Any regrets? (Tucson, Kingman: sale, leasing, car registration)

[retiredtxn]

Originally Posted by themudpuppy

I regret that I didn't move to Arizona a long time ago. I love it here. That said, I do regret the county I moved to. If I could turn the clock back a year and a half I'd pick a different county.

Yikes! Can you be a bit more specific?? What county? Since we're planning a relocation within the next year, I don't want to be surprised by the same mistake

[jimj]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Actually we are leaning towards getting an Airstream and permanently hitting the road. Florida, the Gulf Coast, southern California in the winters. Higher elevations, Napa Valley, New England in the summers.

Not to go too far OT, we did that and I can almost guaranty that an Airstream will become too small very,very fast (like the minute you load up to leave).
I'd love to go full time again but the wife isn't so inclined right now.

Back to the OP, regrets? Ummm, don't love it here but it'll work for the time we need to remain (in state tuition for kid). The only regret I've got is I didn't buy more homes when I could (at the bottom of the crash) or that I didn't buy a home on more land.

[GraceKrispy]

I lived in ShowLow/Lakeside area for about 3 1/2 years. I loved the scenery and the weather. The location was great for traveling to places I wanted to visit (including my inlaws, who lived a few hours away in New Mexico). I wasn't very happy there, socially, however. It might because I had lived so many other places before that, or because I was staying home with my kids for much of that time and found it difficult to meet other parents who had a similar world view. I just found making good friendships difficult there, and the good friends I did make were also transplants, for the most part.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by jimj

Not to go too far OT, we did that and I can almost guaranty that an Airstream will become too small very,very fast (like the minute you load up to leave). I'd love to go full time again but the wife isn't so inclined right now.

Back to the OP, regrets? Ummm, don't love it here but it'll work for the time we need to remain (in state tuition for kid). The only regret I've got is I didn't buy more homes when I could (at the bottom of the crash) or that I didn't buy a home on more land.

Size is relative to space. Given the postage stamp size lots that most houses are built on in the Valley - I am willing to part with any "stuff" for wide-open spaces and no neighbors/HOA.

My husband shares your wife's trepidation about going roadie full-time...want to trade?

[themudpuppy]

Originally Posted by retiredtxn

Yikes! Can you be a bit more specific?? What county? Since we're planning a relocation within the next year, I don't want to be surprised by the same mistake

Santa Cruz County. Some people love it, others hate it. I love the beauty here. It's the other stuff I don't like.

Just for starters, there don't appear to be any laws here, or at least very few that are enforced. Zoning regulations are just about non-existant. It's a hotbed for con artists. Anything goes here. Some people might like the "anything goes" attitude, but those of us who have watched our preveriously wonderful neighborhood get taken over by bad people aren't too fond of that attitude right now. My good neighbors and my experiences with the cops here is that if it isn't related to illegals or drugs, it's allowed. Vandalism, harrassment, noise, whatever, the cops tell us there's nothing they can do because there's no law against it in our county.

[teddyearp]

Originally Posted by ElizaTeal

In 1996 came out to AZ from NY for a one week vacation in Sedona, and never returned home.

Hehe, this is cool because I did the same thing in 1996 from California. I traveled all about the state and for me at least, Arizona was much more opportunist for me than where I lived in Cali at the time. Not only that, but I found and met many good folks on my varied travels. I did have to go back to straighten out a few things, but move here in 1997 (to be continued):

Originally Posted by gkrispy

I lived in ShowLow/Lakeside area for about 3 1/2 years. I loved the scenery and the weather. The location was great for traveling to places I wanted to visit (including my inlaws, who lived a few hours away in New Mexico). I wasn't very happy there, socially, however. It might because I had lived so many other places before that, or because I was staying home with my kids for much of that time and found it difficult to meet other parents who had a similar world view. I just found making good friendships difficult there, and the good friends I did make were also transplants, for the most part.

And that (^) is where I moved in October 1997. I did just fine, but at first I found the same type of things socially. But (at least back then) the test on 'the mountain' was if you stayed through at least one winter you were on your way. I lived there until 2004 when circumstances (or fate, or whatever) had me move to Washington. However, during that time I fit right in. I made myself an Arizonan because as I learned more about the views, not only were some of them already mine, I made the rest of them mine as well. I left my 'old' self back in Cali. I made lots of friends that I still have to this day. And when it came down to my leaving many were bummed.

But that experience, as observer pointed out, will vary vastly from person to person.

Did I regret moving there? A resounding NO! I am just waiting for circumstances, fate, providence, or God to allow me to move back.

[actinic]

Strong correlation between age and answer? What's everyone's age?

[HTY483]

Mid thirties. Hope to be out of here by 40 at the latest.

[bigbuglf]

No regrets moving here. We moved to PHX in 1993 from the Detroit area. We now live in Central AZ (Mayer area) and I commute to PHX for work. Lately we have been getting what we call "desert fatigue" and missing green, trees and rain. But, there is much I love about AZ and I would not move back to MI (even though I miss my family). We have been considering moving somewhere else out west, like WA or OR, but those areas have their own drawbacks. I also don't want to make the "grass is greener" mistake. Of course the grass *would* be greener, but still...

[teddyearp]

Originally Posted by actinic

Strong correlation between age and answer? What's everyone's age?

I moved there when I was 36.

Originally Posted by bigbuglf

No regrets moving here. We moved to PHX in 1993 from the Detroit area. We now live in Central AZ (Mayer area) and I commute to PHX for work. Lately we have been getting what we call "desert fatigue" and missing green, trees and rain. But, there is much I love about AZ and I would not move back to MI (even though I miss my family). We have been considering moving somewhere else out west, like WA or OR, but those areas have their own drawbacks. I also don't want to make the "grass is greener" mistake. Of course the grass *would* be greener, but still...

Just go to the mountains for a weekend or two, there's plenty of green in AZ.