Can anyone tell me a bit about Holbrook? (Phoenix, Flagstaff: crime rate, house)

[whatahorse]

I'm interested in finding a place to retire to, and i see that there is some cheap land in the area of Holbrook Az. Can anyone enlighten me about the area? Thanks.

[Daryle]

I am planning to retire there, but the crime rate is about 4 times the national average. But I can tell you all the times I have been there, I have had no trouble with anyone. Also,land prices are on the rise. I paid $600 for an acre of land 10 years ago, now it is worth $ 2000. Anyway, I still love Holbrook.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by whatahorse

I'm interested in finding a place to retire to, and i see that there is some cheap land in the area of Holbrook Az. Can anyone enlighten me about the area? Thanks.

That's about all that is there. It's a cluster of buildings on a barren strip of land. Nothing grows naturally there but sagebrush. It's desolate outside of town. The wind blows 60-80mph everytime a front passes to the north. There's got to be more to life than cheap land.

[TwoSticks]

It's on a large, flat plateau that also contains the city of Winslow, about thirty miles to the west. The Navajo Indian Reservation is nearby as well, which also should be taken into consideration.

Potable water is going to be an issue too, which a lot of people don't think about when they're looking into land in this part of the country. There are places where dirt can be cheap, but you will have to haul in and store your own water. That can be a blessing, as it can help keep the crowds away. It won't be a Club Med, but maybe that's what you want.

Ponderosa is right on about one thing, though. When they say "there's nothing out there" they mean it about that part of Arizona. Do plan to visit first.

[LBear]

I agree. Go out there and look around. Holbrook is in the middle of NOTHING. It is flat lands with some rolling hills. Pretty ugly nature wise, when compared to Phoenix desert which is MUCH MORE beautiful. The winds are brutal. Due to the location, the winds come-in and they can be really bad.

[DOUBLE H]

I stayed in Holbrook earlier this year for a night at a mom and pop motel-$22. Decent room! Had a good meal and done some shopping later that night. Spoke to a lot of people- friendly people. That said, that night I stayed there I could not travel one mile further so I had to stay there. I was lucky- got behind a UPS semitrailor and stayed right behind him for thirty-plus miles. Top speed 20. Visibility was maybe 100 feet.Snowing like hell. There was not a cloud in the sky when I hit the border an hour earlier. EGADS!!!!!

[butterfly56]

We retired to the Holbrook area about 6 years ago and have found it an interesting place to live. If you enjoy social service, there are plenty of opportunities as the poverty rate is very high. We enjoy outdoor recreation — hiking, kayaking, wildlife watching, biking. The Painted Desert and Petrified National Forest are close by. Looking for petroglyphs makes for an interesting walk. One reason we chose this part of the State is that it is inexpensive and yet centrally located to lots of interesting places to pursue recreational activities—Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Roosevelt and Apache Lakes, White Mountains, etc. When there's snow, there's skiing in the White Mountains and outside of Flagstaff. The downside is the lack of good medical support closeby. It's over an hour to the nearest hospitals. As a diabetic, I have been surprised at how poor the three doctors I have tried have been compared to my former doctor.

[odinloki1]

Originally Posted by TwoSticks

It's on a large, flat plateau that also contains the city of Winslow, about thirty miles to the west. The Navajo Indian Reservation is nearby as well, which also should be taken into consideration.

Potable water is going to be an issue too, which a lot of people don't think about when they're looking into land in this part of the country. There are places where dirt can be cheap, but you will have to haul in and store your own water. That can be a blessing, as it can help keep the crowds away. It won't be a Club Med, but maybe that's what you want.

Ponderosa is right on about one thing, though. When they say "there's nothing out there" they mean it about that part of Arizona. Do plan to visit first.

Water will become an issue in all of Arizona as more retirees move here and Vegas, and as the snowpacks that feed the Colorado river lessen with each winter.

[TwoSticks]

Originally Posted by odinloki1

Water will become an issue in all of Arizona ... and Vegas.

You are absolutely correct. The warning signs are all over the place and frankly, it worries me. No one seems to be all that concerned about it. I've been here since '85 and to watch this place literally double its population has been, among other things, scary. Sooner or later, at the rate things are going (and it shows little sign of letting up anytime soon), it's all gonna come a-crashin' down.

Because of it, for me, I plan to be outta here within the next five years. I'd much rather watch from a distance.

[westies]

Holbrook is very inexpensive area to live if you are retired and get SSI and a pension I'm sure that living expenses wont be a problem. Two main reasons why a family would reside in Holbrook is because of the railroad and the cholla power plant. Arizona has the most indian reservations so if you've never met a navijo native american now would be your chance. When I drive through Holbrook I see a old town and the only tourist rolling through this town are there to check out the petrified wood and be on route 66. Flagstaff isnt too far away as well as Show Low and Lakeside which are great places to live or see. I would live there if I could get a house under 35k.