Bullhead City (Tucson, Flagstaff: housing, condo, rent)

[tickle_b]

I take great offense to your remarks regarding the "Riviera" district. I bought my home in Riviera here nearly two years ago and I happen to live in a very decent family friendly neighborhood. I have seen the "barrios" and believe me, Bullhead doesn't have anything to compare to them. Every town has a "poor neighborhood". Just because we don't make $40.000 a year doesn't make us or our homes "horrible" as you put it. And it doesn't automatically mean that we are druggies or alcaholics or criminals. As far as BHC goes, we love it here and have from the moment we stepped foot here. I'm more at home here than where I grew up. You either love it or hate it. I don't think there is an in between here. The natural beauty is breathtaking and I never tire of the view from my front and back yard.

Originally Posted by BlueRose

Hello all! some friends of mine sold their home in "paradise" california and moved to the area 9 years ago. They are very happy. They have a pool and that is how they spend their off time. He loves to BBQ so they have an outdoor kitchen. He works as a marine surveyor, she worksat harrahs as an admin assit. She is finally making $40,000 a year. He is doing well with his business, they needed a marine survey business in the tri state area so he started one. He is making money!!! Their house is really nice up on the hill.
I ahve visited several times. As much as I love visiting, I would not want to live there. There just is not enough to do there. The things that I like: art, culture, yoga etc... are just not there. If you are into a pool and or have a boat then maybe.
As for jobs, well since the area is experiencing tremdous growth, if you have a skill and a entreprenual spirit, starting a business there can be a great thing since they need everything.
Are you into yoga? great start a yoga studio. Get the idea?
I briefly considered moving there and am very glad I did not. As far as crime, There is an area the 'riviera" down south of town that is horrible. There will always be bad areas of any town. I just dont like the casino and drinking environment.
It is extremely hot, so hot you cant really enjoy being outside much of the day. I only visit in June or Sept, cause the rest of the summer is too hot. When I visit I am in thier pool almost the entire time, get a pool.
Good luck.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Any one know if they caught the punks buying acid from the Home Depot and then spraying it on vehicles in parking lots? This happened to me unfortunately in January and the police officer said they've had numerous reports filed in parking lots all over BHC. This is costing me $4k to repair. It's the last time I park overnight at a Best Western in Bullhead. Next time I do business there I will stay in one of the casinos in Laughlin!

[joeyla91601]

hello that is not correct. the record high for lake havasu.bullhead city, parker and needles are between 128-130. they are forcasting 125 on july 4 and 126 in lake havasu

Originally Posted by no user name

I think I read that the highest record temp for Bullhead was 122 which is obviously very hot. I am in the process of talking to a Realtor and looking at properties, are there any good things that you like about the area? Why are you sticking around if you don't like it?
My skin is crawling thinking about those bugs, though I like the lizards and coyotes. How often (if at all) have you confronted outside and then inside your home 1) scorpions 2)black widows 3)water bugs (which are basically big roaches, right?) Are water bugs more common right near the river as is the case here in Chicago?
And what in the name of all that's unholy is a tarantula wasp? Sounds horrible!
By the way, how long have you lived there? And lastly, how is crime?
I appreciate your input.
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[joeyla91601]

hello that is not correct. the record high for lake havasu.bullhead city, parker and needles are between 128-130. they are forcasting 125 on july 4 and 126 in lake havasu. the record high is 122 at sky harbor in phoenix. they are suppose to 116 on july 4

Originally Posted by no user name

I think I read that the highest record temp for Bullhead was 122 which is obviously very hot. I am in the process of talking to a Realtor and looking at properties, are there any good things that you like about the area? Why are you sticking around if you don't like it?
My skin is crawling thinking about those bugs, though I like the lizards and coyotes. How often (if at all) have you confronted outside and then inside your home 1) scorpions 2)black widows 3)water bugs (which are basically big roaches, right?) Are water bugs more common right near the river as is the case here in Chicago?
And what in the name of all that's unholy is a tarantula wasp? Sounds horrible!
By the way, how long have you lived there? And lastly, how is crime?
I appreciate your input.
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[ArizonaBear]

One summer day in 2005 the official high in Bullhead was 124F--------with 125F for Needles. I was in Las Vegas that day (Sunday) where it was a 'balmy 118F which is ridiculous for them--------Vegas is about 2,000 ft above sea level whereas Davis Dam on south is about 500 ft.

[RonAZAK]

Avoid Bullhead City like the plague. It's hell on Earth. Unless of course you have a good paying job that allows you to live in one of the nicer areas. If you have to worry about housing cost though, you're better off looking elsewhere. BHC will suck the life from you, chew you up and spit you out. It's a nice place to visit for a weekend but to live there is to die a slow death.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by RonAZAK

Avoid Bullhead City like the plague. It's hell on Earth. Unless of course you have a good paying job that allows you to live in one of the nicer areas. If you have to worry about housing cost though, you're better off looking elsewhere. BHC will suck the life from you, chew you up and spit you out. It's a nice place to visit for a weekend but to live there is to die a slow death.

