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Business, Entertainment, History, Inspiration, Real Estate, Russ Lyon

75 Years Serving Arizona

The Lyon family was at the forefront of transforming the Valley into what it is today through development and real estate, dating back to World War II when Russ Lyon moved here, got his real estate license, and started Russ Lyon Realty in 1947.

Russ’ son Dennis took over the real estate practice in 1968 as the company’s president, continuing to dominate the luxury market, primarily in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, and growing the company to about 350 agents. 

Dennis’ son Jim bought the company from his father in 2008 and merged it with Sotheby’s International Realty in 2014. 

As of 2022, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty now has 13 offices, 900+ agents, and services locations like Tubac, Flagstaff & everywhere in between. 

Read more about how Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty has been serving Arizona since 1947 below. 

2022 is a banner year for Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. 75 years ago, in 1947, Russ Lyon founded the Russ Lyon Realty Company. 

During these 75 years, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty has grown into a 7 billion dollar, full-service luxury real estate brokerage with more than 900 full-time real estate advisors and 13 offices across Arizona from Tubac and Tucson to Scottsdale, Carefree, Gilbert, Peoria, and Fountain Hills to Prescott, Sedona, and Flagstaff. 

If you’ve been around Phoenix long enough, you remember when a huge, well-landscaped billboard at 24th and Camelback had a lion on it advertising Russ Lyon Realty, which was the premier home sales agency in the Valley. The Lyon family is really royalty in the Arizona real estate world.

Grady Gammage Jr., a long-time Valley land-use attorney and partner at Gammage & Burnham in Phoenix.

The brokerage continues strategic growth by investing in its people through innovation, exceptional service, and leadership, providing maximum returns to all its agents and clients. 

I am very proud of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty for reaching our diamond milestone, as we continue to represent buyers and sellers locally and internationally always giving our clients the white-glove services they deserve and have come to expect. Our real estate advisors across Arizona are our core business, they work tirelessly to provide the best service possible while upholding the standards and ethics that make Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Arizona’s real estate leader.

Jim Lyon, chairman

The story of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty began in 1947 when Russ Lyon Sr. founded Russ Lyon Realty with just three employees. 

Lyon had been an accomplished saxophone player in New York City and, in the 1930s, formed Russ Lyon and his orchestra during the significant band era. He decided to relocate his family, wife Janis, and sons Rusty and Dennis to Hollywood, CA, to further his music career in the mid-1940s. While crossing Arizona, Rusty came down with Valley Fever. So, they wintered in the small farm town of Mesa so Rusty could recover.

One winter was enough to convince Russ that he’d found Heaven in The Valley of the Sun, Arizona. He changed the family’s plans, deciding to remain in Arizona permanently. 

There being no music industry to speak of in The Valley, Russ decided in 1947 to start a real estate company and named it Russ Lyon Realty.

The family moved to an adobe home on Cattletrack Drive in Scottsdale, where actual cattle drives were a common occurrence. This home still stands and is known as the Stable Galleria. 

Russ built the company into a luxury powerhouse in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and Phoenix by always treating clients fairly, with dignity, respect, and professionalism. To this day, a business ethic is a cornerstone of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty.

Russ’s son, Dennis, entered the family real estate business as a young man and eventually took the reins in the 1970s. Dennis built upon the solid foundation his father had created, and Russ Lyon Realty Company grew and prospered for several decades. Russ’s other son, Rusty, went into commercial real estate and founded Westcor, a company that revolutionized the American shopping mall concept and built some of the most successful malls in the United States, including Scottsdale Fashion Square.

In the 1990s, Dennis’ son, Jim Lyon, joined the company and quickly climbed the ranks from agent to management. In 2004, Jim partnered with long-time friend and successful Russ Lyon Realty agent Todd Gillenwater and opened franchise offices in Sedona, Prescott, and Flagstaff. In 2008, Jim and Todd purchased Russ Lyon Realty from Dennis, which they merged with another local brokerage to create Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Arizona’s dominant luxury real estate firm. 

In 2012, Jim and Todd invited top-producing agent and friend Tom Locati to join the company as partners. 

In 2014, the Russ Lyon Foundation was formed and was recently recognized in the Top 3 mid-sized companies for corporate philanthropy and volunteerism. Together, Jim Lyon, Todd Gillenwater, and Tom Locati have continued the traditions and ethics that Russ Lyon Sr. started 75 years ago, and Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty continues to lead the industry by example. 

In 2021, the company closed over 7,000 successful transactions, totaling more than 7 billion dollars in Arizona real estate. 

