Arizona Pro's & Con's

Fullthrottleguy said:
I have a few friends that say the exact same thing - they still have boats and sand cars sitting and I can never get them to go out - they just say its paradise every day here  - I used to go out to get away and relax, now I come home to relax.  I never got that in AZ  being there part time ..  but I believe you would full time

I started looking at Yuma  since I still travel a bit for work if mostly at home -  I did the run to Las Vegas a number of times for flights from Havasu  - that gets real old  real fast...   Yuma is near the river, near Glamis  both within an hour, and a real airport in town.  Good hospitals - got think about that getting older, Havasu is good on healthcare - but anything big they fly you to Vegas. Then there is the border in Yuma, but ... maybe that gets fixed in 2024

I can get a nice newer house, and a couple acres in Yuma a 2500 sq ft shop and a pool  about half the cost of Havasu right now, but not sure of the culture. 

Its amazing how all of AZ has a significantly higher crime rate (by on line stats) than my town (Torrance) in CA  but I never felt that way in Havasu. They rate Havasu same as Yuma C- in most crime, most coastal cities in CA are A- like mine , makes you wonder

I  use some stupid measurements to determine culture of where I want to live  - How red is it,  what is the percentage of RV garages, how many car clubs,  Plusess...how many chain restaurants and 7-11's Minuses ..., percentage of college grads ...  A mixed bag  and of course healthcare, and location
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actually on health care.. havasu is the worst place if you need constant health care. the hospital here sucks ass. the general census is if you can live long enough to make it to kingman or vegas or phoenix, do it. only go to havasu regional as a last resort or your bleeding out, active heart attack.

 
Bobalos said:
this is the research I did with respect to weather.  I also did an evaluation of $/SQ-FT for smaller houses, but cant find that.  it varied a lot with lot size.  I was kind of surprised @ how expensive some of the houses were in places like Prescott. with regards to temperature days, those are daytime highs. 

View attachment 68180

These are the general areas we were looking @.  we know that Phoenix is not in the running.  just too damn meany hot days.  we could not live like that. 

View attachment 68179
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I have friends in Payson (they moved there from CA) and they love it. I visit there a lot and it is a real nice town. DON~~~

 
Kevin said:
actually on health care.. havasu is the worst place if you need constant health care. the hospital here sucks ass. the general census is if you can live long enough to make it to kingman or vegas or phoenix, do it. only go to havasu regional as a last resort or your bleeding out, active heart attack.
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We have been told there is a lot of turn over there as it is a training hospital. Several of our renters have been nurses for 3, 6, 12 months 

 
matt86m said:
We have been told there is a lot of turn over there as it is a training hospital. Several of our renters have been nurses for 3, 6, 12 months 
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I have a great doctor here.  Probably the best I have ever had.  Sadly, he is retiring soon.

- Dental has been pretty good for me.  My wife doesn't feel the same.
- Vision is pretty good.  I had to work through an issue with a pair of glasses but they fixed it and made it right.
- Specialty clinics here have been pretty good for CT scans and MRIs
- Urgent care is ok.  No real complaints
- The VA clinic here is good.  The staff is great, the doctors/NP not so much, but that's to be expected with the VA.

Couple of big negatives.  
- Veterinarians and emergency animal care are very hard to come by.  I could write a book on this.
- Anything general contractor.  A lot come on strong and then you have to hound them to finish or fire them and have someone else finish.  I could write another book here too.

 
matt86m said:
We have been told there is a lot of turn over there as it is a training hospital. Several of our renters have been nurses for 3, 6, 12 months 
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Kevin said:
actually on health care.. havasu is the worst place if you need constant health care. the hospital here sucks ass. the general census is if you can live long enough to make it to kingman or vegas or phoenix, do it. only go to havasu regional as a last resort or your bleeding out, active heart attack.
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I had gone to ER 2x when I was there  over 20 years - it was OK, but yeah anything serious and they said go to Vegas

My neighbor there was ex San diego, he had a Heart condition, ended up moving back to San Diego  because he worried  about on going care ,,,

so there is that ...

I am told Yuma has great healthcare because of the base being there  - but no personal experience and its a 40 minute airlift to san diego ..

 
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I heard AZ is one of the states that doesn't tax Social Security!

That's cool!

I think about an exit plan for down the road. Been looking at homes in St. George, UT.

Effing Dimwits in CA are effing up a state that could be its own country and self sufficient!

The problem with people running a state that have never held a job!

