If any of you read my story about "Saying Goodbye to 2008...", as of this morning, the escrow is still on and we are going to to our best to close this puppy to bring in the New Year.
I hope we all have a great 2009!
If any of you read my story about "Saying Goodbye to 2008...", as of this morning, the escrow is still on and we are going to to our best to close this puppy to bring in the New Year.
I hope we all have a great 2009!
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on January 02, 2009 at 11:40 AM in Flagstaff Real Estate - General, Flagstaff Real Estate Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Arizona, Eileen Schreiber, Flagstaff, Flagstaff Real Estate
It started out on a great note. The escrow I had open, and which had been struggling along for months, looked like it would close! With final documents (not loan docs) being rushed around for signatures, my Buyers were hopeful that in the first week of January they would have their beautiful little Flagstaff home with the great views of the trees.
Rewind. We had started in September. These buyers, like many others, were looking for their dream second home - the beautiful cabin in the trees for under $200,000.
If you don't know the Flagstaff market (and most people on the planet do not), that dream is almost a pipe dream, in some instances a fantasy.
Flagstaff is unique in Arizona. We are at 7000 feet, at the base of a mountain, surrounded by the world's largest (I think) Ponderosa Pine Forest. We are a treed oasis in the high-desert, complete with four seasons, temperate summers, and plenty of outdoor fun. We also have a great hospital, a university and community college, and are on the road for everybody coming from the East and South to go to the Grand Canyon.
What I mean is that Flagstaff is special and knows it, and therefore is not cheap. And we haven't crashedlike many larger markets. Finding something for under $200,000 that doesn't make you want to bring out the smelling salts is not often easy. (Affordable Flagstaff)
So, my buyers have a $208,000 escrow on a home in the trees that is in really good condition! A dream come true! We are ecstatic!
Except that right in the middle of the escrow, the banks changed all the rules, and from one day to the next they became un qualified for their loan. Except for the fact that the sellers are very elderly, do not "do" fax or email, and are used to being able to be stubborn rather than follow contractual law.
Yesterday, as it looked like we had survived these land mines, I approaced Phoenix, AZ for my New Years Eve party at about 4:45 PM. I received the call that I hope signifies the end of all horrible surprises of 2008. "If we can't close today, the Sellers don't want to sell".
Without boring you with the rest of the details, let's just say that for the next two hours and multiple phonecalls with Realtors, Lenders, Buyers and my Broker, the strategy was in place, the emails sent, and I was finally able to start bidding adieu to 2008.
We don't know what will happen with this escrow, but I do know that as of today, I'm giving strict instructions to the Universe that these types of surprises are no longer welcome, or acceptable! In 2009 we want all great things to come easy!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Eileen
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on January 01, 2009 at 09:28 AM in Flagstaff Buyers, Flagstaff Real Estate - General, Flagstaff Real Estate Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Arizona, Flagstaff
Where else but Flagstaff? A Pine Cone Drop to bring in the New Year!
In the year 2009.....
This is how to have fun in a snowy, Flagstaff Winter.
For The Best Flagstaff Real Estate Website, www.TheFlagstaffWebsite.com
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 31, 2008 at 07:06 AM in Flagstaff Buyers, Flagstaff Real Estate - General, Flagstaff Real Estate Humor | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: AZ, Eileen Schreiber, Flagstaff, Flagstaff Arizona, Flagstaff Real Estate, Flagstaff Realtor
The following statistics are for single family homes only sold in Flagstaff, AZ for the week of December 22-28, 2008. It does not include condos, townhomes or manufactured homes.
For specific reports that reflect your neighborhood, or for reports that provide comparables to your home, or the home you wish to purchase, please call or email Eileen!
Low Price $250,000
Median Price $316,000
Avg. Price/SF $186.27
Avg. Year Built 1996
Avg. Sales to List Price 96.94%
Avg. Days on Market 84
Inthe same week, One Condominium Sold: A 1270 SF, 3 BR, 2 BA Condo for $215,000
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 29, 2008 at 06:35 AM in Flagstaff Market Conditions/Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Eileen Schreiber, Flagstaff Market Report, Flagstaff Real Estate
Reprinted from the Arizona Daily Sun. Author -Joe Ferguson - December19, 2008
By JOE FERGUSON
Sun Staff Reporter
Friday, December 19, 2008
It's official: A Wal-Mart Supercenter is coming to east Flagstaff in 2010.
It just won't be the massive big box that city voters debated back in 2005. But it will sell groceries in addition to discount retail goods under the same roof.
