Housing Markets in the Valley

Nov. 3, 2026

Saguaro Lake History: How Stewart Mountain Dam Got Its Name

Saguaro Lake is the reservoir behind Stewart Mountain Dam, a concrete thin-arch dam on the Salt River built between 1928 and 1930. The dam took its name from the Old Stewart Ranch that once sat nearby, and the camp built for its construction crews later became the Saguaro Lake …

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Nov. 3, 2026

Lake Pleasant, AZ: How the Lake Got Its Name and the Dam Hidden Underneath

Lake Pleasant is a reservoir on the Agua Fria River in far north Peoria, about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix. It takes its name from the original Carl Pleasant Dam, finished in 1927, and today it is part of the Central Arizona Project, so the water level rises in …

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Nov. 2, 2026

Florence, Arizona History: Levi Ruggles and the Courthouse Clock Stuck at 11:44

Florence, Arizona was founded in 1866 by Levi Ruggles, a Civil War colonel who came to the territory as a U.S. Indian agent and laid out a town on the south bank of the Gila River. It became the Pinal County seat in 1875, and its 1891 courthouse clock …

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Nov. 2, 2026

Where to See Snow Near Phoenix This Winter: Snowbowl, Flagstaff and Day Trip Tips

Yes, you can see real snow within a few hours of Phoenix. The easiest trip is Flagstaff and Arizona Snowbowl, about 146 miles north on I-17, where Snowbowl has scheduled its 2026-27 opening day for Friday, November 20. Plan around weekend traffic, park only in legal lots, and check …

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Nov. 1, 2026

Tovrea Castle History: The Story Behind Phoenix's Wedding Cake Castle

Tovrea Castle is the tiered "wedding cake" building on a hill near Van Buren and 52nd Street in Phoenix. Italian immigrant Alessio Carraro built it around 1929 and 1930 as the hotel for a planned resort. Meatpacker E.A. Tovrea and his wife Della bought it in 1931, and the …

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Nov. 1, 2026

Javelina and Coyotes in Phoenix Neighborhoods: What Homeowners Should Know

Javelina and coyotes are a normal part of life in many Phoenix-area neighborhoods, especially near washes, golf courses and open desert. They usually show up because something in the yard offers food, water or shelter. Remove those attractants, never feed them (it is illegal in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima …

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Nov. 1, 2026

Need to Sell Before You Buy? How Arizona Homeowners Make the Move

You've found yourself scrolling listings at night, and one question keeps coming up: how do I buy the next house when my money is tied up in this one? I hear it every week from Valley homeowners. Below I answer the questions people ask me most, so you can …

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Oct. 31, 2026

Taliesin West History: Why Frank Lloyd Wright Built His Winter Home in Scottsdale

Taliesin West is Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale. Wright found the site in December 1937, and his apprentices began building it in 1938 out of desert rock, sand and canvas. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and …

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Oct. 31, 2026

Moving to Phoenix From California: What Surprises People Most

Moving to Phoenix from California usually surprises people in a few predictable ways: a long, scheduled summer with about 111 days at 100 degrees or more, clocks that never change, a sales tax with a different name and structure, and a car registration fee that is figured on your …

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Oct. 31, 2026

From Davenport, Iowa to the Valley: Honest Answers for People Moving to Phoenix

I grew up in Davenport, Iowa. So when someone calls me from a place with real winters and says they're thinking about moving to Arizona, I know where they're coming from. I also know the questions they're about to ask, because I hear the same three almost every week.

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