Sierra Vista Economy/questions (Yuma, Prescott: RV parks, real estate, houses)

[Dangerous Dave]

So, I put in for a position at Ft. Huachuca. I was going through some of the real estate websites, and it seems like prices are much lower than when I last checked (easily 7-8 years ago), and the houses have been on the market for a long time (most around 60 days)

I know that the gradual reduction of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is likely a huge part of the explanation. Part of me wonders if I'll even get an interview if there are a lot of people in the area who are currently qualified for it but underemployed elsewhere. SV always seemed like a nice place to me because of the comparably mild summers, the local scenery, and the area history. I've visited Cochise County several times over the years, but only a few times stayed in SV. I always got the feeling it's a military town with a lot of retired military folks joined by even more retirees in the winter time.

Am I close? If not, any insight?

[gemstone1]

" joined by even more retirees in the winter time"... During our many seasons in AZ, including two winters in SV, we never saw a large influx of snowbirds...it's just not a destination for RV'ers....the closest RV parks at that time were in Tombstone and Benson.

Regards
Gemstone1

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

" joined by even more retirees in the winter time"... During our many seasons in AZ, including two winters in SV, we never saw a large influx of snowbirds...it's just not a destination for RV'ers....the closest RV parks at that time were in Tombstone and Benson.

Regards
Gemstone1

Gotcha. I have seen, in places like Palm Springs, where the retirees don't so much show up in RV's but to spend the winter in their second homes. I spent ten years in Yuma, and while many showed up in October in their RV's, many of them also had site built homes on the golf course, or fairly immobile park models. The first house I owned in Yuma was a twin home, and our neighbors were from Michigan and only spent about five months a year there.

[Salpointe59]

I'm retired military and a retired teacher. Yes SV is sort of a classic M retirement community. Virtually all of my buddies who retired from the Service did go into Government Civilian jobs. I think that it is easier to get a proper clearance because there is a easy to follow career in the military.
The U of A South is full of recently retired military if for no other reason that we can study using the remainder of our G I Bills. Personally I finished a Masters Degree and then asked for an extension of it to finish a second Masters free.
If you decide to settle here why don't you bring someone rich and reopen the Mesquite Tree Restaurant.

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by Salpointe59

If you decide to settle here why don't you bring someone rich and reopen the Mesquite Tree Restaurant.

I'd shove an icepick under my toenail than get into the restaurant biz! Personally I think when everyone was crying about torture during the Bush era in the WOT, all I could think was "well, at least they're not making them operate a restaurant."


All joking aside, I did see quite a few nice places that were 2-bedroom houses. You don't see those often outside of a town with a large retiree population. I'm nearly fifteen years from retiring but I've always had Cochise County in the back of my mind as a place to have at least a seasonal place, if not year round.

[Deelighted]

I have to disagree a bit with gemstone about the RV'ers. Quail Creek RV park in Whetstone was often filled to capacity this past winter. I've made friends with several people who snowbird there every year. The roads in SV had heavier traffic this past winter too.

Sorry I don't know much about the fort, other than there's a new commander.

[keninaz]

Ah yes, the Mesquite Tree Restaurant. I lived just about a mile away from there on the other side of the highway until 2008 when I relocated to Prescott. Ate there many times, too bad it closed. If I remember right a fire got to it right after I left.

[Dangerous Dave]

While we're on the subject of restaurants, what's a good legit Mexican place in SV? I'm talking about somewhere that has the escabache (carrots and jalapenos), adobada and carne asada. Probably going to be driving through regardless of the job possibility in a couple months.