Our thanks to the local and national media folks who have supported our properties through the years. . . . From CNN to Fox Network, and in Phoenix broadcasting, Diane Ryan, the long-time host of "Cool House" on Fox 10 and Syleste Rodriguez who currently does an excellent job on the program.  We've put together a compilation of some of amazing properties.  Click the photo.
And to see the entire real estate tours, on our TV page, follow this link!
Check out these vintage radio promos done for Preston's show when on KTAR Radio! 

What a time to sell your house!  Sotheby's has now sold more than 5 Billion Dollars worth of real estate last year, an all-time record.  We have a super shortage of inventory in our area, less than 3500 homes for sale in the ENTIRE greater Phoenix metro area. In a normal market, that number can be 25,000.   Last time I checked, there were only 21 houses for sale in Carefree.  This is amazing and inventory should be 130 homes or higher.   We have found buyers for almost all of our houses this year! How about we sell yours?  Call us for information. Huge buyer demand in Arizona from the West Coast. 
Last year, below are some of the homes we have  been blessed to sell.  Two homes on the runway at Skyranch, A Desert Mountain contemporary gem, a secret ranch with artesian wells and more.

One of the most spectacular drives in the world, and it goes to our Last Outpost Off-the-Grid 40 ac
Can you imagine going from the desert floor to over 4,100 feet in minutes!  

One gold property sold, two under contract!  We have recently sold the Golden Star Ranch, $2.15 million. Patented land with artesian wells and historic gold mines. Forbes Magazine says "Gold prices set to explode, and there is big interest in quality gold properties.   
The Octave, is under contract, but can be shown for backup offers.  Featured by Forbes Magazine, its one of the legendary gold mines. We have another interesting gold property,   the "Last Outpost," 40 acres patented gold mine on top of Continental Mountain overlooking Phoenix, featured  on Fox10 , who called it a "Pure Gold Property." Our thanks to anchor/reporter Brian Webb, for the wonderful story. . See stories and links below. The Last Outpost is  now under contract as well and can only be shown for backup offeers.  It was the only piece of land currently available on Continental Peak.

Thanks to Forbes magazine writer Regina Cole, who did an excellent piece of our Octave and Beehive mining properties.  Forbes has featured the Octave twice now.  Good things expected with the price of gold in the future.  One of the legendary mining properties, as seen on Fox Network.
 Read about it here:  

UNDER CONTRACT,  PENDING, can no longer be shown. What a sweet piece of property!  See it on Fox TV!      The Last Outpost was the only piece of land available currently on majestic Contiental Mountain.  Currently under contract.  Photo Above,  "The Last Outpost" was featured in February, on a Fox10 Special Report with Brian Webb!   An idea Prepper "Bug Out" location! With more people wanting space, safety and privacy, off-the-grid is in demand.  This historic mining property has astonishing views.  Find your solitude and privacy with a shorter drive than most people  spend on a daily commute.  30 minutes from town.  Think of it as your own campground!!and....much more!  Home Insider says Arizona is in the top 3 most popular states to live off the grid!  40 patented acres of land, rising to a cliff with panoramic city light and wilderness views of the Greater Phoenix area.  Double-gated with absolute solitude and privacy.  Even if you didn't build,  enjoy any number of activities from rock climbing, hiking, target shooting, prospecting for gold in the famous gold mines on the property (and you can keep what you find because mineral rights are included. From four-wheeling to ATV travel on the mining roads, caves with Indian ruins.  The area was used as a Hollywood filming site by Adrian Carr (Crocodile Dundee), who used the historic mines and timbers for location shooting.  This is a secure location where you won't be bothered at all, since you are surrounded by BLM and private ranch land.  $ 1.3 million  find out more by clicking on the Best Listings button on the top menu. Check two  more photos below. Note Black Mountain on the left picture!

Skyranch and  Carefree on the move!  Last year, we closed escrow on  a contemporary residence for $1.9 million, then the house next door $1.2 million,  And  then the next house for $ 1.55 million.  What a thrill to sell 3 houses all in a row.!   Price per sq. foot of the last two homes exceeds $500 sq. ft., some of the highest prices per sq. foot in over two years. Carefree is now the 3rd-ranked city for average price-per-sq.-foot sales after Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.   Cave Creek also climbing in the rankings.  We are pleased to report that  Russ Lyon Sotheby's sells more luxury properties in the Phoenix area than ANY other real estate company, over $5.3  billion last year, an all-time record.
Below, Syleste Rodriguez of Fox 10 also showcased our other Skyranch sale last year!

