Covid-19 Action Plan for Rankin Realty at Lake Powell

At Rankin Realty at Lake Powell, we recognize the serious impact of Covid-19 on our community. We are committed to offering our clients the best representation while keeping their safety our highest priority. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we are practicing social distancing by asking our sellers to leave their homes during showings, asking our buyers to wear gloves and face coverings when possible and offering video walkthroughs and virtual tours as often as possible.

As Page and Lake Powell’s only all-digital brokerage, we are able to send all of our contracts and essential paperwork via email, eliminating the need for in-person contact. We are also asking our support professionals, including home inspectors and contractors that work with us, to abide by our guidelines as well.

Rankin Realty at Lake Powell is committed to our community and committed to doing our part to help Page Return Stronger.

Posted in Health and Wellness

EE: Toddlers in Wahweap Creek

Endless Exploration
This is a new post in a Rankin Realty series called Endless Exploration.

To read the first post in the series, visit http://rankinrealty.net/endless-exploration/

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Summer 2017 proved to be a fantastic exploration season in our lives, all thanks to beautiful Suzy.
Suzy, an educator, moved in with us in March of 2017 when she started a new job as a Wilderness Therapist at Wingate Wilderness Therapy in Kanab. Marvelously, she had quite the sense for adventure. In no time at all, our roommate-hood blossomed into an exploration partnership, together with my young sons Noah (then 4) and Archer (then 2). You will hear about many of the trips we took with Suzy here in the Endless Exploration series.

Wahweap Creek – a gem of Big Water, Utah
One blistering Saturday afternoon in July 2017, Suzy and I packed up the Orca Cooler with PB&J supplies, loaded up on water, lathered on the sunscreen, and took my little boys down to “The Creek”.  The Creek being Wahweap Creek, which runs directly behind Big Water, draining into Lake Powell. I could remember from my own Big Water childhood that there was a bit of a swimming hole in the creekbed, off to the right from the bottom of Creek Hill. I thought I’d see if it was still a thing, for my children.
We were not disappointed. The water was just under 3 feet deep, thick with mud, and more like a trickle today under the burden of the summer temperatures. We set up camping chairs next to the (mud) swimming hole while Noah and Archer, in true toddler fashion, did away with their swimming clothing.


Flash Floods
Suzy and I knew not to let our guard down however. We knew that this thick, slow, muddy trickle called Wahweap Creek and it’s little swimming hole could becoming a deadly flood in a matter of seconds despite there not being a storm cloud in site. My older brother, David Rankin, has been predicting, chasing, and filming these floods since I was small. Time spent playing in Wahweap Creek also means making sure to have an escape route out of the shallow canyon planned, while keeping an ear out for the low rumble of river rocks that means an uninvited guest has arrived. Our day brought no such flood, thankfully.
And as the photos show, Noah and Archer immensely enjoyed this close to home, spontaneous, and low budget adventure.

Our bathtub was not so lucky…
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“Mud is temporary, memories are forever.”

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Posted in Big Water Utah, Health and Wellness, Just For Fun, Lake Powell Fridays

Thinking About Selling Your Page, AZ Home? Now Is The Time!

Editors Note: 2 Homes for Sale in Page AZ came on the market today priced in the mid $200’s while 1 went pending.
During my morning run through our Page AZ MLS the numbers were striking and it seemed like a great idea to share what is going on and offer some perspective. We have 12, yes, 12 Single Family Homes on the market this morning. Another 11 are pending sale, meaning they are under contract. There is 1 manufactured home for sale in Page this morning and none are pending.

For the past several years much conversation has been had in the Page Lake Powell area about the housing market and what is going to happen if the Navajo Generating Plant shuts down. As the news of the potential closure is now old, many who were going to leave the area for other Salt River Project jobs have gone, I don’t see a huge influx of properties in Page because of the plant.

If you have been thinking about selling your home, this is a great time to do it. The 11 homes that are pending were on the open market an average of 46 days, about a month and a half. While the average days on the market for the past six months for the homes sold in Page AZ is 52, the telling number is the median days on the market being 23. That means of the 28 homes sold in the past 6 months 14 of them were on the market less than 23 days. In the years I have been a Realtor I have never seen a number like that.

