However we bring exciting news, courtesy of the Red Rock News that a Sedona nonprofit named Recycling Nonprofit of Year.

The Sedona Recycles Inc. are delighted about a state-level award the organization recently received. The company was named the Recycling Nonprofit of the Year by the Arizona Recycling Coalition.

The Small Business of the Year award recipient created the plaque with the Arizona flag in the shape of the state in the center surrounded by the three recycle arrows. Around the edge of the plaque are flowers made from recycled soda bottles.

The organization’s mission is to serve the Sedona and Verde Valley communities through public education and responsible resource recovery, and to promote and provide opportunities to use the three “R’s” – reduce, reuse and recycle. They take paper, cardboard and paperboard, glass, steel, aluminum, plastics numbers one through seven, batteries, electronics, ink-jet printer and laser toner cartridges, and clothing, shoes, toys and small household items.

Sedona Recycles offers 13 free recycling drop-off sites for people to deposit the recyclable materials they collect at their homes or businesses with a total 110 dumpsters. They process about 15 tons of material a day! Which is alot of recyclable goods!

They have extensive local education programs and provide recycle bins to local organizations including schools!

In short, Sedona has great community involvement when it comes to going green. Sedona’s community involvement is part of what make its an ideal relocation destination!

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

Kitchens are always an important area in any house, not just in functionality – but when it comes to marketing real estate, staying ahead of the crowd and up with the lastest trends is of the utmost importance. Buyers will look for the latest trends and features so consider it when remodeling!

The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), founded in 1963 as The American Institute of Kitchen Dealers, has nearly 40,000 members. Earlier this year it released its top trends for kitchens and bathrooms for 2010 and here they are:

1. Concealed Kitchens - Where the kitchen area blends with the rest of home so that the kitchen doesn’t look too noticable.  Complimentary coloring with the surrounding spaces and open planned features will help here.

2. Thirst Quenching Stations -  Seems strange, but simple things like wine coolers and built in coffee stations are all the rage! These are now found in high end kitchens and homes and everyone wants them! Plus they are very useful for everyday life!

3. Round Edges on everything! – Well, not everything but most things, archways, countertops (granite remember is a great idea!)Rounding out those edges creates a smooth traffic flow and harmony to the room.

4. Foreign Influences

Simple, minimalist and clean lines from the orient have long been desired, but how about other parts of the world? A featured piece of art work from a distant land as a focal point in a kitchen can help give inspiration in the remodel and allow you to design the kitchen in a complimentary way.

Buyers – when looking at homes, a striking trendy kitchen can help you when it comes to resale. Sellers – if your kitchen is looking in need of a makeover consider some of these trends. Spending a little money in the right areas can make a huge difference when it comes to buyer interest and can help in clinching that all important sale. Using the right agent is also key in any home sale; sellers in Sedona and the surrounding area please contact us to let us help you sell your home! 

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

The economy is all we hear about on the news! However this latest data from Sedona and the Verde Valley on Sales Tax revenue may come as a surprise.

Numbers are up – what does this mean? Well, it means that people are spending more in the area. Locals, visitors, the lot! Showing that the economy is improving.

Except for Camp Verde, all communities in the Verde Valley and Sedona posted gains in sales tax revenue for July over the same month last year.

Sedona in July moved into positive numbers in both retail and total sales tax categories. Retail tax revenue was up from $244,689 last July to $258,063 this year. The total sales tax collections for all categories were up to $1,140,395 for July from $1,073,215 last year.

This is very important! Even in home sales – despite a fall in the level of actual sales, there is some positive news.

Nationally the news on homesales is not as good as it has been in recent months according to the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist has said that slightly lower numbers may continue for a few more months after the surge of buyers but that they should level out due to the high level of affordability.

Despite that annual sales are expected to reach 5 million in 2010 because of healthy activity in the first half of the year. This means 2010 is a great year as annual sales averaged 4.9 million in the past 20 years, and 4.4 million over the past 30 years! Mortgage rates are still at historic lows according to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.42 percent last week!