Serving Arizona Since 1947

October 31, 2022 by
Architecture, Business, Entertainment, History, Real Estate, Residential Real Estate

The Sale of What Could Be a Final Masterpiece in Nighthawk by Architectural Legend Gerry Jones

The sale includes the last home built by Jones who was critical to the foundation of Carefree, Arizona.

Architect Gerry Jones has been an incredibly important part of the history of the town of Carefree. While his work graces landscapes around the Valley, he is intrinsically tied to the town he helped found with his work. Therefore, it is appropriate that this masterpiece is in the place where his spectacular career began.

Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to announce that it has closed on a one-of-a-kind property that highlights this legend’s career. Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Agents Frank Aazami and Bill Ramseyer sold the 5,270-square-foot home at 37251 N. Nighthawk Way in Carefree for $3,400,000.

Gerry Jones’ illustrious career spanned over 65 years and designed approximately 328 homes. With speculation that this could be one of his last custom creations, this sale is considered incredibly special therefore there is an added treat. This home is a spec home and represents one of only three spec homes he has made in that 65+ year career. Jones’ goal with the Nighthawk home was to include a combination of custom features, quality of construction materials, design characteristics, and orientation of the home on a hillside lot. These characteristics became the hallmarks of the other 325 custom homes he created for his clients.

Agent Frank Aazami said this about the landmark sale, “Nighthawk was in fact the highest-priced home sold per square foot within Carefree. We attribute this milestone accomplishment to Gerry Jones and Tim Larson with La Casa Builders for imagining and building this signature home. In this case, they have proven it with a timeless design coupled with quality construction that can yield the highest sale and reason for a toast. This home will outlast many generations to come.”

Gerry Jones was born in Indiana in 1924 and served in Okinawa in the Pacific theater in WWII as a Marine. He also served in the Korean War, and first became interested in architecture while in China, where he witnessed monasteries built into the mountainsides. That love of extreme architecture never left him, as he taught extreme mountainous terrain architecture at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West for 17 years.

Carefree Founders K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington asked Jones to lay out the roads and lots of the original town between 1957 and 1959. His first home was built in the Town of Carefree in 1959 on a 2.5-acre improved lot at a cost of $1,700 (today’s value of the lot would be about $850,000), a home that Carefree Councilmember Vince D’Aliesio now lives in with his family. He documented guidelines and created rules for development that eventually would become part of the Maricopa County Hillside Ordinance. Jones believed in designing homes that exceeded code requirements and therefore last for generations. His design and construction process blends with the natural flow of the terrain, a design characteristic he likes to call “Southwestern Textural”.

Jones’ 328 homes are spread throughout Arizona, Carmel, Maui, Nevada, Portland, and Palm Springs. Some of the homes he has designed and built in the Valley area can be found in Camelback, Mummy Mountains, Pinnacle Peak, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Clearwater Hills, and Cave Creek.

The smallest home he designed and built was a 1,500-square-foot Honeymoon Cottage on 17 acres in Carefree. The largest home was 26,000 square-foot masterpiece that he built at a cost of $52 million. Among his clientele are celebrities, athletes, corporate executives, and international clients. 140 of his career 328 homes are built in Carefree and 17 of them are built on Black Mountain.

We invite you to watch this video where he tells the story about his process. Take this virtual tour and see for yourself just how special this property is now and will always be.

May 20, 2022 by
Entertainment, History, Russ Lyon

The Year 1947

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and travel back to 1947.

What happened in 1947?

  • It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • Congress passes Taft-Hartley Act, restricting labor unions
  • Henry Ford dies, leaving behind a fortune of over $600 million
  • Americans can purchase the first new cars manufactured since the beginning of World War II
  • President Truman formulated the “Truman Doctrine” of providing aid to countries whose governments are threatened with overthrow
  • U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall called for a European recovery effort, popularly called the “Marshall Plan.”
  • India and Pakistan proclaimed independent nations
  • Britain nationalizes its coal industry.
  • Britain’s Princess Elizabeth marries Phillip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh.
  • World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-3 (first televised World Series)
  • Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American player in a major league baseball team (Brooklyn Dodgers)
  • Over 1 million veterans enrolled in college through the G.I. Bill
  • First food processors
  • The average cost of a loaf of bread was 13 cents
  • The start of the Cold War endured over four decades, from circa 1947 until the decline and eventual collapse of East European and Soviet state communism in the late 1980s.
  • 1945 to 1947, to win independence, underground Jewish militias waged a bitter guerilla war against the British, including bombing attacks against British Military Headquarters
  • 1947 November 29th The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine recommended the partition of Palestine into two separate states, one Arab and one Jewish
  • UFO allegedly found on July 7 in the Roswell UFO incident
  • National Security Act is created.
  • The CIA was established.
  • The classic holiday film “Miracle on 34th Street” premieres.
  • Howard Hughes Flying Boat ( The Spruce Goose ) takes off but will never go into production.

