Flagstaff offers plenty of ways to get around – including by bus, train, car and plane – with the latter seeing dramatic changes in 2019.

Flagstaff’s Pulliam Airport has added service to Denver through United Airlines and to Dallas through American Airlines, boosting the number of passengers boarding flights to record levels. The airport has nine commercial flights a day – two to Denver on United Airlines, five to Phoenix and two to Dallas on American Airlines.

“The business community is responding positively to the new routes,” said Barney Helmick, director of the Pulliam Airport.

“This year, more and more business leaders tell us they are switching from Phoenix to the Flagstaff Airport,” Helmick said. “The new routes can get them to and from the multiple markets they travel to.”

The flights have averaged about 80 percent capacity for both airlines, which are “very good numbers for new routes and carriers,” Helmick said.

Officials with the city, including airport leaders, will continue to work with the airlines to provide more destinations, especially on the West Coast.

“Our target is to add San Francisco and Los Angeles to the current routes,” Helmick said.

Traveling by rail is another popular way to travel in and out of Flagstaff.

Flagstaff’s train station has been in the community since 1926, when it was built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It is in the heart of downtown on Historic Route 66 near lodging, shopping and dining. It is also home to the city’s visitor center.

The station includes an Amtrak ticket office, a gift shop, information and short-term and long-term parking. Amtrak’s Southwest Chief serves the area, and it is one of the most scenic routes in the country. It runs through Flagstaff twice a day on its route between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Also, if you take Amtrak to Flagstaff, it’s possible to get a bus connection to Williams to access the Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

One popular way to get around Arizona is through Groome Transportation, formerly known as the Arizona Shuttle.

Groome provides service between Flagstaff and Phoenix, the Grand Canyon and Sedona. The Sedona service is seasonal, operating from May through October.

Customers can enjoy first-come, first-serve complimentary parking to up to 14 days at 2646 E. Huntington Dr. in Flagstaff. Reservations are required for the Sedona route and are strongly encouraged for other destinations, although it’s still possible to get a seat without advance notice.

For home pick/drop-off service, call (920) 282-2066 by 6 p.m. the night before scheduled travel to reserve it. Office hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Another shuttle option is Inspire Shuttle, which is available seven days a week for service to/from Sedona and Phoenix. Call (928) 699-4228 or visit www.inspireshuttle.com.

A couple of bus lines serve Flagstaff:

• Mountain Line is Flagstaff’s award-winning public transportation system. Eight routes are offered throughout the city, connecting travelers to top attractions. The buses are primarily hybrid-electric. Call (928) 779-6624 or visit mountainline.az.gov.
• Greyhound Bus Lines has its station at 880 E. Butler Avenue.

The most likely ways to arrive by care are via Interstates 40 and 17, which connect Flagstaff to Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, El Paso, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson. The Grand Canyon is nearby via Highway 180.

Poised high above the deep, narrow gorge of the Little Colorado River—running thousands of feet below—a swayback suspension bridge serves as a reminder of a gap long ago bridged—not only geographically but culturally, as well.

Driving 65 miles per hour across the modern-day pavement, one might glance at that bridge, forgetting that this arid, rocky region—scarce of vegetation—was once traversed on foot or horseback by the original American peoples. To the Navajo and Hopi, these lands were theirs; the bridge provided them a straightforward route over the precarious gorge.

Five years following the bridge’s construction—erected in 1911, thirty-two miles from what is now the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park—Texas brothers Hubert and C.D. Richardson claimed over 100 acres on the south side of the gorge. They constructed a meager, tin-roof building and in 1916 opened the Little Colorado Trading Post. Later renamed Cameron Trading Post, honoring Ralph H. Cameron, the post best served the indigenous neighbor. Crossing the 660-foot-long bridge, the Navajo and Hopi peoples used Cameron’s to barter blankets, wool, and livestock for dry goods.

In visiting Cameron Trading Post, we are invited to remember the rich history of this area and to realize the old ways that connected people and cultures in a rare exchange of diversity and respect.

The Richardson brothers played a crucial role in the lives of their Native friends. Treated like family, they housed and fed local tribes at the post, for the journey to and from was arduous. Understanding Native dialects and traditional customs, the brothers shared the new American laws and social systems with the tribespeople.

The post grew over time. Hogans were built to accommodate Native guests, and in 1928, Hubert built the Klo-a-chee-kin (Little Red House) Hotel. Additions were created over time, connecting the original structures with new.

In 2016, Cameron celebrated its Centennial. What began as a shack in 1916, Cameron Trading Post boasts a magnificent Native American art gallery, a 15,000 square foot gift shop, a market, a restaurant, a post office, gas station, an R.V. park, a 66-room hotel and the stunning Sandstone garden—planted in the 1930s.

