Planning to move to Lake havasu City from jackson, Mi. (Phoenix: RV park, 2009)

[Tracy Kemmer]

I have read some of the posts about Lake Havasu City. Some good some terrible.
My husband and I do not have human children however we need to work. Although we are in our fifties retirement isn't an option.
I have been in contact with a Veterinary practice that is interested in hiring me as an assistant. I have experience and an education in this field.
My husband would be looking.
We both have some health issues and was surprised to hear about the hospital. I was led to believe that it was a very good medical center.
My forum is, please give me advice about moving here. Should we forget about it or go for it?

[Riverock]

Have you spent some time in LHC?? good paying jobs are hard to find, actually any job is hard to find with the down turn in the economy. Housing is still expensive, even though prices have come down quite a bit. The Hospital in LHC has the worst reputation in the county..bar none. A for profit hospital that will kill you.

Coming from Michigan, do you understand the desert climate? 110-120 summer temps everyday for up to 4 months, with health issues? You need to do more research..

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Riverock

Have you spent some time in LHC?? good paying jobs are hard to find, actually any job is hard to find with the down turn in the economy. Housing is still expensive, even though prices have come down quite a bit. The Hospital in LHC has the worst reputation in the county..bar none. A for profit hospital that will kill you.

Coming from Michigan, do you understand the desert climate? 110-120 summer temps everyday for up to 4 months, with health issues? You need to do more research..

Unfortunately; you are correct line for line-------I lived in LHC in the early 2000's and my now ex G/F worked at the hospital-----and, the BS there was disgusting to be polite.

Hell: despite some people slamming Kingman------its medical care is much better than LHC's.

Now; back in 1989 Havasu was a neat place and Kingman was a dump------just it seems right around 2002 the two communities swapped reputations.

[sunsoaker8]

I've lived in LHC for 9 years. I moved here from Ohio in part due to health problems. I have used the hospital here frequently. I have received excellent medical care. I have had a couple of long waits at the ER and I've had a few billing issues that took several tries before they were resolved. However, compared to the actual care I have no complaints. I've found the X ray and physical therapy departments to be second to none. I spend a couple of months in a Dayton hospital they called the regions leader. I wouldn't go back to that rat hole on a bet. I have received much better care at Havasu.

Like anything else, some people have had a bad experience and others have received good care. I think you will find this in any medical facility. Havasu does have it's problems but again, like any other city it has pro's and con's. Depends on what your looking for. The heat doesn't bother me and I will take the heat over the cold, ice and snow any day. I very much enjoy living here and have no plans to leave anytime soon. However, with that said, I am retired so looking for a good paying job isn't something I need to worry about. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.

[azglassblaster]

Hi Tracy!

I've lived in Havasu for 37 years, moved here in my high school sophomore year. I think it's a great place to live. The city government has it's problems but so do most others. Want to change things? Run for city council and be that change. Don't like the city politics? Live outside of the city limits.

A lot of people come here to party, I used to party with them in my younger years, those days are long past and it's very easy to avoid the partying types to the point where you never have to see or encounter them EVER if you don't want to.

I've been to the hospital many times over the years, not for myself necessarily (a few times) but with relatives, many seniors. Always received good care. Anything very serious is usually a med-flight out to a Vegas or Phoenix hospital. There are LOTS of doctors in Havasu.

The vets here stay very busy year round, you should have no problem getting a job. Groomers also stay busy. For your husband, there are jobs like driving around as security for an RV park on up, depending on his experience and what he likes to do. The jobs aren't the greatest paying here but living in a resort community makes up for that. The air's clean, the water is great, & the scenery is beautiful once you get to love the desert.

There are all kinds of things to get involved with depending on what you enjoy. From singing in choirs to the community orchestra, or just enjoying their performances, to clubs from gold prospecting to flying RC planes. An active art guild, etc, etc. Lots of service organizations too if you like to get involved. We have a nice little active Humane Society too with a fun annual duck derby. We have a great Christmas Boat Parade of Lights that anyone can enter. And London Bridge Days is fun too.

There are a lot of complainers in Havasu but to me, being able to toss my kayak in the lake or river and paddle around, snorkeling, and enjoying nature beats any complaint even I might have. That is FREE. The lake and river is full of unoccupied space. If you want to be in the middle of a party out on the lake, you can find them, otherwise you can have a whole cove to yourself if you want. I also have horses and can ride as far as the eye can see if I want to. I can ride along and in the river in the wildlife refuge within minutes.

