Sierra Vista Relocation (Tucson, Douglas, Benson: sales, homes, neighborhood)

[srblue]

Hi all,

I just emailed someone about SV but thought I'd open it up to everyone. My husband just got hired by the Forest Service in Douglas but we don't want to live there. We really like the idea of Sierra Vista - my only concern is what my husband's drive to work will be like? How long does it take to get from SV to Douglas and how are the roads?

I'm not worried about the summers, since we're coming from Puerto Rico where the heat and humidity are very high in the summers. But what about cost of living? What is the sales tax there?

Safety is a concern since I'll be there alone for the first few months while he goes to the academy - any hotspots to avoid? We'd love to have a little land or at least a big back yard since we have pets, but I get a little scared by the stories I hear of immigrants crossing through - any truth to that? Especially since we were looking at the Hereford area too.

Also, any tips on job hunting? I have an advanced degree and a lot of administrative experience, plus I'm bilingual - I'm hoping that will help. We can't afford for me to be out of work for too long.

OK, that's a lot for my first posting. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. We're excited to be moving there - it was my husband's first choice and everything we've been reading really tells us it's a great place to live.

Thanks for your help!

[sablebaby]

Of course immigrants are crossing over down there, just look at a map, we are right next to Mexico! I think I heard a 1000 cross the AZ border daily or something.

[kimejs79]

Hey,

When did your husband receive the call? I'm also in process of obtaining the same job in either sv or nog. I received a call from USFS HR yesterday. I didn't have a chance to pick the phone up because I was working midnights. The guy from HR just left a message telling me to fax required docs in order to complete the package. Did your husband have to send docs as well? Also when does your husband EOD?

About sierra vista, I heard from my friends that SV is a nice town with the weather in AZ. I think it is about 60 miles from douglas (mapquest) which means your husband will have to leave his patrol vehicle at work (35 miles rule). Workwise, there is a military base that has abundant positions available if you are interested. Or, you can go 60-70 miles north to Tucson from SV to get a good job with your advance degree. My wife is in the same situation. She will probably have to go to Tucson in order to get a good job. Well, I have never been there but, This is what I came up with after numerous hours of research and talking. Good luck moving from PR.

[Neesie]

I moved from northern UT to Sierra Vista this past May, and I really like it here. I'd like it more if there was a Petsmart and a few other stores, but we go to Tucson a couple of times a month and get what we need.
I haven't heard of (or read in the paper of) any problems with illegal immigrants--I was told they pass through here but don't stay.
I haven't been here long enough to know where any questionable areas to live are. There are some trailer parks that look pretty sleazy, but other than that I don't know of any offhand.
I found a job before moving here by sending my resume to every veterinarian in town (I'm a vet assistant). I don't know if there's a specific type of job you're looking for, if so you might try sending some resumes out.
Good luck!

[jcs1956]

srblue,

My aunt just moved to hereford,put up a tripe wide manufactured home 2500sq ft,on 4 acres.She loves it.The weather is great,people are VERY nice.
She is also from Puerto Rico.As far as immigrants go, she hasn't seen them crossing.they don't want to hang around.I went to visit and also feel in love,we put our home on the market and will be moving there soon.Best of luck to you.

[ArizonaBear]

Cochise County is arguably my favorite one in Arizona factoring overall weather, natural beauty, inexpensive housing assuming a good job can be found

[srblue]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Of course immigrants are crossing over down there, just look at a map, we are right next to Mexico! I think I heard a 1000 cross the AZ border daily or something.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. My concern was about immigrants walking through our yard or land and presenting any kind of danger to me being alone at home.

[LordBalfor]

Well I can say one thing. There is a HUGE border patrol and military presence in the Sierra Vista area. Before I bought land near Benson I'd considered the Sierra Vista area - but like you was a bit turned off by the stories of so many folks crossing the border there. Having seen the area now however I have to say that even considering that factor the area south of Sierra Vista is incredibly beautifuly and well worth consideration. It's relatively lush and green (grassland rather than desert) and with some views (especially down along highway 92) that are to die for.

Ken

[srblue]

Thanks everyone for all the posts. It's great to hear that people like it so much there. After the initial excitement wears off, I tend to start worrying (just my personal neurosis ).

Still, does anyone know the commute time to Douglas and if the roads get bad? Or the local sales tax?

You've all made me feel better about getting some land so we're going to look into that and I think I'll start looking for jobs now, even though we're still a few months away from the move.

Thanks!

[military spouse]

Originally Posted by srblue

Sorry, I should have been more specific. My concern was about immigrants walking through our yard or land and presenting any kind of danger to me being alone at home.

If you live near the mall in Sierra Vista, you will probably never have an illegal walk through your yard. It definately seemed to be a problem with the people that lived in slightly more rural areas. When we lived there, we used to see Border Patrol vehicles quite frequently, but never saw an illegal even close to our neighborhood. We lived off Avenida Cochise, where you will find many new(er) homes.