Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek

Bryan's Black Mountain BBQ

Both my husband Jimmy and I had read about Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek online.  We were eager to try it.  I had driven past it a couple of times without seeing it, so I thought it was down one of the streets in Cave Creek where the bars, dining, and shops are on North Cave Creek Rd.

We had visited Carefree Desert Gardens and were on our way home when we finally found it - right on Cave Creek Rd - and were excited to go in.  As we drove down Cave Creek Rd on a Sunday afternoon, the bars were packed.  I will admit that we tried The Grotto first but there was a long line outside and no one was distancing.  We then went to El Encanto but there was an hour wait - we were hungry!  That's when we remembered…

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Carefree, AZ Desert Gardens

Jimmy and I decided to do something fun today, but it was getting late on a Sunday and we know how quickly many places close.  Out of a few ideas, we chose to go to Carefree, Arizona, which we're very close to.  Our purpose was to really see the Desert Gardens.

We've been to Carefree multiple times, but this time we were going to focus on the Desert Gardens.  I tried explaining to Jimmy that the gardens were in the town square and we'd been there before.  But for some reason, he was expecting something else.

I knew that it was a small area (I did my homework).  But when we've gone there prior we really didn't take our time.  It was always just a quick walk-through.  The last time we went was to visit the post office and the resale shop in the…

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Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, AZ

We visited the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, AZ, for the 2nd time.  A woman that was there said she's lived in Arizona for 42 years and this was her first visit because she didn't know it existed.  We'd love to spread the word.

The first time we went, it was just Jimmy and me.  This time we took our son and our granddaughter.  I missed the available reservation for 2:00 on Christmas Eve so we went the day after Christmas at 10:00.

You have to set an appointment as you are taken into groups with a guide.  Although she had a mask on this time because of the pandemic, I think it was the same guide that took us through the first time a few years ago.

This is a true animal conservation center and sanctuary

Although I…

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Black Bear Diner Opens in Scottsdale, AZ

We were introduced to the Black Bear Diner in Gilroy, CA, where my Mom lived until her passing last year. My brothers and their families weren't as enamored with it as Mom was, and we also became fans.

This is not fine dining. It is an affordable family restaurant that prides itself on homemade food. I didn't think of taking a picture of Jimmy's chicken pot pie - it looked fantastic!

The menu is also a bit different than the Gilroy restaurant. The Arizona restaurant doesn't have the wonderful garlic fries that Gilroy has and it was one of the first things I checked. Gilroy is the Garlic Capital of the World so I can understand why they have them and Scottsdale doesn't. They also didn't have my favorite turkey sandwich with cranberries.

Like…

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Scottsdale Condo for Sale - Las Hadas Villas

5640 E Bell Rd, #1082, Scottsdale, Arizona  85254

I had to update this before I even posted it. This cute Scottsdale condo sold in one day and has already sold and closed.

This was the popular 2 master bedrooms (on two levels, each with full bath access) with a loft on the upper level. The loft had its own closet and was set up with a trundle bed and dresser for a 3rd bedroom, which was perfect for guests.

The main level featured an open living concept from the living room, through the dining area and the kitchen. The fireplace was used on cold winter nights. Plantation shutters kept the hot sun out.

The laundry room was on the main level right off of the kitchen and had storage cabinets. The washer and dryer were about 3 years young.

…

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Looking For a Scottsdale Home in 2016?

We do work in more areas than just Scottsdale, so don't let the title of this post sway you.  Our hub is Scottsdale real estate but we will travel pretty far and wide to show you properties or list your home for sale.

It's the start of the New Year.  You might be considering purchasing a new home in Scottsdale or any other Greater North Phoenix location. You have many online resources to search for homes but did you know that sites like Trulia & Zillow don't have every home that's available listed on their sites?  They can also have outdated information.  

Along with them, some sites show properties that aren't actually for sale.  They think it's important to offer every existing address as they feel it makes their sites more relevant and important.…

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I Saved My Scottsdale Townhouse Sellers Thousands

This is part 3 of the “Neighborhood Expert” series of posts.  I am an agent that lives and works in Scottsdale.  I’ve been selling real estate in the since 1983.  Below is one of my stories about out-of-area agents against a local Realtor®.  It is in response to an article in Inman News speaking against self-anointed “neighborhood experts.”

The Scottsdale Townhome Sellers That I Saved Thousands

I took a listing for a Scottsdale townhouse for sale.  It was a beautiful place with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.  We got an agent from Gilbert that had an interested buyer.  In an era of technology, she insisted on presenting her offer at the table with my sellers. My sellers obliged (many won’t) and the agent proceeded to state that the townhouse would…

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Our Main Real Estate Service Areas

Our main cities are listed below. Click on the links to access each village's main page that offers a list of that town's single-family homes for sale along with current village real estate data such as the number of properties currently for sale and average, high and low prices.  You'll also get information about the towns with helpful links to local information.

• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Fountain Hills
• North Phoenix
• North Scottsdale
• Paradise Valley
• Scottsdale

As a family team, we are able to go outside of these towns and cover almost any Greater Phoenix area, so please contact us if you're interested in a city not on this list.  Also check our full list of towns we work in by viewing the communities on the left navigation…

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Is Scottsdale Real Estate as Hot as D.C.?

The video below is a funny rap video put on by REALTOR® Brian Block, who works in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. It has always seemed like the D.C. market was hot compared to other areas, even when it was cooling off during the recession. According to Brian, in his area 'houses gettin' sold!"

I network online with a lot of other real estate agents nationwide on different real estate groups. Someone in the group introduced this video that I think is hilarious. 

How Does Scottsdale Real Estate Compare?

In the lower price ranges, Scottsdale real estate is pretty hot. For instance, a search for Scottsdale homes for sale priced under $200,000 brings up two listings, both Contingent (this means there is an accepted offer waiting for…

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Keep Trying to Find That Sweet Spot When Selling Your Scottsdale Home

UPDATE - 11/2/2017 - This is an older post that was made in a declining market.  The market is definitely better today but we still get sellers that want to list their homes higher than market value.  Read the rest of this post to see why that's not a good idea. 

A seller gets the most interest in the first week or two of listing a property.  If they start out too high, buyers lose interest and move on to other Scottsdale homes for sale.  That first wave of buyers might have purchased already by the time sellers price their home correctly, so their final reduction won't hit as large of an audience.  I always remind sellers that unless they're lucky enough to find a cash buyer that falls in love with their home, it will have to appraise for any buyer…

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