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Old 10-03-2017, 12:46 PM
 
Location: Cape Elizabeth, ME
34 posts, read 55,460 times
Reputation: 18

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Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are 38 and 39 y.o. respectively. We both work from home so can live anywhere. We currently live in Portland, ME which we love but only for the warmer 6 months of year. We spent last winter in Jupiter, FL for 3 months and toured around Florida. There are aspects we liked but we didn't love it there overall. We also spent 2 months in Santa Barbara, CA and really liked it. However, it is pretty crowded there (I know, not by CA standards, but we are from a small city in ME). It is the most beautiful town we have ever been too but given it's crowded nature, and the astronomical cost of living, we don't think at this point in our lives we would return. Finally we spent a month in Santa Fe, NM with a friend and really liked it - small town, easy to get around, not overcrowded, tons of outdoor activities, good climate. We would consider living there but the winter will still be too cold for my wife who suffers from Raynaud's disease, which pretty much means she gets frostbite at the winter temperatures seen in Santa Fe, and certainly Maine, along with other colder climates around the country. The weather is one of the drivers of us being very interested in Tucson.

A little bit about us...
Vegan.
We love the sun :-)
We are pretty old souls. We don't do bars/shopping/restaurants, just maybe a vegan restaurant every now and then so that stuff isn't really important.
Life coaches/nutritionists and real estate investors. (work from home)
Have 2 kids (both have four legs - 2 rescue dogs!)
Both have masters degrees
Enjoy everything outdoors - running, cycling, swimming, rollerblading, yoga, hiking, walking the dogs, just sitting in the sun (something that is tough sometimes in Maine.)
Enjoy having a gym to go to.
Library would be nice to visit as well.
Enjoy peace and quiet - we aren't city people but we aren't country people if that makes sense. Generally I'd say we like to be somewhat near a city but maybe just on the outskirts - foothills areas perhaps? We love big towns or very small cities. (like Portland, or Santa Fe)
We are both very social so it would be nice to connect with folks with shared values - meetup.com for example.

Can you local folks give us any advice on if you think it would be worth it for us to try out Tucson. It's obviously a long drive and we'd appreciate any guidance. From all my research going through posts, etc. It seems as though areas north, northwest, and northeast of the city could suit us best. We received a couple of responses form our craigslist housing wanted ad post. One is for 2400 river road condos and one is for a small house in Sabino Springs. Both are north/northeast of the city seemingly in the foothills. Any take on those areas. The google map of the condos looks in a busy area and you have all the drawbacks of living in a transient condo building. The house seems in a great area but we are still waiting to hear how much it will be.

So just a few additional questions...

What do you think of the two areas listed above?
Are there other areas we should be considering based on what I've told you about us above?
Does anyone know the best way (other than looking at craigslist/airbnb) to secure housing for folks like us?
In your opinion as a local, should we even consider Tucson based on our lifestyle and value system.
What is the reality of temperatures during the winter months? It seems from what I can find that it's 50's/60's and occasional 70's during the day and sometimes 30's, mostly 40's at night. Is that a fair representation?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post. Any feedback/advice from the wonderful locals is greatly appreciated. Have a great day
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Old 10-03-2017, 01:30 PM
 
Location: Green Valley, AZ
1,390 posts, read 1,865,754 times
Reputation: 2588
I do not live in Tucson proper, I live about 20 miles south in Green Valley which is more of a retirement community, but bordering Green Valley to the north is Sahuarita which has a much younger average age and lots of people with kids. Lots of military and Border Patrol folks live in Sahuarita, but there is a good mix of people and ages. There is lots of sun here, that is the reason I moved here. In the winter it can get in to the 20's at night, but as soon as the sun comes up, even 30 to 40 degrees feels pretty good as long as the wind is not blowing too hard. As far as your values and lifestyle, I don't think you would have any problem in the Tucson area. There are people of all kinds from all over the country here. Here are a couple of links to check out Sahuarita in terms of what it has to offer and housing. Sahuarita is one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona, so more new stores opening and people moving in all the time. Lots of hikers and bikers out all the time. Lots of points of interests to visit such as the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, the 200+ years old San Xavier del Bac Mission between Sahuarita and Tucson, Tumacacori Mission just 25 minutes south of Sahuarita, Tubac, AZ about 20 miles south that is an Artisan community and has a lot of galleries as well as many stores selling Mexican art and furniture, you really need to go see it. We also have the awesome Santa Rita mountains. Lots of great hiking up there and a destination for hard core bikers.


Anyhow, all the best in your search. I think a few days drive would be well worth the benefits of being here for several months!


