Looking for land in AZ (Flagstaff, Prescott: buyers, living in, prices)

[bb5745]

Yes, I agree, Pettrix. While staying in Prescott, I did drive up to the Ash Fork/Seligman area and came right back. What a waste of an afternoon - but I least I found out first hand. I had seen some land listed in Ash Fork prior to my visit that was very scenic and very affordable - I found out why. And, yep, Ash Fork is not that close to Prescott - 65 miles is a little too far to drive to go to the organic food store in Prescott or for whatever. From my tour, I've ruled out all surrounding towns, such as such as PV, Chino Valley, and even Wilhoit. None of these areas had any kind of unique town feel, and were too far from Prescott to make a reasonable regular commute. Yes, Prescott is more pricey, but you get what you pay for........

[exlexisnexis]

Williams is experiencing high growth and is 15 minutes from Ashfork, you mention how run down Ash Fork is but there are only 500 people there now so it is very unpopulated at this time which is why you have there has been little demand for the businesses you mentioned. The truth is that Ash Fork is mostly unpopulated and is next to or within a reasonable commute to areas ready to explode or are exploding. I have learned most people will consider a ride that is 45 minutes to 60 minutes a reasonable commute.
From
Ash Fork
Traveling East
70 miles Grand Canyon
17 miles Williams (Grand Canyon Railway)
48 miles Flagstaff
Traveling West
90 miles Kingman
180 miles Las Vegas
128 miles Laughlin
Traveling South
50 miles Prescott
148 miles Phoenix

[LBear]

The are MANY reasons why Ash Fork will NEVER "explode" in growth. Here are the MAIN ONES:

1 - WATER! If you live in Ash Fork, you MUST HAUL YOUR OWN WATER! Wells are IMPOSSIBLE due to the fact that the water table is over 1,500 feet deep! That is equivalent to the size of the Sears Tower. That fact ALONE will be the reason why Ash Fork will never grow. Who wants to have a water tank stored outside their home and then have to haul their own water or have company fill it up once a week? That is a property value killer.

2 - INFASTRUCTURE - Ash Fork has NO police department & a limited FD. Call 911, and wait for DPS or a sheriff unit to arrive, about 20-30 minutes ETA. That is why almost EVERYONE out there has a handgun. You are on your own. The town has NO hospital, NO stores, NO goods, etc. The town is a couple of blocks long and it look like Beriut after an attack.

I can go on & on about all the negatives of the town. All one has to do is DRIVE THRU THE TOWN and see for themselves. As the other person stated, "it was a waste of my time" when he drove out to check-out Ash Fork and Seligman. There are REASONS why property & homes are cheap in Ash Fork & Seligman. You get what you paid for...

[exlexisnexis]

What you decribe is an undeveloped area much like any other metropolitan area if you go back far enough.What did Phoenix or Nevada look like 50 years ago? As for water you are quite wrong Ash fork has more water than Williams which is growing like crazy and it has not been tapped because of the small population in Ash Fork. You have no vision and you lack facts,tell me if Ash Fork is such a loser town why have property values doubled over the last few years? If you look at any growing area you will find anything within a 60 minute commuteof it increases in value substantially once property values start rising.

[exlexisnexis]

The primary rule in real estate value is location,location,location,this rule cannot be disputed
From
Ash Fork
Traveling East
70 miles Grand Canyon
17 miles Williams (Grand Canyon Railway)
48 miles Flagstaff
Traveling West
90 miles Kingman
180 miles Las Vegas
128 miles Laughlin
Traveling South
50 miles Prescott
148 miles Phoenix

[exlexisnexis]

Location and water Ashfork has both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



50 miles west of Flagstaff 2 hours from Sedona

50 miles north of Prescott 1.5 hours from Grand Canyon

18 miles west of Williams 2.5 hours from Laughlin

3 hours from Phoenix 3.5 hours from Las Vegas



It offers a perfect location for a quiet retirement home or weekend getaway or retirement base
for travel.


A WORD ABOUT WATER

Most of Northern Arizona communities are "water haul" areas unless they are directly in town. This includes Williams, Flagstaff, Seligman and many other towns. Unlike many of these other towns however, Ash Fork is located atop a plentiful aquifer which is very deep for individual drilling.

Our water is cheap too! You can haul it yourself or there are several companies that will deliver it to your door. Everyone has storage tanks on their property which you monitor like your vehicles gas tank. No big deal.

In closing, the Ash Fork area has a small population of folks who appreciate the beauty of Northern Arizona. They consist of a varied cross section from original pioneer families to people from all over the globe. Artists, authors, retirees, new families, hikers, and horsemen, everyone's here....come join us!

[LBear]

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

tell me if Ash Fork is such a loser town why have property values doubled over the last few years?

Yes, they have doubled, from $2K an acre 10 years ago to $4K an acre today.

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

I recommend purchasing land in Ashfork or Seligman they are close to 3 high growth areas:

I KNEW IT!! You are a REALTOR!!

Your below quote of:

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

Most of Northern Arizona communities are "water haul" areas unless they are directly in town. This includes Williams, Flagstaff, Seligman and many other towns. Unlike many of these other towns however, Ash Fork is located atop a plentiful aquifer which is very deep for individual drilling.

In closing, the Ash Fork area has a small population of folks who appreciate the beauty of Northern Arizona. They consist of a varied cross section from original pioneer families to people from all over the globe. Artists, authors, retirees, new families, hikers, and horsemen, everyone's here....come join us!

