with the extraordinary red rocks of northern Arizona, creating gorgeous homes with views that go on forever. Want a home with a view in Sedona? See properties for sale there now, on the only Arizona real estate website you'll ever need. Click here to see all homes with a view for sale in Sedona. Click here to create your own customized search.   The next step - finding the right real estate agent - is easy. You're about to experience the power of excellence.   Cat Gunderson, REALTOR, CDPE 928.300.1226 cathi@cathigunderson.com Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, Sedona AZ 01/10/2011

How to stage Sedona homes and real estate - Sedona is not about to have lush flowing evergreens cascading down the front walk but they do have an appeal all of their own.  With red rocks and colorful sand, a seller can make their Sedona home look and feel every much of what Sedona is all about. Those buying in the Sedona real estate market are probably looking for a decor that fits the area. With some simple tips a seller can transform their Sedona home into a buyers dream. When looking around at the surroundings, Sedona offers a warmth in the rocks and desert that is far but desolate. This desert is one to soak up the sun in a rich environment with palm trees and oasis galore.  Bring some of this indoors with a Southwestern feel about the home. Southwestern decor and fabrics add to the... 12/14/2010

Matt Cutts and others from Google have basically said ranking is dead. So where are you getting your traffic? It may not be altogether dead but it's not as important as it used to be. In my profession, my clients want a visual graph showing where their main keywords are coming up in Google and others. The problem with this is I am in a different location then they are and my search results can vary from theirs. In Google Analytics, it shows where your traffic is coming from, how long they stay on your site and the percentage of new visitors plus a lot more. This is really the target you want to focus on. My Sedona real estate partner may be getting 1,000 hits a month on their Sedona foreclosure page but only be ranked on the 3rd page for this keyword. What this means is that the majorit... 12/06/2010

This isn't really about Sedona AZ Homes for Sale - but are the "7 Trends That Will Drive the Future of Housing" from Hanley-Wood's ProSalesOnline.com Supposedly these will have the biggest impact on housiing in 2011.   1. Big builders are wringing the extras out of construction costs and dropping the national average cost-to-build 36 percent to $52 per square foot. 2. Starting in 2011, Energy Star will ramp up its efficient design and quality installation standards. To get Energy Star certification, builders will have to install the right insulation, HVAC systems, and other features related to energy efficiency correctly every time. 3. Sheds are the next evolution. As homes get smaller, a separate shed will become a popular home addition. 4. There are 81 million "Echo Boomers" who were... 12/02/2010

Well after having typed this 2 different time for the Sedona AZ Home for Sale Market and then having it disappear into the internet cosmos - I am getting tired of having to repeat and repeat.  But it is really the same story. Median SOLD  Price in the beginning of January was $340,000.  Price on April 30th went up to $360,000.  Median Sold Price now is $314,500.  I think the price went up because of the Tax Incentives the Feds had in place and expired by June.  So prices are still fallling.  Foreclosures are still impacting the market " Do you think???"" And will be for quite some time until the feds can get their head out of the sand - and that goes all the way to the man up top.  Our sold volume dropped this past 3rd quarter, and I'm not sure if that was because of the upcoming electi... 11/22/2010

It's all over - not only in the Sedona AZ Home marketplace - but in Wisconsin, California, Nevada, within our neighborhoods.  Foreclosures that continue to drive the market D.O.W.N.  I think the feds, the white house, and all on Cap Hill have their heads so far in the sand about this they are clear to China or are just plain stupid.  Either way - this is going to be here for quite some time and I have recently read 3 new ways to combat the foreclosure mess. 3 New Anti-Foreclosure Strategies Here are three programs that are considered promising replacements for the government's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which has failed to stop foreclosures.· Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be encouraged to refinance loans for some 30 million borrowers with high-interest rate mortgage... 11/15/2010

The Sedona AZ Homes for Sale market may be stagnant but it looks like th Sedona Land market is improving a little.  The Median sold price for the year is $132,400.  Which is up from last year's  10 year low of $121,000 .  The good news is that the sold prices have trended up a bit and we have sold more lots this year so far (79) than from 07-09.  In fact we haven't seen this much activity since 06 when we sold 105 lots in the same time frame.  Prices have dropped to a point where buyer's are now buying.   In 06 -  buyer's thought they needed to jump on the bandwagon  before the prices went up any higher and seller's made out like bandits.  And now buyer's are making out like bandits - with the main prevailing long term strategy of buying and holding. Our lowest price point was last year... 11/14/2010

