What's not to like about Prescott? (Phoenix, Prescott Valley: 2009, apartments, construction)

[thedfly]

We too are selling our home for less than what we paid 2.5 yrs ago, but it has been a truly beautiful place to settle and regroup and relax in for our family. I certainly would still recommend Prescott as a wonderful place to settle if you have work lined up or can telecommute which many of my friends do. I disagree with being crowded, unless waiting at a traffic signal to turn for a few minutes during rush hour counts. When you're able to park a block away and walk to the town's parades and enjoy the festivities on the square without wall to wall people and sit on the lawn and take it in? No, I wouldn't call it congested coming from Phx.

[deepagee]

Originally Posted by and the

I've probably said it before on this thread, but the times I've been to Prescott, I've noticed a lot of GREED. I like the place and still plan on moving there in a few years, but before I even think about building a house, I'll probably rent for a year and try to get to know some people in the trades first.

It seems like EVERYBODY wants a cut of my money before I get to the actual people who are doing the work. The commission I paid to my real estate agent isn't enough. She wants to refer me to an architect, builder, landscaper, etc.....for a cut of what I end up paying them. No thanks.

The guy behind the bar handed me his real estate agent card. I didn't want to buy land from him, I just wanted to buy a BEER from him. I met some people in the area of where I plan on living and introduced myself and the next thing you know, they handed me their real estate agent cards, insurance cards, house appraisal cards and mortgage broker cards. I was just trying to be neighborly!!!

I've never been anywhere where the vultures descended so quickly on the new guy who didn't even live there yet. And they were ALL from SoCal.

Maybe that would be a good thread for this forum: Names of able tradesmen, insurance agents, real estate agents and mortgage brokers in Prescott who AREN'T from Los Angeles.

As if!!! It's a real short list!

[hapi]

Oh....my....goodness! What is with the threads for Prescott? Why is there such intense passion usually negative with a little positive thrown in?... In comparison with other northern Ariz. cities threads on this website. We are old, happen to love northern Arizona and are exploring places to move to for our geezer years. So since we love the area why not check out living there. We DON'T have a lot of money and we ARE from California. (although have lived in other states). Love Sedona but can't afford it so considering Cottonwood and wondered about Prescott. At our ages medical care/hospitals heh heh are an important consideration. Kinda shocked at reading all the comments here on Prescott. Most everyone sounds almost angry, intense, a little mean and often snarky. Is Prescott that bad? Our experience without actually living there however is that people in northern Arizona seem reallllly nice. But have never been to Prescott and was planning to go there soon to see if might want to live there. I'm sincerely asking if it's that bad there?
and are people gonna hate us because we're from California???

[BriansPerspective]

Hi Hapi,

They are passing a law stating that everyone must where a letter on their shirt indicating where they are from and when they moved to Prescott

Just kidding. People are very nice here (in the Prescott area) and nobody cares if you are from California or anywhere else. I have yet to meet someone who asked me where I moved from and then got angry and said they wish I would leave. On the contrary, I have found that people are quite friendly. Life is fairly laid back, so people are more relaxed then say LA or Phoenix or New York.

I think that people use the forum as a place to vent. People are much more outspoken when they can hide behind the anonimity of the forum. Come visit and see for yourself. The reality is that many, many people have moved here within the last 10 years and they would be quite hypocritical if they were to be angry with you for doing the same thing.

History becomes cloudy and nostalgia is glorified, because for some reason, people like to think that the past was better than the present. The reality is somewhere in the middle. Certain things may have been better in the past and certain things are better now. Personally, I like to believe that the present and future always glow brighter than the past.

[hapi]

BH..Ha! Figured that about the forums, but was beginning to wonder. Great reply. And can understand about areas where one experienced what it was like in years past. Every town, every era has that. Yep...planning to go there very soon and explore. We haven't given up on Sedona, but could end up in Cottonwood or Prescott. Uhhh, some concern about the water, noticed a lot of violations listed for the various water companies, but you live there and don't appear to be running away or ill. but ? any extra comments re the water both safety and supply? incognito californian geezer.

