Sedona? (Flagstaff, Prescott, Cottonwood: real estate, housing, rent)

[cherylb59]

Anyone know Sedona? Cost of living, crime, kid friendly? etc.
Looks beautiful.

[BiggsHomes]

Sedona is gorgeous, but my wife and I could not afford to live there, so we moved to the Prescott area instead. In Sedona, 2 bedroom, 1500 sqft, single family homes start at $325K and move up from there. For a decent house, you're looking at $400K-$500K. You can subtract $150K for Prescott-area prices.

For the most part, Sedona is centered around the tourism industry. There are tons of restaurants and shops and lots of great hiking. I think there are something like 12K residents and 100K tourists each year.

[kansaslady]

nicknamed "Beverly Hills on the Rocks".....residents are either very wealthy or very poor.

Sadly, the wage scale in Sedona is not in balance with housing costs.....but then, Sedona isn't the only area like that.

The beauty of Sedona is unsurpassed as far as I'm concerned.

[sedonaman]

Just to correct and/or clarify the post above, the city has 12,500 people, and gets 3.5 million tourists a year, not 100k. Also, the median home price is currently sitting at just under $600,000, and if you can find a home for under 430k, please let me know. The fact of the matter is that Sedona is a very ritzy and expensive tourist city, very much like aspen, or vail.

[MarcoMartillo]

The last two replys to your question about Sedona are accurate. I was living in Jerome for six years and just moved to NM 8 months ago. I am a musician and was playing clubs in Jerome and Sedona. If you can afford to PAY BIG for beauty you can do Sedona. Don't go there looking for something, you have got to bring it with you! Whatever it is. You might look into the Cottonwood area. It is changing very fast but it's pretty mellow. Between Sedona and Jerome it bears the brunt of the intense tourism of those two towns, but this brings in money. Can you benefit from tourism? The waterline is ART. If you are an artist, musician, entertainer you can benefit. If you are a very top notch real estate agent you can benefit. If you are looking for general employment YOU WILL SINK! You can't compete with the locals at that level, they are starving. Every move is an adventure. Cultures are unique everywhere and you just can't tell how you fit in until you live there. I love to do this. Sometimes I'm at one place for 6 months and nobody loves me and I'm gone. Other places it's just magic, like love at first sight! It gets expensive though. You are doing a good thing by "Really workin it" i.e. these forums. Keep on

[Off Topic]

Just curious - can you find an affordable 2 or 3 bedroom house with a little acreage if you go 20 miles or so outside of Sedona? Looking for an area to retire but am not wild about desert.

The area between Sedona and Flagstaff looks beautiful. Thanks!

[MarcoMartillo]

The area in a 20 mile radius around Sedona is TOTALY! as desert as it gets.
But yes, go north toward Flaggstaff, maybe up along the Oak Creek Canyon. Although there was recently a pretty bad fire there. But around Flagstaff is better as far as away from total desert. The really costly spots are near Prescott and Sedona, but it is just from hype and competition that it got that way. There are many really lovely areas that aren't crazy expensive, and the weather is great. All seasons but mild. An easy going, open minded and friendly area all around.