Advice...moving to Yuma, Arizona (Tempe, Wellton: real estate, apartment, rentals)

[drb85650]

Good attitude mike. Nice to see you've a sense of humor!! I've left before, grass ain't always greener, but hope you find the best karma somewhere, someday!

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by MarkBall2

Well, first time poster on here, so here goes...........


Food costs are higher, a loaf of bread cost's over $3.50 a loaf at Walmart. Fry's is a major grocer chain - the stores are dirty, smell musty & dirty, some even have sewer smells in them.

No wonder I have asthma attacks when I go to some of the stores. Of course my allergies have gotten so bad I can't smell the sewer smells.

Yuma is the end of nowhere. 3 hours to Phoenix, Lake Havasu or San Diego. Nothing much between the two places either. 'Cept lots of desert. Driving about town, leave plenty of time to get through traffic - like 30 minutes at least.

Very true. 3 hours is much too far away to drive to any decent city.

Mexico is close by at Algedones MX. Lots of dentists there & optomitrists. Better affordable prices to get the kids teeth fixed & most dentists are gentle/competent & US trained. You will need a passport to cross the border come June 1, 2009. Picture ID & birth certificate is ok until then.

I didn't find Algodones to be impressive when I went there but maybe I went to the wrong places.

I've been here 2 years & looking to move to Kentucky for a job. I love the weather here, but the attitudes leave a bit to be desired.

Where at in Kentucky? I would LOVE, LOVE to move back to Indiana but there aren't any teaching jobs there. Are there jobs in Kentucky? I would love to have a job lined up prior to moving. My asthma has gotten so bad here that I can hardly live here anymore. Today I had an attack that was so bad I almost stopped breathing. I am sure I had very low Peak Flows at the time because I was hardly able to blow any air out. If I had asthma in Indiana it was extremely mild.

You are so right about the attitudes here in Yuma. Definitely leave something to be desired. Oh and they take forever to get things done here. The doctor I was seeing here in Yuma was actually going to have me wait 4 to 6 weeks to be tested for asthma. I went to Phoenix, they tested me right away. I also had some work done on my car that was supposed to take a day. It ended up taking an entire two days! My brother had the same work done on this car back in Indiana and it took less than a day. Oh and it seems like the cashiers in every store in Yuma move extremely slow. I once waited 30 minutes in line at Walmart during the summer and it wasn't busy!

[MarkBall2]

Louisville KY or the near surrounding areas.

I'm a nurse, so jobs there are much more plentiful than here. 'Specially with all the snowbirds coming here & taking the permenent resident's jobs.

[JetSet]

Whenever these Yuma threads tend towards the gloom & doom I always feel compelled to respond. So, here I go again.....

I love living in Yuma. I'm a redneck country boy and don't feel the need to be entertained. I prefer to entertain myself and Yuma is the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors. We spend our summers on the river and in the pool. Winters are perfect for exploring the desert. There are many interesting places to visit including many old mining districts. The Imperial Dunes west of Yuma are a good time if you're into fast quads/rails/buggies. I like being able to take the kids out target shooting in the evenings after work.... a few short minutes and you're in the middle of nowhere.

I don't think you could find nicer people than in Yuma. I have so many dear friends here. Our Mexican friends have practically adopted us into their families. I've never lived anywhere where I've had so many "true" friends.

I'm not sure how the cost-of-living in Yuma compares with other places but I'm sure that we don't pay $3.50 for a loaf of bread..... it's more like $0.97. We pay $1.99 for a gallon of Vit D whole milk which is about half what my lil sis pays in Albuquerque. With the amount of gov't and agriculture in the area, Yuma is somewhat sheltered from the bad economy so housing prices may be a little higher than state average. All-in-all, I'd say quality of life and cost of living in Yuma are pretty darn good.

[MarkBall2]

Well JetSet, sounds like you are someone Yuma needs.

I actually love living here as I am self entertained myself. The things I originally pointed out were in response to another's posting. I do agree with you about the majority of the Hispanics here. If I may make a generalization toward the Hispanic population here in Yuma, it is as follows:

They are good natured, polite & very family oriented for the most part. I find that most of the Hispanics that I've met are willing to listen to what a person has to say, may disagree & get a "bit animated" with that disagreement, but are open minded enough to comprehend a different point of view. They still may not agree with it, but they do recognize the opposing viewpoint as valid - even if they don't agree with it.

As far as cost of living, look in your local Walmart. Prices are expensive here, bread is $3.47 a loaf, coffee is about $6.00 a 5lb can, sugar just went up to $2.89 a 4lb bag (up from $1.39 for the same no-name brand), beef is about $3.49 a lb for steaks & roasts, hamburger naturally is less.

Rental costs of housing is as expensive if not more expensive than Phoenix. A 1200 Sq ft house rents around $1200.00 a month, electricity is higher than the midwest, water is out of sight (even though we have 3 rivers & sitting on top of a huge aquifer) and has plenty of distribution infrastructure, natural gas is fairly inexpensive as we don't have a major winter cold to heat for. Feb 2009, the over the air TV is going digital so no more TV antenna's. You will need either cable or a dish, which are both very expensive monthly. So, a small family of 2 adults, 2 kids it would run close to $2K a month just for the basics. Then you add food & travel costs - gotta drive wherever you go for about 9 months of the year due to the heat - you are up close to $3K a month.

Working for $10.00 an hour isn't going to be very affordable here, without both adults working & providing income.

Don't get me wrong, I do love it here. I wish it were a bit less expensive, but I'm willing to put up with quite a bit. Living with the sunshine here is wonderful, as is relaxing in my pool. Just be forewarned it is expensive to live here. And depending on the area of the city, can be dangerous.

