What's with the cheap land? (Tucson: home, DMV, utilities)

[Zippyman]

If you're looking for remote land, I'd just buy it at the tax sale. There's way more remote land than there are buyers in Az.

[locolobo13]

I have relatives who live in Sunsites. Near that big flat subdivided area you can see from the satellite view. One had to drill his own well. The other bought a property with a well. Not sure about power. There are power lines out there but not all the way to each property. You would probably have to pay to have the power line run to your property. I don't think there is a trash service either.

None of those problems are unsolvable. The vistas are beautiful. They prefer living there to living in a big city. Each to their own.

[WhyRUMad]

Supply and demand. YW.

[TJJT]

Originally Posted by kdog

Water is always a problem in the desert. You say you can find water anywhere, but getting to it can be another issue. You can spend a ton of money drilling a 800' well, only to find out that your water is brackish. Lots of heartbreaks in the desert.

I'm not familiar with Sunsites, but I've explored Stagecoach Ranches in Yucca as well as Bridge Canyon Estates near Ash Fork. They are beautiful areas, but living off the grid like this is not for everyone. We have come across numerous abandoned camps -- probably more of them than working homesteads.

Also, before buying, research the local building restrictions. You may think you're buying a remote chunk of land to set up your off-grid dream home, only to find out that you have to get permits and approvals for septic, building permits and the like. You may find the hoops they have you jump through can crush your dreams even before you start. We've seen this reported in this forum many times. Small town bureaucrats can be the worst. Then there are likely to be associations to join for communal things like roads, firefighting. Lots of stuff to study before you plunk down your cash. Not trying to steer you away from anything, just telling you to keep your eyes open and take nothing for granted.
t
And of course, visit your lot before you buy. It's amazing how many suckers, I mean people don't do this.

I already have researched. Codes and zoning are pretty much the same as everywhere else I've built(FL, GA, NC). You can buy the up to date books for codes, and the zoning is pretty simple.

Basically for RV you need rec zoning or a current build permit, and for build-it-yourself you can't rent out or hook up to the grid unless you're licensed and had licensed electricians sign off. Getting an address is a bit of a grey area; most states require a permit just to file, but AZ this doesn't seem to be the case.

800' for a well isn't uncommon. I've seen people do that with primitive rod kits.

The more unattractive I hear it is the more I like it. I'm desperately trying to get away from yuppie towns and over-development till I die in a few decades.. If I have to haul water to avoid road rage and people using political correctness to hide intentions or suppress so be it..

https://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/St...sp?sa=AZ&sc=04
https://water.usgs.gov/maps.html

SIDE NOTE: It's funny AZ requires you to retake all driving tests when you come in considering it's one of the easiest places to drive in the country..

[Mike from back east]

Cheap land in AZ may be similar to the case of Colorado which is full of "land scams" where worthless dry land is sold to suckers who want the view of some distant mountains or want to live "off grid" as they say. The San Luis Valley (SLV) of Colorado is especially famous for this, great mountain views but no rainfall to speak of, no jobs and extremes of temperature.

Same as COLO, there's not a lot of rain falling in AZ; digging wells can be very expensive, and there may be restrictions on usage of that water as there are in COLO. Bringing electricity to bare lots can be very expensive too. Zoning restrictions may preclude putting an RV or trailer or "tiny house" on such lots. There are many reasons why land in AZ may be cheap, and IMO that cheapness is a warning sign, it sure is in COLO.

[oldtrader]

Originally Posted by TJJT

Water wouldn't be a problem.. I studied soil engineering(it means I can do foundations and find water anywhere) and know how to do solar-electric wells and set up burried-tanks.. I assumed there would be no roads or utilities just by looking at the GPS coordinates and street addresses.

Getting away from over-development and the yuppie-town movement is kind of why I'm interested..

You think you can find water anywhere, but in much of the west it just is not there. Or if it is, it is so far under the surface you cannot drill a well at a cost anyone can afford. As they say, it it 10 miles to water, and that includes straight down.

In our town, there is an Aquifer where you hit water at 35 feet, but like many others they went down 60 feet with our well, so if he water table falls some year, there will still be water at 60 feet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquifer

Our housekeeper and her family live 6 miles out of town, and they have to haul water, as they cannot reach water no matter how deep they dig. A lot of people are in the same situation in our area. You see pickups with big white plastic 350 gallon tanks that people use to haul water. They hook up a 3" or 4" hose to it, and dump it into a cistern holding tank at home. Hers is in a room in their basement, holding about 1,200 gallons of water.

Arizona is well known that you are not going to have water at most of the cheap lots. If you buy one, you can plan on hauling water to the home, not a water system or well to supply it.

[gemstone1]

OP.....it seems you have an answer for all the words of caution from the folks who have come forward to answer your simple question...."why is land so cheap"....we can continue to beat this dead horse if you like, but the facts remain the same, there are very good reasons for cheap land prices....so buyer beware. If you choose to move forward and make a purchase, good luck, take your checkbook....the residents of AZ will appreciate your cash infusion to the local economy.

[TJJT]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

OP.....it seems you have an answer for all the words of caution from the folks who have come forward to answer your simple question...."why is land so cheap"....we can continue to beat this dead horse if you like, but the facts remain the same, there are very good reasons for cheap land prices....so buyer beware. If you choose to move forward and make a purchase, good luck, take your checkbook....the residents of AZ will appreciate your cash infusion to the local economy.

No water in the desert didn't go over my head.. I'm fully prepared to install underground cisterns and fill them with a mobile water tank.. If I wanted a life of leisure or HOA headaches I wouldn't been looking at property seventy miles from the closest store..

[kapie9969]

Putting an RV on a lot will most likely be illegal. Code cops issue daily fines. Look up the codes and be ready for buying a lot of permits.Just look at county websites for what you will be getting into.

[Coop01]

Originally Posted by TJJT

No water in the desert didn't go over my head.. I'm fully prepared to install underground cisterns and fill them with a mobile water tank.. If I wanted a life of leisure or HOA headaches I wouldn't been looking at property seventy miles from the closest store..

Apache county has the most lenient building codes Navajo County is next.
Check out areas near Concho. Specifically in Forest Meadows. (near St Johns) HOA is hands off. $160/yr to maintain the road and a community well for your use Water is good and down 350 ft. if you want to drill your own well. About 28 full time residents in 40 sq. mi. Mostly retirees.

36-40 acres is the normal plot size. Price is about $10,000. Property tax $100-150/Yr . Mail delivery to the paved highway. You have to put up your own mailbox. Be aware of the flood plain maps. Don't buy at 0 ft. above mean flood level,
5000 ft elev. range land can be windy and it has some snow.
Cell/data coverage by Verizon. UPS/FedEx avail.
No electric - so you have to run generator, solar or wind.
You can live in your RV, put up a front deck, a Weather-king, Graceland shed or sea-van LOL.
Permits are required for a septic system. Outhouses not allowed any longer
Nearest Walmart is about 30 miles. Less - if you have a local show you the back route.
Helicopter Air ambulance available if you subscribe to the service.

and....it is freaking dark and quiet at night!

Remote enough for you?