Relocating to Arizona...Deciding where is the best place for us to be.

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by nicolea

We are from Custer, SD born and raised. He is done with all the cold too. We did look into Sierra Vista and Tucson. There is some beautiful country there that I love. But im not sure there is enough things to do down there that he really enjoys. I know we can do the horseback riding everywhere so that isnt a problem. But as far as the fishing, hunting, and other outdoor things Im not sure. Also with his type of occupation Im not sure he will be able to do anything but get on with another Fire Crew (he just quit doing that and would prefer not to have to go into it again).

Plenty of fishing, hunting and outdoor things to do here!

Would your husband consider working for a city fire dept.? My ex worked for Payson FD but was also a wildlands firefighter with USFS. One thing all those places have in common is that they have a fire dept., or several.

[kell490]

Payson or Prescott Payson is cooler in the summer Prescott is nice too. Snow is minimal nothing like South Dakota. Lot of winters they get a few inches that's it. Once in while get a few good storms but it's the kind of weather that is nice you get a little snow for Christmas and most of the time it's perfect. I would stay away from the valley it's just too hot in the summers unless you really like to be in a oven. You can grow a garden where in Phoenix it's cactus or weeds. I don't like flagstaff as much too windy up there.

[sdbigmac]

We moved from the Sioux Falls area to the Phoenix east valley 14 years ago and have never regretted making the move. The Black Hills are beautiful, but I can see wanting to make a change to a better climate. When our kids were little we used to buy a season pass to the Flintstones amusement park in Custer. I don't think it had been updated in 30 years, but we always had a great time.

Based on your interests I would recommend Prescott. It has a lot to offer in your areas of interest and the weather is great. In regard to your intention of becoming a State Farm agent; I think you will do well almost anywhere in the state, but have you considered positioning yourself to takeover a retiring agents business? It seems there are quite a few SF agents that are nearing retirement, which could create an excellent opportunity. Good luck on your move, you won't regret it.

[unit731]

You really have to drive around the entire state to view all of the diversity in scenery.

You got mountain areas with trees, mountain area with few trees, desert areas and on and on.

Lot depends on how much civilization you want. Distances between places can be long.

Prescott has a semblance of a downtown. Prescott is the old territorial capital.

Wickenburg, Eager, Springerville, Safford, Douglas, and on and on can be quite nice depending on what you are seeking.

If I had a lot of money - it would be Sedona.

[nicolea]

Thanks so much for all the help and insights. We have decided on the Prescott/Prescott Valley - Sedona area. Can anyone help me on where to look or who to contact about rental properties in the Prescott area? We will have to start looking from South Dakota of course, but any help on where to get started and who to contact would be great.

[infocyde]

I had good luck using Prescott.craigslist.org finding a rental. Rentals seem a little harder to find then when I first moved up here but are still available. You can also use Zillow.com to find specific places and then contact the individual management companies that run them. As to specific rental companies I have no clue but I know they are around. There are several Realtors that post specifically under the Prescott forum. I bet if you posted the question there you could get some good recommendations if you are looking for an agency. I've been in Prescott for a year and I love it.

[teddyearp]

One note about the sunsets.. . . you'll find them nice all over the state!