A BIG move from MI to Yuma, AZ??? Please Help!!! (earthquake, area)

[MAB]

Originally Posted by Yumazona

Zilk3... If you are still looking for input on Yuma let me know. I moved from Westland, Michigan in the 80's. I am very pro on Az and Yuma. I happen to be one of those who loves the heat. I would be glad to provide more info for you. I have school age children and am very familiar with the schools. I have found there are three types of people in Yuma... 1) Those who love it!! 2) Those who hate it. and 3) Those who don't know any better.
Compared with Michigan, housing prices are very reasonable.
Today I paid $2.89 a gallon for gas.

I went to San Diego 2 weeks ago,and paid 3.59 for gas.

[ncnd32a]

I also will be relocating from Baltimore ...kindly let me know how you moving experience goes...

[streetglider08]

I live in Pa and would like to move to AZ some day but am shy about making that move to a area my wife or myself have never been to. Maybe someday in the next 5 years , I don't know?

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by streetglider08

I live in Pa and would like to move to AZ some day but am shy about making that move to a area my wife or myself have never been to. Maybe someday in the next 5 years , I don't know?

Arizona is a big state. You can do better than Yuma. Check Prescott or the northern part of the state.

[kyte15]

i'd rather be a bum in michigan than live in yuma,

[odinloki1]

Originally Posted by zilk3

I have lived in Michigan my entire life - and have never even visited Arizona before. However, the economy in MI is in such a terrible state right now, that work is impossible to find - especially for those in the teaching profession (that would be me). After receiving a job offer in Yuma I started doing some research on the small town. But that's about all I have come up with so far - - is that it's a small town, and can get terribly hot in the summer months.

If ANYONE has ANY information on this area of Arizona, my husband and I would greatly appreciate it and any feedback. I am interested in the schools, so anyone with first hand information regarding their experiences with any elementary schools in the area would be great. Some other points that I'd like to find out about Yuma:

Is there any pest control issues (bugs and such)??
Is the housing market great for home buyers at this time/is there many apartment options out there?
Is there much for a young family to do in Yuma, or must we drive forever to find something (we have a 3yr. old)?
Is there much work out that way - or do the majority of people drive over 40min to work?

Thanks for any feeback!

I did almost exactly what you are doing only 3 years ago. I am miserable in this dry land of death. It is dull unfriendly and quite possibly the worst couple of years I've ever had to endure (and thats all included with me meeting my fiance who also hates it here)

I honestly can say I know nothing of Yuma other than there is a lot of agriculture. Here in Tucson though people's ideas of outdoor activities is my idea of dehydration and skin cancer. Peoples ideas of trees are my ideas of dying shrubs. Don't forget the fact that this state is just a giant retirement home with the necessary support businesses.

There is also this atmosphere of lots of transplants that just want to hide in their houses all day long and never interact with anyone. No sense of community. I might as well live in a village of hermits.

If you like Michigan, I doubt you'll like it here. at least 6 months of the year are too hot to do anything except in the wee hours of the morning. Michigan I found only December and January to be truly difficult and you know what, its pretty easy to put on a sweater.

Since you're moving though, I wouldn't mind finding a place in MI. Wanna trade?

[AZgarden]

Well, the good thing is Yuma is changing and it seems to be on the way up. We go there twice a year from Phx to cross the border into Algodones Mexico to get prescription drugs. There are ALOT of trailor pks, senior citizens and low cost houses. Its not a pretty area, like Chandler, Gilbert, etc, so I wouldn't want to live there, but if its only for a year, maybe. Phoenix schools are desperate for teachers though. Maybe you could reconsider??

[arizborn]

Welcome! Yuma doesn't have a lot of bugs (except in the lettuce) . I have not been to Michigan but I have been to Minnesota where during the summer the mosquitos were as big as birds .

My sisters' both have 3 year olds and the take them to kindermusik, contact Sharon Hayes at (928)782-9941(you can look up what it is online). They take them to the parks, the river, the sand dunes (on low key weekends), and both can already swim and the little boy is taking horseback riding lessons.
My older nephew is 6 and he is always on the go with golf lessons, or flag football practice, or soccer. They don't seem to run out of things to do and they are absolutley amazing how they adapt to the summer heat.

I am a realtor and the market for a buyer is fantastic. Incentives are being offered in new neighborhoods: Estrella, Terraces, Barkley, and Ocotillo just to mention a few. They are offering anywhere from $10,000 off to new pools and some closing costs. Re-sale is also very good for a buyer. They have some new schools in the foothills area that the parents and kids are really giving good reviews on and the people, if you don't mind a mix, are generally great.

Hope this helps.

[esselcue]

Ohhhh, it gets soooooo hot there! It's right on the Mexican border and I think they have one tree, which they celebrate each year (just kidding). Yuma is DESERT and not a small town at all. I think after the green beauty of Michigan you are going to hate the dusty, hot desert that is Yuma. I could be wrong...but be prepared for 120' in the summer...and yes, it is a dry heat, but so is my kitchen oven.

[odinloki1]

After the continuous drought the area seems to be having I don't think Michigan's employment issues will last more than 4-5 years because people will need to move back because of water requirements. I just read today that its a 50/50 chance that Lake Mead will dry up by 2021. Not a good sign for the area. The lakes levels are already running low so Hoover Dam isn't generating all the electricity it could. I'm getting out first chance I get!