It's the long weekend and I've been working more hours that exist in a day, or at least I thought.  So we're packing up the ole Coleman Tent Trailer and heading on out to the Mogollon Rim up outside of Payson Arizona for a weekend of great views, hikes, fishing and just plain old relaxing. The Mogollon Rim is like a mini Grand Canyon, where the cliff sometimes is 2,000 above a MASSIVE view.  Lakes and great hiking up on the plateau area. This workaholic will be bringing his laptop though... :) Next blog post will most likely be....The Fishing Report! Cheers Paul DunnArizona FHA Mortgage LoansArizona USDA Rural Home LoansMortgage Marketing Community 08/28/2008

The Northern Gila County Fair will be held this year on September 5th through 7th, with the fun starting at 9:00 in the morning.   The Fair had been a longtime event for the area, but after the retirement of Walt and Wilene Smith as the coordinators there was a two year hiatus. The Fair was revived in 2005. This is an old-fashioned County Fair which draws participaption from adults in the community as well as from schoolchildren and 4-H and FHA members in the area. Among the attractions which are entered and judged are quilting and sewing, cooking, flowers and produce, crafts, fine art, photographs, and even livestock. Something for everyone!  The livestock events will be at the Payson Event Center, across the Beeline Hwy from the Mazatzal Casino (South of Payson), while the exhibits wi... 08/10/2008

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Payson will host it's 124th continuous rodeo! Opening the festivities is the Rodeo Parade which begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday.  The Parade will begin on Main Street at Green Valley Park and proceed east to the Sawmill Crossing.  The Rodeo gates will open at 5 p.m. and the professional rodeo performance will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, August 15.  Saturday evening's performance begins at 7 p.m. with the gates opening at 5 p.m.  For complete information on the event, go to http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/augustdoins Bring the kids and let's have some family fun in Payson. Ya'll Come!   Sandra Scott, GRI Four Seasons Realty email:  MyRealtorSandra@hotmail.com http://www.paysonhomesmls.com 08/09/2008

I posted last week about Payson Schools beginning the year EARLY. Payson public schools began last Wednesday. If you are a parent in (or may be moving to) the Payson area I'm sure the schools are of concern to you. Payson has a unified public School District, consisting of Julia Randall Elementary, Payson Elementary, and Frontier Elementary (K-5th grade); Rim Country Middle School (6th - 8th grades); Payson High School, and Payson Center for Success (a high school for 16 to 21 year olds who want/need an alternative to traditional HS). Julia Randall and the Middle School are currently undergoing construction/renovation. Here is a link  to the schools' calendar. Payson Schools have already begun for the year. They take longer than usual breaks between the 9 week grading periods. According... 08/06/2008

  This is the season (the Monsoon, officially) for clouds and storms in Northern, Arizona. In past years we have been in a serious drought, but this year we are actually ABOVE the 30 year average for precipitation. We talk to rental Owners in the Phoenix area, and they haven't gotten much rain this Summer. I thought I would share some pretty shots of our storm clouds.       These pictures were taken from our deck. We face North/Northeast, so we have a great view of storms coming down off the Mogollan Rim. Yesterday evening we had visitors from out of state, and we ate on the deck and watched another storm slide around and miss Payson. Our guests couldn't believe how cool Payson gets once the sun is near setting. They were actually shivering and we had to go inside. No matter HOW hot th... 08/04/2008

SCHOOL STARTS JULY 30th in PAYSON! When I was a kid Summer vacation meant June, July and August. even when I was a teacher (14 years worth) I started teaching somewhere around Labor Day. For the last few years Payson Schools have started VERY early. They make up for it by having breaks in between the 9 week grading periods (as a Teacher, I would have liked THAT). We moved to Payson the year before our eldest son started kindergarten. Our kids (2 sons) went through Payson schools and are now in college. It seems a little strange, still, not to have children getting ready for school (college isn't the same). Since we handle rentals we see a lot of families trying to get settled before school begins. God Bless the kids (AND the teachers)! It must be hard to sit still while its still Summer... 07/28/2008

