Don't Move To Flagstaff! (Mesa, Cottonwood: home builder, find a job, buy)
Flagstaff-SedonaCoconino County
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I've lived in Flag for about 10 years now. I have a good job here I make about 45k a year. My wife makes about 40k a year. Do not expect that kind of $ if you are new to Flag! I hire people all the time I tell them to expect to make about 28 to 32k a year and work about 50 hours a week. The work is physical it is not easy. With that being said, it is very hard for a young family to move here and make it. Expect to pay 200k for a trailor or 280 for a townhouse, a decient stick built will cost about 280 to 380K.
Here is the problem with Flag. You cannot have your cake and eat it too... People want to live in a resort town yet not pay resort prices. That is a tough thing to do. It is possable if you are willing to live in crappy apartments and live frugally. I myself work very hard for the money I make (60 hours week) but it is very important to keep my family fed and a roof over their heads. Plus I bought a house well before the housing boom.
Here is the simple truth, if you want to live in Flag come here with a strong resume and be willing to work hard. Flagstaff is not a place to build a resume. If you are smart you can survive, but give up the thought of taking off midweek to go skiing or go for a hike.
I don't mean to be harsh, but this is the truth. We get a lot of people who come here wanting to live the "dream". I say to you it is a lot easier to live in Phoenix and make 50+k a year and spend your weekends in the mountains. As soon as my twelve year old son graduates I plan on doing the same. I am exhausted and sick of worrying....
And here I was 'whining' about living in Bullhead City and working 6 miles away making well over $35K a year. And; housing to buy is about 70 cents (or less) to the Flagstaff dollar for a home of equal or greater quality in BHC/Ft Mohave.
How disappointing this is. We were hoping to move closer to my husband's mother in Snowflake and we were enchanted by Flagstaff. We live in the Palm Springs area and I work at Eisenhower Medical Center. California is just getting more expensive. We were hoping by comparison, Flagstaff would be an improvement. Right now our rent for a 4 bedroom home in a not great part of town is $1320.00. Our electricity is about $250.00 a month. Pay at the hospital is about $14.00 an hour and my husband is in sales for European cars. Now I'm not sure that Flagstaff is such an improvement to So Cal. We still want to live closer to my mother in law and I DON'T want more desert. Any suggestions?
Pack up the mother in law and move somewhere back East. Why does she get to live wherever she wants and then force you to accomodate her?
Thank you for the rapid reply - we want to make our move in 2008 and any input is really appreciated.
At the same time - whoa there!
My mother in law, though struggling with some health issues, is not some vapid, brainless dependant to be "packed up." Nor is she some nastly crone who is forcing us to do anything to accomodate her. She is family and doesn't have to force anyone to be close to her. She has a good little business in Snowflake that she has invested in. She is not floundering, but we want to be closer to her none-the-less, for personal and health reasons.
That said, does anyone know anything about the Show Low or perhaps Pinetop area? I've been thru the area only briefly on holiday visits to Snowflake and had spent about a week in the Flagstaff area last July. But perhaps a little cordial advice will help out?
We are set on getting out of Palm Springs, which is getting ridiculously expensive and we are just burnt out on in the summer heat (no pun intended)
I was drawn by N. Arizona's mountains, forests and more laid back atmosphere
> ... Nor is she some nastly crone who is forcing us to do anything ...
OK then. As long as you are moving closer because that's what *you* want.
Pine Top and Show Low are small towns with great climates and nice hiking opportunities nearby. There is not likely to be much in the way of lucrative employment opportunities. If you can't make in in Flagstaff then The Rim is not likely to be any better.
Much of what is there is simply summer homes for Phoenix residents.
If I was just picking up and moving from CA cold, I'd certainly give Flagstaff a try due to the climate. I love it there.
Globe and Safford are also reasonably close and much milder in summer than Phoenix or Palm Springs. They are definitely desert though. You should also take a close look at Tucson; Coming from Palm Springs, summers there are positively crisp.
Also on your list of alternate locations: Albuquerque. It's not really very far to visit Snowflake from Albuquerque. You can do the I-40 or the Rt-60 trip as you like. It, um ... *is* desert, but with a climate similar to Snowflake.