[JetSet]

LOL... I buy the "store brand" bread. Even so, I still can't walk out of Wal-Mart without spending a couple hundy.

We buy our meat in bulk from Sun Country out of Phoenix. I like the individual vacuum packing and the price is half compared to Sam's. The quality is excellent.

I haven't paid too much attention to housing costs other than my own. Our mortgage payment, property taxes, HO insurance, and utilities (lights/water) run just over $1000 each month (3 bdrm, 2 bath, 3 kids that don't know how to turn off a light switch and a pool).

I'm old enough to remember when $10/hr was a decent wage

[MarkBall2]

I remember when $4.50 was a good hourly wage. Just not in Yuma.

Speaking to some of my co-workers here, they tell me the cost of living has sky rocketed in the past 3-5 years. Mainly from the people deserting California looking for a slower lifestyle & lower housing prices.

I'm thinking they are probably correct. Houses on my street alone are for sale, but no offers that I'm aware of. These are all prices above $400,000.00 & in the 3000-4000 sq ft range.

[JetSet]

Originally Posted by MarkBall2

I'm thinking they are probably correct. Houses on my street alone are for sale, but no offers that I'm aware of. These are all prices above $400,000.00 & in the 3000-4000 sq ft range.

The wife and I are well in to six figs but $400k is way beyond anything we would consider. We have a decent 1400 sqft home in a 30 year old neighborhood and a low mortgage payment. I like having plenty of disposable income so I can enjoy life with the kids while they are still around. The monthly payment on a $400k mortgage would probably buy my boat gas for the entire summer.

I think everyone, most everywhere, is feeling the pinch. I was sure that prices on consumer goods would fall with diesel prices but that has not been the case..... at least not here. I agree that the influx of westcoasters has probably increased prices, at least in the real estate market. Also, DHS has added many good paying jobs to the area in the last few years (Operation Gate Keeper) which may be a contributing factor as well.

[sfw1979]

Originally Posted by rckc333

Hello,
My husband and I just found out we are moving to Yuma, Arizona (he is a marine). I have been reading a lot of the posts and they seem pretty negative. Can anyone give me some good advice on this area? What neighborhoods are good to live in, where are good places to go, eat, shop, etc. Also what about Mexico? Are there any places there nearby you recommend? Also, I am a nurse, what hospitals would you recommend working in? We are both from KY originally, so we are both used to all 4 seasons...it will be different in AZ I am sure! We are excited and optimistic about our move. Thanks. Anything you can tell me would be wonderful! Thanks!

Yuma gets a bad rap for sure but it's not that bad. The biggest advice I can give you and this is REALLY important is rent or buy a home with a pool. The summers are so hot as you've read and a pool is a wonderful and much needed thing to have. I guarantee you will not regret having a pool.

We lived in the Yuma foothills about 6 miles out from Yuma. Nice family neighborhood. Sunrise Elementary is good if you have children. I know a wonderful realtor if you need one. I would do everything to avoid living on base. The one really good and only thing about living on base is free AC but in my opinion it's not worth it. The houses are really small and some are renovated, others not. I don't know your husbands rate for BAH, but with you 2 having dual income since your a nurse, you can easily afford to buy or rent a home in Yuma (fyi Navy Federals mortgage rates are as low as 4.75!!)

Mexico is fun to drive to and walk around an have lunch. You can park on the US side for about $3 and walk across. Fun thing to do when you have family visit. Also, you are 2 1/2 hrs from San Diego so you can go there for weekens in the summer to cool off. And about 5 hrs from Las Vegas.

As far as nursing jobs the only hospital is Yuma Regional. I only was there once in the 3 years we lived there for my daughter at the ER for an earache and my experience was fine. We waited a long time but that was it. I do hear they have a bad rap as well but being I've never been treated there I don't know why. I can tell you I *think* the nurses make bank there!! My friend babysat kids for a nurse who worked there and I want to say she made like $28/hr. Of course this is just what I heard so I don't really know, but I am sure you will be fine and make decent pay.

There are also other things to do like go to the river. River rats as they call them. Many people go to the Colorado River all summer and chill out. And the dunes are close by if you get a dune bug or quad.

We miss our time there. We met the best people. And honestly I really miss just having BBQs outside and hanging out with friends. The summers are brutal and the winters are beautiful. Make the most of your time and get a pool!!!!!

here are some sites that might help you

YumaSun
CinCHouse - Military Messageboard - Basic Training - Military Wives - Army Wives
Nursing
Yuma Arizona | Yuma Real Estate | ERA Matt Fischer Realtor
MilitarybyOwner.com - Real Estate near U.S. Military Bases

Good luck!!!

[rckc333]

Well after reading all these posts I am glad we will only be there for about 2 years or so. We are living about 30 minutes south of Washington DC right now and it is so expensive to live out here!! Yuma sounds like it will be a lot better! I hate the DC traffic too! Its awful...I would rather live anywhere but here!

I am really nervous about these scorpions! I've never seen one. How much does it cost to get your house sprayed each month?

My husband and I are looking into buying a house. We have to rent first though until we find a good neighborhood....are there any suggestions on apartment complexes that are decent?

MARKBALL - you said that you are a nurse and want to move to Ky? Louisville is a great place to live! (just be sure you know how to say it the correct way - its not pronounced the way its spelled) My husband and I are from Owensboro, KY - its a great town too, but its not as big. We usually have to drive to either Louisville or Nashville, TN to do any good kind of shopping. But its a great place to raise a family. All in all, KY is wonderful, everyone is generally so nice and warm - it has a great sense of southern hospitality (something I miss dearly being here in DC)
Do you know anything about the CRNA program at Midwestern? I was looking it up online. What kind of rep do they have? Is it pretty competitive to get in there?