Spring House

Spring House

Digging Deeper into the Numbers

Digging in a bit further for just the Page AZ market, so not including Greenehaven, or the Utah town of Big Water, is interesting. Looking at year over year for a six month period ending on March 14th.

Closed Homes September 14, 2017 to March 14, 2018: 30 Single family homes at 105 days on the market average
Closed Homes September 14, 2018 to March 14, 2019: 26 Single family homes at 69 days on the market average

That is a 34.4% decrease of days on the market and 13% less homes sold due to the tight inventory.

Price

Closed Homes September 14, 2017 to March 14, 2018: Average sold price was $240,613
Closed Homes September 14, 2018 to March 14, 2019: Average sold price was $267,412

That is a 11.1 % increase in price of homes sold.

This is some perspective from a post I wrote in September of 2018

Backing up to September of 2015, between Page and Greenehaven, we had 55 active homes for sale on the market of which 47 were in Page. On August 1st of 2018 we hit a low point in Page with active listings of homes for sale at mere 13. Thankfully over the past six weeks we have seen a few more homes come up for sale and today have 17 in Page.

Final Thoughts

The Page Lake Powell real estate market has been picking up steadily the last couple of years. The number of homes on the market now is less than 1/4 of what it was in 2015 so it is important, if you are looking to buy to have all of your ducks in a row before starting the search. If you are looking to sell, make sure you have a good agent who is going to help you get your home ready to show and give good guidance on pricing strategies. We have a great team and professional photographers so give us a call.

Heather Rankin is a Realtor and Owner/Broker of Rankin Realty at Lake Powell specializing in the Lake Powell areas of Page, AZ and Greenehaven, AZ as well as Big Water, UT We have a great team of agents to handle your real estate needs along the south shores of Lake Powell. Our office is next to the Ranch House Grille in Page AZ
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Posted in Lake Powell Real Estate

EE: White Pocket with AWSA tours

Endless Exploration
This is a new post in a Rankin Realty series called Endless Exploration.

To read the first post in the series, visit http://rankinrealty.net/endless-exploration/
Considering it was the month of December, it was a fairly warm morning in Winter 2017 when I set out to explore the White Pocket area of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument with the Kanab, Utah Tour Company “American West Scenic Adventures“. But then, even if it had been really cold: I’ve always done the better amount of my hiking during the winter time. Simply put: I enjoy not feeling like I might succumb to heat stroke in the Desert Sun, or that I might be washed away in a moments notice. In addition to the cooler temps and reduced (not eliminated) flash flood risk, there are fewer visitors to our backyard in the winter months. No crowds!
The White Pocket area had been on my bucket list for some time. Despite it’s proximity to my hometown of Big Water, Utah: I had never explored any of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. And though I’ve always been one to pioneer my own adventures, something told me I should have experienced insight for this one.
Early that morning, I met with AWSA Guide/business owner Jeff Welker and loaded up in a spacious, comfortable, brightly colored suburban with a family traveling from Sweden. How about that heated seats technology? Wow. Had I gone alone, it would have cost more: but Jeff worked a lower price for me to fit in along with the Swedes. Soon, we were at Willow Canyon Outdoor and Apparel chatting with friendly employees as we gathered fresh coffee and delicious Bok Lava Cake for our journey. As we set out on our 1.5 hour drive, we exchanged introductions and the vehicle filled with pleasant conversation in no time at all. Pines, Spruce, Oak, and Juniper Trees rose up around us on each side of Highway US-89A, beyond Fredonia, and into the Kaibab National Forest. From the top of the Kaibab Plateau, we beheld a magnificent birds-eye view of Grand Staircase Formation: the Vermillion Cliffs of Kanab, the White Cliffs, to the Pink Cliffs of Zion. Naturally, the visitors from Sweden had many questions for long-time-locals Jeff Welker, and myself. Jeff was kind enough to give me the stage at times and share my limited knowledge of the region’s geography. But we also told stories of past adventures, compared our Countries, and talked about gardening. Jeff led a wonderful conversation atmosphere.
In the blink of an eye, we exited the forest and dropped down a steep hill into Marble Canyon, Arizona. What was once a wall of trees all around us opened up into wide blue skies and tall red cliffs. Up ahead, a little house of white and turquoise stones sat alongside a winding desert road that reached into the wilderness.
“House Rock Valley Road,” Jeff said. “That’s where we’re headed.”
Not long after we left the highway and began the off-road portion of the tour, we arrived at a parking lot with bathrooms. Jeff encouraged us to keep our eyes to the skies, searching for faint black silhouettes of the endangered California Condor. We had arrived at the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument’s Condor Viewing Area, one of the hubs of the Condor Recovery Program. A Binoculars stand was dug into the earth next to the picnic tables. We took turns peering through, witnessing North America’s largest land-birds. The gravel road faded into thick sand, which our Guide navigated masterfully in the suburban. About half an hour after we left the highway, we reached a second parking area in the desert and set out on foot through the sand to the swath of sandstone known as White Pocket.

