You may not have realized, because it is not hugely advertised, but June is national homeownership month. This is not something that is newly created to be part of the trending national celebrations we have begun to take part in and tag online. National homeownership awareness actually began as a week-long celebration in the 1920s. It is a time to recognize and celebrate the benefits that come with homeownership.  
 
This year, due to the worldwide pandemic, homeownership month looks very much different than we ever could have imagined.  
 
For a large number of Americans, homeownership is at risk. Jobs were lost, paychecks were cut, layoffs and furloughs happened and all of this impacts the ...

Here in Sedona, we get some very high temperatures in the summer and sometimes some very cold ones in the winter. It is a good idea to know the Sedona home you are purchasing has air conditioning and heating systems that are in great condition. Here are some tips on how to check out a home’s HVAC systems.  

Look at It 

This one seems like it’s a little obvious. Air conditioning units, furnaces, and boilers are all hidden away from the main areas of the home where buyers don’t typically go. When you are doing a walk through before making an offer make sure to look at this equipment. Ask yourself if it looks like it is clean and in good condition. Just looking at the system from the out...

The words recently renovated or recently updated are appealing when you see them while searching for homes. They entice you into looking further. Who doesn’t want a home that is close to brand new without the higher price?  
 
Some renovators, whether they are hired professionals, house flippers, hobbyists, or DIYers will put in upgrades or redo an area in a home with less attention than needed to make the property look nice hoping to get a big return on investment and bring in a top listing price. In these cases, the home will look great at first glance but could end up needing work and costing money as time passes.  
 
When buyers are looking at newly renovated homes they should be careful ...

10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR HOUSE
 
4min read 
 
Before you put your house on the market, ask your real estate agent for guidance on improving your home's presentation. Your agent can tell you what buyers expect in your particular market and at your home's price point. The following 10 steps are a way to get a good head start on preparing to sell your home.

1. Welcome buyers. Make your front door visible and accessible to buyers. Paint the door, clear debris and clutter from the walkway and yard, mow the lawn and prune hedges. Pot or plant colorful annuals and perennials to attract attention from the street. Fix broken screens, doorbells, roof tiles, shingles and outdoor lighting, a...

Sedona is located in the upper Sonoran Desert. We believe that there is quite a lot to love about living in the desert, especially when you live in Sedona. First of all the beauty of the scenery in Sedona is unmatched anywhere. There are a few things that are different about living in a desert home, so if you are moving to Sedona from out of town or state here are some things to consider when purchasing a desert home.  
 

Construction 

A well-constructed desert home is going to be built with different materials than most traditional American homes that are built mostly out of wood. Wood is not the best choice of building materials for desert climates. Even the highest quality wood will w...

Sedona’s Butterfly Burger opened up in late September earlier this year. It is owned by local, award-winning, and famous chef Lisa Dahl. Here, burger lovers can choose from a variety of high-end gourmet “sandwiches” to please their palate.  
 
If you are familiar with Sedona and its restaurant scene you are probably no stranger to Lisa Dahl. Dahl has been a resident of Sedona for nearly 25 years and owns four or Sedona’s top restaurants: Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano, Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa, and Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill. In addition to her successful and popular restaurants, she is also known for her appearance on the Food Network Show “ Beat Bobby Flay” in May of 2018.  
 
Dahl ...

If you are new to Sedona and have not yet experienced the Christmas season here, you are in for a treat! There is nothing like Sedona during Christmas. You will quickly fall in love with all this beautiful town has to offer.  

Here are just a few of the holiday events happening in and around Sedona this year.  

 
December 3  
An Irish Christmas at the Sedona Performing Arts Center 
7:30 pm 
 
Enjoy a night of spectacular Irish Dancing and Singing of traditional Irish Christmas music and a few other well-known Christmas classics. Watch world champion and award-winning dancers such as Riverdance Principal Dancer Caterina Coyne and World Champion Dancer Tyler Schwartz. Joining these famed dan...

Looking for a way to get out of the house after the sun goes down in Sedona? We have a great list of ways to enjoy Sedona for night owls, from bars and restaurants to entertainment and more.  

Live Music Venues 
 

Sound Bites Grill
Sound Bites Grill, located at 101 N. AZ-89A in the Uptown area of Sedona. Almost nightly you can enjoy live music and some of the best steaks in the area. Shows usually begin at about 6 and 7 pm, check out their website at soundbitesgrill.com to see who is playing.  
 
Full Moon Saloon 
Friday and Saturday nights the Full Moon Saloon is the place to check out local artists performing live. If becoming the live entertainment sounds like fun, Karaoke nights are on ...

Homebuyers today are educating themselves more than ever. According to a recent article in the National Association of Realtors, 75% of millennial homebuyers are doing their homework and researching how to buy a house before buying. That’s a lot of people getting information about a major purchase. In the age of Amazon reviews, Consumer Reports, and review engines, finding out as much as you can before buying, is inevitable. But, do buyers need to know everything about the ins and outs of a real estate transaction before being comfortable enough to buy? We don’t think so. Nobody wants to be told how to do their job but educating yourself on the right topics really can protect yourself, ...

It is finally officially Fall and a favorite time of year for many, including residents of Sedona. Fall is one of the most fun times to be in Sedona, not just because of the changing weather, but because of all of the great things to do in the community. Here are just some of the fun activities available during fall in Sedona. 

Sedona Airport Family Fun Day 

A favorite among Sedona residents, that is highly anticipated every year. There is always a large display of fascinating aircraft from historic to modern. Some planes on display include warbirds, vintage planes, and aircraft with the most modern advancements in technology. This year’s showcase includes a World War II B-25 bomber...

Whether you only have one day and want to visit Sedona or are already lucky enough to live here and just need something to do to get out of the house, we have compiled a list of some great things to do in Sedona that won’t cost a thing.  

