On My Short List (Tucson, Marana: crime, appliances, homes)

[sutyotsuk]

The VA in Phoenix has a pretty good reputation. I live near it. It's death heat here for two months, and just plain hot for four more, though.

[Jenmar1024]

In regards to "critters" here in Tucson...it's a complete hit or miss senario. When I lived on the NW side of Tucson in the Continental Ranch area we use to get on average at least 1 scorpion in our house a month, but our neighbor 4 houses down maybe got 1 a year but had problems with grasshoppers and did find a rattlesnake or two over a few year period wereas we never saw one. Here in Corona, we have seen 1 scorpion in the year and half we've been here, no snakes either but a neighbor across the street had a good size one in thier backyard. We do have spiders but mostly just daddylonglegs.

My Grandma lived in the Ruthrauf/ LaCholla area for 15 years and never seen anything except a spider or 2.

There are things you can do to protect your home from such invaders such as: put mesh/netting inside the vent covers to keep them from "dropping" in univited. Get a large dog for the yard, snakes don't particularly want to go near a home where they sense a large predetor. Lastly get a good a good pestiside, we spray with CyperWP (we buy it on the internet and it lasts us about 3 years per can) about twice a year.

As others have mentioned "critters" are everywhere no matter where you live, just be smart and you'll be fine.

On another note: My family (Mom, Grandma, Aunts & Uncles and cousins; about 16 in all moved here 20 years ago from Buffalo...6 have moved back to B-Lo in the last couple of years.

[Windwalker2]

Originally Posted by madnomad

I AM a bit concerned about the water situation; namely, is it dependable, protected and well-planned for the future? Will the very low humidity be rough on my wife's already pretty dry skin? How about critters like those Recluse spiders and black widows we hear so much about, those scorpions and rattlers? And i don't know if i could outrun a swarm of angry "killer bees" if i was rolling along in my wheelchair one day minding my own business! How about those issues?

Any comments for better or worse would be most appreciated...thanks and thanks for your service, Musketeer!

As I get older the dryness has become more and more of a problem for my skin. I may leave to get more humidity, and less heat.
Water supply could become a problem in the future. It may depend on how old you are, whether it's a problem for you in particular.
I never saw anything but black widows in town. In rural areas you see all the other things. Kissing bugs are some of my least favorite bugs since they take so much blood and can cause serious allergic reactions. Some neighborhoods have them, some don't. You can ask your realtor for guidance about all of these critters.

[sutyotsuk]

I had a snake about 7 feet long in my Rio Rico property. Those are the "good" snakes.

[madnomad]

Thanks out to Musketeer 3-2 and Bummer for taking the time and care to respond to my concerns on relocating. I'm glad to have my wife along with me and i need to respect her issues as much as my own -- it works well for both of us that way! Travel is a difficulty for me, but we won't pull up stakes here until we make at least one first-hand recon of the area along with doing all the research possible. That comes under the "common sense" heading for me and i truly appreciate the info you and others have posted on this board...i figure on doing the same once we end up wherever we're going! Now...is anyone interested in shuffling off to Buffalo??? Adios for now and best wishes.

[coatimundi]

I end up in Buffalo once every two years or so. Always really liked the city, particularly its architecture and its unique culture. But I've never been in the winter, so maybe that would route me right. There's a big Buffalo population in Tucson, for whatever reason. There was even a Buffalo-themed restaurant in Oro Valley for a couple of years. They had beef on weck and Gene Cream on tap.

I don't think the dryness is any worse than the dryness you get in the winters in the north. Lotions and moisturizers.