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White Pocket was fascinating. Strange formations rose out of the rock, ponds rested at their base, and the rocks were striped many hues of red and white. The occasional Juniper Tree burst through.  Jeff told us to feel free to take our time to explore, while also recommending the best spots to take in expansive scenery, stand beside dinosaur footprints, or catch a great photo.

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Kanab Tour Guide Jeff Welker guides Swedish Family through White Pocket

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Dino Prints
A few other tours were around, but overall, the area was remarkably un-crowded given it’s beauty. After entering down into a lower region of White Pocket through a little section similar to a Slide, we sat down for a picnic. Each of us brought our own lunch. After a few hours of taking in all the sites we came here to see, we gradually began heading back to the Suburban. The tour wasn’t over yet though, because between us and the parking lot, we stumbled into a pocket of the alien-like Moqui Marbles! Many of the little black stones were actually UFO shaped. White Pocket Picnic
Visiting the White Pocket area gave the mind lots of reasons to try to imagine the many forces of Nature… How the wind and rain could erode such a masterpiece. AWSA Tours offered us the necessary time, space, safety, and expertise to dwell in such thoughts as we engaged ourselves with the landscape.

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Posted in Just For Fun, Lake Powell Fridays

Endless Exploration

The Moon
I was born in Page Hospital almost 25 years ago. Dr. Darrell Bunch was still delivering babies in those days. My first-ever car ride brought me down the hill off of Manson Mesa, across the Glen Canyon Bridge, beyond Wahweap Marina, Greenehaven, Lone Rock, and the Entrada Sandstone cliffs that now play host to the famous Amangiri Resort; to my parents home in Big Water, Utah at the foot of the Kaiparowits Plateau. The furthest I’ve ever moved away was to the other side of Big Water, “BeunaVista”, and let’s just say that felt too far. I now live in my own home on the same slice of Real Estate I was raised on, next door to my mother: Heather Rankin, Owner and Broker of Rankin Realty at Lake Powell.
As I grew up here, I rode along that drive to and from Page and Big Water often. I remember early on being confused when I’d hear people complain about that commute, something about it lasting too long? Nonsense, I thought. It wasn’t long enough! When I would gaze out the window at the other-worldly formations of our homeland on trips to Walmart, my frustration was that we seemed to be in such a hurry.
What’s that road over there? Why can’t we drive down it? Let’s go climb those rocks. Let’s find out what those cliffs look like up close. There’s not a road there? Well let’s just pull off this highway and start walking out there.
In 2nd grade at Big Water School, a day in Cathy Reed’s class brought us a spelling list with the word “detour”, and she taught us what it meant. It was as though a warm breeze coursed through my soul… there was a word for what I had always wanted to do! In future car rides to and from Page, I vowed that when I grew up, I’d never let adult responsibilities outshine taking detours. Detours every day! What made those adults think all those little errands were so much more important than the desert? Come on! 😉 I was going to learn every square inch of those wild lands.
For a long time, my 16th Birthday and the freedom to explore that it would bring felt like a far-off daydream that would never be realized. It has now been close to 9 years since that day came and went, and I can tell you that I’ve kept my promise to take the detours in this adult life (although I *can* admit that I underestimated how tricky it is to not get so busy with life that we forget to slow down and actually live.)
On long trips out of town, I search for different routes home than I took there. Often, when I’m coming back to Big Water from Kanab, I’ll opt to take the long way through the Kaibab National Forest, Marble Canyon, and Page. Last summer, on my way to an appointment with a client at my office I realized the moment was perfect to stop at the Marina and jump in the Lake (fully clothed, at that) for a quick swim. A visit to friends in Cannonville, Utah was much better attained by taking the 47 mile long unpaved “Cottonwood Canyon Road”, instead of the highways…
