Prescott/Prescott Valley/Chino Valley - ALERT TO HOMEOWNERS (Phoenix: sale, to rent)

[Trisher]

Thanks, TN Gal! I graduated from Smyrna, but lived in a lot of Tennessee over the years. Yeah, the storms can be bad, but the green is beautiful! My husband is from WV, so that's how I ended up here - in many ways like much of TN. But we too are nature freaks, natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and the red rock and the wildlife - So I'm glad to see you like AZ enough that you speak that way of it. We do have some concerns about the wages, I admit, so we'll be thinking VERY CAREFULLY when we decide on a location, and saving like mad in the meantime. Thanks again for the info...good to talk to a home state gal!

[TN Gal in AZ]

Trisher,
Travel out here before you decide to relocate. Plus, depending on what you g;uys do for a living, you may have to relocate to a different city like PHX or maybe Vegas and you would still be close to all the natural wonders out here.

[Trisher]

We will when the time gets closer to a final decision. I'm a secretary, my husband works as data entry/personnel office kind of thing.

[LBear]

I am moving out of here.

After 4 years of low-pay, stupid corrupt cattle families bullying the poor and middle-class, corrupt homebuilders, anti-growth, anti-progress, backwards, redneck, etc.

I'm LEAVING and never looking back!

[norm]

Why did it take you four years?

[LBear]

Originally Posted by norm

Why did it take you four years?

Well, I don't have millions of dollars, so when I relocated I couldn't just get-up and leave when I wanted to. Plus, I wanted to give it some time and get a better taste of the area and the market. There is no perfect place here on earth so I wanted to give it decent shot.

So, after about 2-3 years, I decided that it will not work out. That is when I started to look elsewhere. Now, thru almost 10 months of research and visiting other states, I have made my decision and I am out of here.

I believe Prescott/PV will get better, but that will take 15-20 years from now. I don't have that type of time or money. That time line is conservative. It might take 20-30 years for it to be a truly viable, livable and progressive city where one could make a decent living and have "big city" services.

Remember, it has taken 5 years of court battles to get a gas station to open in some areas here. The "ranch at prescott" residents (aka - retirees and millionaires) sued to stop a mall from opening. They took it to the AZ State Supreme Court. That is what happens when people have too much time and money on their hands.

The best way to describe Prescott is it is trying to be a Beverly Hills - CA, Mayberry, and a Sun City, AZ.
That is Prescott.

[Gretchen B]

Pettrix - sorry things didn't work out for you in Prescott/PV. Not to give away any trade secrets, but what part of the country has your research led you to? I know Omaha is a place with low cost of living compared to the wage scale. Is the area you found a metro area (1m +) or something in the neighborhood of 250k to 500k pop.?

[LBear]

Originally Posted by Gretchen B

Pettrix - sorry things didn't work out for you in Prescott/PV. Not to give away any trade secrets, but what part of the country has your research led you to? I know Omaha is a place with low cost of living compared to the wage scale. Is the area you found a metro area (1m +) or something in the neighborhood of 250k to 500k pop.?

Thank you. Well, if I give away the "secret", then it won't be a secret anymore. Not only that, but once people know about it, then only more and more people will come and change the area. Sort of like Prescott. When AZ Highway magazine let out the news about Prescott, the area took off like gangbusters, thereby driving the property values sky-high. Hmmm.... Wait a minute, that would work in MY FAVOR, as my home would go up in value!
The city near the town I am moving to has over 1million+.

For comparison:
Prescott Valley housing -
1900 sq. ft homes, 0.30 acres, for $320K in PRESCOTT VALLEY (remember this same home in Prescott would be $600k+), it is OVERPRICED.

The area I am looking now, I can get a 2,400 sq.ft. home, a 3 car attached garage, a 2 1/2 car detached garage, on 1+ acre, with a 1,000 sq.ft walk-out basement, BRAND NEW build with VERY NICE upgrades, for $310K. I am only 30 minutes from a REAL CITY with a REAL AIRPORT. Now for the KICKER, the city jobs pay TRIPLE what I make here. More money for me, housing is less, cost of living is less, THAT IS A GREAT EQUATION.

Unlike Prescott & PV where everything is opposite and it makes life very hard or next to impossible!!

[Gretchen B]

Pettrix, best wishes on your upcoming relo! You did your homework, and it looks like you're going to reap the rewards.

Hopefully, someday you'll be able to look back at the time you spent in the Prescott area and find a few good memories.

[Jim P]

TN gal, I agree with you! We moved out here from MA in 2004, and we LOVE it out here! Sometimes, people who knock Prescott Valley don't know what they lost until they move away. The space, the weather, the nearness to all sorts of great things. One thing I agree with, is that when you expect too much from the people of this city, you may be disappointed. Yes in certain areas, drugs are a problem. But, you have to be smart, and avoid the built up neighborhoods. We were lucky enough to get the cheapest home in Prescott Ridge. Heaven! Secluded, quiet, safe, incredible views. If you can afford a decent sized lot (5 or more acres), you could be very happy here.