If you live out in the sticks, then you deal with bugs, snakes, coyotes, etc. One big difference is that you can't leave a small dog or cat outside. It just won't survive. Javelina, coyotes, bobcats, hawks... There's just so much stuff that will eat them. That goes for city or rural areas. The coyotes travel the washes to get into the city, so they're everywhere. But they really avoid people. Javelina are particularly bad on the fringes of the city. They eat your garbage and they smell like death. They're also really aggressive when they have young and if there's a dog around (dogs go crazy). I was always much more concerned with javelina than any of the usual suspects of pests, like scorpions, rattlesnakes, gila monsters, and all the other ones outsiders tend to really worry about. Scorpions, you may encounter. My whole time in Tucson, I never had any in my house, but had plenty of friends who'd get them, and my wife found one in her office one day. But I always lived in the city. You just deal with it.

The water supply is roughly 70% Colorado River water, by way of a large canal (Central Arizona Project - CAP) that first hits Phoenix and ends around Green Valley. To call the water "hard" is a little of an understatement. You have to filter it to drink it. We had a water heater in a place we rented that started leaking. Turns out roughly 30% of the bottom was a solid calcium deposit. Trying to lift that thing... You may want to look at a house filter too, if there's the issue of dry skin. My pseudo-apocalyptic water theory is that Phoenix will eventually have to rethink its water policies when things get tight. There's so much waste up there, and the water in the CAP is allocated to different agencies, just as the Colorado River is divied out. Tucson has its share and I think we're pretty secure.

That brings up another Tucson culture thing: grass; it's looked down upon. You won't see much of it in Tucson and that's because people are all about conservation and living with the desert instead of trying to fight it. Keeping grass is extremely expensive because water rates are on a curve. If you like grass and absolutely have to have it in your yard, then you may want to think about Phoenix.

[madnomad]

Hey Coatimundi...wow, thanks for all that information on my wide range of questions. I'm the one with water concerns and my wife's the one who has no love for insects, arachnids, reptiles and other "creepy crawlies." The concern over potential lack or even scarcity of water was driven into me by my father, a WWII POW who was deprived of water to the point of near death, so i'm a huge believer in conservation, Thanks to you and others who have so kindly responded here. Tucson keeps looking and sounding better to me! Happy trails to you.

[madnomad]

Hi Windwalker...i really appreciate the apparent honesty coming from all of you who've taken the time to respond to my/my wife's concerns. I realize there's no perfect place on earth to live, but now that my kids are grown Buffalo is plummeting on my "long list." I'm looking forward pretty much to my last hurrah geographically and i put more trust into plain old residents' attitudes and info on details where they live than a realtor who's GOT to have the profit motive in mind when advising a "newbie" to the area like us, you know? I never heard of kissing bugs -- sound like cupids with bad attitudes! Thanks for your help.

[Musketeer3-2]

Follow Up Question: are any of you familiar with Tucson Rental Homes? Specifically their communities Cortaro Farms Casitas in NW Tucson, or Sabino Canyon in NE Tucson? The pictures and prices seem agreeable, but we all know how that is. Heard anything good? Anything bad? Know any satisfied tenants there? Or perhaps you know of an area where I can get a 2 bedroom, 1 (or 2) bath place with a garage (preferably with electricity) for around $900/month. All feedback is appreciated-thanks!

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Musketeer3-2

Follow Up Question: are any of you familiar with Tucson Rental Homes? Specifically their communities Cortaro Farms Casitas in NW Tucson, or Sabino Canyon in NE Tucson? The pictures and prices seem agreeable, but we all know how that is. Heard anything good? Anything bad? Know any satisfied tenants there? Or perhaps you know of an area where I can get a 2 bedroom, 1 (or 2) bath place with a garage (preferably with electricity) for around $900/month. All feedback is appreciated-thanks!

Not familiar with the two properties you've mentioned, Musketeer, however . . . my first question would be, "Do you want suburbia or in-town?"

The 2 or 3 Bedroom / 2 Bath Patio Homes (1200 to 1400 Sq Feet) with a full 2 Car Garage in the complex where I own are very convenient to the Tucson Mall and just about everything else usually rent in the $800 range. I personally prefer the convenience and the "private home" feeling where I'm able to walk or bike to lots of shopping, eating and entertainment over the big apartment complex style of living.

I sure hope this information helps a little.