On prices, the national median existing-home price for all housing types was up 0.7% from a year ago, Single-family median existing-home prices were higher in 11 out of 19 metropolitan statistical areas reported in July in comparison with July 2009. Also, raw unsold inventory is 12.9% below July 2008 numbers. The level of investor purchases also increased with investors accounting for 19% of sales in July, up from 13% in June. So despite actual sales being lower there is alot of positive news in NAR’s findings.

It confirms what we have been saying, that now is the time to invest in Sedona Arizona Real Estate!

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

With such a packed social schedule in Sedona who has the time for anything!

Coming up the weekend of September 25th & 26th Sedona’s airport will open its doors and feature the 2010 Sedona Winefest.

The Sedona Winefest will be joined by the airport’s traditional airport open house and fly in, and the classic car show on September 25. This is an event that is not to be missed as it is dubbed as Arizona’s wine tasting event of the year!

For those aviation enthusiasts, you will be pleased to know that there will be great aircraft on display, including the famous 1929 Ford Tri Motor. The classic car display will include hot rods, antiques, trucks, street cars and more!

Winefest actually celebrates the wine growing industry in Arizona – particularly in Verde Valley – as we have written before, Sedona and its surrounding area plays an important part in this growing industry.

However, being Sedona, of course the arts are not left out! The Sedona Arts Center will be also be at the Winefest with their “Artists in Action” program,  where over a dozen artists who are also instructors at the art center demonstrate their artistic skills!

Sedona has so much to offer so many! No wonder it is a top relocation destination!

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

With the Perseids Meteor Shower this month it is no wonder that those visting and living in Sedona are turning their heads skywards in the evening!

The Perseid meteor shower is the result of the Earth passing through the trail of Comet Swift Tuttle and can produce incredible shows of shooting stars. However, Perseids aside, star gazing has long been a popular activity in Sedona.

Locals, Evening Sky Tours is also showing Saturn, Venus, and Mars with Jupiter as the featured object in the Fall of 2010. Tours are held by professional astronomers with custom built giant telescopes and lasers.

“Evening Sky Tours, LLC is a host for an entertaining evening of astronomy under
the canopy of Sedona’s brilliant night sky.” So if you are looking at planets, galaxies, star clusters and more! Then this is a great evening activity for you!

Sedona and the surrounding rea has some of the best viewing conditions in the United States resulting in many clear dark nights producing outstanding viewing conditions.

Stargazing aside. There has been an article recently about how Sedona makes for an inexpensive mini vacation for the whole family!

From the red rocks, stargazing, natural parks and arts – Sedona is a great place to live, work and play!

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

Sedona’s Real Estate market is always exciting, however so much is in the news in the real estate market that you don’t know what data to trust- well, the National Association of Realtor’s has some very interesting news of late, not just in home prices but also in their report detailing the social aspects of housing.

Homeownership and Stable communities go hand in hand: As we wrote back in March – homeownership offers great benefits - not just the tax benefits that you always hear about!

Most of us know, generally the higher the level of homeownership in a neighborhood, generally crime is lower and the general quality of life is higher. NAR’s latest report “Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing” goes further than this, it says that because homeowners are more active in their communities there are improved education opportunities and a higher level of happiness! As homeowners less frequently than renters, therefore they are embedded into the same neighborhood and community for longer. This allows for social cohesion within the area. This improves the quality of life for all in the community – Sedona has a very high quality of life on offer for its residents! Hence why it is a top relocation destination!

NAR has also released another report lately, which shows prices stabilizing and perhaps trending up according to their second quarter Metro home prices report. Apparently, 100 out of 155 metropolitan statistical areas had higher median existing single-family home prices in comparison with the second quarter of 2009, including 14 with double-digit increases. Total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, increased 9.1% with sales increasing from the first quarter in 44 states and D.C., also 47 states and D.C. had increases over year-ago sales levels. This is exciting news for Sedona and the nation!

Here out west, the median existing single-family home price in the West rose 2.6 % from a year ago – YES, WE SAID A PRICE RISE! Existing home sales are also 7.6% higher than the same period last year.