Try out a New Hobby or Pick Up an Old one Again, with Photography 

Get out your camera or take the chance to play with the features on that fancy smartphone. There are many stunning photo opportunities all over Sedona. The scenery in Sedona is breathtaking and it is hard to take a bad photo. You can play around with acquiring new skills or hone in on old tricks you already knew.  
 
One of the best times to snap great pictures is just before sunset. The ...

Submarine Rock is one of Sedona's Most Family-Friendly Hikes

Looking for an iconic Sedona activity to enjoy with the entire family? Go for a hike! While some hikes are not suited for all ages and physical abilities, Submarine Rock and most of the Broken Arrow system of trails are ideal for the whole family to explore.  
 
Submarine Rock Trail is on the east border of the Twin Buttes cluster of trails near the Chapel of the Holy Cross. There are several trails and trailheads that allow several different ways to get to the actual Submarine Rock Trail.  
 
If you start out at the lesser-used Mystic Trailhead you will then follow the Hog Wash Trail to the Broken Arrow Trail. This will make for...

Recently Sedona was voted the number one most underrated place to visit of 2019. VacationRenter did a survey where they asked 1,000 travelers across the country the best place to go with little fanfare. Sedona came out as the number one underrated destination.  

Reasons Why Sedona is Amazing and Underrated 
 

The Beauty: This is number one for obvious reasons. The first time you step foot in Sedona you are taken away. The brain can’t quite comprehend all of the amazing scenery that the eye is taking in. It just might leave you jaw-dropping speechless for a minute. The red rocks and blue skies are just stunning and many an amazing photo has come from Sedona, but they just don’t compare ...

Spring is a popular time to be in Sedona for many reasons. One of them is the great activities to enjoy around Easter. These fun festivities are full of charm, history, and friendly locals. So get out and enjoy the amazing weather, festivities and people that make this place so fun to live in!  
 

All Aboard! Hop on the Easter Train at the Verde Canyon Railroad 

Have some fun with the Easter Bunny before climbing on board the Bunny Express on Saturday April 20, 2019. Join the bunny in face painting fun on the patio including treats and lots of hugs. Mom and Dad don’t forget the camera! Hop on board the train at 1pm and wave farewell to the Bunny (so he can get ready for hiding eggs) as y...

Purchasing a first home is a big step, especially in the gorgeous town of Sedona. Buying a home takes some time and the key to ensuring you find the Sedona home just right for you is to have some know-how and insight into the home buying process.  

Here are some key tips for purchasing a home in Sedona, Arizona. 
 

Know What You Want 

Take some time to sit down and make out a list of things you would like in your Sedona home. Make a list of needs, wants, and would love to have. For instance, a family of four would need at least a three bedroom house and want a 4 bedroom maybe for a home office, and maybe love to have a 5 bedroom home to create a guest room. This will help when you fi...

With Christmas right around the corner you are probably not putting a whole lot of thought into getting your home ready to sell, but if you're planning on selling the first of the year, starting now, even with just some tips and ideas can put you ahead of the game when the time comes.

Come the first of the year, you'll have a little bit more competition that you have now, so you'll need to be ready to market to those potential buyers. Here are some tips to starting now if you're planning on selling the first of the year.

#1. Talk to an agent.

Before you start looking around at the properties for sale, talk to an agent first. Things will literally change overnight once the Christmas sea...

We do a lot of things solely on emotion; fall in love, buy that dress or purse, purchase that sports car, and buying a house really isn't any different. Okay, maybe it's a few thousand dollars of difference but the emotion is the same. We are attracted to it and something in our brain says, "oh, I just love it and have to have it." 

So, how can sellers evoke that kind of emotion when staging and prepping their house for sale?

Let's look at the way people buy; most people start their buying process online. Did you know that close to 90% of homebuyers start their search online? If your house is not online you are missing the majority of potential buyers. In today's technology era, once ...

Pumpkin spice has grown in popularity since the launch of the famous coffee drink nearly a decade and a half ago. Now the season we have always known as fall has been re-named pumpkin spice season with a tongue and cheek playfulness. Beginning in August all sorts of pumpkin spice flavored, scented, colored, etc. items are released to store shelves and nostalgic fall fanatics begin to get excited for a change in seasons.  
 
Some say the science behind the popularity of the pumpkin spice trend has to do with warm fuzzy holiday memories that the scent invokes in our memories. Others say the memories combined with large amounts of sugar make anything pumpkin spice addictive and we begin to cra...

Condo living has so many perks and benefits. One attribute of condo living that buyers very much enjoy is the long list of amenities available enabling them to live that dream lifestyle. Sedona and Cottonwood have some great condo properties on the market that offer wonderful amenities. Some of the favorite condo amenities in Sedona and Cottonwood include: 

 
Unbelievable Views 
This is Red Rock Country. People come from all over the world to take in the areas unmatched outdoor beauty. It is almost unreal and unbelievable how amazing the scenery is around here. There are many condo properties that take full advantage of the gorgeous red rocks with large windows looking out to views you wil...

Sedona Arizona has tons of biking trails all throughout our mountains, hills, and valleys. If you're looking for either a beginning trail or an advanced course, here are some of the best bike trails in Sedona.

Best bike trails for beginners:

Bell Rock Trails.

This is a great trail for first-time or beginner bikers. It's over 16 miles writing between Courthouse Butte and Little Horse Trail. It has smooth services and wide trails and plenty of room to share the trail. It has beautiful views making it a memorable ride for first-timers and beginners alike.

Directions:Location: 31 miles south of Flagstaff in scenic Red Rock Country.

GPS:

North Trailhead (Map): 34°48'19.8"N 111°46'00.5"W
S...