What happened in Arizona in 1947?

  • A fire destroyed all but four of Phoenix’s electric streetcars in October.
  • The city begins the process of transitioning to a public bus transit system.
  • The Phoenix Charter Revision Committee is formed.
  • Russ Lyon Realty is founded.
  • Phoenix Symphony Orchestra is founded.
  • Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce was formed, and Scottsdale leaders made a conscious effort to promote a particular identity linked to the Old West, as a reflection of the city’s roots and as a tourist draw.
  • The New York Giants start spring training in Phoenix.

1947: Cost of Living

  • The average cost of a new house was $6,600.00
  • Average wages per year $2,850.00
  • The cost of a gallon of Gas is 15 cents
  • Average Cost New Car $1,300.00
  • Loaf of Bread was 13 cents
  • The United States Postage Stamp 3 cents
  • Men’s Sweater $8.50
  • Bulova Men’s Watch $52.50
  • Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup 23 cents for 2 cans
  • Leg O Lamb 59 cents per pound
  • Loaf Marvel Enriched Bread 13 cents per loaf
  • Oranges 49 cents per dozen
  • Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Sterling
  • Average House Price 1,824
  • A couple of examples of houses for sale this year
  • Harlingen, Texas New Brick House 5 room house with all furniture included $7,100
  • Long Beach, California Mediterranean style Home with Most beautiful 2-story modern home overlooking the ocean well cared for grounds $37,500

Who was born this year?

  • January 8th: David Bowie
  • February 2nd: Farrah Fawcett 
  • March 25th: Elton John
  • April 12th: David Letterman
  • May 2nd: James Dyson
  • July 5th: Judge Joe Brown
  • July 18th: Steve Forbes
  • July 30th: Arnold Schwarzenegger 
  • September 1: Stephen King
  • September 27th: Meat Loaf 
  • August 14th: Danielle Steel 
  • October 26th: Hillary Rodham Clinton
  • November 8th: Minnie Riperton

What technology was there?

  • First “instant camera” Camera History shown
  • Saab produces its first automobile.
  • Goodrich Manufacturers’ first Tubeless Tyre
  • Howard Hughes Flying Boat ( The Spruce Goose ) takes off but will never go into production.
  • The Transistor is invented
  • Walter Morrison invents the Frisbee.
  • ENIAC, one of the world’s first digital computers, is turned on after a memory upgrade (operated until 1955).
  • The Sound Barrier is Broken (Traveling faster than Sound)
  • First LP’s History of HiFi and Music Players and Media produced.
  • Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country (or attributed to first use)
    • Artificial Intelligence – England by Alan Turing
    • Mobile Phone – USA
    • Transistor – the USA from Bell Laboratories
    • Hologram – Hungary by Denis Gabor

Other News

  • 1931 Statute of Westminster
  • New Zealand ratifies the 1931 Statute of Westminster, which provides Effective Legislative Independence from Great Britain
  • Ferrari began production of Italian sports cars after having been involved in motor racing since 1929
  • Ammonium nitrate cargo of SS Grandcap explodes in Texas City, Texas – 552 dead, 3000 injured
  • Everglades National Park is dedicated as a National Park by President Harry S. Truman
  • A major strike closes The Paris subway
  • 50 separate Forest fires in Maine and surrounding states destroy more than two hundred thousand acres
  • Hurricane in southeast Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama – 51 killed
  • Earthquake in Chilean Andes – 233 dead
  • Severe Snow Storm Northeastern part of the United States
  • Tornado strikes Woodward, Oklahoma, killing 107
  • Polaroid Land Camera Demonstrated giving photos in 60 seconds
  • First Of The Dead Sea Scrolls Found in caves near Wadi Qumran
  • Following the creation of the National Coal Board in 1946, Great Britain nationalizes Coal mines in 1947.
  • The four largest British rail companies Great Western Railway (GWR), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and the Southern Railway (SR), were taken over by the government and turned into the Nationalised British Railway.
  • Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth marries the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey, London.
  • On January 1st, The Canadian Citizenship Act passed in 1946, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens.
  • The first Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe festival opens for the performing arts.

Source: https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1947.html

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947

Source: https://www.babyboomers.com/1947

January 1, 2022 by