The monsoon has arrived in Payson Arizona. July and August is a great time of year in Payson to see the afternoon storms roll in and bring the cool air and rain to our pine treed covered mountains.When PHX is getting a dust storm the Rim Country is getting the rain. Average Temperature and Precipitation Month Daily Maximum, F Daily Minimum, F Precipitation, In. January 53.8 24.6 2.2 February 57.4 26.6 2.0 March 61.9 29.8 2.3 April 70.2 35.0 1.1 May 79.2 1.7 0.5 June 89.3 49.6 0.4 July 92.4 58,3 2.7 August 89.6 57.4 3.1 September 85.0 50.4 1.9 October 74.9 40.3 1.7 November 62.3 30.0 1.6 December 54.5 24.5 1.9         Yearly Avg. 72.5 39.0 21.5 Period of record 1940-2005              Average Total Snowfall 24.1" Just enough rain to grow Pine Trees and support a large variety of wildlife.... 07/19/2008

OK, SO I'm exaggerating. But it does totally amaze me how many people seem to find Payson, Arizona, and are interested in buying homes here. Payson is a very small town. When we moved here 15 yrs ago the population was 8,000+. The last I heard we are now near 16,000. When I am down in the Phoenix area, and I mention I'm from Payson,  the universal answer seems to be "Oh, really? Where is that?". And yet we have/have had rental Owners from literally all over the US; Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Kansas, Alaska, Nevada, Montana, Utah, California, as well as from AZ: Tucson, Phoenix, Tempe, Yuma. Some of these Owners are looking to retire in Payson "down the road", some used to live here, some are purely investors. Some are drawn to Payson because they have relatives in the Phoenix ar... 07/14/2008

I just reposted an entry from last year (so it would show on Localism- that's what the Q & A recommends) entitled "How to speak Payson". Since its almost supper time, this is a natural follow-up. For a small town, Payson has quite a few good restaurants. This list is purely subjective, these are places we frequent. "Meet you at Beeline for lunch", Long time residents will know that you aren't planning on hanging out on Beeline Hwy and looking hungry. You mean the Beeline Cafe. This cafe has been around nearly as long as Payson has. It has good old hometown American food, the best breakfasts in town, Americanized Mexican food on Wednesdays, and a good fish fry on Fridays (with usually fried cod and one other choice of fish). My husband has the phone number in his cell phone so he can cal... 07/10/2008

Hi from Payson, AZ. By no means everyone in Arizona knows where Payson is (I know this by the blank looks I get when I mention it to someone in Phoenix). We're about an hour and a half drive north of the Phoenix area, and about 5,000 ft. UP. Long-time residents have their own vocabulary. These are a few of my favorite Payson-isms: Seasonal creeks- The first time I went to see a house that listed a seasonal creek on the property I couldn't figure out what they meant, until someone pointed out a dry ditch meandering across the backyard. Then I nearly died laughing. But I HAVE learned a little respect for these. I've seen them fill up fast when it rains hard in the Monsoon. They come in variable sizes, from ditch to dry wash. Pigs- This is what a lot of locals call javelinas. Which really ... 07/10/2008

Payson has a great fireworks show. They shoot them out over Green Valley Lake, the park around fills with people. We usually love it. But this year it drizzled rain and we didn't feel like sitting in it for hours to get a spot. We took our Jeep Wrangler on a dirt road toward the edge of a hill overlooking the town (off Airport Rd. if you know Payson) and sat in comfort as we waited for the fireworks. Below is a photo of the town that evening. Much of the hillside along Airport Rd. is going to houses soon, but parts are still "wild". We expected to see some wildlife, but a truck full of kids came and the noise chased any animals away.   07/09/2008

It's that time of year again to celebrate our nations Independence from England, and what a show it was. Payson residents and visitors alike gathered to see the show and get a chance to pay their respect to our forefathers who risked their lives to create a system of government that said all men are created equal under the law. Wow, that gives me goose bumps. The cars were backed up over 1.5 miles coming into Payson on Friday and lined up to see the show. Payson has a pretty good firework show for our size and it all went off with out a hitch. We at Four Seasons Realty hope that you and your family had a good time in Payson and next time you are in town please stop by and say hello. Thank you and happy 4th of July! www.paysonarizonarealestate.info www.sellpayson.com www.diamondpointquar... 07/06/2008

                              THe Monsoon is officially on in the Southwest. This year they just defined it by DATE, not by 3 days in a row with a dewpoint over 55 as in past years. Here in Payson, AZ we've had several storms already with a few tenths of a percent of an inch of rain. Even a litle bit cools things off beautifully. But yesterday (Thursday, July 3rd) we got two in one day! It clouded up in the mid afternoon and rained awhile. Got cool enough that we turned off our AC at the office and opened the doors. (HOW could anyone sit through a lovely storm with the doors shut?) Then it got sunny and warm again for awhile. Just before dark another storm blew in and this one was a STORM. The winds blew, the lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and we got over half an inch of rain! If yo... 07/04/2008

