Michelle Saurage, GRI

11/04/2026

October in Rim Country: Buyers Still Hold the Leverage

7 months of supply. 143 days on market. Here’s what it means for you.

If your home has been on the market longer than you expected, you’re not imagining it.

Here’s what October looked like in Rim Country:

📊 About 527 active listings. That’s down from the summer peak of about 565, but still near the highest level all year.
📊 About 7 months of supply. Anything over 6 months is considered a buyer’s market.
📊 About 143 average days on market, up from about 131 in September.
📊 Homes sold for about 92% of their original list price on average.
📊 Median sold price was about $425,000, while the median asking price of active listings was about $496,000.

That last number tells the real story. There’s roughly a $70,000 gap between what’s sitting on the market and what’s actually selling.

The market isn’t stuck. It’s selective. Homes priced at what buyers will pay are still selling. Homes priced at what sellers hope for are sitting.

If you’re buying: You have choices and room to negotiate. Ask for what you want.

If you’re selling: Pricing right from day one matters more than ever, especially going into the holidays when new listings slow down and the buyers who are out looking are serious.

Thinking about buying or selling this winter? I’m happy to walk you through what the numbers mean for your home or your neighborhood.

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

11/03/2026

Sunday afternoon. The car is packed, the cabin is locked up, and that heavy feeling settles in before you even hit the Beeline. Sound familiar?

A lot of people who now live in Rim Country full-time started out exactly there. Weekends at the cabin, then long weekends, then whole summers.

Then one day the question changes from "When can we get back up here?" to "Why are we leaving at all?"

That Sunday heaviness is the symptom. The root is simpler: the place you go to rest has become the place you feel most like yourself.

For some people the shift comes with remote work, for some with an empty house, and for others it's just a quiet knowing that it's time.

If you're thinking about making the cabin your full-time home, here's what I walk through with people:

1. A weekend cabin and an everyday home are different. Think heating, insulation, storage, winter access and whether the systems were built for weekend use or daily living.

2. Check internet and cell coverage if you work from home. It varies a lot from one neighborhood to the next.

3. Ask about property taxes. In Arizona, a home's tax classification can change when it becomes your primary residence, so it's worth a call to the Gila County Assessor.

4. Have a plan for the Valley house. Sell it, keep it or rent it, and get the timing right. With more homes on the market right now, buyers have choices, so pricing and timing matter.

Sometimes the move you've been dreaming about isn't a new place at all. It's finally staying.

If the cabin is starting to feel more like home than home does, I'd love to help you think it through. No pressure, just a plan.

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/30/2026

People always ask me what it’s really like to live in Rim Country. My answer usually starts with food and ends with the forest.

Here are a few of my local favorites:

🍖 Rim Country BBQ. Great food, and a patio that’s hard to leave.
🥩 Fargo’s. For the nights that call for steak and something a little special.
🍺 Old County Inn. Good food, small town charm and that easygoing Rim Country feel.

When I’m not at a table, you’ll find me outdoors. There’s no better place to camp than the forest surrounding Payson. Bermuda Flat at Roosevelt Lake is another favorite. And with hiking and hunting all around us, there’s always somewhere new to explore.

A home is more than the house you live in. It’s the patio where you meet friends, the trail you walk on Saturday, and the campsite you go back to every year. Payson truly is a magical place.

What’s your favorite local spot? Tell me below. I’m curious what you all think. 👇

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] | Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/28/2026

The to-do list will still be there next week. The fall colors may not be.

Right now Rim Country is putting on its best show. The aspens are going gold up on the Rim, and the creek sides are turning amber and red. It only lasts a few weeks before winter settles in.

So this is your reminder to go. Lace up your boots, grab a thermos, and take the long way. Walk a trail you’ve been meaning to try, or revisit one you love. Breathe in that cool mountain air.

Days like these are a big part of why so many of us call this place home.

Where’s your favorite fall hike around Payson? Share it below. I’m always looking for a new one. 👇

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] or connect on my Instagram page / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/27/2026

The first snow photos start showing up on Facebook, and every year I hear the same question from people who just moved here: "What did we get ourselves into?"

That nervous feeling is normal. Underneath it is something good: winter is usually the season Rim Country stops feeling like a getaway and starts feeling like home.

Here are the honest truths I share with newcomers:

1. Elevation changes everything. Payson sits around 5,000 feet. Pine, Strawberry, Forest Lakes and Heber-Overgaard sit higher and usually see more snow. A few miles can mean a very different winter.

