Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; as is small town living!
Kanab is a place where you can literally spend your lifetime exploring, and yet, never see it all. A unique experience waits up every dirt road. The adventurous spirit has space and opportunity to truly roam, here.Personally, I spent ten years away from Kanab. Fueled by teenage angst, I thought cities had the lifestyle I wanted for myself. It didn’t take long for this small town girl to long for the quiet community, where every driver waves at one another, as compared to the distant attitude of those callused by city life. So, I did what any “sensible” teenager would do, and I moved to another city, in another state… and then another, and another… Somehow, moving to another new place didn’t satisfy the craving that Kanab left in my mouth. After ten years of no other place comparing to Kanab, I moved back to the home I always knew.
A home where sometimes a grocery store trip takes twice as long because you run into old friends, or are busy making new friends. A home where the local law enforcement will come remove a rattlesnake from your property, then drive by their own house to show off to their kids. A home where you may be taking a walk for exercise and three people will stop to offer you a ride. A home where you feel at home.
This is why I believe the answer to: “Is Kanab a Good Place to Live” is an emphatic YES that echoes off slot canyon walls, soars above the expansive land on the wings of hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles, and huge condors. Kanab is not only a “Good Place to Live” it is a place that fills your heart with gratitude every time you see a desert sunset.
The residents of this little red rock town enjoy rich and extensive outdoor lifestyles. Surrounded by public lands, you can literally drive in any direction away from the quaint downtown and find adventure, beauty, and awe-inspiring photo opportunities! There are two stop lights in Kanab; a reference point for giving directions around the area. The community enjoys the charms of small town life, and the residents of Kanab are happy to support locally owned businesses. It’s nice to leave the “Big City Amenities” to the nearby cities of Washington UT, St. George UT, Cedar City UT, and Page AZ.
Kanab locals enjoy the scenic drives to the nearest big-box stores. Kanab does not have a Wal-Mart; but what they do have is views for days that stretch in all directions and an enjoyment in commuting to the neighboring cities.
The year was 1995, Sally Quinn and Sue Weitzman huddled around a kitchen table, children and family present throwing around ideas for what to call their budding brokerage. A spouse suggested naming it something starting with an “A” so it would appear first in the phone book (remember those?). Sue and Sally adamantly wanted something that would reflect the local beauty. The kokopelli was chosen as the mascot and the name “Adobe Realty'' was settled on.
Weeks later, Sue and Sally were holding another informal business meeting at Nedra’s Too and Sally pointed across the street and said; “That is such a cute building!” A short time later, they signed a rental agreement with the owner of Sun-n-Sand Motel for half of the red rock building. Sally’s first sale was shortly after they opened, there was no furniture yet and the documents were signed while sitting on the floor. That first purchase was from one Mary Jensen, who would become Adobe’s loyal bookkeeper.
By August 1998, they had become successful enough to buy the building which so perfectly fit their name.
Adobe Realty was started in a time prior to cell phone use, when fax machines reigned as king. A time with their turquoise painted signs had name riders displaying the agent’s home phone numbers. Sally and Sue’s children unknowingly became trained on how to take phone messages for their mothers. Growing up, the children of Adobe Realty spent their summers swimming in the Sun-n-Sand Pool with a few open window calls from their mothers to “keep the screaming down!” During high school, the sons of Sally and Sue were kind enough to place signs on new listings, and that answering service from childhood laid the groundwork for their daughters Meghan and Sara, who both work in the industry now.
By the year 2000,The Adobe Gals kept up with the changing technology of the internet and were officially tethered to their cellular communication devices. They rejoiced when they no longer had to submit their listings to be printed like a magazine, and were able to have a more real time system, online.
“BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!” was the quote from Sally of the decade in response to “how’s business?” This phrase was repeated by The Adobe Gals and their families for many years. On family vacations, the children of The Adobe Gals would secretively pull the batteries out of their mother’s cell phones for a little extra quality time.
In 2005, Adobe Realty gained Carmen Bradley. Carmen began as an Arizona Realtor, and stepped into the role as Property Manager. Thanks to Carmen’s professionalism and hard work, Adobe Realty survived the trying times that came with 2008. While helping Adobe Realty succeed, Carmen also grew professionally. She is a licensed Realtor in Utah as well as Arizona, and she represents Adobe Realty as the Arizona Broker.
So much has changed over the last 24 years: while Adobe still has a fax machine, it’s rarely in use. And neither Sally nor Sue have had a landline in many years. The signs are now put up by someone on payroll (not on an allowance), and cell phone batteries can no longer be pulled out by sneaky children. Some things will never change though, like The Adobe Gal’s commitment to their clients, their love of this beautiful area, and their passion for this work. They’ve continued to grow their brokerage and have been adding new real estate agents with an array of experience. They remain committed to being Kanab’s Longest Standing, Locally Owned and Operated Real Estate Brokerage.
