Prescott or Flagstaff? (Phoenix, Tucson, Payson: real estate, buying a home, employment)

[ConnieandFrank]

My family would like to move to either Prescott or Flagstaff. We have small kids and safety is a must. I'm an RN and my husband is a Trasportation Supervisor. We would like to have a small ranch in the outskirts of either city. I know you can do this near Prescott but can you do this in or the outskirts of Flagstaff? We live in AZ too but have never visited these places; the farthest we've gone is Phoenix. Which would have the best jobs? My husband would have to look for something new since his company would not relocate him. Which school system is better? We like the idea of having acess to 'higher education' for out kids to go to school (college/university) and then make a living of it there as well. Is there a lot of difference in the climate? We plan to visit in May. Any good places we can take the kids to have some fun? We like fishing; although we don't have many choices in Southern AZ. A response would be gladly appreciated. Thank you.
Connie and Frank. How far is from Prescott to Flagstaff?

[SKaren]

Both communitis have a lot to offer. The cost of living is higher in Flag, I believe. I would check employment options prior to relocating as I have encountered so many who have moved here thinking it would be easy, only to find that they got into a lot of financial problems due to housing and employment issues. It would be best to have a job secured before moving. Flagstaff Medical Center is hiring RNs I believe at this time. Worth a look.

Good luck

[gripster2]

We have been researching extensively the Prescott area. We have 3 kids so are probably looking for alot of what you are with kids. We really like Prescott but real estate has gone up so much there it is not comparable to wages. We have made several trips there and talked to several realtors,looked at many homes,and always came back to real estate is just not comparable to wages. The people that live ther cannot afford to buy and do not like Californian's as they blame us for the high real estate. We have had Realtors there tell us this as well. We are currently in California so would like a mild climate like we have here. Flagstaff is too cold for us sunny Californian's. We have pretty much decided on Cottonwood ( it is between Prescott and Sedona with slightly warmer climate but still very mild like Prescott) as the place for us. The weather there is very comparable to California which is quite attractive to us. The prices there have gone up too but buying a home with some land is more affordable and within reach unlike Prescott. Don't get me wrong I have always wanted to live in Prescott but like I said it is pricey considering the wages. Getting there is easy but making a decent living there is not easy and get many people in trouble. Cottonwood has a great charter School we are thrilled about and many activities for the kids, with beautiful scenery and outdoors recreation which we like. Anyway, I thought I would share my research.

[nhra7670]

Payson AZ. average daily temp 72%. 5200 ftelevation. 80 miles northeast of Phoenix on new freeway highway 87. Lived there 30 years. Three sons graduated High School there. Plenty of outdoors there, fishing hunting, hiking camping, cross country skiing near by and downhill at Sunrise about 100 miles northeast. Pine and Strawberry great little towns also.True four seasons climate.Great gardening also.

[Parks Arizona Guy]

connie n frank hers the link how far is those 2 areas are
http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result?newa...Az&tcountry=us
i choose flagstaff cuz its cooler and less humid too but i just found Parks Az and its way cooler in Flagstaff its 7079 feet buts its hard to find property listings in Parks Az

[azsk8fan]

I love Payson and the surrounding towns - now if only I could afford them

[Steve97415]

One thing that influences the price and availability of acreage around Flagstaff is the inabilility of the city to expand. It is entirely landlocked by National Forest Service land. Once a decade or so, Flagstaff applies to Congress for a transfer of land so that it can expand its urban growth boundary.
Personally, I would say that if you like Flagstaff you might as well live in Colorado -- 100 inches of snow a year is not my idea of Arizona living. It is also very difficult to garden in Flagstaff because of the water crisis and the fact that the frost-free growing season is less than 100 days long.

[Nicole]

As I recall it only takes just over an hour to get from one to another, so you could always live in between them.

[Cassandra]

You'all need to buy a map.

Flagstaff is a suburb of Phoenix in the same way that Indianapolis is a suburb of Chicago.

In the best case it's an hour and a half from Flagstaff to Prescott. Best case two hours from Flagstaff to the north end of Phoenix. Of course your mileage may vary. Trying to get from Flagstaff to Queen Creek when there is snow on the ground might take 4+ hours.

[kansaslady]

Both towns (Prescott and Flag) are beautiful, but in different ways. Flag has what is considered an Alpine Climate, and can have very long and cold winters (and hopefully heavy snowfall, up to 84"/season, because that is the foundation for their water supply). This last year was terrible and they are on water rationing. Flag also gets ice in the winter, so be prepared to learn how to drive in hazardous winter conditions. The cost of housing is much higher in Flag than in Prescott, and jobs are not that plentiful in Flag...I would never recommend moving there without securing employment first (W.L. Gore is one of the top 100 companies to work for, if you can get in).

Flag is a mountainous community and a college town (NAU), but not a crazy college town. Very crowded in the summer months due to tourism (which is a big part of the town's revenue). Lots to see and do in and around Flag. If you can tolerate long cold winters and have sufficient income, you would love it there. Not sure about a ranch right outside of town - you've got the forests all around (largest stand of ponderosa pines in the U.S.).

Prescott offers much milder winters and the scenery is similar to Sedone due to the red rock formations (not as gorgeous as Sedona though). Housing prices have escaled there too. Summers are mild compared to Phx, Tucson, and/or Cottonwood (Cottonwood does not offer good scenery). You've got the Mingus Mts. between Prescott and Cottonwood and would have nice scenery after the winter snows.

If I had to pick between the two towns, I'd pick Flag because I love the San Francisco Peaks, pine trees, and fell in love with the town in the early 80's when I first visited. If you visit, be sure to dine at Horsemen's Lodge just north of town!

Payson is a nice town, but again, you've got to be prepared for snowy winters.

No place is perfect, and it all comes down to what you can tolerate as far as climate and cost of living. If I move to Flag, it will be after I retire to avoid having to get out in the winter months when the snowfall and/or ice is at it's worse. And also, I would not move there unless I have sufficent income to sustain me.

I currently live in the Kansas City area and every winter I swear that I will never again live in a cold winter climate (and no ice please!)...but that being said, if you're retired (or rich enough not to have to work) then who cares? You can sit inside drinking hot chocolate and watch the gorgeous scenery from the comfort of your warm home.

Wherever you choose, it's ALWAYS a good idea to visit the area during July/Aug and/or Jan/Feb for several weeks at a time to experience the hottest/coldest times of the year. Just visiting an area for a few days during the nicest weather in Spring/Fall is not an accurate indicator. Flag's winters/snow can range from September through the end of May.

Oh, and if you love warm summer evenings, you won't find it in Flag, they are at approximately 6000 ft altitude and summer evenings in the mountains are cool (but invigorating!).

Hope this helps!

Katie