    

Could Cave Creek look like this in a thousand years?  Director Adrian Carr (Crocodile Dundee and Quigley Down Under) shot a sci fi movie "Solus" on the Golden Star Ranch last year.   Its a futuristic tale of a dystopian world. Check out the title shot below. Photo courtesy of J2 Productions. Solus is a big budget short film.  They have computer-generated a futuristic city where Cave Creek, Arizona use to be. The Mayor of Cave Creek, when he saw it, jokingly said "don't blame me, I didn't change the zoning!" If you know the area, you'll recognize Black Mountain on the left.  They picked the Golden Star for its mines, tunnels, cliffs and abundant foliage for the producer. 
See the Solus preview movie clip, from the spectacular opening scene, showing what Arizona might look like in 1,000 years! (Still shot below) 

          

Many thanks to Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty for their support to Nancy and I over the years.  I was thrilled to recently earn the Chairman's Board category for high sales volume.  Pictured from left to right CEO Todd Gillenwater, owner/partner Tom Locati, and on the right, Chairman Jim Lyons.  Interesting to note that when we sold the historic Boulder House, Todd Gillenwater was one of the listing agents, along with Margy Senna.  Tom was a superstar agent who specialized in Estancia, before becoming a partner. (he still holds the record for highest-priced sale in Carefree) Russ Lyon Sotheby's sold a record $ 5.3 billion in real estate in 2020.   Its a sellers market!

Fun time. Thanks to Diane Brennan, my former newscaster at KTAR Radio, for letting me fill in for her on her That Real Estate Show.com recently.  We're both in real estate now. It was like homecoming week for me, having been on the KTAR microphone for over 26 years and inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame! Hear the first segment here, an interview with Tina Tamboer, top specialist with the prestigious Cromford Report: 
And the whole show on podcast here, click on the May 27th, 2018 show:   photos below at the new KTAR Studios off 16th Street.

See the Fox News show on "The Property Man with Bob Massi" What an honor it was to have worked with the late Bob Massi and the Fox Network Team.  Here's the entire story on the gold mine properties: While Gold Hill is no longer available, its an incredible adventure into the tunnels!  Some economists believe the price of gold will skyrocket because of the trillions of Fiat dollars (money with no backing) that have been paid out in economic stimulus because of Covid 19. Our Octave property has just gone under contract.     Shown for backups only.
Most Amazing house, Fox tours the Boulder House, built in a pile of rocks!   

We find hideaways!  We're Preston and Nancy Westmoreland from Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty in Carefree, and we've been fortunate to call this amazing area home for 36 years!   Preston has put into the Lyon's Elite category, highest honor for the sales agents.  We'd love to help you find your special hideaway or use our expertise to help market your home for sale. Call us at 602-377-0060.  Quick bio: Preston was a sergeant in the Marines, and  a Marconi award-winning talk show host before joining Russ Lyon Sotheby's. His wife of 48 years, Nancy, was a long-time escrow officer and branch manager with First American Title prior to joining Preston at Russ Lyon.  Get 2 Realtors working for you, for the price of one!
The distinctive desert of North Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree is the "Upper Sonoran" desert, described by National Geographic as "the most beautiful desert in the world," one of the most desirable living locations anywhere.  It's where the world-famous Boulders Resort is located, along with  some of the most unique residences in the world!   I was amazed the other day going through my archives of how fortunate I have been to have led so many TV tours through unique valley properties.  See what you think! 

This area has an abundance of landmark homes used in movies!  The house below left called BoulderReign,  the former home of Rusty Lyon, was featured  in the movie Zabriskie Point, where a model of the home was blown-up for the climactic end of the movie (middle) and also used for Bob Hope's "Cancel my Reservations"  (Below right) In a remote area of Cave Creek, a residence there was used in the movie "The Getaway" with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.  They planned the crime around the pool.  Click on the  two photos on the left, below, to find out more about BoulderReign.

    

Just listed, one of America's legendary gold properties, subject of books and media coverage.  The Octave Mine.  And with the price of gold expected to skyrocket after the creation of so much unbacked money  to combat the Coronavirus economic hit, worth looking into. The property is available 3 ways with seller-financing. Get the historic Octave itself, the Beehive and upper portions of the vein, believed to be more highly-mineralized, or the entire Octave 266 patented acres.   The Octave has produced over $310 million in precious metals on 30% of the property, a three-mile long vein.  One of Arizona's most famous and historic gold mines, the legendary Octave, near Wickenburg, with it's 25 miles of tunnels, 266 patented acres, including a home and numerous historical buildings, stretching from the valley floor to mountaintops with a perfect helipad site! This gem has produced over 200,000 ounces of gold, 75,000 ounces of silver.  Offered for $8,675,309.  MLS 6151111. Check this link for other pricing and info:  And links to media coverage, geologic analysis and the Mining Journal Magazine story that described the Octave as a "first-class mining property!"
The Octave was included in a Fox News tour on the "Property Man with Bob Massi" And on several episodes of the SyFy channel "Ghost Mines" series. See it on Fox:  

Get insider real estate information and news stories on the North Scottsdale, Carefree and Cave Creek areas on our blog, The Carefree Times.  This Spring:   
How Covid 19 has changed the real estate market, a movie is shot at Cave Creek's hidden Golden Star Ranch, you'll never believe what historical figure worked survey crews here, and went on to become one of our most famous figures in history, Carefree breaks ground on a new hotel, and on this special movie-maker edition, see a filmmaker's idea of what Cave Creek will look like in 1,000 years, from the sci fi pilot "Solus" filmed here!
  All in this edition!