Cheap housing possibility in Jerome? (Phoenix, Tucson: cliquey, apartment, to rent)

[RobertSofia]

Hi,

I am disabled and receive only $720.00 a month to live. I have an 8 year old daughter. We would perhaps like to move to the Jerome area, as high an altitude as possible. Would there be any possible way to find an old fixer upper house or trailer, or a small lot with utilities to put a small trailer on that I could rent for 200$ a month or less? I have tools and can do household repair if it is not too big a job. Many a time in my life I have rented fixer upper homes cheap in exchange for working on the place. The owners were always happy and it worked out well for both of us. I have lots of good references.

Any and all ideas and suggestions are welcome. We really like the altitude of Jerome, plus it's charm, and need to be fairly close to Phoenix for my daughter's health care. The 1.5 hours to Phoenix from Jerome is possible for us. Flagstaff is nice, but way too expensive. We like small towns, and want to get out of the heat.

Thanks for any answers,
Robert

[chaparrito]

Not going to be easy. Jerome proper will not let you put a trailer anywhere AFAIK, and my sense is that rents are high in Jerome. There is a tight-knit cabal of town permit czars who pretty much control who gets to do what.
One gal I worked with looked long and hard and waited several months to get a 4th floor walkup apt. at 950/mo. plus utilities. Rent in exchange for rehab work might be a possibility. But you'd need an effective way to advertise yourself to prospective property owners. Craigslist? Advertise in the Verde Independent?
Hopefully others will chime in. Good luck!

[RobertSofia]

Thanks! I know some of the small towns can be "cliquey" and it's hard to get in unless you are already there, but I have my fingers crossed. Thanks for the answer, and I have my fingers crossed...

Ouch! 950 a month for a fourth floor walk up apartment, plus utilities? Obviously I am disabled not only in abilities but in cash income, but sometimes I wonder where people get the money for the rent they charge these days!? Unfortunately, everyone from Tucson and Phoenix want to get out of the heat, and that makes all the little mountain towns premium property. I've dealt with that for many years in Prescott, Williams/Flagstaff, Payson, etc. I was told by a forest ranger once that there are people that were born and raised in Payson living out in the forest in camp trailers because they can't afford to rent a home in their own home town. He said they try to kind of "look the other way" when that happens. I was hoping Jerome might be a bit different.

Robert

[Steve Pickering]

Flag is a better bet. If you can't afford Flag, you may have a real problem. Jerome is not what you are looking for.

[Hawk J]

Howdy RobertSofia

Perhaps you might like to advertise in Craigslist, other local paper, bulletin board, post office, general store, that you can be a caretaker on someones property. That you can do repairs, etc.

Best of luck to you...

[magnum0417]

Jerome is built on the side of Mingus Mt making handicapped folks very inconvenienced. It is a 6% grade pretty much through town going through on Rte 89A. It's a party town for tourists and home to artists and liberals. Why not consider Prescott Valley which is also at 5000 feet elevation and far safer for those with physical disabilities to get out and about ?

[jamies]

^^ Agreed. Jerome for me is fun to visit, for like a hour. But living there takes a certain personality, big lungs and a hearty hiking capability. There is no flat spot in the whole town I don't think, unless it was carved out of the mountain. Have you considered Cottonwood, that's 15 minutes away, cheaper and more convenient, with more potential to finding someone who would swap rent.

[adventuregurl]

Jerome is NOT cheap - have you tried Camp Verde, Lake Montezuma etc., not quite as high altitude wise but what you're aksing for might be more doable there - espeically the trailer part.