It’s a cliché, but … location, location, location… and views.
The desirability and resale value of your home-to-be depends on location more than any other single factor. No home is an island, and the value of yours is affected by the homes that surround it. In Sedona, however, red rock views are what give our area its distinctiveness, and the quality of the view is probably the most important determinant of price, beyond the quality of construction.
If you’ve been to Sedona before, you know that U.S. National Forest land surrounds us. We’re an island of private property in the midst of thousands of acres of federal land. Property that borders Forest Service land also carries a price premium in the same way as ocean front lots do in coastal areas – especially if it also has a great view. A lot backing to the USFS takes on the added value of unlimited access to open space, unblockable views, and wildlife, rather than people, as neighbors.
Having said that, there are some truisms of conventional wisdom that need to be considered, even in Sedona. You’ll find that Sedona is unusual in that it’s not uncommon to find very expensive homes in the proximity of relatively inexpensive homes. The old rule that it’s a better investment to have a modest house in a fancy area than a fancy house in a modest area still applies. Extremely large homes surrounded by smaller ones tend not to appreciate as much as a large home among other large homes. Conversely, the smallest home in the neighborhood tends to be pulled up by the other homes on the block. Views and National Forest borders, however, can and do mitigate the strength of that argument. Still, it needs to be a consideration in the decision to buy.
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