[BriansPerspective]

Water quality is generally quite good with the exception of some homes on private wells in specific areas. Prescott Valley (PV) recently received very high marks for their water quality. See: Prescott Valley : PV Water District for more information on PV water.

Regarding water supply, there are two items to look at: Quantity and Distribution.

Quantity: There are huge amounts of water in the underlying aquifer from which we draw our water. You may read that we are pulling more water out than is being refilled, which is true. However, the amount of overdraft is miniscule compared to the amount of water in the aquifers. In addition, the Prescott area falls within a water Active Management Area, which basically states that no more building can occur unless new water is brought in to serve the new consumers. That basically places a moratorium on building new homes. Prescott and Prescott Valley are currently working to build a pipeline to draw water from an even larger aquifer to the north (the Big Chino aquifer). That will allow new homes to be built using the Big Chino water.

Supply: In Prescott and Prescott Valley, water is pumped from several wells into storage containers and then distributed via water lines. Prescott has its own wells and storage and Prescott Valley has its own wells and storage. Prescott Valley is in better shape, because they have extra wells and extra storage. If one well pump breaks, there is plenty of pumping capacity and storage to meet the draw from the consumers. Prescott does not currently have extra wells and extra storage, so a break in one of the pumps can be a problem. Last year one of Prescott's well pumps broke and Prescott had to restrict water usage to compensate until the pump could be repaired.

[Huntres]

So you have something against someone young who has little finally getting something nice to themselves?

Originally Posted by esselcue

Exactly what I was talking about. Too much greed, too many tract houses on tiny lots in the PV area...and now it seems they are going to ruin Dewey, too? Very sad...but probably inevitable.

[Huntres]

Oh sick! aquifers... draining them even a miniscule amount = bad idea. Maybe if AZ had fewer golf courses people could have a decent place to live with water to drink and bathe in. People can ALWAYS take more... and do.

Originally Posted by BiggsHomes

Water quality is generally quite good with the exception of some homes on private wells in specific areas. Prescott Valley (PV) recently received very high marks for their water quality. See: Prescott Valley : PV Water District for more information on PV water.

Regarding water supply, there are two items to look at: Quantity and Distribution.

Quantity: There are huge amounts of water in the underlying aquifer from which we draw our water. You may read that we are pulling more water out than is being refilled, which is true. However, the amount of overdraft is miniscule compared to the amount of water in the aquifers. In addition, the Prescott area falls within a water Active Management Area, which basically states that no more building can occur unless new water is brought in to serve the new consumers. That basically places a moratorium on building new homes. Prescott and Prescott Valley are currently working to build a pipeline to draw water from an even larger aquifer to the north (the Big Chino aquifer). That will allow new homes to be built using the Big Chino water.

Supply: In Prescott and Prescott Valley, water is pumped from several wells into storage containers and then distributed via water lines. Prescott has its own wells and storage and Prescott Valley has its own wells and storage. Prescott Valley is in better shape, because they have extra wells and extra storage. If one well pump breaks, there is plenty of pumping capacity and storage to meet the draw from the consumers. Prescott does not currently have extra wells and extra storage, so a break in one of the pumps can be a problem. Last year one of Prescott's well pumps broke and Prescott had to restrict water usage to compensate until the pump could be repaired.

[_Charles_]

Seems like Prescott is repeating the classic AZ pattern. Mindless, endless building while there is no real economic base and no thought of impact on water resources or quality of life. Oh well so it goes....

[esselcue]

Originally Posted by Huntres

So you have something against someone young who has little finally getting something nice to themselves?

Absolutely not...I think it's wonderful when a young person can buy a home and begin to establish in that way...my problem is the developers who are cramming SO MANY homes onto such TINY lots when we have such a severe water problem in the making. That, and the fact that so many homes are sitting vacant, unable to be sold, while more cookie cutter places keep going up every day. Growth and development is very good, without it a town or city will stagnate and die...but it needs to be done with caution, not with only the almighty dollar in mind. If all the open areas are filled with tract homes on postage stamp lots, we will soon be an area of future-slums. The area's jobs, water, and roadways cannot support this kind of over-growth.