Welcome to Payson !

What makes Payson, AZ a great place to buy a home? (part one- location)

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:33:34 -0800

Payson is just so convenient!

It is an hour to two hours drive to various parts of the Phoenix metro area. That means one can drive down to shop, for business, for entertainment, or anything else available , and can drive back to Payson when finished. Imagine a shopping or business trip when the temperature in Phoenix is 110 and traffic is awful- that road back to Payson looks extremely good.

It is about the same driving time to ski areas at either Snowbowl or Sunrise. If you ski (or snowboard) you can drive up for the day and still be home that evening.

The picture is looking out over the town from a new homesite off Airport Road.

Payson is not as hot as the Phoenix area and not as cold as Flagstaff or Pinetop, so we can enjoy both areas without suffering the temperature extremes, breathing the Phoenix "brown cloud" of smog, or sliding on snow and ice all winter at the higher elevations. (Another post will come about our great climate and clear, blue skies).

Payson is about an hour's drive from many beautiful lakes on the Mogollan Rim, it is also close to Roosevelt Lake for those colder months. Hiking, hunting, camping, boating; outdoor activities are always available and popular.

California, and the Las Vegas areas are convenient driving distance; so are the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and other tourist destinations.

Payson is located just about in the center of Arizona, and is the center for all kinds of activities.

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We've been in Payson for 20 years, and
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Do you have Buyers that tell you, "I'm going to wait" Share this!

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:08:36 -0800

I couldn't say this any better myself- so I'm re-blogging it instead. It's a VERY good point.

Via Scott Larson (ReMax (Towne Square Realty)):

Example, take a home that is priced at $100,000 and the interest rates are at 5% for a 30 year loan. The monthly payment would be $536.82.

Now let's say they wait and the housing market drops another 10%. (good) The home is now $90,000, but the interest rate go up to 6%( bad). The new monthly payments are now $540 per month.

With the volatile market that we live in, waiting isn't always the best option. Why pay more when you can start making your dream of home ownership a reality today while interest rate are historically low and homes are on sale?

Do the numbers!

Wow! Good news for Real Estate on the Today Show!

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:05:12 -0800

If you don't watch the Today Show you may not have seen their "real estate guru", Barbara Corcoran They have her on ever so often. I don't always agree with her, but this morning she actually made a lot of points which we've been trying to make to people.

The segment was called 10 Real Estate Myths for Buyers and Sellers

The link above takes you to the text (printable version available) and to a video of the segment. I didn't embed it because you have to wait through 30 seconds of commercial, and I just don't have the patience. I figured a lot of you don't either.

Basically, it put up 5 myths that Buyers believe, and 5 for Sellers, and then she proceeded to dispel them. Well, GOOD! I've been trying to dispel some of these with everyone I talk to!

Points she made:
-Just because the house has a high "days on market" doesn't necessarily mean you can steal it.
-Not every Seller is desperate.
-You DON'T have to put 20% down to buy.
-You DON'T have to have stellar credit to buy.
-You can't necessarily predict the bottom, so you may not want to wait.
-This is NOT necessarily the worst time to sell, and you will be buying at lower prices.
-You should counter back on a low offer.
-The first offer MAY be the best.
-Put your best price out there now, not later.
-If you want to re-fi, go to a lender you know.

The point that got me excited was in reference to whether or not it is "the worst time to sell".We all know the phrase "real estate is local". Her comments included the following:"It depends on where you live. Many of the worst hit markets, like Las Vegas, Phoenix, or San Diego, are already beginning to turn around."

Those are markets which feed buyers to my small town (Payson, AZ).People sell in Las Vegas or Phoenix or San Diego, and because they used to be able to sell for very good prices they could come here and buy a very nice home. Now, that is somewhat reversed. Prices here have NOT dropped as badly as in those areas (see above- NOT every Seller is desperate), but there ARE some bargains available. If people can sell THERE for at least reasonable prices, then they can buy HERE. WE saw the poor market coming by watching those markets, and we will see the better market coming by watching them.

If you live in those area, do you agree that they have turned around?

Feels like early Spring-Payson, AZ rental market warming up.