Paria Valley
I live for detours. I had that part right. What I couldn’t have known as a little girl growing up here though, was that my endeavor to learn every square inch of these wild lands was an impossible one: because this region is infinite. Every time I load up my two sons into our Dodge Ram and set out, we discover something new. Some new vista we’ve never beheld before, a hoodoo we’ve never stood beneath, a slot canyon whose walls we’ve never touched. Even if I return to a favorite location: the changing position of the sun in the sky throughout the year casts new light and new shadows on the same formations, changing the character of the rocks. And then, I am changing also. My outlooks change, my attention to details changes.
While I know that to some, the drive between Page and Big Water gets old… I’ve been doing it for 25 years myself, and I just can’t relate. I’ll take cruising that 17 mile stretch of US-89 at 65mph through some of the most scenic country in the United States as my commute to work over just 10 minutes of traffic in a city any day.
In my posts here on my mother’s site, I hope to share a drop of insight into rural living in this region by writing about some of the detours and adventures Noah, Archer, and I have taken here locally. We are also festival-goers, so you’ll be hearing about those experiences as well. I hope that if you’re a local, my posts will inspire you to get out of the house. If you’re not a local, I hope that you’ll be inspired to become one (and that you’ll choose Rankin Realty for your Real Estate Purchase journey.)

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Posted in Big Water Utah, Health and Wellness, Just For Fun, Lake Powell Fridays

2018 Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta

Morning Balloon Launch by Heather Rankin

Morning Balloon Launch by Heather Rankin

The 16th annual Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta is right around the corner so make your plans now! Starting Thursday, November 1, and running through Sunday, November 4th, the regatta has a lot to see, learn, and participate in. The Balloon Regatta has become a staple of Page Lake Powell life and our draw gets bigger every year. What a back drop we have to host this festival ~ Lake Powell! With 62 Balloonists entered this year we should see some of our local favorites take to the skies. All launches, and the Glow, of course depend on the weather.

Bryan Hill, Basketcase Pilot, and Balloon Meister, is again heading up this years event. The Balloon Committee and the Page Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce ensure its success every year.

Click flyer to make larger which then can be printed.

Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta Flyer

Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta Flyer

More on the vendor fair after the schedule!

Balloon Regatta Schedule

As always Thursday will rock the education arena at the local schools. It is a cool experience for the students to learn about the mechanics of hot air balloons and chat with the pilots.

Friday morning will be the launch from Regatta Field and other locations usually around 7 a.m. After enjoying the beauty of the balloon morning come back downtown at 3:00 p.m. as the Friday portion of the vendor fair runs until 10 p.m.

Saturday morning features the 7 a.m. launch with the vendor fair starting up at 11 a.m. and going through 10 p.m.

Saturday night at sunset ~ THE GLOW! See the balloons lined up on Lake Powell Blvd, talk to the pilots, and watch synchronized lighting.

Sunday 7 a.m. Balloon Launch.

Vendor Fair

The Vendor Fair for 2018 looks to be a blast. Running two days, Friday and Saturday, the turn out should be great. There are more than 70 vendors this year including new food and our favorite standards.

There will be a Lantern Launch Friday night at 7:30 p.m in City Park. Lanterns are $5.00 and go on sale at 6:30.

Border Towns Horse Company will be set up by the big tent offering kid and adult rides as well as doing demonstrations throughout the day. Border Towns Horse Company is based in Big Water, Utah and are making a great name for themselves.

