A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN

SEDONA IS HOT. Not the temperature — which is 15-20 degrees cooler on average than the Scottsdale/Phoenix area — but the real estate market.

“Inventory is low, sales are high,” said Suzanne Horst, designated broker with Legacy Sedona, LLC, exclusive agency at Seven Canyons Sedona. “Our strongest year until now was 2019. Then, after a pause when COVID-19 first hit, sales boomed this past summer and fall.”

Horst reports that in Sedona overall, there are fewer than half as many properties available and twice as many sales as last year. Hot, hot, hot indeed.

At Seven Canyons Sedona, a 200- acre gated enclave surrounded by national forest, demand is similarly strong. The Troon Privé-managed community — 90 minutes north of Phoenix — boasts an outstanding and very enjoyable Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course, unbeatable red rock scenery, a new clubhouse restaurant and executive chef, and a variety of membership opportunities.

Among the coveted real estate opportunities at Seven Canyons are townhomes, single-family residences, custom homesites, and a luxury private residence club. Social membership is included in all new home purchases, with upgrades available to a full membership that includes golf.

Dorn Homes, the premier homebuilder in Northern Arizona, was contracted to construct 24 townhomes in a community called The Enclave, 17 of which have already been sold. These two-story, three-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot homes boast wonderful views of the tantalizing red rock scenery and an optional rental program (minimum three-night stays) that offer access to the golf course and club amenities. Prices range from $1.3 to $1.4 million.

The Retreat neighborhood offers 30 single family homes and homesites stepped up a hillside adjacent to the clubhouse, with broad views of the golf course and red rocks. It’s the big views that sell the homes, Horst says, although the modern, stone, stucco, glass, and steel design seals the deal. The Phoenix-based architect described the look as “contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright.” Homes in The Retreat range from $1.6-$2.1 million.

A separate neighborhood called The Villas is comprised of 30 one-tenth fractional units, offering owners 28 days of occupancy per year. A world-class Tuscan design includes a private outdoor spa and dining area, along with unlimited access to golf and club amenities while in residence.

Inside the expansive clubhouse, a new restaurant called The Spot launched in October, serving a tasty Southwest-inspired menu developed by new executive chef Kirk Doyle. Favorite dishes include cornmeal-crusted fish tacos, savory achiote chicken, and more. Throughout the menu, Chef Kirk celebrates a range of lighter fare to hearty entrees, but most of all, exciting flavors.

“Food and beverage is a powerful connector of people and we are proud to bring a new approach to great-tasting food and drink to our members and the Sedona area,” said recently appointed General Manager Josh Clay. “The Spot is a relaxed yet refined restaurant, where we can all celebrate a passion for life and well-being.”

Seven Canyons enjoys two high seasons for golf: September through November and March through May. On a landscape full of beauty, where tree-lined fairways lead to small, subtle greens, Clay points to one hole as his favorite.

“It’s the par-3 fifth,” he said. “It’s just such a dramatic hole, with a 95-foot drop from the back tee to the green. But I also love the par-4 ninth, which will test every aspect of your game.” And there’s also the jaw-dropping setting of the club’s practice park, which Clay refers to as a “little slice of heaven.”

Even though he is usually on property six days a week, Clay never takes the magnificent views for granted. “The property is so unique and can never be replicated,” he said. “There is no place I would rather be!”