Sahuarita, AZ - Official Website
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/...arita/rentals/
http://www.tubacarizona.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumac%...istorical_Park
https://santaritalodge.com/
Home


and you can check out my youtube channel which features over 250 videos mainly of animals and events in Green Valley, but some videos of other areas including Tucson:


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8U...rCyA5zw/videos
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Old 10-03-2017, 01:51 PM
 
406 posts, read 625,006 times
Reputation: 289
Based on all the cities you visited recently, you seem like a couple that is adaptable to many things, so I don't think you would get to Tucson and hate it. There is no reason to not try it as some research must have led you to believe it was a viable option.

If given the choice between a small house in Sabino Springs and a condo on River and Campbell, Sabino might be the better option as it will presumably be quieter without the hassle of a transient condo culture. Do you have large dogs? That might be a little bit of an issue when finding a place to rent, but you should find most landlords to be pet friendly.

The temperatures you described are a reality for December and January. You stated a 4-6 month time window. Going with the lengthier span would take you into March and perhaps April where 80s and the occasional 90s can be expected.

Tucson will be rich in sunshine and outdoor activities. It is a big enough city to be able to easily find a gym and library to your liking.
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Old 10-03-2017, 01:53 PM
 
Location: Redwood City, CA
15,253 posts, read 12,987,524 times
Reputation: 54051
OP, I was pretty impressed that your dogs had masters degrees. Getting those had to be ruff.
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Old 10-03-2017, 02:00 PM
 
Location: Green Valley, AZ
1,390 posts, read 1,865,754 times
Reputation: 2588
Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat View Post
OP, I was pretty impressed that your dogs had masters degrees. Getting those had to be ruff.

Ba dump dump! (good one!)
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Old 10-03-2017, 06:39 PM
 
723 posts, read 998,651 times
Reputation: 1019
We have a condo off of Sunrise up Kolb Road in Ventana Canyon. We love it there. There are a lot of snowbirds in our neighborhood so you would fit right in. It is quiet but easy to get to shopping and eating. By the way we came close to retiring in Portland Maine but then we found Tucson!
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Old 10-03-2017, 08:17 PM
509
 
6,321 posts, read 7,059,136 times
Reputation: 9455
bisbee.
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Old 10-03-2017, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Cape Cod/Green Valley AZ
1,111 posts, read 2,801,815 times
Reputation: 3144
Dear Rescue:

Wife and I live on Cape Cod June~Oct, Green Valley (south of Tucson) remainder of year. Retired. We first looked up and down the East coast, including Florida. Nuttin. Then we tried New Mexico. Ehh. Finally found Green Valley. Now own a home here.

We like Tucson. Nice size little city. Nice outlying places to live. You're only real option in order to see if you like the place is to come on out and jump in. You'll soon see if it's a good fit.

Not really familiar with the two spots in Tucson you mentioned, so no help there.

Best of luck,

Rich
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Old 10-05-2017, 01:33 AM
 
2,173 posts, read 4,414,005 times
Reputation: 3548
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichCapeCod View Post
Dear Rescue:

Wife and I live on Cape Cod June~Oct, Green Valley (south of Tucson) remainder of year. Retired. We first looked up and down the East coast, including Florida. Nuttin. Then we tried New Mexico. Ehh. Finally found Green Valley. Now own a home here.

We like Tucson. Nice size little city. Nice outlying places to live. You're only real option in order to see if you like the place is to come on out and jump in. You'll soon see if it's a good fit.

Not really familiar with the two spots in Tucson you mentioned, so no help there.

Best of luck,

Rich
Do you keep a car and house in both places? Or drive back and forth every year? If you drove seems like would be a really long drive putting a lot of mileage and wear and tear on car annually. Do you own single family house or condos both places? How have you found securing those when gone? Just asking a lot of questions, because I have thought doing a New England/Arizona snow bird.
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Old 10-05-2017, 11:52 AM
 
Location: Cape Elizabeth, ME
34 posts, read 55,460 times
Reputation: 18
Thanks for all the replies so far! You all are so kind to chime in. Loved the comment about our dogs having masters degrees. That is hilarious :-) At the end of the day we know it always comes down to giving it a try. We're just very thankful for this site and the folks on it to gather feedback and advice.

Rich, that is funny about Cape Cod. We lived in Sandwich as well as Osterville and grew up in coming to Osterville in the summers. I'm originally from Boston.

Azmemories, yes we have a 70 pound rescue boxer and a 35 pound boxer/boston terrier mix. We are well aware how hard it is to find good housing anywhere when you have dogs. It's a shame but it is what it is. It is good to hear that there are some pet friendly folks out there in Tucson. Thanks for the advice on temps during a lengthier stay.

bkolodzi, thanks for the advice and all the links that you provided. I'll check em out for sure!

RobertaWa, I'm curious as to why you decided against Portland, ME for retirement. Is it because the winters are so harsh. it is definitely a wonderful place to live and great quality of life for a little over half the year.

Would love to hear some other perspectives if anyone else is out there. Thanks again!
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