  Many seller's in the Sedona Home Market like to price their home for negotiating. - So they can come down in price - they have "wiggle" room.  What they fail to understand is if a home is overpriced, 1) It won't get shown; and 2) You won't get any offers.  There is an old rule of thumb - that if you have had 12 showings and no offers - your home is priced too high. I like to err on pricing a home so that it is competitively priced with the foreclosures that are in the Sedona AZ Home marketplace.  The prices have fallen in Sedona alone by 13% from this time last year - and continue to drop every month. So with that ammunition in mind, doesn't it make sense to price your home ahead of the market so that your property in on the Sedona AZ Home market in less amount of time?  For all your ... 10/19/2010

We can be encouraged. We are making a difference! Read this article! People are waking and paying attention. Introduction:  Hi, My name is Tommy Acosta and I attended a Sedona Tea Party meeting in VOC a while back and wrote an editorial on my impressions of that meeting for Yahoo News. The meeting changed my opinion and perspective on Tea Party values and I would like to share the link with you. I found myself congruent with many of the Tea Party goals and even though I do not agree with everything I certainly find common ground on our government being hijacked by those who do not hold the best interest of our country as their priority. Please share this article with others in the movement. Note: I call myself a "former" liberal after attrending your meeting. Thanks, Tommy Here is the a... 09/27/2010

The hard cold facts about the Sedona AZ Homes For Sale Market.  •·         The amount of Foreclosures and Short sales will continue. •·         In the Last Year  -41% of our sold inventory was  a foreclosure or a short sale •·         Since January 10 - 42% of our sold inventory was a foreclosure or a short sale •·         The median price in Sedona from this time last year has dropped by 9% •·         From January till now - the Median Sold price has been $385,000 •·         In the last 4 months - the median sold price has dropped to $371,000 •·         Currently there are only 41 pending homes in Sedona •·         Of those 41 pendings - ½ is either a foreclosure or a short sale •·         Of those pendings - the median pending price is $359,000 •·         Of those 41 homes - only 7 ar... 09/19/2010

Sedona AZ Home market and the surrounding Verde Valley markets are getting primed for investors.  Recently, I have seen Sedona properties picked up through a foreclosure, spruced the place up a bite, and relisted.  That is happening more and more throughout Cottonwood and Sedona as prices continue to fall. I have even been told that we have investors in the under 100K range in Cottonwood who are buying townhomes site unseen.  Nationally, the investor's have brought up 1/5 of all properties and with the tax credit gone - I see that going up as prices continue to fall in the Sedona AZ Home market.  And remember - we are surrounded by National Forest with some of the cleanest air in the country and no light pollution.  So call/text 928-301-0669, email me at barbara@barbarabaker.com, check ... 09/16/2010

For those of you who can't find a Sedona Home for Sale to buy- why not purchase vacant land?  The land prices continue to march downward and we have over 400 listings to choose from.  Of all the solds - over 60% were either a foreclosure or a short sale.  So let's remember if you don't find the house of your dreams for sale in Sedona, there is always land available in a gated community, horse property, or in town.  And considering that Sedona is surrounded by National Forest - it only makes sense that it would be a great investment for a long hold - cause we all know - they ain't making dirt anymore! For all your buying and selling needs call/text 928-301-0669, email me at barbara@barbarabaker.com, check out my new website designed by Suz Stephens, or become a fan of Sedona Real Estate ... 09/10/2010

When someone buys a Sedona AZ Home for Sale many times they want to rent it out until they can totally relocate to the area.  I got the following tips from Ryan Moeller from Bigger Pockets and I want to share them with you. 1. Don't count on Appreciation.  That's a bonus 2. Watch your loan-to-value ratio.  Ideally, the total cost of the purchase, fees, and repairs should be no more than 70% of the appraised value of the property in good condition 3.  Maximize annual return.  Aim for properties that can be rented for at least 1.5% to 3% of the purchase price.  I.E. Plan to pay no more than $50,0000 for a property that can be rented for $750.00 per month.  Now in the Sedona AZ Home market and the Sedona Real Estate market - those figures will be hard to reach. 4. HAVE An EXIT strategy.  S... 09/07/2010

Well, when the competition in the local paper states that Sedona AZ Home Sellers need to price their homes competitively to sell - I can't take the blame!  If your home is too high, it will not sell. If no one sees your house - it's priced too high.  If you have had more than 10 showings and no one has made an offer on your house - it is too high.  If your realtor faints when you tell him what you want to list the house for - it's too high.  And quite honestly, why would you hire a realtor who lists your house for what you want. Do you go to the doctor and tell him/her your  prognosis?  Of course not.  You  go because he/she is an expert in their field and you need him/her to get you better.  The same with a realtor.  You want to sell your Sedona AZ Home then listen to the realtor and t... 09/01/2010