This year started out slow for the Nicks but the pandemic put this small rural area on the map and the number of visitors has increased exponentially. In past years, the heat in southern Arizona has always played a part in pulling people up to the mountains. “When it gets over 118º in Phoenix or Tucson, we are cooler up here,” Nicks explained. “Most Valley dwellers head up here in the summer when the heat gets unbearable. We are still cheaper than places like Sedona, Prescott and Flagstaff” — and, as Barry believes — “we are a nicer place to be.” However, he told me that there are not a lot of houses to choose from and that we are heading toward a rise in housing costs due to the influx of out-of-staters, retirees and even families looking for great school districts which we just happen to have here.

“We are a “destination area,” Barry told me. When financial advisors worry about another housing market crash, Nicks doesn’t believe it will happen here. “This area is where people want to be,” Nicks reasoned. “It never gets too hot; it never gets too cold and it has all of the four seasons.” Our outdoor activity list is infinite. Nicks mentions that “we have a ski hill that provides downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter. In the summer, there is golfing on some of the best golf courses in the state, as well as hiking, biking, paddling, fishing and you can hunt just about anything— elk, deer, turkey. Julie just went kayaking for the first time and and on any given summer day you will see Barry in his golf attire. Some people think he golfs every day but he assures me it’s only once or twice a week. “Besides,” Julie says, “we say that he’s networking.” 

We live in the largest continuous stand of ponderosa pine in the world.When someone tells Barry and Julie they want to move here, they do their best to get them into the trees. 

They work hard to keep the experience of buying a home calm. “There may be certain hurdles to go through when purchasing a house but we will take care of it,” Barry told me. “Just tell us you like a house, how much you want to pay and we will get you through the inspections and financing and a whole check list of items to make it as smooth and stress-free as possible — from start to finish.”

Both Barry and Julie told me: “We want to sell houses that make buyers happy. This is a small town and, if we see you in the grocery store, we want to be able to ask you how things are going.” They would rather lose a deal than sell someone a house that wasn’t the right fit.

“Whether you believe in the pandemic or not,” Barry stated. “Please be respectful of others. If someone asks you to put a mask on, respect their request. It may not be a big deal to you but it may save your grandma’s and grandpa’s lives down the road, or yours!”

May your Holiday Season be merry and may your New Year be filled with happiness.

Barry & Julie Nicks