Browsing: Opinion

Editorials/Opinion

Opinion: Selling Sedona, Part 2

April 6, 201513

By [Concerned Sedona Resident](April 6, 2015)This is the second in a series of articles examining the use of city tax…

Editorials/Opinion

Opinion: Selling Sedona

March 30, 201521

By [Concerned Sedona Resident](March 30, 2015)This is the first in a series of five parts examining the marketing of Sedona…

Letter to the Editor:
Short Term Rentals — Some Thoughts to Consider
By Steve Segner
Reports of Sedona’s death have been greatly exaggerated. There is no question that Short Term Rentals (STR) have changed the character of housing in Sedona. In past years, Sedona homes owned by out-of-towners were rented to locals at fair or below-market prices, and this market subsidy was advantageous for both renter and owner. The renter could rent a lovely home in a tourist town. The homeowner received rent to help pay for their future home with a caretaker to look after their investment. This symbiotic relationship worked for both parties, especially for Sedona’s business. When the state of Arizona passed SB-1350 in 2016, it changed this relationship. Now the homeowner could hire a professional company to manage and rent out their home as a STR and make enough to pay for the mortgage with a little (sometimes a lot) leftover, and the local governments can do nothing to stop it. Sedona lost workforce housing and long-term neighbors. Read more→