The Balloons n’ Brews beer garden will be in the parking lot in front of the breezeway at Atkinson Mall.

This year there are plenty of music acts.
JC Hackett on Friday from 5 p.m. to Close
The Gone West Band Saturday from Noon to 5 p.m
D.J. Serventi 5:30 to Close.

On a personal note a couple of good friends of ours will be playing music at local establishments. Floating in from Colorado, Snyderfish, will be playing solo at Blue Wine starting at 9 p.m. Saturday. Head over for some good vibes- an eclectic mix of funky reggae and mellow groove. Tom Bennett will be at State 48. Tom is a full time, traveling, one man country and blues band from Georgia now based in Utah. Don’t miss these two great performers!

More Information

Flyer from the Page Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce

Page Chamber Balloon Flyer

Page Chamber Balloon Flyer

2018 Page Lake Powell Hot Air Balloon Regatta looks to be one of the best. Come out and support our community, the pilots, the vendors, the Chamber and lets keep Page one cool place to be in the desert!

Heather Rankin is a Realtor and Owner/Broker of Rankin Realty at Lake Powell specializing in the Lake Powell areas of Page, AZ and Greenehaven, AZ as well as Big Water, UT We have a great team of agents to handle your real estate needs along the south shores of Lake Powell. Our office is next to the Ranch House Grille in Page AZ
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Posted in Lake Powell Area News & Events

Page AZ Lake Powell Inventory of Homes for Sale, September 2018 Report

For anyone who has been looking to buy or sell a home in Page, Arizona we have all noticed the same thing…. shrinking inventory. This past week saw a couple of homes come on the market which changed our numbers a bit so I decided to revisit what has gone on here the past three years.

Most of us in the area have noticed the sharp uptick in our tourism numbers the past 3 years. With that comes buyers who want to open VRBO’s, more teachers, more business owners, more workers, etc which has had our inventory of homes for sale dwindling.

Backing up to September of 2015, between Page and Greenehaven, we had 55 active homes for sale on the market of which 47 were in Page. On August 1st of 2018 we hit a low point in Page with active listings of homes for sale at mere 13. Thankfully over the past six weeks we have seen a few more homes come up for sale and today have 17 in Page.

Inventory Page AZ Homes for Sale

Inventory Page AZ Homes for Sale

Because of the low inventory, and high demand, the average sold price per square foot for homes in Page has gone from @ $127.00 psf in September 2015 to $156.00 psf in August of 2018. The trend has continued from August 1st to September 7th with the average price hovering about the same.

For Greenehaven, Lake Powell View Estates, the trends have been different over the last 3 years. Eight homes were on the market in September of 2015 and today there are 7. The numbers have jumped up and down and bit but seem to be mostly steady for active listings.

As far as manufactured homes the numbers also show a decrease in active homes for sale. In September of 2015 there were 13 manufactured homes in Page on the market. As of August 1st, 2018 there were 2 and today there are 3.

A couple of take-a-ways here.

1) If you are thinking about selling your Page AZ home this is a great time. Make sure you get a good price analysis from an agent… we can handle that!

2) If you are thinking about buying in Page some things to consider. Several homes have sold as they are just coming on the market so have your required pre-qualification letter from your lender ready, or a statement of good funds “cash” from your bank. We have to have either one of those to legally put a offer in on a property in Arizona and it is a darn good idea in Utah.

3) Many homes coming on the market are either rented, in which case notice is required to see them, or the owners are still living in them. You can click on our “search MLS” feature to make a list of homes you would like to see, then give us a call to set them up.

4) Oh, did I mention, get your pre-qualification? There are several great lenders who do a lot of work in the Page Lake Powell area. We can send you contract information for them so you can get started.

Fall is almost here ~ great time to look for homes!

Fall is almost here ~ great time to look for homes!

Final Thoughts

The Page Lake Powell real estate market has been picking up steadily the last couple of years. The number of homes on the market now is 1/4 of what it was in 2015 so it is important, if you are looking to buy to have all of your ducks in a row before starting the search. If you are looking to sell, make sure you have a good agent who is going to help you get your home ready to show and give good guidance on pricing strategies.

