Moving to Arizona (Phoenix, Yuma, Prescott: house, wages, living)

[ginnyninaz]

Originally Posted by ssundown

Hi everyone! Just found this site. It is very interesting. Have been learning alot. Would like opinions on where exactly to move to in Arizona. Husband is a house painter and I am in the medical field. Would like a small town feel but not to expensive. I have lived in Ohio all my life. Small town near Akron. It is considered rural but doesn't feel like it with all the development going on. Would like to make a good living. Tired of the cold winters. Time to move west. Please if anyone has any ideas I would welcome them. Thanks

Try Surprise Arizona, west of Phoenix by 30 min. but alot to do largest mall being built and lots for kids and good schools. Moderator cut: advertising

[ssundown]

Thanks, I will look up Surprise. I have been checking out a lot of citys. I feel like I know AZ as if I have been there before. Lot's of nice places there.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by ssundown

Where exactly is Kingman?

Kingman is in northwest Arizona. It's right off I40, where 93N veers off towards Las Vegas, 90 miles to the north. Historic Rt 66 runs right through town. It's 30 minutes from Laughlin, NV, a casino town on the Colorado River, and about an hour from Lake Havasu. So you might say Kingman is very centrally located. It's at 3500' elevation, so rarely goes over 105F in the summer. Summer nights are wonderful -- T shirt weather. It's sometimes windy here during the day, but almost always dies down at night. Winter day temps run between 40F and 55F, and winter nights often go down to freezing. Population is around 28,000. The air is clean here. There's a lot of new home construction, one very good hospital (KRMC), and a new one being built (Medcath). The largest complaint in town is that blue-collar jobs don't pay well here. White collar jobs, like medical professionals, make as much as anywhere else. Home prices got out of control last year, and are now crashing down to earth, so it's a great time to buy. There is no traffic here, save for one little stretch near a freeway exit with a bunch of stores, and a few traffic lights. And even that's maybe 5 minutes to get through at the worst. The shopping situation is kind of iffy here, but is getting better every day. Ditto with the restaurant situation, although there are a few really good ones. Kingman sits in a valley and is surrounded by what I feel are very pretty mountains. Mt Hualapai is the largest, and has a big park at the summit with hiking, camping, cabins, etc. We have kids in school, and so far (1.5 years) we're really enjoying it here.

[saffordpastor]

Where is Safford near? Never heard of that one.

Safford is about 120 miles NE of Tucson, 140 miles due east of Phoenix, and about 40 miles west of the New Mexico border. If you get a chance Google it and check it out.

[ssundown]

Kingman sounds like a great place to be. I was kinda worried about the heat. Kingman and Verde Valley sounds like the place to be. Can't decide which one is better. How far apart are they? Also I like the fact Kingman is close to Las Vegas. I have never been there and would like to check it out. Thanks for all the info. I will check out Kingman and possibly Safford. Safford is a small town where I would like to live but it seems to be very expensive. Is it expensive to rent for awhile in Kingman? Appreciate all info. Thanks

[kdog]

Not really an expert on Verde Valley, that's the Sedona area, right? Gorgeous area, but a lot more expensive, and more traffic. I think you'll find Kingman more laid back and cheaper. Kingman to Sedona is a 2.5 hour drive. Lots of home rentals on the market in Kingman, probably due to the whole real estate crash. Average house is around $750/month, some cheaper and some more expensive. Get a place in the Hualapai Mtn area if you can. And yeah, it's nice being close to Vegas.

[ssundown]

Thanks kdog. I think Kingman is sounding more and more for us. How do you think it would be for painting houses? He does interior and exterior? I didn't realize Verde Valley was that far away. I have read other posts and I remember you saying hualapai Mtn area was great. I will take your advice and check it out further. Thanks again.

[kdog]

My pleasure. I'm not sure about house painting. House construction has slowed down. That might be good or bad. Perhaps people will renovate their old homes rather than buy new. Also, remember that wages out here for that sort of work are generally low. On the other hand, there are a lot of flakes in the trades out here. We know this from first-hand experience. Somebody who does good work and is dependable and actually shows up could probably do very well. I know a good plumber and a good electrician, and both are inundated with work. I checked, and there are three or four painters advertising in the "Services Offered" section of the classifieds in the local paper. Seems like their ought to be room for one more -- especially if they are dependable.

[ssundown]

Thanks kdog. Hubby has his own company here and does quite well. He has been doing it for 30 yrs. It just would be like starting over. I checked out your newspaper and services ads, but didn't see any advertising. Maybe they don't post with the online ads. I will have to try and have your newspaper sent here to get an idea. I know I wouldn't have trouble getting a job, just worried about him starting his company over again. He's quite good and very reliable. He has many repeat customers here and referrals. Don't do much advertising because of referrals. But then again, I guess you have to take a chance once in awhile. lol Thanks for all the info. You have been very kind.

[Liz Sherlock]

I am from Brunswick OH.. been here for 9 years.. would never think of going back! I live in the North Phoenix area. Life is different here, but a good different. People are more laid back, neighbors dont watch every move you make, ITS ALWAYS SUNNY HERE! Well, 90 % or so of the time! GOOD LUCK!