Posted: 6/12/2007 2:17:54 PM EDT
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Looking at moving out of NoVA in not to distant future. No plans and no care as to where. Right now just looking for some info on areas in AZ. Need to know guns laws, property values (looking at 40-80 acres of land and putting in personnal shooting range), also cost of living, consturctions costs for house and basement. Looking more to the north of the state. TIA |
NO gun bans in arizona! NFA friendly OPEN carry CONCEALED carry with permit GUNS in car okay Instant check for purchase , as many as you want ! Sunny almost every day plenty of woods for shooting atv's camping  ect
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Your thread grabbed my interest, as my wife and I are thinking about relocating to a different part of the state (land prices are too high here for what we want.) And your idea of putting in a personal shooting range sounds good, really good... I know that you have to be at least 1/4 of a mile away from an occupied structure, so I'm not sure how much property you will really need; and now I'm thinking about this myself... Does anyone have their own shooting range in their backyard? If so, how much property did you have to buy? I'm looking at something in the 20-40 acre range. And so as not to hijack the thread; here is a site that you will (hopefully) find helpful in finding some property: www.landsofarizona.com/arizona/ |
Either bring lots of $$$ or live in the middle of nowhere - no utilities and a good drive to buy anything. I assume you are retired? |
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Thanks to all for the replies. Loving the gun laws. Very similar to VA. As for the property - well it can't cost near what I am used to here in NoVA. I have seen some spreads so far near Bisbee, Show Low, and Prescott running around $80K for 80+ acres. THe higher altitudes will give me some of the white stuff you all hate so much too.  As for the power, well I think that can be worked around. Just so long as there is a good well on the property or one that can be drilled. A 25-50 mile drive to town won't kill me (used to that from living in the upper part of Michigan). Guess I am just too much of a Northerner to understand why basements are not normal. The price I will have to deal with then. One - I love the fact that they are cooler in the summer time. Two - it provides more of a secure area for the location of a good gun room. I will check out the site for other options. Also have a contact to get some more info from in state witht he friend who has parents doing real estate. So far the one thing I know is that I need to ensure that the mineral and water rights are deeded to the property. Not retired as of yet, just looking so that I cna plan for this and just get away from this rat race I live in now. Still young (34) so I can do just about anything. Back ground covering all aspects of security, from physical, personnel and personal. Thanks again. |
Oh don't get us wrong, we all WANT a basement. If you ever tried to dig a hole out here you would know why they are so bloody expense though. In many places the dirt isn't really dirt, more like low grade rock. |
| You will have to be pretty isolated to get what you want in the low desert. In the High Desert I think you will be looking at the Seligiman area to the West. Personally I like it but it is pretty isolated. However I take it you don't have a family? I live in SE/AZ Sierra Vista but the land in this area is really expensive. You'd be better going East and hitting the Wilcox, Double Adobe area. Very nice conservative Ranghing folks there. |
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This Friday I close on the SALE of 38 remote acres with a small cabin in Cochise Co.----Next Friday I close on the PURCHASE of 40 acres with small cabin in Apache Co. I believe I can offer a little insight based on experience.....It took me MANY years to find the "right" piece of land in Cochise Co.---it's near the end of a rough 4x4 trail in the Dos Cabeza Mtn's, backed up to BLM land, and MOST OF ALL, safe from ILLEGAL ALIEN'S breaking into it due to its geographic location----it's out of their paths. Why sell?? Time to get out of Southern AZ.---the politics and border crap have changed the WHOLE area, and i've had it. The property is great and a safe hideout---but you still have to "come down" off the mtn. for work and such. We built the cabin and it was a great experience, but decided that it's not where we want to live the rest of our lives with all the 'issues'. SO.....we went on a search, and found an area that offers similar solitude and reasonable land prices....but with a completely DIFFERENT social setting and type of people. Hints for what to look for....remember, cheap land is cheap for a reason. Typically, poor roads/access and NO WATER are the motivators for CHEAP land. When i say NO water, that means none or very few successful wells in the region---it's beyond what the normal person can afford to hit good water, therefore it's known as a "water haul" area. Watch the trucks with poly tanks line up at the municipal water spicket in Ash Fork one Monday morning, and you'll see why that land is cheap----drive down 30 miles of washboard somewhere else just to hit pavement and you'll see why that land is cheap. Next, watch for these "36 acre ranches" crap----these parcels are often loaded with pages and pages of restrictions....often banning or limiting shooting and other things you can do on your so called ranch. Just like a HOA in the city. Look for 'simple' subdivided land with NO restrictions. The 1/4 mile rule can be interpreted differently by people---typically it's from an 'occupied structure'---but i've seen people argue that it means from 'their' property line. 1/4 mile is 440 yards---not that far. A SQUARE 40 acre parcel is 440 yards across, so if your shooting from the middle of your land, and the neighbor has built in the middle of his land---you're a 1/4 mile from an 'occupied' dwelling. If the neighbor doesn't like 'shooting'---you may end up with problems. BUT---the geography of the land dictates alot----if you have arroyos and canyons, a 1/4 mile may seem more like a mile sound wise, and your shooting won't be an issue---if it's flat/open, a neighbor could be a mile away and think your shooting off his porch  Best bet...find a stratigically located piece or buy a quarter section.My own range was a factor in both of the parcels, the one i'm selling has a perfect canyon bottom range with shooting bench under a juniper. The one we are buying has many perfect range sites for me to choose from--or I can shoot from the cabin porch and piss off the wife  .My philosophy is to buy enough property that you can do what you want without disturbing others, and they won't disturb you. Otherwise, whats the point??? May as well live in the city. Study the well reports for the area, look at the job market, then DO IT. They aren't making any more land, and it doesn't go down in price. |