Humor Me (Phoenix, Prescott, Kingman: sales, employment, school)

[lone sailor]

So the wife and I have been talking a lot lately of relocating to another area. We keep coming back to AZ, TX, and NM each time we talk about where to relocate to, and are having trouble making a firm decision. I think perhaps a few words from those that have the same interests and lifestyle as us may help.

I am an avid hunter and fisherman who also has a few hot rods and enjoys tinkering and racing at the drag strip on Friday and Saturday nights. I am also a very laid back person, easy to get along with, adaptable to almost anything kind of person. I really love the outdoors and want to get back to my roots of owning a small piece of land where I can also hunt off of. We've been living in Missouri(where I am originally from) for about 5 years now. We have a small family with 3 children, which one will be graduating in a couple of years. Once he has graduated, I will no longer feel guilty about moving and putting him in yet another school(the other 2 are not yet in school). So we have a few more years here, but I'm a stickler for making informed decisions, and sometimes those decisions take a long time to consider.

Now to the wife, she is also laid back and very easy going. She likes doing light shopping and meeting new friends when possible. She likes gardening, reading, being outdoors, swimming, sight seeing, among others. We don't like a high and mighty lifestyle where we need material things or are worried about how the Jones' might see us compared to their highfalutin selves. We like the simple things, but we can along just fine in a larger city(she is from Dallas). She also has family in the Albuquerque and Taos, NM areas, so we would be much closer than we are now.

We are both pretty much looking for some drama free areas. We also can live in either warm or cold climates. Although she is more impartial to the cold, I kind of enjoy it. Does that make me weird? I was also stationed in Florida and have put up with the high heat out there. I do know one thing, the humidity here will NOT be missed one, single, bit! I have also traveled a lot, back in the day I drove a truck over the road, and have traveled through many parts of Arizona. However, you can't always get to those good places when you're toting a 48' drop deck flatbed. I know we'll need to likely stay close enough to at least an average sized city/town that we can have the amenities, and also to stay within a reasonable driving distance for employment. I am in the water works business, and she is restaurant food sales industry. Not sure how well the outlook is for those fields, but I'm sure we would change things up if necessary.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

[poolgirl51]

Sounds like somewhere around Prescott would be a good choice for you and your family. Check out the Prescott forum for more detailed info. We live in Sedona and love it but there is not much in the way of employment around here. Arizona is a wonderful state. You will love living here should you decide it is the right place for you. Good luck!!

[Vinny536]

i live in maricopa. A new city 16 miles south of phoenix and chandler az. I can't speak for hunting in AZ since i'm not a hunter, but i can tell you this is as close to car lovers paradise that you can get in the US.
For me coming from the rust belt crawling under my 1st desert jeep and having every bolt turn out without a torch was bliss. the vehicle code is very relaxed. there are plenty of vehicles in peoples yards just begging to be restored. there are emission testing in the bigger cities, but i think if you are away from tucson and phoenix you are clear from that. Firebird international raceway is a 15-20 minute drive from my house. there is also a nascar track about 45-50 minutes away if that is your thing. for me it is four wheeling, which is plentiful in Arizona.

There are few days that take sunshine from the garden and fewer days not warm enough to swim (at least for those of us that grew up in cold climates!). arizona offers about every climate from snow to desert depending on part of the state. When i did my research Arizona fit my criteria.

[lone sailor]

Originally Posted by poolgirl51

Sounds like somewhere around Prescott would be a good choice for you and your family. Check out the Prescott forum for more detailed info. We live in Sedona and love it but there is not much in the way of employment around here. Arizona is a wonderful state. You will love living here should you decide it is the right place for you. Good luck!!

I have heard good things about the area. Only things that concerns me are housing costs, high electricity costs, and high taxes.

[lone sailor]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

i live in maricopa. A new city 16 miles south of phoenix and chandler az. I can't speak for hunting in AZ since i'm not a hunter, but i can tell you this is as close to car lovers paradise that you can get in the US.
For me coming from the rust belt crawling under my 1st desert jeep and having every bolt turn out without a torch was bliss. the vehicle code is very relaxed. there are plenty of vehicles in peoples yards just begging to be restored. there are emission testing in the bigger cities, but i think if you are away from tucson and phoenix you are clear from that. Firebird international raceway is a 15-20 minute drive from my house. there is also a nascar track about 45-50 minutes away if that is your thing. for me it is four wheeling, which is plentiful in Arizona.

There are few days that take sunshine from the garden and fewer days not warm enough to swim (at least for those of us that grew up in cold climates!). arizona offers about every climate from snow to desert depending on part of the state. When i did my research Arizona fit my criteria.

Sounds like a car lovers paradise. If it was just me, I'd be there in a minute. With the wife as part of the equation I have to look at other things in the area to see if they fit her lifestyle too.
I do enjoy Nascar, and have yet make it to track in Phoenix. Good info on the emissions testing also, I totally forgot all about that. That will be an important factor, as all of my cars are street car that I like to take cruising as well as to the track. I know making them emissions legal is possible, but that will take some of the fun out of it now that I'm use to them the way they are.

[Gretchen B]

Originally Posted by lone sailor

I have heard good things about the area. Only things that concerns me are housing costs, high electricity costs, and high taxes.

Home prices are definitely sticker shock almost anywhere in Arizona as compared to Missouri. (We moved here from Nebr a few years ago, so I can empathize on the price issue.) However, the upside is low taxes (about 1/2%) and I think our electricity is pretty reasonable. While we do have gas heat, during the summer when my A/C is running my electricity is usually around $55/mo. Of course, here in the Prescott area, our summers are relatively mild (once monsoon season hits) and I only have to turn my A/C on late in the day. It cools down nicely at night, into the upper 50's/low 60's, so we just open the windows once the sun goes down. Without the humidity, it's SO much more comfortable here.

In reading through your post, though, I also had a few other suggestions. First of all - take LOTS of road trips over the next couple of years and really explore the areas you're considering. One thing that always amazes me about AZ and NM is the diversity in climate and topography. Here are a few places that came to my mind: Chino Valley, AZ, Kingman, AZ, Globe, AZ, Springerville/Eagar, AZ (neat area but small and a long ways from larger towns - employment would be an issue), Socorro, NM, Silver City, NM, Farmington, NM, Chama, NM (again, small, and a long ways to a larger city), Las Vegas, NM (same issue as Chama).

[KarmaPhx]

If your into hunting and fishing, I suggest not moving to Arizona. There is a wait list to deer hunt each season, not a lot to hunt, fishing is not soo bad though.

[lone sailor]

What about other hunting, small game, upland game, etc?

[Gretchen B]

The White Mtns in eastern AZ have quite a bit of wildlife and fewer people. Here's a photo I took of a herd of elk we saw on the way to Big Lake. The fishing is good over there, too, in the Black River, the Little Colorado, and on the lakes.

[lone sailor]

Looks nice.