Today, Cameron is owned and operated by father and son, Joe and Josh Atkinson. Joe purchased the lease from Gilbert Ortega in 1977 and the trading post from Standard Oil in 1983. Like their predecessors, the Atkinson’s have an intimate history with the Navajo, a personal connection to the post, and trading with Native Americans. Joe, fluent in Navajo, is the great-nephew of C.D. Richardson. Josh Atkinson—the present Naat’áanii, or leader—began working at the post when he was thirteen. Josh’s grandmother was an educator and taught Navajo children, and his great-grandmother was a trader who—with her bible, her gun, and a few spare tires—traveled to different posts in her Cadillac.

Trading families and local-area ranchers assisted in protecting their Navajo communities and endeavored to help Natives preserve their culture and traditions. Sheep, for example were sacred to the Navajo.

Sheep provided the tribe sustenance and offered wool to the exceptionally accomplished Navajo weavers.

In the early 1900s, traders like J.B. Moore and C.N. Cotton crafted catalogs featuring Native American designs intending to sell them back east, where a romantic interest in western culture bloomed. For hundreds of years, Churra wool was the material for Navajo blankets and rugs. Churra sheep, later renamed Churro, were brought to North America by conquistadors in the 1600s. Navajo and Hopi peoples acquired Churro through trade. For a Churro blanket in the 1800s, one might trade two horses and a wife. In later times, blankets and rugs sold by the pound. The Navajo then added dirt to the wool to increase their work’s value.

Around the 1930s, environmentalists believed overgrazing was a problem that would result in flooding and landslides. Through government-sponsored flock reductions, herds were slaughtered, almost to the edge of extinction. The government forbade the tribe to eat the meat or utilize the wool; the tribe was traumatized. News of this spread fast. As tribes began hiding their sheep in caves, ranchers like Josh’s great-grandfather—whose Star Lake ranch was on the eastern side of the reservation—sheltered thousands of sheep to save them from certain death. When things settled, the sheep were returned to the tribe. Although the Churros are no longer considered endangered, their breed is still rare. That Churro blanket—once traded for two horses and a wife—would today sell for as much as $250,000.

…The trading post building hosts the gift shop where over 20 tribes have their works exhibited. Herein one will find rugs, potter, baskets, turquoise jewelry, kachinas, sculpture, totems, stone carvings, and drums.

Overlooking the Little Colorado River Gorge and revolving around a massive stone fireplace bordered by large picture windows, guests enjoy spectacular views inside and out. The Cameron Grand Canyon Restaurant—surrounded by history and ornamented with Native American artwork—offers a delicious menu featuring local, Mexican, and American food. Located behind the restaurant sits an old barn once used to shear Navajo sheep.

Of Cameron’s 145 employees, most are Navajo with a few Hopi, Apache, and Bilagáa-na, or white man. “It’s a family-for-family business,” Josh Atkinson explained. “Every decision I make affects all of these families.”

What began over a century ago—a meager post for local traders—Cameron Trading Post now welcomes visitors from all over the world. Standing as an icon of ancient times, Cameron embodies the traditions of the Navajo Nation. It reveals a fascinating story of the Bilagáa-na learning to value the original Americans. It shares a history of the interdependent relationships between the indigenous peoples and the pioneers that settled here. Cameron holds the legend and lore of diverse cultures, blending, defending, and sharing a way of life and survival in a harsh environment. And like those indigenous peoples who crossed the bridge and walked through its doors, Cameron’s is one of the last of its kind.

Taken from story written by River Ann Polinard

Published in Essential, essentials for the Flagstaff lifestyle, Summer/Fall 2021 edition, Vol. 1.2

A lot of people look forward to the new year because it’s like starting a new chapter in a book. You’re about to finish one chapter and — on New Year’s Day — you’ll be eager to begin another.

Looking at it another way, that new chapter is full of blank pages – ready for you to write your own story.

In fact, you may have several hopes and dreams for 2022 and maybe some ambitious goals, too. Whatever your plans, we want you to know that you can reach out to us anytime you need real estate advice or help.

We will also continue to keep you up-to-date on the latest real estate news and insights. So, anytime you have questions, contact us. We can get you the answers you need.

If we don’t get a chance to chat before the year’s end, let me take this opportunity to say, “Thank you for the privilege of staying in touch with you. The blank pages of your 2022 chapter await. We hope you fill them with wonderful experiences!”

A Quick Market Note...

These days most conversations about Real Estate involve the topic of how much cash has entered the market over the last 18 months.  With very low days on market and homes getting snatched up in 48 hours or less, many felt that it started to dominate. 

Below is a chart noting the percentage of cash sales recorded in the MLS for Northern Arizona Association of Realtors.

