Barbara Bailor

Barbara is a Seattle native, but somehow, she was fortunate to have been able to attend the University of Arizona. She was following her dancer’s dream of studying at the marvelous U of A dance department under Dr. John Wilson. It was a remarkable opportunity and moment in time. Tucson was completely foreign to her, so different from growing up in the PNW, and yet Tucson is where she found her soul belonged. Tucson is where she wanted to be. After graduation, she eventually made it back to Seattle. It is where her family and her roots are.

She met her husband; they married and raised their daughter. She worked in various careers, ending up in real estate. She was with her parents as they grew old and died, and with her daughter for her college graduation. During those years, Tucson never let her go. She dreamt of returning, but how?

Eventually, she was able to drag her husband Thom to Tucson. Thom envisioned Tucson to be a flat desert with sage brushed and had no idea why anyone would want to live there. When Thom finally came with her, he was amazed by its beauty, mountains, culture, and lush landscape. At the time they were both working full time. They were looking towards their future and where they wanted to spend it. In August of 2010, they flew down to explore property. They came across a condominium conversion project, and they were marketing the condominiums as vacation homes and rental incomes. People could buy their winter home and rent it for additional income. It sounded like a perfect solution! This worked for them for 7 years, then they decided they wanted to live in Tucson full time. They had experienced the area during various times of the year and became convinced this was their home.

By 2017, she had worked in a corporate real estate agency for 12 years. Although, she had learned all facets of the real estate business, she never had been an agent. She was always a salaried employee. In January of 2017, they sold their Seattle house and moved into their Tucson house in the foothills, and she achieved her real estate license. She was to make the big leap into self-employment. Sink or swim. She took over managing our condominium as a vacation rental, and She studied the Tucson real estate market. It was a natural fit.

She found managing their condominium to be a lot more enjoyable than she had imagined. She tried VRBO/HomeAway, Airbnb and Booking.com. She studied the competition and found that there was a real need for a boutique vacation rental business in Tucson, someone who could provide the personal touch for guests. It was an instant success. The condominium brought together two loves, introducing people to Tucson and being a mentor to those who also want to start their own vacation rental business.

What she learned in real estate school was so much more than she had bargained for. She thought I knew everything; she had no idea how different the contracts and culture was from Washington State. It was humbling; her assumptions kept tripping her up. Her classmates introduced her to different communities in the surrounding Tucson area, all so different and unique: Quail Creek, Green Valley, Dove Mountain, Saddlebrook, Central Tucson, West and East, and of course the Catalina Foothills. So much variety. Even in the Catalina Foothills there are so many wonderful neighborhoods, each with their own flavor and lifestyle. She was excited to be the one who could help newcomers find that place they could call “home.”

She is a guide to Tucson’s condominiums, vacation rentals, and various residential communities. She helps those who want to relocate either full time or part time. This is her consuming passion. Because she has experienced it, she understands the emotions, challenges, and steps to make the transition possible. She has helped many people make their dreams come together.

She will take you, your commitment, and your goals seriously and always be mindful of her responsibility toward you. Together, you will reach your goals. It is important to trust the process and trust your instincts. Honor your feelings: you will know if a decision is the right move or not. If you would like to explore possibilities, she is here to be your guide. Contact her for more ideas and ways to your dream’s reality.