So my lovely bride and I are out putting up a “For Sale” sign in Whispering Ranch last weekend.
“What?” you ask. “Don’t you just pay someone to install your signs?”
Well yes, we do. Normally. But Whispering Ranch is pretty remote, with some fairly rugged terrain (that’s me behind the wheel of the Jeep). And I’ve yet to find a sign installer willing to go out in the middle of the desert to install a sign.
Besides, I love off-roading out there. And I can write the gas and mileage off if I go out there to install a sign…
“Where the heck, and what, is a Whispering Ranch?” you may be asking yourself.
In the mid 1960’s someone bought 19,000 acres of raw, undeveloped Arizona desert northwest of Phoenix. At the time, it was in the middle of nowhere. Since it was originally subdivided into 4 - 5 acre parcels (mostly.. there are some 10 - 20 acre parcels too), Phoenix has grown significantly. What was once “the middle of nowhere” is now only 25 miles northwest of Surprise. And it lies smack dab in the path of growth — resulting in exploding land values.
It is beautiful “high desert” terrain. It’s loaded with Saguaro cactus, Palo Verde trees, Cholla and other desert vegetation. We’ve seen all kinds of critters out there — coyotes, eagles, jackrabbits, weird lizards.
But last weekend, as we rounded a corner and came up an incline, I was surprised to see a whole gaggle (well, technically I guess it was a herd) of donkeys.
Yeah, donkeys. Out there in the middle of the desert. We stopped to take a photo and they just gave us the “What the hell are these idiots doing out here?” look. So we stared back. I guess they got bored before we did, and they just wandered off to do whatever it is donkeys do.
I really never expected to see a bunch of donkeys roaming free out there. They were most definitely not starving. But what the heck do they drink? It’s just a wee bit dry out there…. (The Sonoran desert is actually a very wet desert, receiving about 10 inches of precipitation a year.)
Seriously beautiful country though. Very unique. Some great values to be had!
Those that read here regularly know I’m not a big fan of postings listings on blogs. There are plenty of places to find them. But since we’re in Whispering Ranch, I’ll break that rule for only the second time in blog history. If anyone is interested in a 4.1 acre parcel with this view, give us a shout. It’s “priced to sell” and not in a flood plain (yes, there are flood plains in the desert)
Donkeys do not convey…
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Technorati Tags: Whispering Ranch, Arizona real estate, donkeys
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John Lockwood 02.03.07 at 12:02 am
Whenever I get done reading Teresa Boardman’s tales of 15 below and come over here and see the saguaro, I feel like Goldilocks, thinking my California porridge is just right!
Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy 02.03.07 at 7:36 am
John - what you need to do is buy a summer home from Teresa and a winter home from us! That way you miss the scorching heat here, and the frigid winters there — and beat the Cali cost of living all at the same time!
Looking forward to your call.
On a serious note, thanks for commenting!
Derek Guyer 02.03.07 at 2:18 pm
What a beautiful piece of property. While I’m not presonally in a position to purchase something like that yet, my wife and I want to own several hundred acres in an area like that.
Favorite line of your post…”donkeys do not convey”.
Michael Price 02.04.07 at 7:34 am
Loved this post. Sets a great example for great local RE blogging content. ~MP
Toby & Sadie 02.06.07 at 5:35 am
I loved this post when I first read it. And I was happy when you submitted it for the Consumer-Oriented Blog Carnival and after reading all the entries (we had 5) you were crowned the King (and second-runner up) of our parade.
Check out the remainder of the blog carnival, by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/yv2rwb
Toby