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:26:08 -0800

We tell Owners that rentals in Payson are really NOT seasonal except for the holidays. Thanksgiving through Christmas is always slow. This year the rentals have been FROZEN! I've been telling people that it was too early to tell if it was just the season, or if it was the economy.

Well, it seems that most of it was the season. We have signed four leases in the last week, we have a bunch of applications to process, and we're back to showing houses several times a day, every day. We HAVE had several tenants give notice to move, as well. They are either looking for something less expensive, or in some cases looking to move out of Payson completely. This isn't unusual in January- people make moves with the new year. We find the increase in activity heartening.

The picture to the right is a home we have currently available. It is 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with a garage, and in a newer subdivision, for $1200 a month.

If you own rental property in the Payson area, or if you are looking for a rental, we invite you to visit our web site for rentals RentInPayson.com We have our currently available rentals there with descriptions and pictures, we also have our rental applications available on the site.

This web site is a tremendous advantage for our business. We get calls every day from people looking at the site and considering moving to Payson. A prospective tenant can email an application to us right from the site. We deal with people by internet, email, fax, phone, and (if we have to) by mail. I'm constantly amazed by how many people know about Payson.

Call us for any real estate needs in the Payson area!

Payson, AZ- having a "heat wave"

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:02:30 -0800

Today, in Payson, it is 60 degrees! In January! It is SO warm that it has me thinking garden, even though I know that Spring has NOT sprung, we WILL have snow, the temperatures won't stay reliably warm until at LEAST April, and probably May. Payson has rather unpredictable weather. I have, several times, seen a foot or two of snow in April, but I have NEVER seen it this warm in January.

I wanted a White CHristmas- but the closest I got was the pictures, below.

This is the view, in December, from the hill near the airport in Payson. Several times before Christmas we had rain all day, turning to snow in the evening. Rain again, in the night, melted it off before morning.

The trees looked flocked, the wind was blowing, and it was COLD! Note the pieces of snow on the camera lens- the wind was blowing it almost sideways.

If you like CHANGEABLE weather, Payson is the place for you. It has 4 mild seasons, not as cold as Flagstaff in the Winter, not as hot as Phoenix in the Summer, and Fall and Spring are just gorgeous!

Payson, Arizona real estate, 2008 sold statistics

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:38:42 -0800

We think Payson is just a great place to live, and we're SURE that there are still a lot of people who want to move here. Unfortunately, the number of them who actually DID move here last year was fairly small

These statistics are for the city of Payson, not any outlying areas. It is for properties which were listed through our MLS system.

In Payson, FOR ALL OF 2008, only 186 site-built houses sold. The majority of these (131) were in Payson NE or NW. Sales prices ranged from $45,000 to over 2 million.

Average Days on the Market was 182 (but varied considerably), and the selling price was generally lower than the asking price by 10% to 20% or more.

There were also 37 manufactureds homes sold in Payson, as well as a few mobiles (9), kit homes (3), condos (12), and new construction (11).

Our whole MLS encompasses many small towns and subdivisions, and includes some properties from Christopher Creek, Heber/Overgaard, and even Show Low. It also includes properties North and South of Payson. In the entire MLS sysytem, for 2008, there were 551 properties sold.'

For a breakdown of site-built homes sold by price range, visit PaysonAZHomesforSale.com/08stats.pdf.

Picture is mine, a view from a rental.

Help for Renters - Fannie Mae Changes Policy

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:52:19 -0800

Changes for Fannie Mae owned properties that will help some tenants. I couldn't say it better myself, so I'm re-blogging it. Thanks to Debi Boucher.

Via Woodland Park Real Estate, Colorado - Debi Boucher (Realtor-Prudential Professional REALTORS, ASP REALTOR):

Renters Now Allowed To Stay In Foreclosed Homes

Until now, when the renter's landlord failed to pay the mortgage, and the home was foreclosed on, the renter was just plain out of luck - facing eviction even if they had been paying their rent. Single family homes, and multi unit investment complexes would see the renters forced to move out. In the case of multi unit properties, this lack of cash flow clearly makes it more difficult for the property to sell later.