Actually, Snowflake is quite possibly classified as desert or, if not, just a couple inches of rainfall away.
How disappointing this is. We were hoping to move closer to my husband's mother in Snowflake and we were enchanted by Flagstaff. We live in the Palm Springs area and I work at Eisenhower Medical Center. California is just getting more expensive. We were hoping by comparison, Flagstaff would be an improvement. Right now our rent for a 4 bedroom home in a not great part of town is $1320.00. Our electricity is about $250.00 a month. Pay at the hospital is about $14.00 an hour and my husband is in sales for European cars. Now I'm not sure that Flagstaff is such an improvement to So Cal. We still want to live closer to my mother in law and I DON'T want more desert. Any suggestions?
Don't despair...Flagstaff is a wonderful place to live. It can be difficult for people who come here without a plan, no career and those people are gone before you know it. If you plan ahead your experience will be positive. It will be what you make it. I am quite familiar with the cost of living in So Cal as I was born and raised there. I moved here from San Diego 16 years ago and I too was in medicine. I would suggest that you submit your resume' on line to 1) WL Gore and 2)Flagstaff Medical Center in that order of importance. WL Gore is the highest paying organization in Flagstaff. They are the manufacturer of "gortex" but have quite a variety of additional fields. Consider looking for a position with them in their research department due to a medical background. WL Gore also pays for moving expenses, assists with relocation and home purchases.
You will find that rentals in Flagstaff will be similar to what you are currently paying. Reason being, this is a college town and vacancy rates here are one
of the lowest anywhere at approx 1%. Best time to find a rental is between semesters and end of the school year before summer starts. There are usually more to choose from but they do go fast. Rents are higher than you might expect because of high demand and low supply. I can say that you would have a much better choice and the monthly payment would be about the same if you were to buy instead of rent. I ABSOLUTELY CAN AND WILL help you if you would like or need it. After working for 10yrs at Flagstaff Medical Center I made a career change into real estate. Having worked and lived here now for 16 years I am more than qualified to guide you in the right direction and assist in any way I can.
Please let me know what kind of help you would like and I will provide it to you.
Another area you might consider other than Flagstaff would be Payson. It is about 90 minutes from Snowflake, is a growing mountain community with a medical center.
Best of Luck to you and please let me know if I can help.
That said, does anyone know anything about the Show Low or perhaps Pinetop area? I've been thru the area only briefly on holiday visits to Snowflake and had spent about a week in the Flagstaff area last July. But perhaps a little cordial advice will help out?
We are set on getting out of Palm Springs, which is getting ridiculously expensive and we are just burnt out on in the summer heat (no pun intended)
I was drawn by N. Arizona's mountains, forests and more laid back atmosphere
Most of the small towns in the White Mountain area won't offer many job prospects. If you like that area and want to be closer to Snowflake, I'd recommend Payson, which is a bigger town than Pinetop or Show Low, but you still get the cooler weather and forests of eastern AZ. It's right on the edge of the high desert (of which Flagstaff is a part) and the mountainous areas of Eastern AZ. Payson is also closer to Snowflake than Flagstaff is.
Yes, Flagstaff is expensive. It always has been since I lived there as an undergrad, but it is wonderful (presently I live in Tucson and plan to move back at the end of May). The people are cool and laid back. They have awesome restaurants, hiking trails, and geological wonders. This city is not meant for people who want to work in the service industry and make a lot of money - this is an university town. But if you can afford it, Flagstaff is the best place to live in Arizona.
Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Ten years ago the prices weren't too bad. Now, since everyone from California is moving in, the housing is outrageous and the wages very low (that is what you get for living in a conservative state). Therefore, it is not all Flagstaff's fault - it's the whole state. If you want to make more money, move to Phoenix, however, you will pay for it in the form of a very hot concrete jungle.
BTW, the comment made about meth users and poor people - I hate to say it - but being so close to the Mexican Boarder, meth is rampant in Arizona and most Western States. So if you are looking to not see drugs in your neighborhood - good luck - they are everywhere - even in gated communities. And no matter what city you move to in the US you will run into a large division between poor and rich. Maybe it is just that Flagstaff is a small enough city for you to see it.
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Flag is the coolest place in AZ to live