 Hi from Payson, AZ Payson, being the friendly small town which it is, offers a great Fourth of July Celebration free to the community. There are usually various activities for the kids during the day, a concert in the early evening, and a fireworks display when its dark enough. All of these activities take place at Green Valley Park, around the man-made lakes down Main Street from Hwy 87.   A large percentage of the town shows up, so come early for a good seat. Bring your folding chairs, something cold to drink, and something to do while you wait. OR just "people watch". The hills around the lake fill up with people, the sun goes down, the stars come out. Its a VERY pleasant way to spend an evening. See ya there!                   graphics fromhttp://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/ 06/21/2008

  Hi from Payson, AZ  OK, I admit it. Payson is going to be hot today. How hot, you ask? We're supposed to be 96 today! Now if you're from back East or North, you may thinking "that IS hot", but if you're from Arizona's deserts, you're probably thinking "what a wimp!"       Actually I'm being silly. Right now I'm sitting at my desk, it's 12:35 pm, the doors are open, and it's not warm enough to need the AC yet. While Arizona's deserts are supposed to be way over 100 today. Phoenix is predicted for 112 degrees, and Yuma (where we grew up) for 114. Actually we may NOT need the AC, as it just clouded up a little outside. Yesterday there were clouds back NE as if the Monsoon is trying to start.       What is my point? NOT ALL OF ARIZONA IS DESERT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE WHERE IT'S HORRIBLY... 06/16/2008

Real Estate Statistics for Payson, AZ, for May, 2008 These stats are only for Payson, for outlying areas, please contact us. Site-built homes:22 sold through RE offices in May in Payson, at prices from $137,900 to a million.-4 were under $200,000-6 in the $200,000s-5 in the $300,000s-7 over $400,000 The average days on the market was 159 I checked the sold price versus the asking price, the following is the percentage of the asking price for which the house actually sold-Payson NE 82%        -Payson NW 90%-Payson SE 87%-Payson SW 97% When the market was better the percentages were much higher. Even though prices have not dropped a lot in Payson, the homes are selling for a good bit under the asking price. Manufactured homes:NO sales in May. Rentals- still signing leases for low to moder... 06/12/2008

I've posted before about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the online location for looking up names. For those who find themselves in Arizona this weekend (June 6-8) you have a chance to see a replica in Payson's Green Valley Park. It's 80% the size of the original and it travels the nation- which is great for those who've not had a chance to see it. It's an experience you'll never forget. If you miss this chance here's a schedule for future locations. Here's a video of the event going on in Payson Arizona: 06/06/2008

We are auctioning off a property in Payson Arizona. I had this property listed for sale for the bank during this slow market and we have decided to take it to public auction. The starting bid is $89,000. You cant buy a lot for that in Payson like this. 2000 sq ft home 4 bd, 3 ba. in a clean and nice neighborhood were the prices range from 246k to 429K. Go to Resourceaz.com and click on Auction and then on Arizona current aucitons or call me. You must register to bid prior to auction. 05/20/2008

It's that time of year! The fire crews are setting up at the Payson airport in anticipation of another bad fire season! This picture is from last summer, but their trailer is there again, We're renting to some of the Hot Shot crewmen. And today looks much like the picture, cloudy, cool, windy. We HAVE HAD a little rain, with cool temperatures. May we get more soon! Payson had a wetter than usual late winter, and that set it up for a lot of growth which is now drying out. Couple that with warm, dry conditions...watch out!  The Tonto National Forest has already put fire restrictions into effect- Here is the link for details. Come see us, just be careful with fire! 05/15/2008

Hi, from Payson! April, 2008These statistics are for PAYSON ONLY, if you are interested in data for other areas please contact us. SALES:Site-Built Homes- 11 sold, with prices ranging from $195,000 to $1,500,000,2 were under $200,000, 5 were in the $200,000s, 3 were in the $300,000sAverage days on the market was 19668 were added to the market, there were 352 site-built homes on the market at the end of April Manufactured Homes- 2 sold, for $167,000 and $192,000Average days on market was 148There were 8 new added in April, and a total of 60 on sale Conclusions: Slow sales, high volume, prices coming down SOMEWHAT, but NOT on all properties. RENTALS:Several leases signed, including 1 for $1200, on a house which had been vacant for months. The rental market remains good for properties unde... 05/15/2008