I'm driving out next weekend to look at some properties, 3-5 acres. Seligman and Ash Fork areas.

Possibly building our retirement home.

Anyone here living in those areas, care to share your likes, dislikes. I have a family friend that's built in the area and he's loving it, completely off grid.

If we have someone in that area, then they've done a good job of not letting us know

Your nearest arfcomers in the area are off the 89, way down the 89.

However, I know an arfcomer who has land in the area but it's his family's land and he hasn't been there in several years.

Good luck.

A friend of mine likes to take his motorhome to the Seligman KOA and eat at the pizza place next door….not much help I know….I swear though that a few years ago someone on the hometown forum was moving out that way or had a ranch there off Fort Rock road.  When I go through the area I always wonder about it. Good Luck!

Here are the few things I have heard about Ash Fork... not sure if it applies to Seligman as well, but they are close to each other.

1.  Water is the biggest problem.  Extremely deep (i.e. very expensive and pump issues) or impossible to reach, so most off grid folks have to haul water.
2.  If you are not at the property full time, there will be vandalism/theft issues.
3.  As in most rural areas now there is a big problem with Meth, which contributes to issue No. 2.
4.  If the road in to your property isn't maintained, roads can get really muddy and messy after snow melt and monsoon rains.

But I will say there are some beautiful areas in Ash Fork.

There is also a UFO on top of one of the mountains.. used to be a prop from Hollywood TV series and someone associated with the show hauled it out to Ash Fork to live in back in the 70's.

I have a weekend place about 20 miles west of seligman. it's very beautiful and remote, no water, no power and you can't get to it if there's been any rain/snow

Sounds like my brother in laws brother, he's pretty deep and has to 4x4 but the pics I've seen he's totally loving the life.  it's gorgeous country, he trucks water in.

My good buddy in the hackberry area says that's the big issue, well depth can be damn near impossible and very expensive.

I'm not ruling out looking at properties possibly partial built....etc.

Thanks for the info, Tweekers, sheesh...doesn't surprise me.

All of this.  I came here to post #2 and #3.  Sorry if this offends anybody living there, but there is an abnormaly high level of dirtbags up there.  Also a very large contingent of anti government types that have basically declared themselves sovereign citizens.  Not a very LEO friendly area (mostly bridge canyon estates) so keep that in mind if you ever need help.  Some non-law enforcement agencies wont even go into areas without police escort.

This sums it up pretty well about a big chunk of NW AZ.

Expect to water haul unless you have deep pockets or buy a piece with an existing well.
Meth contributes of course......... but #2 is a fact because "dirt bags" seek remote areas for the same reasons good people do.... freedom to do what they want, unfortunately what they want is often what you have.

My big suggestion: Look for a larger parcel if you really want country living...If you want to be in the country, be in the country and on a piece big enough that you CAN do what you want without seeing or disturbing a neighbor.... strategically pick the land so you ARE alone. If you have to be near people, then it may as well be "in" town... and in that case it may as well be a town with everything.
A couple acres will get pretty small... quick! And even if you start out with no neighbors near, if the surrounding parcels are that size you WILL end up with some close by eventually.

I've owned remote, off the grid acreage in 3 locations in the past. 39 acres in the Peacock Mtn's (Mohave Co.) east of Kingman/west of Seligman....... 40 acres in Apache County, about 17 miles east of St. John's, and 38 acres in the Dos Cabeza Mtn's in Cochise county. I built off the grid cabins on two, and was building on the 3rd when we sold.

We never were full time on any of them,  but were intending to be on the third (Peacock Mtn's) when life threw us a curve ball and we ended back down in  S. AZ. Off the grid is very do-able if committed.

Suggestion: If the acreage is zoned rural, and greater than 5 acres... go to the county and fill out the paperwork for an "Agricultural Exemption." They will not like you, but by law they cannot refuse you as long as you engage in "agricultural pursuits" on the land. My agricultural pursuits were a greenhouse and chicken coup. It REMOVES the county permit and inspection system from your life. All they could dictate to me was concerning septic .....because that is a health/water-table issue that affects others.
No permit fees, no inspector to beg approval from. Residence and living quarters are included, not just "agricultural" out-buildings. They don't want the public to know about this because they love to collect these outrageous permit fee's and "grant" you permission to do what you want on your land. Fuck them.
Only downside (at least in some peoples mind) is that you must disclose that any buildings were built without the almighty blessing of the county inspector.

Anyways.... buy the biggest piece you can, and dedicate yourself to the lifestyle-- because that's what it is and what it takes --or you'll be selling it off at a loss and "heading for town" like many end up doing.

Good luck!

Thanks AZ-dave, great info!

This is kinda what's going on, I want enough that I can see you coming and fire off a shot, when you hear the ding....your not welcome. The wife unit wants to be close enough to still work, probably transfer to kingman and be close enough to get the grandkids in Vegas. Me, I've been doing nothing for so long I can do any anything with something so no worry for me.

I'm hoping to find something just exactly as you say, somebody put up the coin and couldn't hack it.

I'm not to worried my best friend is a LEO and works in the area, I also have a buddy in Utah that can witch a well like you and I get up and have coffee. So he's up for hire IF I find something suitable.

The other determining factor is power, how far and how much. While I could be fine waiting it out and doing solar, again the women need comfort.

As far as unfriendly people, I'm pretty good at being an asshole, if I don't like you you'll KNOW your not welcome. Otherwise I'm as reasonable as anyone else, I'll give you the shirt from my back and die a 1000 deaths to help you out

i believe that's what joe bob did, filed for ag, did the septic and built the way he wanted. I've met many a nice inspectors but in the end their just like diapers, usually full of shit and on your ass. This is my dream Thank You.

Everything has pluses and minuses of course. As a place to retire keep in mind as we age we start having health problems. There is essentially no available health care in seligman. I work in an urgent care center about 40 miles away and frequently see people who made an hour trip to me to get cared for. Nearest hospital is two hours. If you need a specialist few in the region will need a several hour drive to get one. I see this VERY frequently- older people need access to healthcare sooner or later and seligman will be of little help to you.

I'm an agent in Kingman, and the water haul part is true. There is ground water here, but it's damned deep in most places. 500'-700' is not uncommon, and that takes some coin to drill. Sometimes you can find a place that has an existing well, or sometimes a shared well. Basically there is one big well, and everyone on it is metered, and if something happens to the well, everyone splits the repair cost. Not a bad way to go, actually. I know of a few parcels like this just East of Kingman at the foot of the Hualapai mountains.

Take a look at the offerings in Kingman, in the Pine Lake community of the Hualapai Mountains. Pricing is better than the Williams/Ashfork area, and water issues aren’t as bad. We have a place up there and its the full four seasons. Incredibly mild summers, think 95 tops. Winters might see 3-4 snows a season.

The lot sizes aren’t very big, but it’s all Ponderosa Pine forest with endless blm land around the small community. I think 160 people claim residency up there. Homes vary from cheaper older places to McMansions. Kingman is about 12 miles away to keep the trash out. I’ve only seen a cop car twice in four years. Rarely are any thefts reported. Most lean right wing with favorable demographics. Ie: few rentals.