2. Check the roads before you go. Storms can slow or close the Beeline (SR 87) and SR 260. AZ 511 is your friend before any drive to the Valley or up the Rim.

3. Prep before the first storm, not during it. Schedule your propane or firewood early, protect exposed pipes, and keep a blanket, water and a flashlight in the car.

4. Plan for the occasional power outage. A charged power bank and a backup heat source make a stormy night a lot more peaceful.

5. Watch for elk and deer on the roads, especially at dawn and dusk.

6. Enjoy the quiet season. Fewer crowds, snowy trails, wood smoke in the air and slow mornings. For a lot of people, this is when they fall in love with living here.

New to Rim Country, or thinking about making the move? Drop your winter questions below and I'll answer them.

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] or connect on my Instagram page / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/23/2026

Almost 24 years in real estate has taught me many things but this is one lesson that sticks out.

Timing the market is not easy.

Life (just like the real estate market) has many ups, downs and transitions. Buying or selling based on where your life is at that moment is an important thing to consider.

I am always available to answer any of your questions or talk through options you are considering when the time arises to make big real estate decisions.

10/21/2026

Late nights scrolling listings. A folder of saved homes. That mix of excitement and "can we really do this?" If that's you, I see you.

Those are the symptoms. Underneath them, buying your first home is about more than a house.

It's the first time you get to choose where your life takes root. That's a big deal, and it deserves a plan, not just a pre-approval.

Here's what I wish every first-time buyer knew going in:

1. Know your comfortable payment before you know your price. What a lender approves and what lets you sleep at night aren't always the same number.

2. Today's market gives you more room than headlines suggest. Rates are high, around 7.40%, but Rim Country has about 520 homes for sale and roughly 7.4 months of supply. That means more choices and more room to negotiate than buyers have had in years.

3. Sellers are more flexible right now. Nationally, a record share of listings have had price cuts this fall, and sellers gave concessions in more than 45% of September sales. Asking is part of the process.

4. The right home fits your life, not just your list. Commute, winters, yard work, room to grow. Think five years out, not just move-in day.

If you're thinking about buying your first home, let's talk before you start touring. A little clarity up front saves a lot of stress later.

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected]

Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/16/2026

I had a whole list for today, and one of the items was filming my Friday video. Then I noticed I was pushing through it instead of showing up for it.

Sometimes that tired, scattered feeling isn’t a lack of discipline. It’s your body asking you to slow down and come back to center. Today I’m listening.

So no video this week, just a quick recap in case you missed it:

Monday: Your Zestimate isn’t a price. Zillow’s own data shows estimates for homes not listed for sale are off by about 7.5% at the median. On a $450,000 home, that’s roughly $33,000 either way. Rim Country homes, with acreage, views, wells and one-of-a-kind features, are especially hard for an algorithm to price.

Wednesday: Rates follow the bond market, not the Fed. The 30-year rate is holding at 7.40%, the highest since late 2023. Buyers: shop by monthly payment and ask about rate buydowns and seller credits. Sellers: accurate pricing from day one is what’s getting homes sold right now.

I checked, Freddie Mac’s numbers came out yesterday and rates held steady at 7.40%, so the rate in Wednesday’s post is still current.

If you want real numbers for your home or your next move, I’m here. No pressure, just clarity.

Enjoy your weekend, and give yourself permission to set something down too.

DM me, contact me through my website (www.realestateontherim.com), email me at [email protected] or connect on my Instagram page / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection

10/16/2026

10/14/2026

The 30-year mortgage rate jumped to 7.28% this month, its highest level since late 2023. A year ago it was 6.34%.

Most people assume the Fed sets mortgage rates. It doesn't, at least not directly.

Mortgage rates follow the bond market, specifically the 10-year Treasury yield, which climbed to about 5.27% in early October. When bond yields go up, mortgage rates follow.

What's pushing yields higher?

Economic data that keeps coming in stronger than expected, and a lot of uncertainty about what the Fed does next.

What it means for you:

Buyers: That nearly one-point jump adds more than $200 a month to the payment on a median-priced home.

Shop by monthly payment, not just price, and ask about rate buydowns and seller credits.

With about 7.4 months of supply in Rim Country, you have room to negotiate.

Sellers: Buyers' budgets just got tighter.

Pricing right and being open to helping with closing costs or a buydown can be what gets your home sold.

If you're trying to figure out how today's rates affect your plans, let's run the real numbers together.

DM me, contact me through my website, email me at [email protected] or connect on my Instagram page / Your Rim County Real Estate Connection