Is this it? Is today the last day of 100 degree temperatures here in Phoenix? If you believe in things like weather forecasts, we may see the end of summer soon.

Or maybe I just jinxed us and we’ll have the hottest October ever.

In this newsletter:

Thanks for being here, have an amazing weekend.

Tired of neighbors and all that comes with living in the Phoenix suburbs? Want a project you can add some value to and make it your own?

This property near Anthem may be the one. It needs some TLC, but it has some character and some elbow room, as it sits on just over an acre

See all of the pics & details here.

Listed by Lauren Crowell with The Brokery

If the aspiring life center in Sedona from last week wasn’t your thing, perhaps you have John Dutton & Yellowstone Ranch dreams for here in Arizona.

The Historic 'FORT ROCK RANCH' is for sale in Seligman, AZ, and covers 104,000 acres.

Formerly the Buckman Stage Station, Fort Rock got its name after a battle in 1866 with the Hualapai Indians which was hard fought, and won, in the midst of the majestic rock formations surrounding the skirmish. Picturesque landscape is a feast for the eyes & soul. Breathtaking, panoramic views with widely varied topography. SEE AERIAL VIDEO in PHOTOS slide 2. Water abounds. 22 wells & multiple dirt tanks dot this 104,145 acre property. (52,677 deeded / 51,468 leased) Live water includes Meadow Lake, Upper Trout Creek, Fort Rock Creek, Tom Bacon Lake, Horse Lake & more w/ native species of fish. The Air Strip has been resurrected, with the first plane landing on site in over 30 years. EPIC!

The iconic 'Fort', the home of the Ranch Foreman, was built in 1894 and still stands today in all its glory (3,660 sq ft). The main home, affectionately known as 'The Mellon House', was built in 1926 and is strategically located by Meadow Lake (5,737 sq ft). Several other structures house ranch employees. Bonus - secluded off grid cabin on the way to Trout Creek. Fort Rock is a working cattle ranch w/ apprx 600 head currently on the ranch. They are primarily black angus bulls w/ mostly black angus cross cows - but still some cross bred mix on the ranch. Cattle may convey with the right offer (954 AU's). 80+ acres of irrigated pasture possible. Ranching, hunting (elk, lion, deer) and other investment prospects abound. Fort Rock Ranch participates with the AZ Game and Fish Landowner Compact and enjoys a longstanding, mutually beneficial partnership. This is a rare opportunity to own a magnificent piece of western history.

See all the details here.

One of the most interesting things about this property is the checkerboard nature of what is for sale. The green portion is what you are buying, and the yellow portion is on a land lease. 🤔

Property listed by Lindon Gareis of Down-Home Realty, LLC

Last week’s trivia question was ‘Who designed Sedona’s well-known Church of the Holy Cross?’

The answer was: Frank Lloyd Wright

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona was the vision of sculptor and devout Catholic Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who was inspired in the 1930s by the cross-like shape of New York’s Empire State Building. Strotz and Richard Hein of Anshengary with the help of Frank Lloyd Wright, but World War II halted the project. After the war, Staude turned to her home state of Arizona, securing permission to build in the red rocks of Sedona. Designed by August K. Strotz and Richard Hein of Anshen & Allen, the chapel was constructed in 1955–56, blending modernist architecture with the natural landscape, and has since become one of Arizona’s most iconic landmarks.

The Greater Phoenix housing market, which entered a rare buyer’s market in late 2024, is beginning to shift back. Since July, conditions have steadily moved toward balance, with the Cromford Report suggesting a return to neutral as early as November. Asking prices, which had been declining, appear to have leveled off as demand has risen, up about 9% thanks to lower mortgage rates. With rates down a full point from January (7.26% to roughly 6.26%), buyers now see about a 12% drop in monthly payments, but that advantage is shrinking as demand builds.

Economic factors also play a role: a looming recession (93% probability per UBS) typically pushes mortgage rates lower, fueling homebuyer activity. History shows housing demand often increases during downturns. However, the luxury and 55+ markets behave differently, these cash-heavy segments slow in recessions due to weaker investment portfolios, rather than benefiting from lower rates.

Bottom line: Buyers still have leverage today, but that window is closing quickly.

We have seen a small pull back in interest rates after hitting new lows a couple weeks ago.

Here are today’s national averages for Conventional 30 year fixed rate, FHA 30 year fixed rate & VA 30 year fixed rate loan programs.

My lending partner, Aaron Alvarez with West American Mortgage had his Taco Party this week, and it was amazing. If you have never been to Calitacos, you need to go.

They offer a three taco combo, which includes your choice of tacos, rice & beans and a drink, for $7.99!!! You can’t eat at a fast food place for that, and these tacos were legit.

Calitacos has locations in Glendale, Buckeye, Phoenix, Mesa, Tolleson & Avondale. Find the nearest one here.

My friend Terence Daniels has an awesome golf newsletter here in Phoenix, called The Cactus Club, and he was gracious enough to let me share the story of my experience at the 1996 US Amateur golf tournament.

“You’re Tiger meat.”

That line was still rattling in my head, but here I was, standing toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods, and somehow holding my own.

After a solid start, I even stole a hole. Birdie at 6. Up on Tiger Woods. For a moment, I thought, maybe this is possible.

The crowd didn’t. Walking to the 7th tee, people leaned in with hushed encouragement for Tiger, not me. C’mon Tiger. Let’s go, Tiger. It was clear who they came to see, and it wasn’t the kid from Colorado.

On 7, the long par 5, Tiger did what Tiger does. Birdie. All square again. I wasn’t rattled. Not yet.

Then came the 8th hole.

Both in the fairway. I stuffed mine to about 25 feet. Tiger went long. His ball rolled into that nasty rough against the collar of the fringe, on the wrong tier of a lightning-fast green.

This was the kind of lie that ruins your day. For anyone else, it’s bogey or worse.

He takes out a wedge. Blades it. Ball rockets, climbs the ridge, and for a split second, you can feel everyone lean in because the slope is about to take over. The ball starts running away.

Tom, my caddie, whispers, “see ya.”

And then… BOOM. It hits the stick and drops dead into the hole.

The gallery explodes. I swear, everyone around the green doubled in height, jumping out of their shoes. Tiger lets out that trademark fist pump. He knew he got away with one.

I stood there stunned. My putt missed. Two down through 8.

Gut punch. And honestly, I never fully recovered.

On 9, he dusted me by a football field off the tee, another hole gone. By the turn, it wasn’t looking good.

But hey, I had my moment. I’d gone 1-up on Tiger Woods, even if it didn’t last long.

Part 3 was just published yesterday, you can read it at TheCactusClubAZ.com

Tyler and I took advantage of the cooler weather last Saturday and made the trek up north, near Clint’s Well, and did the Kinder Crossing Trail.

This was one of the first trails we have done that went down in elevation and the return trip was all uphill. The first .2 of a mile had 200’ of elevation gain, and that is a lot for a guy like me!!!

I started a hiking newsletter called HikePhoenix. You can see all the trails where I’ve been out of breath and questioning my life choices…😎

You made it this far, got 2 minutes to take a survey? It would help me to make this a better newsletter. 🙏