So to recap – Sedona is a great place to live and offers a high quality of life and according to NAR’s data – now has never been a better time to snap up your dream home in Sedona!

Click here to subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

Sedona is known for its great local arts scene – however it is important that a community supports its local arts and culture!

Sedona’s Art’s Center still needs your help to save the Art Barn!

The Pepsi Refresh Challenge continues throughout August and the Arts Center is ranked 71 out of 500+ ideas in the $250,000 category – we need to win! In order to win we need to get to number 1 or 2!
 
The Sedona Arts Center is competing for $250,000 to rehabilitate the old Art Barn Building which has been a part of Sedona since the 1930’s.

The lower level of the Art Barn was originally a Community Theater – this part was constructed in the mid 1990’s. This was a popular part of the center for a long time but as the theater business wound down, educational workshops grew! This space was converted into a classroom used for summer art camps and more!

The Wish List for the Theatre Studio is to upgrade the interior space to create a state of the art classroom environment for students of all ages that remains artistically stimulating.

This is part of Sedona’s art scene and needs our help as a community in Sedona! The arts center is so important in helping to foster the spirit of Sedona’s culture.

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Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

We all know that home staging is important and will help you sell your home faster, but as there are not many tips for Sellers out there, what could we be writing about that has not been written before?!

Well, with 84% of people searching for properties online your home does need to make the right impression, but these days that might mean online! So learn to stage your home for photographing!

Photos are of course part of the standard offering today – a smattering of nice shots online is expected and with many MLS systems allowing up to 20 photos there is room for at least a couple of photos per room.

Firstly consider this: are you marketing to families, couples, single persons or second home owners? When you have decided your home can be staged to tell a story aimed at the particular market segment you are selling to. This means that families will want to see functional space, couples might want to see your entertaining space accentuated.

Remember the basics:

Remove clutter – de cluttering is so important!
Tidy Up – if you have children and pets – clear away toys and clean, clean, clean!
Clean Windows – make the most of your natural light!
Make Repairs – small repairs can make a difference. See our article about small repairs making a big difference.

Of course create a mood with accentuating the positive aspects of your home, make the most of natural light and set the dining table so that it looks impressive!

Remember of course that Ault&Associates are here for you every step of the way throughout the selling process.

Click here to subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

We have mentioned before Sedona’s great Main Street Program.

However this Program has now been awarded National Accreditation. The volunteer driven program has been running for 8 years and is praised by all.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and its National Main Street Center has reconized the efforts by the volunteers and Sedona’s Main Street Program is now among 10 of the 15 Main Street Communities in Arizona names as a 2010 Accredited National Main Street Program.

This national accreditation program evaluates Main Street programs with 10 criteria including public support, historic preservation ethic, funding and many more!

In Sedona all of the residents love the program as it brings to much to an already vibrant community. As we have said before: Sedona is a community to get involved in!

Click here to subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ,visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852

We all know that Sedona makes a fantastic place to live, work in play!

Well, now is still the time to grab yourself a steal of a deal on a home in Sedona!

Nationwide home sales data has been released and the data is mixed. NAR (The National Association of Realtors) has released information on its Pending Home Sales Index which shows that pending home sales have decreased a little as a reaction with the ending of the homebuyer tax credit. As Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist has said lower home sales are expected in the short term however he notes that with exceptionally low interest rates then the market is expected to absorb the remaining inventory relatively quickly. He may be right, mortgage applications have been said to have been on the up according to the Mortgage Bankers Association with applications up 2% alone last week.

Of course this is the level of contracts, the level of closings or true sales is quite different. Released at the end of last month, single family sales jumped by 24% seasonally-adjusted basis over May, and were 19% above the totals for June 2009 nationwide. Also, home prices are said to be 1.3% higher compared with the month before, but they gained 4.6% year-over-year.

Despite what appears as a mixed bag of data, overall the feeling is positive – particularly here in Sedona with its budding arts scene and great community!

Click here to subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES! If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact AULT&ASSOCIATES in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ, visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016 or Larry Ault at 928-301-0852