Going into effect on January 9, 2009, Fannie Mae will begin acting as landlord, and will sign new leases for thousands of renters living in foreclosed upon properties. (An estimated 4,000 renters)

As a part of the 700 billion dollar Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, both Fannie and Freddie were required to allow tenants to stay in their homes, as long as they were paying their rent, until their leases ran out. Apparently, they were having some trouble following those guidelines, but Fannie at least, has changed their policy. To date, Freddie has not, nor have any in the banking industry.

In November, according to Realty Trac, there were nearly 260,000 foreclosure filings. We've all been hearing alot about the home owners in trouble, but what about the renters? Imagine paying your rent on time, being a responsible tenant, and evicted just the same?

Fannie Mae's decision will affect the 4000 renters under their books, but what about the thousands more, with landlords having different types of loans, going into foreclosure?

Yes, I think it's time renters' rights were respected as well. I hope the other financial institutions will follow suit, and soon.

Prudential Professional REALTORS, ASP REALTOR, Woodland Park Real Estate, Woodland Park Colorado 80863 – Serving the City of Woodland Park, Teller County, Ute Pass, and Park County since 1997.

Here's hoping for a White Christmas, Payson, AZ (with a pretty snow pic from last year)

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:41:25 -0800

We DO get snow in the mountains in Arizona. Honest! Here's a picture to prove it. The picture is not, however, from this year. The forecast has predicted a little snow several times, lately, but all we have gotten is rain. Once in a great while we get a white Christmas, but most of our snow falls in the Spring. I've seen 2 feet of snow over Easter break.

Update:It snowed very prettily all day Monday, but didn't stick until evening. them=n, in the night, it turned to rain and melted it all
Friday, Dec. 19th- we've gotten a little snow over night, twice more this week, but it melted off quickly. They are predicting more snow next Tuesday, so I'm still hoping. The Rim is really white to the Northest this morning.
Tuesday, Dec. 23rd- Drove home last evening in rain in town, but when I headed up the hill by the airport it turned to a heavy snowstorm. There is snow in protected spots, but most of it has melted again. We are evidently right on the dividing line between rain and snow. Still hoping!

NO, we DIDN'T get a white Christmas- it rained all day. It's been an unusually warm Fall, and we just weren't cold enough for snow. Oh, well. At least we are still above the 30-year average for precipitation- so maybe we are finally out of the drought.

My pic, taken just off Airport Rd., in Payson, AZ.

UPDATED "Magic on the Mountain" -Christmas in Payson, AZ

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:35:10 -0800

"Magic on the Mountain" is the name given to Payson's Holiday festivities.

Swiss Village Shopping Center, in Payson, has their annual Christmas Lighting tonight (Friday, November 28th) starting about 5:30 pm. There will be caroling, a live Nativity scene, Santa, and various "open house" touches in stores. The festivities continue Saturday and Sunday.

"Magic on the Mountain" is the official name for the holiday festivities in Payson, I'll add more about what's coming soon. Gotta go get out our Christmas wreath for the office!

We went to the above event, but it was kind of a "bust". It had rained all day, and not too many people showed up. The following events are predicted for NICE weather.

BUT COMING:

Payson's Electric Light Parade is Saturday, Dec. 6th (this weekend!) on Main Street. For a small town, we have a nice parade. It is COLD, so bundle up. There is hot chocolate and coffee available to purchase. The parade starts from the Sawmill Crossing shopping center (Beeline and Main St.) and goes West on Main. We usually got to dinner in the shopping center and then walk on over to see the parade.

Also this weekend is the annual "Toys for Tamales", held Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. I just found out- the location on this one has been changed to Gerardo's- a restaurant on Beeline Hwy. in the center of Payson. Bring a new toy for a plate of tamales.

On Sunday, Dec. 7th, there will be a Christmas show "The Spirit of Christmas" at the High School auditorium. The show is free admission, but please bring donations for the local food bank. Shows are at 2pm and 6pm.

On the next Saturday, Dec. 13th, in Green Valley Park, there will be a Santa's Workshop for viewing and picture taking, and at dark the Holiday Boat Regatta will take to the man-made lake. This down Main Street.

Lights graphic was found on a large graphics "compilation" site.
If you hold the copyright, contact me, and I will give you credit
or take it down, whichever you prefer. Wreath and poinsettia are
my pics from our office.
Simple at Heart logo- that's me.