That above wording you posted is DIRECTLY OFF THE ASHFORK & SELIGMAN realtors web-site!! Country Life Realty -
http://www.countryliferealtyaz.com/N...t/Default.aspx

All YOU have been doing was cutting & pasting from that site in your posts. I have NEVER seen someone so "gung-ho" about Ash Fork or Seligman. ONLY A REALTOR

You can dream BIG all you want, Ash Fork & Seligman are NOT going to become like Williams or Prescott. Maybe 100 years from now, but NOT in our lifetime. Your underlying "motives" have been exposed. You are a Realtor and have property in Ash Fork & Seligman.

You have been EXPOSED!

[LBear]

Originally Posted by bb5745

Yes, I agree, Pettrix. While staying in Prescott, I did drive up to the Ash Fork/Seligman area and came right back. What a waste of an afternoon - but I least I found out first hand. I had seen some land listed in Ash Fork prior to my visit that was very scenic and very affordable - I found out why. And, yep, Ash Fork is not that close to Prescott - 65 miles is a little too far to drive to go to the organic food store in Prescott or for whatever. Yes, Prescott is more pricey, but you get what you pay for........

Need I say more???

[exlexisnexis]

I am not a realtor but do search the internet for news and relavint information on certain areas that catch my eye.If you have a problem with gathering information from the internet you do not belong on this message board. I have never met someone so closed minded to the basic rule of real estate which is location,location, location.50 miles west of Flagstaff 2 hours from Sedona

50 miles north of Prescott 1.5 hours from Grand Canyon

18 miles west of Williams 2.5 hours from Laughlin

3 hours from Phoenix 3.5 hours from Las Vegas

[LBear]

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

I have never met someone so closed minded to the basic rule of real estate which is location,location, location.50 miles west of Flagstaff 2 hours from Sedona

I do understand the concept of location. The problem is this. Arizona has SO MUCH real estate inventory that Phoenix is sitting at OVER 50,000+ homes for sale. That is the LARGEST # on record. People are DROPPING their prices $50K-100K+ and the homes are STILL NOT SELLING!

Now Flagstaff & Prescott (along with other towns) in Northern Arizona are having the SAME PROBLEM! The inventory for homes & land is HUGE. This is all due to the stupid ARM's that are coming due and the people who signed up for them. They CAN'T pay the mortgage and they can't sell, the bank is coming for their home.

Now, location. Prescott, Flagstaff and Williams ALWAYS have been a key location spot to move to for decades. Prescott is the youngest of the group as they stated to grow in the 1980s. Ash Fork & Seligman have NEVER been a key location spot. NEVER. The only time Ash Fork was "popular" was back when Route 66 was running. Even then it was just a small town stop. Since Route 66 CLOSED it has all but gone down hill. The flagstone mining is the only thing that kept it from becoming one of the ghost towns of the Route 66 route. If it wasn't for flagstone, it would be a REAL ghost town.

Ash Fork has NO regulations when it comes to zoning of homes. You can plant a double-wide or trailer on the lot. You can have 8 cars in your backyard, you can have 20 roosters running around, NOBODY cares and their are no ordinances preventing that.

I looked at A LOT of lots in Ash Fork for a couple of days. Like the above poster stated, "what a waste of time". Property values will NEVER go anywhere when you allow trailers, mobiles, etc, to be there. There is NO POLICE, NO FULL-TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT, NO HOSPITAL, NO REAL STORES, NO INFRASTRUCTURE!!!!!

The place is dead and doesn't even know it. You have homeless people wandering the streets, meth addicts, militants, loaners, etc. If you are in Ash Fork, you better be packing a gun because it is DANGEROUS.

Why is it that in Ash Fork, the school must receive funding from the FEDS??? NO TAX BASE! The school wouldn't survive if they relied on Ash Fork tax income. Why is it that they have to pay school teachers an extra $13,000 over what they pay in other Northern AZ towns?? BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SCHOOL TEACHERS LIVING IN ASH FORK. Yes, there may be the one who lives there NOW because they got the job but 99% of all the teachers live in other towns and drive 1+ hour to get there.

Oh, before I forget this point. FLAGSTONE! Here is your nice lot and lo and behold, here comes an 18 wheeler loaded with tons of flagstone driving down your PRIVATE DRIVE. How can they do that? It's private property. Unfortunately, they have the LEGAL right to do so as the government allows them to use roads to gain access to the flagstone quarry. YOU CAN'T STOP THEM! They have "eminent domain" to those roads. Hmmm..Nothing like a 40,000 pound semi rolling down your private road or street.

I can go on & on.... But why?? Location- Ash Fork has NOTHING to make it a booming town. The ONLY solution is to get the National Guard and force the people from their homes. Then take bulldozers and dynamite and blast the town. Now, maybe then, it will be the "location" spot that will see growth & increased property values...

exlexisnexis - I know that you live or own land in Ash Fork. There is no doubting that. I also know that if you have a home, you LOCK the doors at all times and carry a handgun. WHY? Ash Fork is unsafe. The poverty level in that area is HUGE and the transients are everywhere. I've talked with a realtor who told me that if you go on vacation, it is not IF they will break in, it is WHEN they will break in. He said not to leave valuables in the home as they will be taken. NO POLICE in Ash Fork. Good luck waiting on DPS or Sheriff. You might see them after 30 minutes of waiting after the 911 call...