:simrak:

 
I can only view the thread,,, no way I'm getting out of Kali ....

.

..... alive

abc

PS. I do enjoy the climate.. the weather. Personally I like Kauai better.. flip flops, shorts.. even if it's raining.

Pauli hauli 2 .jpg

 
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ChEFF said:
TX went crazy on the property tax this year. The houses are selling for that price. Thanks CALLIE Folks. Peace 
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My Commercial 10,000 sq ft Warehouse / Office property tax went up 68% from 2013-2022. From $343,694 to $578,965. I bought it for $365,000 in 2005. Could sell it today easily for $850,000- $1mil. Reason being, there isn't anymore 10,000 sq ft warehouses available. So i'm told. I'll keep renting it to my company for the time being. Looks like rent is going up effective immediately. Peace    

 
Mac said:
I have a great doctor here.  Probably the best I have ever had.  Sadly, he is retiring soon.

- Dental has been pretty good for me.  My wife doesn't feel the same.
- Vision is pretty good.  I had to work through an issue with a pair of glasses but they fixed it and made it right.
- Specialty clinics here have been pretty good for CT scans and MRIs
- Urgent care is ok.  No real complaints
- The VA clinic here is good.  The staff is great, the doctors/NP not so much, but that's to be expected with the VA.

Couple of big negatives.  
- Veterinarians and emergency animal care are very hard to come by.  I could write a book on this.
- Anything general contractor.  A lot come on strong and then you have to hound them to finish or fire them and have someone else finish.  I could write another book here too.
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Don't get sick. Don't have animals. Stop building onto the home. Problem Solved @Mac Hows the cemetery's? Peace

 
[SIZE=12pt]At the recommendation of a couple of my Glamis friends who moved from CA to Havasu; we drove out from Seal Beach to check it out.  [/SIZE] It just felt like we were back in the OC in the 70’s. 

[SIZE=12pt]Our friend drove us all around looking at housing and properties.  [/SIZE]None of the homes were what we wanted but we found a piece of land that day and bought it. 

[SIZE=12pt]That was 5 years ago.  [/SIZE]For all the reasons listed already, we love it here.  We got a pontoon boat,  Of course we have the Tatum and we ordered a “to be seen to believe” RG.  BTW Robbie says Havasu will be the west coast headquarters.

[SIZE=12pt]We love the small-town feel. There are no streetlights or sidewalks, and the speed limit is 35mph everywhere.  [/SIZE]Lots of good food except Sushi.  Miles and miles of trails,  some rock crawling, and plenty of open shooting.  I swear there is chit going on every weekend. Car gatherings Thursday nights on main street. Run to the Sun, Desert storm, Super Cats. UTV championships, Jet ski worlds and just down in Parker drag boats and circle/ ski races.

[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]So from the land purchase,  [/SIZE]2 ½ years of design and plan check we finally got started on the build.  I am doing it as Owner Builder.

[SIZE=12pt] As stated already, everyone including contractors work on Havasu time.  [/SIZE]After site prep and retaining walls built, I had my first column footing poured.  That took 6 months to complete the 5X5X13 footing with a well-known and very reputable contractor.  We were still in CA and discovered you could never count on a firm commitment to weekly work plan.  So, we sold the CA home (for stupid money) and bought a home in Havasu to live in while building our dream home.  Shortly after we got here, from another group of Glamis peeps we find out my buddies’ wife had an uncle who was a contractor in Kingman.  He turned me on to a guy (Sal) from CA who had a civil crew.  Wow did they come in and chit and git-it.  In the first month they did 2 more 5X5X13 footings and all the lower garage column footings. Next Sal got me some steel erectors out of CA.  They put up 62 tons of steel in 30 days with 3 guys.  All these guys are cash only and I provided the hotel rooms.

[SIZE=12pt]Today I’m 95% done with framing and now I’m ready to start the easy stuff.  [/SIZE]Electricians, Plumbing, Stucco, Roofing, Cabinets & Counters, Drywall, flooring, and xxxx and xxxx and xxxx.  All local guys. 

[SIZE=12pt]I hope I live long enough to see it done.[/SIZE]

DL

 
Dunelover said:
[SIZE=12pt]At the recommendation of a couple of my Glamis friends who moved from CA to Havasu; we drove out from Seal Beach to check it out.  [/SIZE] It just felt like we were back in the OC in the 70’s. 

[SIZE=12pt]Our friend drove us all around looking at housing and properties.  [/SIZE]None of the homes were what we wanted but we found a piece of land that day and bought it. 