As of December 9th there were a total of 2278 home sales and of those 27.35% closed with cash.  Yes, the market has been competitive but we expected these numbers to be much higher.  Hang in there with us, buying a home is entirely possible and we're here to make it happen. 

About the Authors:

Eventually, just about all homeowners get to the point where they think about moving. Some want to upsize, some want to downsize, while others just want a change.

No matter what the motivation, the decision isn’t always an easy one. There may be many reasons why it makes sense to stay with your current property. At the same time, there may be other compelling reasons to sell and find your next dream home.

Fortunately, you don’t have to make that decision alone.

As your real estate agents, We are always available when you have questions or need advice regarding home ownership. In fact, We are there when our clients need us even if it’s months or years before or after a transaction.

So, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. You don’t have to be serious about selling your home to talk to us. Even if you’re at the “wondering about it” stage, We are here to help.

A Brief Update to our Current Real Estate Market

In a Real Estate Market we currently have, it is extremely difficult to spin a positive for all sides. 
In this case, the positives are all on the Sellers side in one of, if not the best market for a seller to make the decision to sell.

Here is what the market is like in a nutshell

• We have fewer homes on the market, as Renee researched yesterday, less than 40 homes under $1mil in price
• There should be 300-400 hundred homes.
• Homes coming to the market are 13% few over the past 3 months compared to the prior year
• Sold listings are down 8.5% for the year and double digit % decreases over the past 4  months
• Median price for homes in Flagstaff when grouping all home types together is $499,500, upwards of $300.00 sq. ft.
• Single family homes have reached a median $605,000 +21.1%

None of this is sustaining, but to be honest, we do not know what the future holds.

On the Buyers Side, it is difficult at best.
It is time to Buckle-up, Hang-in there, and Call Us. There are few if any that understand the current market better.
If you need a home today,
First, call your lender, find out what your Lender limits are and also determine your personal limits, and then stick with them.

Once you have that, reach out to us and we will work as hard as ever to find you that home that fits.
If that home is not our there today, we will be upfront and honest with you.

On top of that, our job is to control the enthusiasm  once we find the right home. The final offer price is one you must be comfortable with. If you get the home great, and if you do not, you know you gave it your all and time to walk away.

Renee and I, thought we would invite one of the top lenders in Flagstaff, Chris Hallows with Wallick & Volk Mortgage to give us some insight into the direction the current home mortgage rates are trending and how this affects us in today's aggressive housing market.

Change Coming for the Housing Market Silver Lining

By Chris Hallows, Branch Manager at Wallick & Volk Mortgage

Many of you reading this hopefully have enjoyed historically low rates on either a purchase or a refinance within the last 24 months.

With rates in the 2’s and 3’s, we barely even remember the last two decades - National 30 yr fixed rate average from 2000-2010 was 6.29% and from 2010 up to 2020 was 4.09%. It is no secret that these rates exist due to billions of dollars of market subsidies as directed by the 2020 Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020.

This has truly made interest rates the silver lining in a very aggressively price appreciating market. However, this ‘new normal’ is not here to stay and we shouldn’t take that for granted. That silver lining is already under pressure as the FED announced in its meeting earlier this month that they are officially tapering this expenditure and this at a time with heavy inflation readings. Less subsidy and fear of inflation will likely drive interest rates up. Experts predict an overall increase in the next 12 months of around .375% but we could certainly experience some volatility in getting there. 

While we may not be in the “6’s” anytime soon it is a good reminder to make best use of the terms available in market and let your friends and neighbors know that while that house price may knock them off their feet, at least their rate will pick them back up for now!

Click on this to get a more in depth  reporting of  Mortgages in Todays Housing Market.

NMLS 306345 | AZ MLO 0914354 | BK 0018295 | Corp NMLS 2973 Equal Housing Lender

About the Authors:

Jeff Ross * Renee Gaun Your 1st Choice in Real Estate® Your Team for Success 928-607-5556  Jeff Jeff@AllFlagstaffHomes.com 928-606-6232 Renee Homes@ReneeGaun.com www.AllFlagstaffHomes.com   15 E. Cherry Ave Flagstaff, AZ. 86001

At Realty Executives of Flagstaff, we are committed to giving back to our Flagstaff community. On November 16, 2021, our Executives had the opportunity to tour Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona’s current home that is being built for a local family. They also participated in the Sponsor a Stud campaign with custom Realty Executives studs designed by our Executive, Mark Colletti, and his wife Maggie!  #executivesgiveback

Realty Executives of Flagstaff is the exclusive real estate agency is town to officially sponsor Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona. They realize home ownership can seem like an impossible dream for some families, and agents in the office donate a portion of their commissions to help make that dream a reality for families in the Flagstaff area.