This I will say: if a person is into getting drunk, gambling, river activities, etc. then BHC is OK.......I put up with that attitude for 1.5 years and left last summer.

Phoenix area for right now..........

[NGS]

Just don't move there. I won't go far into why. I lived there for my first 21 years of life and thankfully had the opportunity to leave a few months ago. Let's just say I won't be leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to help me find my way back.

[cactus_lover_4ever]

I live in the Holiday Shores area which is a very nice section of BHC. Like any town there are bad sections. Right now it's very affordable to buy. The first year I moved here it hit 131°, though it was recorded at 128°. If you are a gambler or drinker, DON'T MOVE HERE. There isn't much to do here but I'm retired and have health problems so this works for me. Golden Valley looks seedy. It is hard to explain Golden Valley other then I wouldn't board my horse there.
If I were to sell and move I would go to Alaska. It may get down to -40° but it is beautiful in Sterling where my daughter lives. It is truly the last Frontier. All the wildlife coming on to her property. Caribou, Moose, Bears & Eagles. Dog sleds passing by her home. I hibernate in the summer here, it'd be just as easy to hibernate winter.

[vernie]

I was searching for info on political groups in BHC and this thread came up. It was interesting reading all the posts on pros and cons from residents and visitors. I've lived in the Bullhead City/Laughlin area for four and a half years. I'm a 20-something who moved here from the midwest for a teaching job. It has been a change, but in my opinion, it isn't as crazy as some of the posters have claimed.

1. Bugs: Yes, there are bugs here! My first encounter with a cockroach was not a pleasant one (cockroach encounters never are), but I learned to use Raid and have developed a technique for disposing them. I absolutely hate bugs of any kind, but have learned to take care of them when they decide to come out. I have seen cockroaches/water bugs (they're cockroaches to me), cenitipedes, big black stink bugs, grasshoppers, and praying mantises. I've seen a couple scorpions (at school, never in my home) and I've never seen tarantulas, tarantula wasps (never heard of them before this thread), or black widows. Mosquitoes are no problem at all--I can't remember the last time I've seen one here.

2. Housing costs: As a single person on a teacher's salary, there's no way I can afford to buy a house here. I'm a renter.

3. Drugs: Meth is a problem down here, but it's all who you choose to hang out with. Doing daily errands you're not going to encounter any problems with it or have someone mug you, as one poster put it. I tend to do my errands after school, not late at night. It's the same as anywhere else--use common sense.

4. Culture/Entertainment: Like many have posted, the main sources of entertainment are the casinos in Laughlin. They have shows with people like the Smothers Brothers, Vicki Lawrence, Charro, etc. In April there is the Laughlin River Run, which is a bike rally similar to Sturgis but much smaller. There is no "downtown area" as in a block of restaurants, bars, cute shops, etc. BHC is a very long city stretched along the river, so there is some sense of community that is lacking. As another poster said, there are many randomly placed neighborhoods. There can be a very nice looking business next to a run-down looking business. There isn't a lot to do for young people here. Most people here are either young families or snowbirds. I'm lucky to have made some very good friends who have also moved here for teaching jobs. The river is a lot of fun if you have a boat, Las Vegas is only an hour and a half away, and California or the Grand Canyon are just hours away for quick roadtrips.

5. Schools: Being a teacher in BHC, I am a little biased, but I take offense to the people who say Fort Mohave has better schools than Bullhead City. You have good and bad teachers at every school. There is a lot of turnover in both communities. Many teachers move here to get a couple years of experience and then move "home" (many to the midwest) to try to find a permanent teaching job. No one knows everything their first year on the job, but first year teachers have lots of energy and willingness to try new things, unlike some teachers who have been around forever. A lot of schools in the area see a lack of parental involvement. I see a major discrepancy between parental involvement from my part of the country to the involvement in BHC. Another issue with the schools is that students are constantly moving in and out of schools, either within the city or to another place outside the city. One year I counted the number of students who were in my class the whole school year and out of 25 kids, I only had 9 that had been with me the whole year. There is a lot of moving around in the community. If you are an involved parent, you will have no problem with the schools here. Teachers appreciate parents who are involved!

6. Weather: The summer is definitely hot. You learn to open car doors and building doors quickly or with the bottom of your shirt so as not to burn your hand. But to me, it's like winter was back home--you don't stay outside any longer than you have to. Winter here is nice when the wind isn't blowing incredibly hard, but again, back home the wind would blow hard in combination with snow. I try to keep this in mind on extremely windy days.

7. Traffic: The traffic can be annoying on 95, but I have friends from Southern California who say this is nothing, and I believe them!

It's all about what you're used to and what your priorities are. As my mom would say, make a list of pros and cons to help you decide.