A Day Trip to Page Springs Cellars

Just outside of Cottonwood, Arizona is prime wine country. One of my favorite vineyards is located there, Page Springs Cellars! So one weekend, I headed up north to enjoy the cool weather and sip on some wine. 

When we arrived to the vineyard, we parked under solar structures that shaded the parking. This vineyard already had my vote, I love sustainability. From there we walked on to the beautiful property and requested a seat on the tasting room patio. It was busy and there was a short wait but nothing crazy. 

The tasting room patio is elevated and feels like a tree house. You can catch glimpses of the entire vineyard in the distance. We ordered food and drink, nothing was disappointing. The Strawberry salad was fresh and the candied pecans we're a delicious crunch. From the brick oven, we ordered a Meat Pie and it was beyond good! Plus the wine flight was a perfect pairing. 

After lunch, we went on the wine tour to learn more about the vineyard and the wine making process. It was so informative and led by a knowledgeable staff member, Lauren. She made the tour great, kept everyone engaged, and shared her passion. We got to try some of the red wine straight from the barrel! As the tour progresses you end up tasting 5 different wines during the tour. One especially stood out to me and so we decided to stay a little longer. 

After the tour we went to the Picnic Window to pick up a bottle of wine and a snack. We sat on a deck overlooking the Oak Creek, enjoying our wine. We walked the grounds some more before making the trip back home to Phoenix.

Even before we left the parking lot, I was making plans to come back again!

House Hunting In A Seller's Market

The real estate market today, has become a Seller's Market. That means there's not enough homes for sale, to keep up with the demand of home buyers. Finding the home you love, may be a challenge. 

When a new house comes on the market, there's going to be a lot of eyes on the property and if it meets a seller's needs, people will jump on putting their offers in. Buyers are having wait longer to find homes they like, so when a desirable home is on the market, they're ready to pounce on it! The house you saw today, may be the house someone else loved yesterday. So how are you going to navigate the market?

Here's some tips on finding a home in a Seller's Market:

1. Be patient but vigilant. You're going to have to exercise your patience, especially if you have a certain area or budget. You may have to wait for new homes to come on the market. When you see a home you like, it's time to be vigilant and tour it as soon as possible. 
2. Be ready to make an offer. Your competition for a home is ready to offer too, so be on the ball and get your offer out as soon as you can. In this market, it's important to submit offers that makes it easy for the Seller to say yes!
3. Expand your possibilities. You may have to think about expanding your search area or what you will accept. Smaller house? Fixer-upper? Maybe your not getting the house you thought you would but you can turn it into your dream home.
4. Negotiate. If you're asking for closing cost, could you come up in price? If you have a big down payment, is your REALTOR® making that clear to the Seller. Crafting a good deal for the Buyer that appeals the the Seller is an art. An experienced real estate agent won't have a problem explaining their method of negotiation. 

Don't worry, you'll find something, the journey may just be a little longer. 

As your REALTOR®, I will make sure you get the home you want but more importantly, want the home you get. So let's get together and talk about how we can work together to accomplish your real estate goals!