Maybe moving to Cornville (Flagstaff, Prescott: HOA, houses, neighborhood)

[oobie33]

Can anyone out there tell me how they like Cornville? Specifically the Verde Santa Fe developments?

I am very worried about moving from southern California. We are very tired of the desert, and I'm afraid Cornville is more of a desert than it looks. It seemed green all around, but the development was landscaped as if it were a desert, so I am confused.

Does it drive you crazy to have to drive half an hour for everything? Are there a lot of barking dogs? Are there any noise restrictions? Can I bring my lime and grapefruit trees? Or my jacaranda tree? Or magnolia?

What else should I know??

Thanks!

[rational1]

Verde Santa Fe is a relatively cheap way to live near Sedona. A couple years ago there were a lot of well-priced houses available, courtesy of the housing crash. Lower elevation than Sedona and especially Flagstaff, so appreciably hotter.

Verde Santa Fe is I think on the fringe of Cornville and actually close to Cottonwood. There is a fair amount of moderate-priced shopping in Cottonwood.

This is DRY country apart from the monsoon season. A river runs (all year round) through Cornville and Cottonwood so parts are green much of the year (until the cottonwood leaves drop in the fall).

You live in southern CA and you don't like to drive??

[curly5759]

VSF is only about 5 minutes from Cottonwood and its shopping. VSF was wise to landscape with low water use plants because the entire Verde Valley, Prescott and surrounding areas are running short of water due to excessive groundwater use.
Can't answer your question on the dogs and noise, but I doubt your citrus trees would make it. It does get cold enough to freeze here, that would probably kill the citrus.


Curly

[chaparrito]

VSF is Cornville only because it lies in the same zip code. If you are looking for a community with repressive HOA rules and regs, VSF will be your cuppa tea. There are no sounds allowed. Even the birds aren't allowed to chirp too loudly in the morning. Children are to be seen and not heard, and being seen is frowned upon. A drive thru the neighborhood will indicate no evidence of life. Sterile, tidy and quiet. Like a cemetery sort of, only with fewer flowers.

Cornville on the other hand is a diverse community. A mixed up happy bunch of retirees, working folks, hippies, bikers, artists, cowboys and indians who all know each others' business and mind their own. Our roosters crow, our donkeys bray, our dogs bark at the coyotes that yip and howl all night here in the DESERT.

[oobie33]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It's so hard to know what a community is like before actually living in it.
Rational1: I don't have to drive more than 3 minutes to get food. I used to live in the woods and it was a half hour to anything which was very annoying when you run out of milk.

Curly5759: I was rather suspicious of the plantings. I hate desert! It is so freakin brown here I could scream. I spent my first 50 years in the Hudson River Valley of NY and to me the terrain should be GREEN.

Chaparrito: Thanks for that info. Sounds very depressing! I do like quiet. Do you live there??

[oobie33]

By the way, I though Verde Valley would mean GREEN Valley! Doesn't sound like it, however. :--(

[curly5759]

Originally Posted by oobie33

By the way, I though Verde Valley would mean GREEN Valley! Doesn't sound like it, however. :--(

It is quite green here, especially after the monsoon rains. The entire area is mostly high desert scrub, not really trees until you get to higher elevations. Lots of plant life, just not like you are used to in NY. (Transplanted New Yorker myself).
There are great views through out the valley and if you want, you can in the pines in about 30 min or less, depending on where you are. The wife and I just did a picnic supper up on Mingus mtn. ~6500 feet or so, with great views from the top.
Attached is a view of Cottonwood from Mingus mtn. Verde Santa Fe is just out of the frame on the right side, Sedona's red rocks at the top of the picture. Definitely not a desert.

Curly

[chaparrito]

Originally Posted by oobie33

Thanks everyone for your responses! It's so hard to know what a community is like before actually living in it.
Rational1: I don't have to drive more than 3 minutes to get food. I used to live in the woods and it was a half hour to anything which was very annoying when you run out of milk.

Curly5759: I was rather suspicious of the plantings. I hate desert! It is so freakin brown here I could scream. I spent my first 50 years in the Hudson River Valley of NY and to me the terrain should be GREEN.

Chaparrito: Thanks for that info. Sounds very depressing! I do like quiet. Do you live there??

I live on a ranch on the edge of Cornville. My family has ranched here for >100 years. While it's probably greener here right now than the desert you're used to, it's still very much desert and we are only recently (weeks) somewhat relieved from an ongoing drought. If the Hudson River Valley is your definition of green, you're probably not going to like it.