Relocating but uncertain at 71 (Tucson, Oro Valley: for rent, credit, buying a home)

[Serenity1944]

I checked out the Highlands in Oro Valley 3 years ago, you buy the land. There are 2 monthly fees, can't remember what they are called, one might be HOA. Very nice MH park but I would not move there.

I talked with several residents back then and they said they would rather have lived in another park. To take walks around that park you need good legs! That park is all hills. OLD single wides at the top of the hill have the best view, and the recreation building/club house is up there. The mountain seems so close you can almost touch it.

[jksn75]

I say take the risk and get the heck out of ND! The summers here are very hot, but believe me they sure beat the winters up north. You might want to check for housing in Green Valley, which is about 25 min south of Tucson. It is a mostly age restricted town and there are many recreation centers and various senior groups you could join. You will surely make friends there and with your neighbors. There are also a lot of widows/widowers in the area. My parents have retired and they plan to move to Green Valley next year. They are from Iowa and it will be a huge life change for them. They are nervous, but looking forward to it. As far as your worries about medical issues, look up Friends in Deed in Green Valley. They assist seniors with medical appts, etc. Their website explains everything.

[RichCapeCod]

Originally Posted by smilinpretty

Just a suggestion, why don't you look for a furnished snow bird rental during the winter months?.....

I think this is a very prudent suggestion. A winter renting at a location you are interested in will give you far more insight into whether or not it's the right place for you then any number of well intentioned suggestions offered by posters here.

Best of luck,

Rich

[jksn75]

Winter renting would be a great way to figure it out but the OP has stated, "I don't have enough funds to winter in Az and live in ND the rest of the year, plus if you winter some where else, no car, pretty much limited to where you can go."

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by jksn75

Winter renting would be a great way to figure it out but the OP has stated, "I don't have enough funds to winter in Az and live in ND the rest of the year, plus if you winter some where else, no car, pretty much limited to where you can go."

Be prepared to spend large sums of money if you want to rent in the winter...supply vs demand.

[Jimrob1]

I think you need to examine just how close, your relationship with your family actually is. . If you need some help now or in the future, are they there for you when you live near them. You say they won't put much effort into seeing you, if your out here in Arizona. Yet they want you to move way out here alone, at your age with medical issues. I just find it odd that your children would want you out here alone, knowing you have no one here. Your not a kid that can pack up on a whim if things don't work out. You stated yourself you don't have the funds to leave AZ, if things become to much for you here. I just find this strange your kids would be ok with any of this.

With all this said, do what you feel is in your best interest. Make a decision based on your instincts, and what is safe for you at this point in your life. Don't make a decision based on the fact there won't be long cold winters here in Arizona. Sometimes the best choice and decision is to just stay put.

[Marcy1210]

I moved to Tucson after my husband died. I had to choose between staying in the rural mountains of Colorado where we'd lived for almost 40 years, or move to our "snowbird" condo in Tucson. My kids are scattered around the country, none in CO or AZ, but they thought that my staying in CO where our home was on 5 acres, 20 minutes from the nearest town (in good weather) and not near any hospitals or doctors was not the best idea at my age (I was 57 at the time). Plus the maintenance, cleaning and upkeep of a single family home was going to be difficult as I got older. So, we agreed that selling the CO house, downsizing and moving to the condo in Oro Valley would be the better choice.

I knew absolutely no one here, and it was incredibly difficult leaving the family home and my friends and my husband's sister in CO, but in the end, it was the better choice. I'm near shopping, restaurants, doctors and the hospital. I've made some friends and volunteer in the community, but it wasn't easy, as I'm not an outgoing person. Where I am doesn't have a lot of people around my age (it's not age restricted) but there are enough, and being with young families and kids is nice. There are times when I think I might have liked a Sun City type area, but I didn't want the maintenance of a single family home again.

The hardest thing to get used to was the heat and humidity of summer, and the bugs. I also miss being able to sleep with the windows open and the cool night air of summer. 24/7 AC from mid-May to mid-September is difficult. Occasionally, every couple of years we'll get a skiff of snow which is all I need to remind me of home. The rest of the time, the winter temps are in the 50's and 60's with occasional 70's. It's wonderful. I gave away my parka and heavy winter coat, and all I need here is a sweatshirt and sometimes a light jacket in winter. I really love that. If you can take the summer heat for four months, the rest of the year is gorgeous.

Moving is a big leap, and moving to an entirely different environment is an even bigger leap. It would be great if you could rent here for a while before you sell your home, but if you can't, do as much reading and learning about Tucson and the surrounding area before you do make the leap. It's really, really hot in the summer, and after a year or so, you'll acclimate, and everything is air conditioned. The bugs are something that really took me a long time to accept, and I still hate them, but they're part of southern Arizona life. Be very sure before you decide to move here, because it's an entirely different environment from what you're used to. Be sure you can adjust to being alone in a strange place, starting completely from scratch as that's a huge lifestyle change, and will be really difficult to undo if you decide Tucson isn't for you.

[New2Tucson]

Originally Posted by Marcy1210

........The hardest thing to get used to was the heat and humidity of summer, and the bugs. 24/7 AC from mid-May to mid-September is difficult.

It's really, really hot in the summer, and after a year or so, you'll acclimate, and everything is air conditioned. The bugs are something that really took me a long time to accept, and I still hate them, but they're part of southern Arizona life.

I moved from Seattle a couple of years ago. I basically traded heating in the Winter in Seattle for air-conditioning in the Summer here in Tucson. In either place, you are spending months inside out of the elements. I am pretty certain North Dakota winters are a lot worse than Seattle's.

I think the bug problem depends on where you live and how close to undeveloped land you are. Of course it also depends on what you mean by "bugs", roaches, scorpions, ants, spiders, etc. In the two years I have lived in Tucson, I have never had a bug problem inside my home, near River and Craycroft. We do have a nice population of lizards that help with that.

[Marcy1210]

I'm up against the foothills in Oro Valley, and it's surrounded by lots of "au naturel" land. I've had two scorpions in 4 years ~~ one a bark scorpion (the bad kind) ~~ and one a non-venomous scorpion. I've had a bunch of huge cockroaches (sewer roaches), but they come down from my attic. According to my exterminator, when it rains heavily, my attic gets some moisture, and that attracts the roaches. Occasionally a few will find their way out of the attic through the lift-square in my MBR closet ceiling. They're always slow and near death, usually in my closet, but a few have made it into the living room or dining room. Outside, we have tarantulas in the rocks and hills around us, and they do wander near the front steps; we have lizards, bobcats, coyotes, javelina, owls, hawks, and Palo Verde root borer beetles which are HUGE and ugly. And bats.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by New2Tucson

I think the bug problem depends on where you live and how close to undeveloped land you are. Of course it also depends on what you mean by "bugs", roaches, scorpions, ants, spiders, etc. In the two years I have lived in Tucson, I have never had a bug problem inside my home, near River and Craycroft. We do have a nice population of lizards that help with that.

Same here, New2Tucson . . .

I relocated to Tucson (adjacent to a small wash about a block from the Rillito River) from California in the late 90's and one of the first "positives" I noticed . . . NO BUGS.

Sure, occasionally I spot a fly in the house (less than once a month) during the Summer but absolutely nothing compared to Newport Beach, Northern California, the Denver / Colorado Springs Area, Georgia and Florida. Also, a far cry from the "Cat Sized Mosquitos" so common in the Upper Midwest.

As for Lizards . . . I'll gladly welcome a Gaggle of Lizards to one Alligator in the Southeast.