FactCheck.org "Just the facts, Ma'am" -Keep 'em accountable.

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:59:20 -0700

An old joke goes:
How do you know if a politician is lying?
Is his/her mouth moving?

Yeah, I'm partisan. But I don't like ANY candidate spinning, stretching, telling half- truths, or out-right lying. FactCheck.org is my new favorite web site. They do what I would do if I had the time. They check out the political speeches, ads, emails, etc. And they report on the FACTS.

They seem to be what they claim, non-partisan. There are articles calling to task both republicans and democrats. You can search a particular person/ad/issue. I believe they do the same for state political ads, too. They list their sources, so you can research further if you wish.

Some claims are so outrageous we know they are lies. But if you aren't sure and want to know, check out the site. Let's hold the politicians (and their more rabid supporters) accountable for truth (or at least accuracy).

Holiday Craft Show time is here again in Payson, AZ!

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:02:45 -0700

This year I just can't get it together enough to be in a craft show. I'm getting calls from people wanting my candles, and I hate to disappoint, but we do what we have to do. We are managing almost 100 rentals this year, and we are BUSY! Maybe I'll make some cinnamon roll candles and sell them at the office!

Anyway- there are shows galore coming up in Payson.

The show I often participate in is the Presbyterian Church Show. It will be held this year at the Payson Senior Center, on W. Main Street.

Saturday, November 8th, from 8am to 2 pm.

There will be lots of homemade goodies,
Food, Santa, Music. COME AND ENJOY!

I will be adding more shows in the next day or two, so check back!

Xmas tree is from a large compilation graphics site:
http://www.hellasmultimedia.com

Took a vacation: Arizona's Grand Canyon, North Rim (pretty pics)

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:05:18 -0700

We took a couple of days last week, picked our sons up in Flagstaff, and drove to the North Rim. The drive takes you to within 30 miles of Page, then you turn west and climb up to the Rim. That is one long drive! The scenery is interesting, passing through Indian reservation, past the Vermillion Cliffs, across the Colorado at Lees Ferry, and then into the mountains. The North Rim is 8,000 to 9,000 ft. elevation.

The North Rim being so much higher in elevation, gets much colder (and sooner). We were there the 1st of October and the temperatures were 60s, but the park closes for the winter October 15th each year.

The evergreens are mostly fir and spruce. The elevation is too high for Ponderosas.

Even though the daytime temperatures were great, the nights had been cold enough to turn the aspen leaves yellow. In the middle of the day, with the sun on the leaves, they were so bright yellow it was if they glowed.

The North Rim park includes a lot of woods, one can backpack or camp in the park.

This is called Angel's Window. You can't tell well in the picture, but you can see the Colorado river through the "window". To give you scale, the little lines up on top of the end of the rock- those are people.

There are only three main areas for viewing the Canyon, at the North Rim. At this one, there is a walk to several points. One of the view areas requires a four-wheel drive vehicle and a lot of time, so we didn't visit it. Another trip.

We stayed in a cabin, right by the Rim and the Lodge. We had two rooms with a 3/4 bath for about what a motel would be. They take reservations a year in advance, but we got in with about a month's notice.

The Lodge has a gorgeous Dining Room, high ceilings and chandeliers, and very good food. It also has patios from which to watch the sunsets (crowded!)

With the North Rim 1,000 to 2,000 ft. higher than the South Rim, there are places where you can see over the South Rim and beyond.

To give you some scale- that part in the middle ground- it is several miles away, even though it looks close.

At one point a helicopter dipped down into the canyon. It looked the size of a bird.

Vacations are good for the soul! I know the economic situation is in melt-down, but I'm very glad we went when we did.

Fall is in the air in Payson, AZ

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:30:57 -0700

OK, I'm cheating just a little with this photo. The leaves aren't changing JUST YET in Payson. The photo is from another year. But the nights are getting cooler, and it won't be long!

If you live in the hot part of the state, come visit us in Northern Arizona. we're low 80s now in the day, low 50s at night. Beautiful weather!

And the leaves will be turning soon!