In moving here I'd try to find a house that isn't too big, or an apt/condo (with pool!). The summer electric bills can be pretty high, so if you don't have a McMansion to try to keep cool you'll be okay.

Other positive things about living in Havasu -

Only 2.5 hour drive to Vegas

1 hour to Laughlin - many name shows to see if you like

1.5 hour to the top of the Hualapai Mtns in Kingman - for pines and squirrels and a little snow in the winter

And of course, the lake and the sunsets - you can't beat the sunsets here!

~~~~~~~

It does get extremely hot here in the summer - but that's what air conditioning and the lake are for. As a guy that moved here from snow country used to say when we'd ask him how he's enjoying the heat would say "At least I don't have to shovel it!"

I think you'll love it here and will wonder why you didn't move here sooner. And I'm not one to usually urge people to move here, I like small towns and want it to stay that way. You should've seen what it looked like when I moved here 37 years ago! I miss it but I guess other people have the right to move here too! I think us "pioneers" have this deep affection for Havasu that a lot of the newer-comers don't and never will. Pioneers are people that moved here prior to.... 1975 I think it is, somewhere around there. I moved here in 1971 - back when there were more wild burros than people. There were only a few doctors here then, NO hospital, and only one vet.

Good luck! And if you decide to take the plunge and need any more info, email me!

[hughbert]

Nice post Azglassblaster - I can second most of what you said. I haven't used the hospital for service so I can't comment on that but I know a number of people who currently or used to work there. None of them speak very highly of the place as an employer.

My wife and I moved here a couple of years ago and both found jobs at the first place we applied. Things are slower now but my view is that there is always a need for good reliable people.

Tracy, My advice would be, if you can, to come spend a week before the summer is out to check out the town and the heat.

[Tracy Kemmer]

Thank you azglassblaster and hughbert. My husband is an avid RC airplane flyer and would love to join the club there. I sure wish we were there now. I will have a job interview with Lange Vet center in 2009 for their Vet Assistant. So I will be flying out even if by myself. Maybe we can all meet when we move there(O:

[azglassblaster]

Hey Tracy,

I go to Dr Lange on occasion so I'm sure we'll probably meet there one day! She's a nice vet, a little pricey though! Maybe you can talk to her about lowering her spay/neuter fees!

The RC planes I've seen here are those amphibian types, pontoons - land on the water. It's a great place for hobbies such as this. Nice little RC car track down at Rotary Beach too.

And yeah, we're hot and miserable right now. I just look at it as the opposite of living in snow country where they're cold and miserable for awhile each year. We have great winters here, some nice springs and falls too. Frankly I can't stand the cold, even this last winter having to wear a coat to take my dogs outside I was thinking I really should quit complaining about the summer, I'd rather be hot than cold! It's easier for me to cool off than warm up I guess. I hate layers of clothes! I lived in Colorado for a short time, Flagstaff too. My wardrobe consists of tank tops and shorts - and a coat for winter.

On the hospital, I have a relative who spent a scary night at Cedars Sinai in the LA area, supposed to be one of the top hospitals in the country. Well the quality of care has gone down because of the medical help that's being allowed into the country - H1B Visa holders who speak beautiful English but can't read a medication label - like what happened to the Quaid twins. These are people who were not trained in the US. And look at what recently went down at the medical center in Las Vegas, spreading hepatitis to their patients by reusing syringes and such and from reading the list of board of directors there it appears they are mostly East Indians. I know that the majority of motel/hotel's in Havasu are East Indian owned and operated and I know of at least two that have had problems with reusing things in their rooms that should've been replaced between occupants - like shampoos, soaps, even changing sheets. They will try to save a dollar and end up losing $100 because of it. Two I know of lost their franchises because they failed so many inspections. People from other countries don't hold the same standards we do in the US and that's a problem all over the country.

Anyway, I think you'll love it here, if not right away - eventually!

[Havasu]

AZGlassBlaster is right on the money with LHC. I would like to see someone visit here during the peak of summer before moving here. The heat is very extreme and does not cool off during the night. It is a fun place to live if your into boating, try to go during the week.
I came from Illinois and love it here.

[Riverock]

I'd much rather be in Michigan this time of year, it's miserable here!

I was at Dr. Lange's yesterday. Its a tiny little office, yet seem to have allot of employee's. Maybe thats why their prices are high.

The foreign invasion in hospitals is real. They are bringing in Phillipiono's every day that have lower skills and a serious lauguage barrier. They are usually locked in on a 2-3 year sponsorship and get paid the very minimum. There are no more "paitents", they are now "customers".