[SIZE=12pt]That was 5 years ago.  [/SIZE]For all the reasons listed already, we love it here.  We got a pontoon boat,  Of course we have the Tatum and we ordered a “to be seen to believe” RG.  BTW Robbie says Havasu will be the west coast headquarters.

[SIZE=12pt]We love the small-town feel. There are no streetlights or sidewalks, and the speed limit is 35mph everywhere.  [/SIZE]Lots of good food except Sushi.  Miles and miles of trails,  some rock crawling, and plenty of open shooting.  I swear there is chit going on every weekend. Car gatherings Thursday nights on main street. Run to the Sun, Desert storm, Super Cats. UTV championships, Jet ski worlds and just down in Parker drag boats and circle/ ski races.

[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]So from the land purchase,  [/SIZE]2 ½ years of design and plan check we finally got started on the build.  I am doing it as Owner Builder.

[SIZE=12pt] As stated already, everyone including contractors work on Havasu time.  [/SIZE]After site prep and retaining walls built, I had my first column footing poured.  That took 6 months to complete the 5X5X13 footing with a well-known and very reputable contractor.  We were still in CA and discovered you could never count on a firm commitment to weekly work plan.  So, we sold the CA home (for stupid money) and bought a home in Havasu to live in while building our dream home.  Shortly after we got here, from another group of Glamis peeps we find out my buddies’ wife had an uncle who was a contractor in Kingman.  He turned me on to a guy (Sal) from CA who had a civil crew.  Wow did they come in and chit and git-it.  In the first month they did 2 more 5X5X13 footings and all the lower garage column footings. Next Sal got me some steel erectors out of CA.  They put up 62 tons of steel in 30 days with 3 guys.  All these guys are cash only and I provided the hotel rooms.

[SIZE=12pt]Today I’m 95% done with framing and now I’m ready to start the easy stuff.  [/SIZE]Electricians, Plumbing, Stucco, Roofing, Cabinets & Counters, Drywall, flooring, and xxxx and xxxx and xxxx.  All local guys. 

[SIZE=12pt]I hope I live long enough to see it done.[/SIZE]

DL
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Alright, you know this place....you HAVE to do a build thred!

:cheers:

Let's see some progress...see what chEFF has done?

 
I been wanting to Move to AZ for Years. Golden Valley is the area I want to be in. I know thats not fancy but My Uncle and Aunt have a place there and its quiet and nice to me. When I was married we had a plan and well that didnt go through. The house even in this area that I have been looking were 175kish and now well over 350k which is way too much in my opinion for the area. I have a friend that lives in Bullhead and she said just move already and get a 16 an hour job it doesnt cost that much to live here which I disagree with that math as 16 an hour won't cut it.My Aunt lives alone now that my Uncle Passed and she said she would rent me a room for a bit so that might be a option but we will see. I do Hope I can get out there sooner than later

 
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Have kicked around the idea of moving for quite sometime. Not sure AZ is in that list or not. Don’t like the Phoenix metropolitan area. Everything up north seems expensive and also not a fan of anything down south. 
 

But, like a lot of things in CA. I’m addicted to the money and the public retirement system. Yea, it’s hard to live on that salary now but in 15 years when I retire, that money should go along way in another state. 

 
I moved to AZ from OC in 2004 
Pros- drive any posted speed limit while towing. Easy drive to Glamis. Roads are on a grid, freeways are on a loop system. Affordable housing (compared to CA) but listing prices are sky high in my opinion.

ADOT upgrades/maintains/builds freeways in a timely matter, they just shut the whole thing down and get it done! Far cry from CA watching one guy dig a hole with a shovel while 4 guys watch. Street licensing of your OHV of any type! Take yer Sand Car to In N Out or grocery shopping, cops just give a thumbs up. 
I’ve lived here almost 20 years, started in Surprise, then Phoenix and now I’m in Gilbert. Next move will be to a horse property in Queen Creek. 
Cons- A LOT of people have moved here and continue to. A LOT. Race tracks are closing, while high rise units go in across Phoenix. More people, more congestion. Growing up in Costa Mesa, having season passes to Disneyland, going to Knotts, the beach, San Diego, Glen Helen races, Elsinore MX, to me at least theres nothing to do. It’s definitely a slower pace here. 
Move here and buy a boat, SXS, fishing poles and guns. Oh! And get the BEST quality tint on your car windows, it’s ALWAYS sunny here

I may know a thing or two about housing here, hit me up if you like 

 
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