The city's development review board approved plans on Thursday for a 114,018 square-foot Wal-Mart on Huntington Drive next to the Outback Steakhouse.
The approved plans are vastly different than the two-story, 212,000-square-foot Supercenter the nation's largest retailer had sought more than two years ago -- plus a parking garage.
But after several revisions, the approved plan calls for a one-story store only 9,000 square feet larger than the current Wal-Mart in west Flagstaff.
The new plans also outline a traditional parking lot rather than the original two-story garage on the 15.6-acre site.
A representative for Wal-Mart, Delia Garcia, said the store would include a fully-stocked supermarket, unlike the Wal-Mart in west Flagstaff, which primarily sells retail goods.
"It is still a supercenter concept, it is just not a 200,000-square-foot store people usually associate with supercenters," Garcia said. "We have 100,000-square-foot supercenters."
The city and the retailer are still at odds over 12 conditions that the city has proposed to address the thousands of extra vehicle trips a day at nearby intersections and two-lane roads the new store is expected to generate.
One of the conditions set by the city is a $750,000 payment to the city for extra lanes on the Fourth Street bridges over Interstate 40. The payment represents 15 percent of the estimated cost of $5 million.
Both sides said they are confident an agreement can be reached on the traffic conditions outlined in the eight-page report.
Conditions as part of the DRB approval process are common in Flagstaff. The Juniper Point mixed-use project reportedly had 1,000 conditions as part of its DRB approval.
Wal-Mart is expected to keep its "green" features for the store, including skylights, the use of local building materials and energy-efficient systems.
The store, when open in 2010, is expected to employ between 250 and 300 people, Garcia said.
Because the project complies with the underlying zoning, it does not need the approval of the city's planning and zoning commission or the city council.
Joe Ferguson can be reached at 556-2253 or jferguson@azdailysun.com.
Chronology of Flagstaff's second Wal-Mart
-- July 2006: Initial application for 212,000 square-foot Supercenter
-- Sept. 2006: 212,000 square feet, but with new, environmentally friendly features
-- July 2007: 178,000 square feet
-- June 2008: 114,000 square feet
--December 2008: Final DRB approval
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 27, 2008 at 10:51 AM in Flagstaff Business News, Flagstaff Market Conditions/Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Arizona, Flagstaff
Reprinted From the Arizona Daily Sun. Author - Joe Ferguson. December 16, 2008
Beaver Street Brewery is set to build a second restaurant and microbrewery at an old lumberyard just south of the tracks in downtown Flagstaff.
By JOE FERGUSON
Sun Staff Reporter
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The owners of Beaver Street Brewery in Flagstaff have plans to convert a vacant lumber warehouse just south of the tracks into a second downtown restaurant and microbrewery.
The plans hinge on approval of the Flagstaff City Council, which is being asked to consider a complicated 50-year lease of the city-owned land that would start at just a dollar a year. In exchange, the owners of Beaver Street could pour as much as $2 million worth of improvements into the historic J.D. Halstead Lumber Company building at South San Francisco and Phoenix.
The existing restaurant does roughly $4 million of business each year, according to a city staff report.
The new location would allow Beaver Street to begin bottling its beer for local, and eventually, statewide distribution. It would also create 70 new jobs that average $12 an hour.
Evan Hanseth of Beaver Street Brewery said he has reached production capacity at his current 9,000 square-foot location on Beaver Street.
"The brewery there has been pretty maxed out this summer and we don't have any room for expansion," Hanseth said. "One of the reasons we are going to do this is to be able to make more beer and supply the existing restaurant."
An increase in volume would help Hanseth deliver cans of Railhead Red and other award-winning, seasonal beers he produces to local grocery and liquor stores.
Beaver Street only distributes its beer now in 64-ounce glass bottles known as growlers and sells it only at the restaurant.
"Initially, it would be locally and then statewide eventually," Hanseth said.
CANS, NOT BOTTLES
He said plans currently call for distributing in cans rather than glass bottles.
"The trend in the industry is using cans, it is more environmentally friendly," he said.
Fans of the existing Beaver Street location have nothing to fear, Hanseth said, because the new plans will not affect current operations.
"We are not going to close the restaurant we have, this is going to be a whole new venue. " Hanseth said. "It will be a whole different cuisine ... we will cater to the college crowd. In some respects, we are going to compete with ourselves."
If approved by the council, Hanseth said the new restaurant would open sometime after the new brewery is up and running, projected for December 2009.
The lease would require the brewery, the sole bidder on the city contract, to preserve existing historic buildings.
