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Outdoors much of the year, as in October to April, yes. Late April to late September, adjust your schedule, and you can be outdoors part of the time depending on the activity. Since late May, I adjusted my bicycle riding schedule to start at 4:15 am and get home around 7 am, 4+ days a week. I have gotten some outdoor activity all summer long on this schedule, and it has been the hottest summer on record. This morning was the first morning since May when the outdoors temperature dropped well below 70F, and it was a relief.
If willing to drive a bit and get creative you can train all year around. Leaving for a big hiking/climbing trip over the weekend and put in a lot of training time over the summer outdoors. For my long runs and hikes I just drove an hour south to the Santa Rita's on the weekends.
thankyou Recycled, We have found that when there we can stay in the shade with a fan or breeze at 100 degrees and be more comfortable than here at 85 in the shade. Here 50 percent humidity is considered moderate if not low, Although not as bad as along the Gulf coast, it can be terrible. I have spent most of my life working outside but find that the older I get, the more the humidity and cold bother me. You get used to the climate you are in or at least accept it humidity is a different issue than heat. Now when we are there and in the sun in the summer, you can feel that sun clear to your bones but when humidity is 85 percent it becomes hard to breath and you stand still in the shade and your clothing is wet with sweat. Like I've always said, I love it here but I will love Arizona and sweat less. LOL. In retirement we can adjust our schedule like you. We appreciate the heads up. We are looking seriously east of Tucson toward Benson but don't know where we will end up. We will be there to welcome NORTY FLATZ, the more screwballs in one area the better.
But while not especially common to southern AZ, they do and will likely continue happening more often largely due to human-induced topical and subsurface activity or other man-made changes. Consequently, this was only a matter of time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqdXAeATAgI
Whether or not Tucson DPW officials duly consulted the state geological survey to evaluate the risks of installing extensive subsurface pipeline url]https://uagis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=98729f76e4644f1093d1c2cd6dabb584[/url] , they should be running extensive subsurface soil composition and cavern depth ceiling tests at a prescribed distance from the parts of pipeline routes crossing major roadways-prior to thorough remediation to minimize re-occurrence.
As explained here, the heavy rains that can often impact the soft limestone, gypsum and/or salt content of AZ and NM subsurface is why encouraging higher density development and population growth, regardless of perceived economic benefits, are unwise, as sinkholes can happen unexpectedly and drop to from a few feet to as much as 2000 deep within minutes. https://www.breyerlaw.com/blog/perso...pen-and-where/https://arizonagroup.com/personal-in...ole-insurance/
Of course, while it’s the home or land buyer’s choice to have their property evaluated for sinkhole risk, it’s the responsibility of local government to minimize serious injury and property losses from sinkhole events on public roads and under all other public structures.In fact, if Tucson and Pima, however recklessly, are insistent on more aggressive development and population growth, the consequent push to mine for more water will further imperil communities with risks of creating large and numerous fissures and sinkholes. https://tucson.com/news/local/arizon...f731fc221.html
I hope that the Tucson and local village governments, civic associations and business leaders impartially evaluate these environmental realities before launching decisions which cannot be reversed.
Last edited by Longislandmire; 09-12-2020 at 12:47 PM..
Our community saddlebrooke is large and is pretty diverse politically. Republican Democratic clubs. A LGBTQ club, Freethinkers club. HOA2 restaurant offers a plant based special weekly. and Prime Rib night for big meat eaters........... Resale homes range from 200,000 to close to a million. Best bet to evaluate what you can get anywhere you are shopping, might be to go toZillow and look at existing listings. That way can see photos and descriptions. Here is one about center of area to get you in right area 64186 E Idlewind Ln, Saddlebrooke, AZ 85739
Thanks for your reply. However wisely Tucson and Pima officials and business leaders proceed to continue minimizing the risks of sinkholes, it’s at least comforting to hear that this part of AZ is likely home to a fairly “mixed” community, unlike places like Show Low outside of Phoenix, as I was recently told by an otherwise contented resident. Saddlebrooke and Oro Valley seem much like Long Island in that a plurality of political attitudes and lifestyles tend to make for better quality living and a more enlightened, mature and cooperative citizenry, giving rise to lasting stability. And that crime is believably low in at least the better parts of Pima 30 minutes or so from Tucson.
Yes, I’ve been checking realtor.com and houses like this also or slightly larger. Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site Taxes are expectedly low for a ~2.2K sq ft house at that price.
Speaking of taxes, do retirees over 65 typically qualify for property and/or other tax exemptions? In NY, seniors over 65 and meeting the income limits qualify for the Enhanced Star program, which reduces their school taxes, mostly per assessed value. Frankly, however, as a lifelong child-free person compelled to either pay a tax bill ~ 69% of which had been school tax-or face eviction-you could imagine how that had impacted my retirement savings.
So the Enhanced Star exemption, though better than nothing, hardly compensates for being victimized by legalized extortion for all of those decades. I’m certainly not opposed to child-free people paying some school tax but we should not be paying anywhere near what our neighbors with kids attending public schools should pay on homes of comparable assessed value. That is clearly and fundamentally contrary to the founding Colonists’ opposition of taxation without representation, and indeed amounts to nothing short of grand larceny with every passing tax year. Furthermore, I’d be especially concerned about this because unlike NY, AZ will tax my pension and probably any other income.
One very big reason why low crime is important is that I would be installing high end home theater hardware in at least two rooms. I totally live for technology of this quality as it truly maximizes the realism of my music and movie sources. I also enjoy sharing movie experiences with friends and coworkers. Here’s a western I just saw tonight. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045070/ Just because I’m not a firearm enthusiast doesn’t mean I wouldn’t keep handguns hidden at strategic points in my house for obvious reasons. Nor would I ever pass up a good western-especially one directed by Fritz Lang; always some surprises in his films. Enjoy!
Temp wise , our retirement community Saddlebrooke sits just a little higher than Tucson city center. We are usually a few degrees cooler than Tucson, and Tucson is cooler than Phoenix. Just north of Tucson and Oro Valley.
Being slightly anemic though otherwise quite fit my age I don’t feel heat quite as intensely as many I know do here in NY, though I can’t sleep if temps are much above 87. Central HVAC built into the house will check that concern, as well my fitness room for indoor workouts.
But what’s not surprising is that most south Arizonans live in fear of more water shortages that will likely grow worse, due to both human-induced global climate change and Pima’s aggressive growth rate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pima_C...na#2000_census
Have water shortages or imposed use restrictions in Saddlebrooke, Oro Valley and neighboring towns within 30 minutes from Tucson over the last two years been more severe than the prior three to five years? https://www.kold.com/story/6600713/o...-restrictions/
I just retired in October 2018 and moved from Smithfield VA to Green Valley AZ in August 2019. I grew up in southern MA and have lived in the Boston area, Maine, Utah (SLC), San Francisco, southern CA (Orange and San Diego counties), North Carolina & Virginia. Personally, I LOVE this area... best fit for me personally and and plan to stay here until I die (or at least some part of southern AZ).
I moved to Green Valley sight unseen, tho I had been to Tucson a few times and liked the overall "feel" of Tucson (despite the fact the place is super tacky in most areas)... but was concerned about reported high crime in the city (true, but I don't go there at night). Green Valley is just 25 miles south of Tucson and was recommended to me as a place to consider by a someone in a group of gardeners I have been involved with (Native SEED/Search out of Tucson) for years. That being said there are both pluses and minuses (true anywhere) so I will tell you a bit about those from my perspective. although Green Valley itself is a bit weird (ghost town much of the year, except when the Snowbirds come in). A lot of my assumptions were off, and I've had some surprises but still good with the place. However I would recommend you consider renting a place for 6 months to a year before buying a house. The stupid coronavirus lock down also makes it a bit harder to gauge some of this since we've been locked up for the past 6 months. Also I live in Desert Hills II, one of the older subdivisions of Green Valley (I'll call GV)... close to the "main" part of town, aka, near Continental Drive and the freeway.
Critters: I too have a tendency to be scared of wildlife (tho still interested in them from a safe distance). If you like mountains you might do best to live in a place where you can see them (as I do - great views) but not live too near or in them, as wildlife are abundant there. Here in GV there is even a wild jaguar living up in the Santa Rita mountains; I don't mind knowing he's there but sure don't want him visiting my yard. Do not believe the person who said javelina do not hurt people, they can and will if you (or your little doggie) get between momma and babies as with any wild animal and they do have very sharp teeth (and travel in groups). Here we have to put the trash out the morning of pick up to avoid having javelina come and trash the trash and spread it all over the road making a huge mess. But I have been here now 15 months and have only seen javelina ONCE (except for a few dead ones on the road).
Coyotes I have only personally heard near me ONCE; they sounded like they were IN my yard (even tho I have a solid fence all around it. I saw a bobcat (came into my yard once). I see loads of birds and some lizards and lots of ants, a few cockroaches and big beetles and plenty of bees (I garden and try to attract them). I've heard there are mountain lions and bears closer to or in our mountains - and also the mountain lions are in the foothills areas of Tucson (Catalina Mts). One person here told me they'd seen a mountain lion in town near the library, but that sounds like BS to me.
Pack rats can be an issue - I've heard getting a garage will keep them out of your car engine (which they damage).
Here in the rural parts you also have a lot of places designated as Open Range and there are reports of cattle, including bulls, and mustangs that run loose.... so be careful driving at night especially. I personally have not seen a single snake, tho don't quote me on that cuz I'm sure they are here. Rural parts have more snakes and also have gila monsters (poison) and scorpions in some parts. I've not seen any of those either.
Weather: my #1 favorite thing here. Yes it's Arizona and yes it's HOT (and dry) in summer but lovely from about October to May. But I love hot dry weather a lot more than I care for snow, ice or that awful heat+humidity I had in the east. This year they said was the hottest and driest summer in many years, they called it a Nonsoon because we only got the monsoon rains a few times. Winter nights can get COLD, down into 30s (some years down to about 10 degrees F). In summer a lot of places are CLOSED after 1PM because of the heat. It's usually sunny (brilliantly so) and sometimes we get lovely rainbows. This years summer garden died on me, because we had so many days in a row over 100 and I got sick of daily watering... next time I will skip the summer garden.
Allergies, arthritis, etc.: I thought I would have less of a problem with these than in the east. I was wrong. Here I probably have allergies to mesquite and palo verde trees also pecan trees. My arthritis is no better here then other places, but that's the luck of the draw.
Medical providers: Almost any doctor you'd want to find in Tucson also has maybe 1 day week they do office hours in GV, which is convenient but for me I usually go to Tucson because you can get appointments easier. GV has a small hospital. BTW despite reports otherwise, I have not had the feeling we got "overwhelmed" by coronavirus - here still mostly in nursing homes.
Traffic: I can hear I-19 (runs from South Tucson into Nogales Mx) during commuting hours otherwise quiet. The drive into Tucson is usually crazy (I-10 and then surface roads) with bad drivers and pedestrians you have to watch out for, etc. Having a GPS up to date is very helpful in getting around.
Food: I love Mexican food, my #2 favorite reason for living here. Plenty of choices of restaurants if you like to eat out (I do for lunch) or you can always buy your own ingredients. I love shopping at Sprouts in Sahuarita, which has good selection of produce and other things including organic. Kind of like Whole Foods but cheaper.
Crime: Tucson has it, plenty of gangs etc. Oddly enough not so much here in GV. My understanding is much of the crime in Tucson is related to drug cartels, and they pass through GV but apparently don't hang out here. I do shop at the Tucson Spectrum (mall in or near South Tucson, supposedly high crime) but during the day I've personally never had a problem there.
Rural issues: A woman who helps me clean my house lives in rural Sahuirita, just off Mission Road not far from the res. She has told me the Border Patrol (very active at least) warned her that she was in the middle of a drug cartel war zone... she also has difficulty getting internet connections (due to the mines) and is the one who told me she's seen wild bulls and mustangs, plenty of snakes, javelina, pack rats, coyotes, and gila monsters. I think she told me they have to have water trucked in - do not buy a rural property without checking where you get water from. You may have NONE.
Border: OK, so I am just 50-60 miles or so from the border and Nogales is a very high crime city in Mexico.... I do not ever plan to go to Mex (been there). Drug cartels do runs from the border both drugs and human trafficking. Fortunately we have abundant and very good Border Patrol in this area, esp. Amado. They keep catching the bad guys with huge drug hauls. The border crossings are currently very restricted due to covid, that's upped illegal crossings... but in normal times like holidays it can take up to 9 hours waiting to cross (my hairdresser is from Nogales and her mom & sister still in Mexico).
Water: I don't know about Tucson but in GV we have water that tastes HORRID, due to too many minerals... so plan on getting a water filter system for your house or undrinkable. Dries your skin out too. I am on the municipal water system, I think some rural places have NO water and you have to haul it in yourself. Despite current drought conditions tho they say we are not running out.
People: Two types of people in GV basically - being a retirement community it's basically old people (mostly over 65), a lot of whom are Snowbirds from places like Minnesota or Canada - or year round residents who are mostly Hispanic.... most of your essential employees Personally I do not like the Snowbirds - they tend to be cliquey (especially the women who hang out in gangs of old ladies who snub outsiders) and rude as hell... especially annoying when driving like banshees. However I like the year round people a lot (I am year round myself and 1/2 Hispanic so I "fit in").
Most of the service people here are friendly and very helpful (unlike where I moved from in Virginia where most service workers were resentful and rude). And as an "old lady" handicapped to boot I have found the young Mexican-American people (especially the men) to be very kind and helpful to me. But that only works if you are friendly and appreciate the help you get. Be kind and thank someone for the help they give you and you will be happy with the response you get. If you are some crabby complaining person or someone who hates Mexicans (I don't like illegals, but here I've met mostly conservative Latinos who also don't like illegals either) or is condescending towards people who work in service industries you may have a different experience than I've had.
Shopping: For food I got to Sahuirita to Sprouts or Walmart. I go to the Tucson Specrum for Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's, etc. I go into Tucson for specialty items like art supplies or some seeds.
Politics: If you are liberal, especially very liberal... you might be happier in Tucson than other parts of Pima County. GV is kind of 1/2 and 1/2. The mayor of Tucson is very liberal, I'm conservative, so also OK being outside Tucson proper for that reason. The covid-19 lockdown in Tucson was much more stringent than in other parts of Pima county .
That's all I can think of for now. Good luck deciding (if you haven't already).
Miss Jean - this is a wonderful summary you have written about GV. My parents retired there and lived there for over 30 years. I am older but thus far live in a rural house on the other side of the Sierritas from GV. Almost everything is close to an hour away here so eventually I see a move coming. GV is much more convenient.
We arrived, finally, and thrilled to be here. We got here on the 3rd, renting a single family home in Cochise County. We have been busy getting settled but will get a chance to start looking for our forever home, no hurry. We may build or buy existing, not sure yet. We hope to become a part of the community, not change it in any way. We will be where we fit the area, not to make the area fit us. We are anxious to meet as many as possible since we have been welcomed by so many. We sold NE Oklahoma home to a California couple with small children and it could not have gone to a better family. We seem to be a country in flux in many ways and excited to be on the road to becoming Arizonans.
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