Who's being murdered? Elk are making noise in the Payson, Arizona area.

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:30:43 -0700

When we first moved to the Payson area, we lived in mobile home about two miles South of Star Valley (a small town four miles East of Payson). Now this put us OUT IN THE COUNTRY! we had all kinds of wildlife around. One morning a woodpecker woke us early banging on the metal roof. We had an owl perched near and calling one evening. And one night, in the Fall, I woke up and heard what sounded like a SCREAM. It was down at the end of the valley and I wasn't sure I heard right, but as I lay awake listening it moved closer, and then passed our house.

It scared me half to death at first. I swear, it sounded like a woman screaming. I wondered if I should wake my husband, should we get up and see about it, should we call 911? But the way the sound was moving up the valley, with no other noises, no commotion or sounds of violence, made me think it MUST be an animal.

Turns out it was a bull elk. If you have never heard them, watch the video (make sure you turn your sound on).

Elk are calling all over the Rim Country. We live in town now, but behind us are 5 acre lots and National Forest is near (not uncommon in Payson). One night we heard an elk SO CLOSE that we could hear the intake of breath before he bugled. We couldn't see him, he must have been in the trees, on the 5 acre lot behind us.

If you love Fall, or miss it because you now live in the desert, come and visit Northern Arizona. The nights are just starting to cool, and the leaves will start changing soon.

Should I rent my house till the market gets better? Things to consider.

Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:19:46 -0700

In today's real estate market many Owners are finding that they either can't sell, or might have to sell at a deep discount. Many are, therefore, turning to renting as a possible alternative to a bargain basement sale. (I'm talking here about non-occupied properties. We have many in our area- either they are 2nd homes, investment property that isn't selling, or the Owners have HAD to move for some reason).
These are some of the issues we raise with Owners who come to discuss it with us:

-Can I AFFORD to rent my house for enough time for the market to recover?
    -At least in our area (Payson, AZ) the market is not likely to turn around for at least a year, maybe
      longer
    -Possible rent may OR MAY NOT be enough to cover your mortgage payment
    -a reputable Property Management company is not going to give any refundable security deposit
      from the Tenant to you, so don't count on that money. It will probably go into the company's trust
      account until the Tenant moves out.
    -Do your homework and find out how long it takes comparable properties to rent, and for how much $.
    -Can you make the payment if the house doesn't rent for a few months, or if the Tenant leaves and
     the property takes awhile to re-rent?
    -Can you make any necessary repairs to make the place safe for renters?
    -Can you do any fix-ups needed to make it "rentable"?
    -Can you do necessary maintenance while the property is rented? What if the water heater goes out?
    The furnace or AC? What if there is a plumbing or roof leak? Can you repair/replace necessary items?

-How "rentable" is my house?
    -How much competition is there in your area for quailified Tenants? (Believe me, NO Tenant at all is
    much better than the unqualified kind)
    -How easy it it to rent properties in my neighborhood? Ask a good Property Manager.
    -Is the rent amount I want/need reasonable? Again- ask a professional.
    -Am I willing to allow pets? (people LOVE their pets, no pets makes a place less rentable)
    -If you want to leave your house on the sales market Tenants will NOT want to rent it. You
    will probably have to give them lower rent or other concessions to get it rented. And the Tenant
    CAN and may "blow the sale" with any prospective Buyer. Better to take it OFF the sales market.

-How ready am I to give my house up to Tenants?
    -How emotionally attached are you? I guarantee you will have at least normal wear and tear.
    -That "accent" wall you love may make the house harder to rent.
    -Are you willing to allow children? Fair Housing violations are VERY expensive.
    -Once the property is leased you CANNOT come on the property except with proper notice.
    -You MUST comply with any and all national, state, and local laws regarding rentals.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of things to consider. It is intended to get you thinking. A good (read "experienced") Property Management Company can give you information particular to your area. If you decide to rent out your house we STRONGLY recommend letting a professional handle it. Mistakes (letting in a Tenant who can't pay, tears up the house, makes a meth lab, fills it with illegals, etc.) can be very expensive.
Renting CAN be a viable option- don't let this scare you off. Just be aware of the possibilities and
TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL!

AR people- what would you add?