Community Investment Director Michael Kerski said he has seen plans that call for Beaver Street to spend an estimated $2 million to remodel the existing buildings.
TIERED RENTAL CONTRACT
The draft agreement with the city, if approved, would have a tiered rental contract, with Beaver Street paying $1 a year until the new brewery opens.
The rent would increase to $1,500 a month until the city closes off the adjacent parking lot to make improvements to the Rio de Flag flood control project.
As the city demolishes the parking lot to build an underground culvert, Beaver Street would not have to pay any rent. When the project is finished, the city would rebuild the 40-space parking lot and charge Beaver Street $3,000 a month, with annual two percent increases.
The lease is for 50 years, with two optional 10-year extensions. The property will then revert to city at the end of the lease.
SOME WANT PARKING GARAGE
Some downtown business owners see the old lumber warehouse as the perfect spot to build a downtown parking garage. The city already the owns the land, removing the prospect of expensive land acquisition near downtown Flagstaff.
But the city's historic preservation officer, Karl Eberhard, said the city could jeopardize countless federal grants if it tore down a historic building it had vowed to protect.
The oldest lumberyard building on the site dates back to the 1890s and is the last remaining building from Flagstaff's lumber era.
As an example, Eberhard said the city is hoping to receive millions from the federal government for the Rio de Flag flood control project on the condition that the historic warehouse and several other Southside buildings be preserved. The Army Corps of Engineers has already allocated $18.6 million to the flood control project.
Hanseth said in a letter to the city that he would work with the state Historic Preservation office and other regulatory agencies to keep the building and site on the historical register.
Joe Ferguson can be reached at 556-2253 or jferguson@azdailysun.com.
By the numbers:
Beaver Streeet Brewery
90-100 Current employees
70 Additional employees at second site
$4 million Curent sales
$2 million Reported cost of renovations to the lumberyard
9,000 Size in square feet of current property
8,500 Size in square feet of second property
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 27, 2008 at 10:47 AM in Flagstaff Business News, Flagstaff Market Conditions/Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Arizona, Flagstaff
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Flagstaff Ahtletics Blog
If you are looking for everything athletic in Flagstaff, please visit my blog: www.FlagstaffAthletics.com.
Flagstaff is an athlete's haven. The trails, trees and rolling hills of Flagstaff make this a world -renowned destination for active people. Hikers, mountain bikers, Golfers, Runners, Horse People, Skiiers, and anyone who loves to move through the beautiful outdoors finds a niche in Flagstaff and our surrounding areas.
A personal tangent: When I'm not a Realtor in Flagstaff, I am participating in all kinds of athletic activities. My daily love is long walks with the dogs, either on the back nine of Forest Highlands Golf Course, or in the forests behind University Heights. I also play as much tennis as possible, here, in Sedona and in the Valley, have tried to commit to Yoga (soundly failed), have belonged to almost all of our Flagstaff Gyms, and have recently fallen in love with Crossfit (go to www.FlagstaffAthletics.com or www.crossfit.com for more info).
With Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, the Verde Valley and Phoenix so close, Flagstaff is really the perfect base for all things athletic in Arizona. If you live in Phoenix, you can get to the slopes by 8:30 AM, ski your heart out, and return for a nice warm evening in the same day! Or, I can drive down Oak Creek Canyon, a world-renowned roadway, and hike or play tennis in Sedona in a T-shirt and shorts, before returning to a Flagstaff Blizzard. We really have it all.
So come check out the blog - submit news, stories, events, humor and photos!
Warmest Wishes from Snowy Flagstaff! - Eileen
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 22, 2008 at 02:11 PM in Flagstaff Athletics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 16, 2008 at 02:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Flagstaff Monthly Market Report
Month/Year |
Average Sales Price |
Low Price Per SF |
High Price Per SF |
Homes Sold this month |
November 2008 |
$382,654 |
$123.70 |
$359.20 |
37 |
October 2008 |
$365,754 |
$99.94 |
$277.05 |
50 |
November 2007* |
$365,008* |
$148.00* |
$330.21* |
50 |
*November 2007 does not include homes sold in Forest Highlands Golf Club. November 2008 does include homes sold in Forest Highlands Golf Club. Homes in Forest Highlands sell for higher price per sf than others.
All information is taken from the Northern Arizona MLS and does not include homes Sold by Owner or not listed on the MLS.
For neighborhood-specific reports, or for comparisons of properties similar to your home, call or email Eileen!
Posted by Eileen Schreiber on December 12, 2008 at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)