Lake Havasu review (Yuma, Prescott, Quartzsite: real estate, house, to live)

[Hal Roach]

I think Needles is actually considered by most to be the true armpit of the river cities + Kingman. Parker might provide a bit of competition, but most have never had to stop there or even travel through. But, if you are from the many areas where it can get - 30 degrees, your options for anything remotely affordable are limited. Sure, the Phoenician is nice, or Conquistador in Tucson, but do you wanna go for a weekend or a few months. Lots of Canadians, too.

[Hoonose]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

I think Needles is actually considered by most to be the true armpit of the river cities + Kingman. Parker might provide a bit of competition, but most have never had to stop there or even travel through. But, if you are from the many areas where it can get - 30 degrees, your options for anything remotely affordable are limited. Sure, the Phoenician is nice, or Conquistador in Tucson, but do you wanna go for a weekend or a few months. Lots of Canadians, too.

Havasu is our blue collar Palm Springs!

[Hal Roach]

Originally Posted by Hoonose

Havasu is our blue collar Palm Springs!

Palm Springs is neat, but it is still Riverside County, and there are lots of mobile homes there.

Fifty years...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylE-w_38wOI

[waltcolorado]

Fifty year video.. cool!

Its somewhat of a windy place which messes with event like that but they had a pretty successful Desert Storm this year which we watched. Not always the case, often those events get blown out by too much wind.

We sail there during the winter.. so the wind is a good thing. The picture below is copper canyon on new years day a few years ago where we spent the night in the boat in the picture. Try googling "copper canyon" to see what this same place can look like on a summer major holiday weekend..

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by Hoonose

Havasu is our blue collar Palm Springs!

We used to call Yuma "Poor Man's Palm Springs". Quartzsite is the "Poor Man's Yuma" lol. Okay, that's a joke.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by mrshowtime3

Yea the plan is to get up to Prescott area. Thats the best part of the state up that way for me. Really anything west of Prescott can be sold to CA and NV.

It seems odd to me that someone who can afford Prescott would live in LHC. Doesn't make sense, considering the summer temps are well-documented for everyone to see.

I visit LHC frequently. It's not the most beautiful place in Arizona, but the people are nice if you're nice to them. If you arrive with an attitude, though...

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by waltcolorado

Fifty year video.. cool!

Its somewhat of a windy place which messes with event like that but they had a pretty successful Desert Storm this year which we watched. Not always the case, often those events get blown out by too much wind.

We sail there during the winter.. so the wind is a good thing. The picture below is copper canyon on new years day a few years ago where we spent the night in the boat in the picture. Try googling "copper canyon" to see what this same place can look like on a summer major holiday weekend..

Beautiful boat, beautiful photo, Walt.

[Hoonose]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

It seems odd to me that someone who can afford Prescott would live in LHC. Doesn't make sense, considering the summer temps are well-documented for everyone to see.

I visit LHC frequently. It's not the most beautiful place in Arizona, but the people are nice if you're nice to them. If you arrive with an attitude, though...

The Lake is probably the most common reason. I moved there for the fishing. And secondarily for my medical practice.

[waltcolorado]

If I had to chose one place year around, it would still likely be in Colorado (NOT Denver where I am now..) but in Az, it would be Prescott over Lake Havasu.. But for part of the year (like 7 or 8 months), Lake Havasu is a great place and I happen to also like the people there. Summers might even be OK if you were working an inside job and had a pool but if you are retired.. I think I would go crazy there with cabin fever during the summer. Lots of retired people do leave but its not cheap to spend months somewhere else. When retired people get past the age where they dont mind the hassle of spending the summer (or 9 months) somewhere else, they either stay put and spend like four months inside or move.

I think real-estate in Havasu is also going to be a little more unstable than other places. Right now prices are being driven up by retired people and investors. But fixed income and investors are the first to flee when a little bit of fear sets in.

Bad Traffic in Havasu mentioned by the OP.. Well.. during the winter, we do like to complain about having to wait an extra 30 seconds at a traffic light or not being able to wear a T shirt, shorts and open shoes in Feb. But.. go spend some time commuting in Denver or about any other larger city.. I had to chuckle about the Havasu traffic comment.

Hoonose is too good of ambassador for Havasu.. Im always thinking shhh.... when positive things are posted.. LOL.

The main thing I dont like about Havasu is that its a NOISY place. There is a noise ordnance on the lake but its pretty much ignored. You can hear some boats many miles away especially on the water. Some times you actually have to cover your ears because the sound level is painful and this is not at all an exaggeration. Around the channel and Thomson bay it seems that some folks have to play their stereo as loud as it will play because two boats down, the next dink head is doing the same and that is the only way to hear your own (usually awful in my opinion) music.

But.. that is the way it is. All the bad things are sort of a good thing as I think it will always keep it a small town.

[Hoonose]

Originally Posted by waltcolorado

If I had to chose one place year around, it would still likely be in Colorado (NOT Denver where I am now..) but in Az, it would be Prescott over Lake Havasu.. But for part of the year (like 7 or 8 months), Lake Havasu is a great place and I happen to also like the people there. Summers might even be OK if you were working an inside job and had a pool but if you are retired.. I think I would go crazy there with cabin fever during the summer. Lots of retired people do leave but its not cheap to spend months somewhere else. When retired people get past the age where they dont mind the hassle of spending the summer (or 9 months) somewhere else, they either stay put and spend like four months inside or move.

I think real-estate in Havasu is also going to be a little more unstable than other places. Right now prices are being driven up by retired people and investors. But fixed income and investors are the first to flee when a little bit of fear sets in.

Bad Traffic in Havasu mentioned by the OP.. Well.. during the winter, we do like to complain about having to wait an extra 30 seconds at a traffic light or not being able to wear a T shirt, shorts and open shoes in Feb. But.. go spend some time commuting in Denver or about any other larger city.. I had to chuckle about the Havasu traffic comment.

Hoonose is too good of ambassador for Havasu.. Im always thinking shhh.... when positive things are posted.. LOL.

The main thing I dont like about Havasu is that its a NOISY place. There is a noise ordnance on the lake but its pretty much ignored. You can hear some boats many miles away especially on the water. Some times you actually have to cover your ears because the sound level is painful and this is not at all an exaggeration. Around the channel and Thomson bay it seems that some folks have to play their stereo as loud as it will play because two boats down, the next dink head is doing the same and that is the only way to hear your own (usually awful in my opinion) music.

But.. that is the way it is. All the bad things are sort of a good thing as I think it will always keep it a small town.

Today's Lake noise is NOTHING like the '80's. My neighbor's boat 'Boogie Til You Puke' was an example. Basically we had many smaller drag style boats with blowers and open headers all over the Lake. I have lived about 200 yds from the Lake since '84.

An example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhiOvhUTGA