Great southwest info...

[my friends call me Zappy]

No race this weekend, so I thought I may get some feed back.
Wife and I are lookin to move out west. Complete change from Michigan.

I see we have a lot of folks from the desert area, and some who have lived there. Any tips? , Do's or don'ts?

So far we like AZ real well. Any info will help.

 

[Butch]

I lived in Toledo spent my summers in MI got married and lived in Canton, OH. We moved to the Phx, AZ area three years ago, should have done it long ago. Phx. is 6 hrs from LA & Vegas. The summer heat sucks but only bad in July and Aug. still better than 5-6 months of midwest winters. I ride my Harley all year in the summer we go north 100 miles and it in the 70-80s. The cost of housing is coming back down to what it should be, gas today is 3.28. The cost of living day to day is about the same as back home from what I remember.
All I can say is come west young man come west.

 

[Gary H]

And racing all year round. Speedworld, firebird and SIR in tucson ;-)

 

[The Swegian]

Zappy, you and I discussed this at Indy and you know my preference. I love the Vegas area and Suzi and I will be out there in less than 10 years. Well, maybe not specifically Vegas, but definitely somewhere in the Nevada-Arizona area. Just gotta wait until the youngest is out of high school. She's in 6th grade now so hopefully in 7-8 years maybe. Sorry, I don't have any tips but I'll be very interested to know where you end up.

 

[FABMAN]

No race this weekend, so I thought I may get some feed back.
Wife and I are lookin to move out west. Complete change from Michigan.

I see we have a lot of folks from the desert area, and some who have lived there. Any tips? , Do's or don'ts?

So far we like AZ real well. Any info will help.

Paul, I have family that live in the UP so I can appreciate that you want to move to milder climate. My wife and I live in KC and I'm already *****ing about how cold it is. We took the road from Pnx to Vegas along Colorado River and it is beautiful country. Central and Western part of Arizona is the best. Don't know if you know Corey Mac very well, he has a nice place in Lake Havasu, maybe he would be`some help. Hey, we enjoy your post and looking forward to meeting you, maybe at one of the SW Drag Strips.

 

[clwill]

Don't know if you know Corey Mac very well, he has a nice place in Lake Havasu, maybe he would be`some help.

Didn't he say in an interview recently that he had reluctantly moved to Indy and given up the Havasu place?

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Thanks for the reply gang. Yeah, I'm fed up with Mich. winters. Wife & I BOTH want to get out there. Took a trip this spring. Landed Pnx, then checked most of the state,

Went north thru Prescott-Sedona-Flagstaff. Then east toward the NM line, checked,Winslow-Holbrook-Snowflake-& Show Low. Then to the Nevada side, Really liked KINGMAN. But out of time had to get back to Pnx to fly home.

Would like to go out this winter to check it out in detail. Close to Vegas 1 + 2, Pomona 1 & 2, and Pnx. 5 nhra National events. (whats not to like??)

And YES It was beautiful, so different from Mid-west. The colors, the distance you can see, and the MTNS, OH did we love the Mtns.

(I'll race ya out there Mark) Keep 'um commin gang, Input- I need Input, lol

 

[Paul]

I love the Southwest the few times I have visited. The only thing I would be worried about is the way real estate is crashing out there. I was reading on CNN Money how most of the areas are down 30% over the past year. If you can get in at the bottom then it could be a good deal, but how knows where the bottom will be. Good luck in your search!

 

[Butch]

A couple of more things. We don't play with the clock you know, Spring ahead-fall back. I like it gets light a 5AM dark by 8:30 Right now at 9AM it sunny and 71. Oh gotta stop and jump in the pool. Hay Paul make sure to rake the leaves today. LOL

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

A couple of more things. We don't play with the clock you know, Spring ahead-fall back. I like it gets light a 5AM dark by 8:30 Right now at 9AM it sunny and 71. Oh gotta stop and jump in the pool. Hay Paul make sure to rake the leaves today. LOL

Good one Harry ( I hate leaves). I also don't like the time changes-don't make sense.

Paul M, a friend suggested I wait a few yrs till the housing market gets better, but if I wait till I get more for mine...It'll just cost me more out there.

 

[Jenn]

Oh, and Zappy, not all the snakes out there are friendly.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Paul M, a friend suggested I wait a few yrs till the housing market gets better, but if I wait till I get more for mine...It'll just cost me more out there.

How wise you are! I wish you would give clinics to other buyers that don't understand that principal. Our market couldn't be better for a buyer, transplant or transferee! Housing is at an all-time soft spot (rare around these parts) not to mention financing still very affordable and there is very little competition right not. Best part is that you know this market will kick back into high gear soon given the circumstances:
* Every bad winter migrates more folks to the sun belt
* The cost of energy-especially heating oil doesn't get more affordable
* When moving to the sun belt it used to be one of the following four:
California (now more volatile than ever)
Florida (more hurricanes in the past decade than any decade recorded)
The Gulf Region (I'll reserve the negative comments while they are rebuilding)
Arizona (One of the best real estate values in the past quarter century)

We will have 10% growth per year for the next three decades with economic booming to accompany it. That's not happening very many places in the world.
* Arizona has better water management than anywhere in the world!
* Transportation is ahead of the curve
* Proximity to LA and Vegas are nice but I prefer the Colorado River where we took our boats last week-Lake Powell, Mead and Mohave for vacationing-Lake Pleasant, Bartlett, Saguaro, Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt close to the valley make this one of the best places to own a boat in the world.
* Two hours from winter snow skiing
* One hour to the cool country (we just got home with the 5th Wheel an hour ago)
* Our unemployment rate is excellent and getting better as companies migrate from California, the Northwest and the Midwest day in and day out.
* We don't have chips on our shoulders like people in some regions believe they have a right to.

Should I go on? We'd love to have you here! PM me and I can even help!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Doctor, we've got friends telling us, "there's NO water out there-it's rationed " No good Dr.'s, or hospitals, - houses too high ect.

We were quite suprised to find snow sking in AZ. And the last place I thought you could use a boat. Lots to learn.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Doctor, we've got friends telling us, "there's NO water out there-it's rationed " No good Dr.'s, or hospitals, - houses too high ect.

We were quite suprised to find snow sking in AZ. And the last place I thought you could use a boat. Lots to learn.

There are more boats registered per capita in Arizona than any other state. We have five - Three Biesemeyer flats, One Hallett Flat and a Schiada 21' River Cruiser - the slowest tops out at 89 MPG on a GPS. (it's a small block) We're 18 minutes from the lake at our home. My wife was a labor and delivery registered nurse and she could elaborate about our health care options but I have five major hospitals within 20 minutes of our home and we live way out in the Northwest Peoria area. I've lived here since 1951 and we've never rationed water in my lifetime. I played lots of sports so I've had 7 knee surgeries and I can attest that some of the best surgeons in the Southwest are right here in Phoenix. Dr. Volker Sonntag is a world renowned neurosurgeon who put my son Buzzz back together after a weight lifting accident broke his back completely in two. I'll be forever grateful for his presence in the Phoenix market. Folks have come from all over the world for his care.

Snow skiing at the Snow Bowl in Flagstaff is OK but Sunrise in Show Low is awesome! I doubt you would be disappointed to live here.

 

[clwill]

There are more boats registered per capita in Arizona than any other state.

That's an urban myth: Arizona Has More Boats Per Capita Than Any State It actually ranks 43rd...

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

I can't apologize enough for misleading you about boats. By the way Chris, how many boats do you currently have registered?
I know it's not an urban myth at my house.

 

[Gary H]

Actually, it was more boats per person than any other INLAND state.

 

[The Swegian]

That's an urban myth: Arizona Has More Boats Per Capita Than Any State It actually ranks 43rd...

I was gonna say, what about Minnesota? We only have 11,800+ lakes (of at least 10 acres). But I saw on one of the lists, Chris, that we top it, at least according to that one list.

 

[clwill]

I was gonna say, what about Minnesota? We only have 11,800+ lakes (of at least 10 acres). But I saw on one of the lists, Chris, that we top it, at least according to that one list.

Right-e-o, as was shown in the list from the Coast Guard in the article I pointed to. As for "inland" states, that list shows differently there as well.

Whatever, it's just that I always heard that the Puget Sound area had "more boats per capita than anywhere in the US" before I moved here. Then that was proven to be wrong (too many people in the denominator). And then I heard the Arizona one (not enough boats in the numerator). It's just a statistical curiosity, not an important point...

And no, Bobby, I'm not going to get into a schoolyard tussle about who has their leisure expenditure priorities more screwed up, you or me, sorry

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

And no, Bobby, I'm not going to get into a schoolyard tussle about who has their leisure expenditure priorities more screwed up, you or me, sorry

Let me get this straight. You're saying I have my leisure expenditure priorities more screwed up? I believe that's what you are saying here.

Not that it would matter to someone like you but everything I own, I purchased with cash after careful consideration of my financial position. I'll admit a small mortgage on my home but I'm even re-thinking the need to have such a tax write-off in the face of today's economy.

Schoolyard tussle? Really?

I was simply making a statement to Paul about what I like about Arizona.