Buying 2nd home in Sedona: Need advice (Tucson, Cottonwood: bank owned, for sale) - Flagstaff-Sedona - Arizona (AZ) -Coconino County - City-Data Forum

NYC couple · 04-04-2011, 02:13 PM

Hi everyone. I need advice on where to buy a second home in Sedona. Husband and I want to buy a second home in Sedona for the winter time. No, we are not old, and we refuse to be called Snowbirds! We want beautiful views and don't mind being isolated. We are very active and love to cook and entertain and go out to dinner. We have been in Sedona several times and love the atmosphere and the natural setting.

Where in Sedona should we look? I have ben researching and see that Cottonwood and Cornville are nearby and are less expensive, with bigger lots. But I wonder what the area is like there?

I have also noticed that West Sedona seems to be less expensive. The lots are larger as well. Is there a reason for that?

Any advice will be welcomed!

rational1 · 04-04-2011, 03:15 PM

Cottonwood and Cornville are nearby but quite different.

I am willing to discuss this further; I think I have sent you a message.

azdr0710 · 04-04-2011, 03:51 PM

West Sedona doesn't quite have the cachet of old Sedona, thus the lower prices.....but lots are bigger because there's a bit more land out there and it's easier to build on.....

one of John and Cindy McCain's places is in Cornville, I think....bigger ranch-type places over there, lower key people, less pretentious, but, again, if you can get past the not-being-in-old-Sedona thing, there are some great places there....but doesn't quite have the views, too!

you may want to look at nearby Village of Oak Creek, also....prices are up there, but not stratospheric....

you do know it snows a couple times or so per winter in Sedona, right?...but it melts quickly and is sunny often....there are warmer places in Arizona than Sedona, if that's important to you in the winter

NYC couple · 04-04-2011, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azdr0710

West Sedona doesn't quite have the cachet of old Sedona, thus the lower prices.....but lots are bigger because there's a bit more land out there and it's easier to build on.....

one of John and Cindy McCain's places is in Cornville, I think....bigger ranch-type places over there, lower key people, less pretentious, but, again, if you can get past the not-being-in-old-Sedona thing, there are some great places there....but doesn't quite have the views, too!

you may want to look at nearby Village of Oak Creek, also....prices are up there, but not stratospheric....

you do know it snows a couple times or so per winter in Sedona, right?...but it melts quickly and is sunny often....there are warmer places in Arizona than Sedona, if that's important to you in the winter

I was willing to go to Tucson for the warmer weather, but my husband informed me that it was too hot in the summer, and he wants to be able to use the house the rest of the year if he feels like it.

You know, Cottonville seems realy, really nice, and I saw some nice houses with 2-4 acres. About having to be IN Sedona: I don't mind being further away from Sedona if it means having more land and paying less. But what I also want is the Red Rock views. They are just so special. I have been told that the Red Rock views are far, far away in Cottonville. So, if that's the case, I am guessing I would not like that. But the mountainviews are very good there, aren't they? I guess I would have to see it for myself.

I will continue living in NYC for part of the year, so I don't really need or want to be in the city or a downtown area if you know what I mean. For us, it's a treat to be further from town, rather than closer.

nightnurse613 · 04-04-2011, 10:20 PM

Cottonwood or Cornville? The Village of Oak Creek is a good suggestion, it gives you some red rock views.

NYC couple · 04-05-2011, 01:45 PM

Okay, I will ask the broker to search in Oak Creek. If I recall, that village shows up as "Sedona" in real estate searches.

adventuregurl · 04-05-2011, 10:03 PM

There is a difference between the 'Village of Oak Creek' and 'Oak Creek', you want the broker to search for the 'Village of Oak Creek'. It's confusing, I know!

NYC couple · 04-06-2011, 07:41 AM

Thanks! I will let him know.

By the way, which neighborhood offers the best up close Red Rock views?

And I thought that Sedona had a downtown area with homes? I haven't seen downtown homes advertised.

azdr0710 · 04-06-2011, 08:47 AM

Sedona has never really had a "downtown", sorta....I think of it as, simply, the old, original part of Sedona and that's the few blocks in the area around the "Y" - the intersection of 89 and 179...this is the busy, touristy area of shopping and the views are fine there, but few houses since most want to be away from the hustle and have some space....stay on high ground within a mile or two of the Y and you'll have views of one kind or another....West Sedona seems like high ground to me, too, but the views will be more in one direction....Village of Oak Creek is very nice, too, and has good, close views.....area around the Chapel of the Holy Cross is great, too...

but you get what you pay for!!

der_Geist · 04-07-2011, 07:36 PM

The "downtown" area you are talking about is know as "Uptown" to most of the locals. You will pay big money for a nice place near uptown. I think homes in West Sedona are a really great bang for the buck right now. Be careful if there is an empty lot next to your new home though. I have seen many homes with a great view have a new home pop up on the empty lot and completely block their views. Also beware of the many "manufactured homes". While some can look quite appealing they are nothing more than double or triple wide trailers being pawned off as houses.

My wife and I have a 2nd home in West Sedona. Recently I have seen a few homes in the Chimney Rock and Thunder Mountain area listed at very good prices with great views. As others have said-The Village of Oak Creek has some really nice views and can be a bit cheaper than Sedona or West Sedona. I was looking at a few homes for sale in the Jack's Canyon area of VOC and I loved the views and prices of the homes. There seemed to be more than a few horse ranches there as well. Look into this for sure!

IMHO-West Sedona is where you will get the best sunset views for the most part (I think-please don't flame me if you get great sunsets views), I wouldn't buy a home that that didn't have a good view of the sunsets. Red rock views are pretty non-existent in Cottonwood and Cornville I think but you have some awesome mountain views there. I find myself driving to Cottonwood constantly though as Sedona is limited on shopping options.

One thing is for sure. If you have cash you are king and can make a great deal on a home. Don't be afraid to lowball, they can only say no or counter. There is still a lot of Bank owned homes available and according to my sources everything over 400K is just sitting and the owners are entertaining any offer.