Posted: 2/10/2010 12:40:28 PM EDT
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The wife, son and I are planning on buying some land to live on in Northern Arizona. My wife is an AZ native being born in Chandler long ago, when it did not look like it does now. We used to own twenty acres up by the Grand Canyon a few years ago. All of our adult kids live in CA and we want to stay in the higher elevations and close to U.S. 40 to travel to CA and back. We currently reside in Ohio.
We are looking to buy land in and around Williams, Ashfork, Paulden and even towards Kingman etc. We want some acreage but also may want electricity, a well and be able to put in a septic. We do not want any trashy areas where some have ten to twenty junk cars in their yard and six satellite dishes on their run down mobile home. But, we do not want a restrictive HOA ranch place either. My wife has been researching these areas and I thought I would ask in the AZ Home Town Forum and pick your collective brains. Does anyone have any information about land or experience with the land in and around those general areas? Thanks for any help you can offer. Mark |
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Paulden, Chino Valley, Prescott Valley and Prescott are some of your possible choices.
Please understand that the more "rural" you go, the less influence you're going to have on your neighbors and what they have on their property. Prescott and Prescott Valley consider themselves the most "civilized". They are rank with HOAs, especially in the newer neighborhoods, but you can find neighborhoods that aren't HOA. If you really want a well, you'll probably need to move to Chino Valley or Paulden or the Coyote Springs area of Chino Valley. Prescott has an area called Williamson Valley that is rural, but kind of pricey. You may even be on city water. Chino Valley and Paulden are on Highway 89 south of Ash Fork and north of Prescott. They both have acreages with wells. Be aware though that the mindset of Arizonans is verymuch "property rights oriented" and people don't take too kindly to others telling them how to manage their property. So if you think you're going to change your neighbors, keep on I-40 westbound for another 400 miles past Ash Fork. Ash Fork is even more remote than Paulden or Chino Valley. The folks there still drive to Chino Valley for groceries, but it's a 40 mile drive one way. Williams is more dependent on Flagstaff. Be verymuch aware that water and wells and water rights are a hot point of contention, even in northern AZ. You would be better off buying a property with an existing well than risking buying a piece of property and drilling one. Arsenic is a problem and some areas have been forced to abandon their wells. If you buy, just be sure to have the well proven and tested and mke sure the well is lined and ACTIVE. Check to make sure the utilities are available. Don't assume that APS will drop what they're doing and run lines to your property right away. And they're not cheap either. All of these areas have mansions next door to mobile homes. It's just the way it is. People mind their own business and aren't impressed by money. If you're agreeable to this, you'd probably like it here. If you need sixteen department stores to make your life complete, not so much. |
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Quoted:
Paulden, Chino Valley, Prescott Valley and Prescott are some of your possible choices. Please understand that the more "rural" you go, the less influence you're going to have on your neighbors and what they have on their property. Prescott and Prescott Valley consider themselves the most "civilized". They are rank with HOAs, especially in the newer neighborhoods, but you can find neighborhoods that aren't HOA. If you really want a well, you'll probably need to move to Chino Valley or Paulden or the Coyote Springs area of Chino Valley. Prescott has an area called Williamson Valley that is rural, but kind of pricey. You may even be on city water. Chino Valley and Paulden are on Highway 89 south of Ash Fork and north of Prescott. They both have acreages with wells. Be aware though that the mindset of Arizonans is verymuch "property rights oriented" and people don't take too kindly to others telling them how to manage their property. So if you think you're going to change your neighbors, keep on I-40 westbound for another 400 miles past Ash Fork. Ash Fork is even more remote than Paulden or Chino Valley. The folks there still drive to Chino Valley for groceries, but it's a 40 mile drive one way. Williams is more dependent on Flagstaff. Be verymuch aware that water and wells and water rights are a hot point of contention, even in northern AZ. You would be better off buying a property with an existing well than risking buying a piece of property and drilling one. Arsenic is a problem and some areas have been forced to abandon their wells. If you buy, just be sure to have the well proven and tested and mke sure the well is lined and ACTIVE. Check to make sure the utilities are available. Don't assume that APS will drop what they're doing and run lines to your property right away. And they're not cheap either. All of these areas have mansions next door to mobile homes. It's just the way it is. People mind their own business and aren't impressed by money. If you're agreeable to this, you'd probably like it here. If you need sixteen department stores to make your life complete, not so much. Thanks for the Information! |
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We dont need no more damn swabbies here. Guys who like back pockets in front and think Khaki's are damn dress clothes.
Now, if ya ever spent time on a Gator Freighter, come on down. Just kidding. I too am looking at moving north soon. I think you will enjoy the areas that you are looking at. Wickenburg is also nice, although not as cool, as is the Payson area, which has cooler weather, but that is a bit more pricey. I have looked at some nice acreage in Payson, but have not gotten any HOA info yet if any exists where I have looked. Keep in mind that 1-40 is a major smuggling corridor and use caution when travelling. |