Heather Rankin is a Realtor and Owner/Broker of Rankin Realty at Lake Powell specializing in the Lake Powell areas of Page, AZ and Greenehaven, AZ as well as Big Water, UT We have a great team of agents to handle your real estate needs along the south shores of Lake Powell. Our office is next to the Ranch House Grille in Page AZ
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Posted in Lake Powell Real Estate

A Few Real Estate Thoughts on Selling Your Home

For the past several years real estate in the Page Lake Powell and Kanab area has been buzzing… like hot buzzing. Spending time in two states, Arizona and Utah, committing real estate I run in to all sorts of situations. Most of the time any conflicts come from a misunderstanding regarding the buying, selling, and transferring of real estate. I am going to address of few of the real life issues I’ve run in to in the hopes of providing some good, general information. Keep in mind, laws in your state may be different so consult a professional.

Selling Your Home?

We always hear a lot about decluttering and staging the home, but there are other things in the process just as important.

Not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but we can sell your house

Not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but we can sell your house

PAPERWORK

Most states have a legal requirement stating you need to sign a “listing agreement” of some sort, and most MLS’s also have a “paperwork” requirement to put your home’s information on the MLS where it will then circulate around the internet.

Two times in the past couple of months I have had sellers, in two different states, tell me they never signed any paperwork. One wanted to use a different agent, and one was simply confused. If you are a seller and never signed paperwork you do not have a contract to list your home. Period. Dot. Real estate is not done verbally, and if it is, it is not enforceable in a court of law. Weather the agent got busy and forgot, or the seller misunderstood, or, whatever… as a seller you are entitled to read a listing agreement, which is an employment contract. You have a right to negotiate the commission structure, the listing time frame, cancellation options and so much more.

Different states have different rules. In Utah, the state has created, and supplies, the listing agreements to the agents. In Utah all parties who have an ownership stake in the property MUST sign the listing agreement. If there are three people on the deed, all three must sign the listing agreement.

In Arizona, each Realtor Association area provides their listing forms. Listing agreements can range from 10 or so pages in the metropolitan cities, to 1 page in the rural areas. Rankin Realty uses the approved Arizona Association of Realtors right to sell agreement. 

Either way, the listing agreement, is the document in which you hire a realtor, decide on commission, agree to have a sign put in your yard, discuss having some sort of lock box on your home, decided the length of the listing and more.

PRICING STRATEGIES

Yup, we have a sellers market but there are some things to consider before setting a price. A Realtor should be able to give you a “quick” sale price but always be cautious. Several times in the past couple of years I’ve run into situations where the sellers had no idea exactly how much they owned on their mortgage for the home. There are closing fees to consider which include title insurance, taxes for the part of the year you owned the home, title company fees and the agent commission. Also buyers may ask for help covering their side of the closing costs in an offer.

Dictionary showing Mortgage

Know what you owe before you list!

If you are thinking of selling your home, call your mortgage company and get a “payoff” amount which typically is different than the amount that shows up on your monthly statement. If you have a “second” mortgage you’ll need that payoff amount as well. If your agent has not asked you if you know what that number is they are putting your in a situation where you could have to bring money to closing to sell your home, and most folks, in this market, don’t need to do that.

SHOWINGS

Once the home is listed I get a lot of questions about how the showings are going to work. It is always better for the seller to leave the home during the showing so the potential buyers and their agent feel free to discuss the pros and cons. If a home is a rental notice must be given to the renters but I always ask that they leave as well. Many reasons behind this but frequently renters are not happy about the home being sold and can make it difficult.

There is so much more to consider when listing your home for sale but these are just a couple of the bumpy areas I’ve run into recently when chatting with folks. If you have a specific question about listing your Lake Powell area home for sale, be it in Arizona or Utah, drop me a line here or give me a call. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out!

Heather Rankin is a Realtor and Owner/Broker of Rankin Realty at Lake Powell specializing in the Lake Powell areas of Page, AZ and Greenehaven, AZ as well as Big Water, UT We have a great team of agents to handle your real estate needs along the south shores of Lake Powell. Our office is next to the Ranch House Grille in Page AZ
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Posted in General Real Estate