Moving to Arizona, What can I expect?

[SoCal_Camper]

So this summer were moving to Prescott Valley Az from Southern California. Any one live in Az or specifically the Prescott Valley area than can give me an idea what Im in for?

1. I understand Registration is very expensive in Az, What are my options if any?

2. it gets below freezing there so I'm guessing I'll need to winterize.

Anything else I should know?

My Moho is an 05 Revolution LE 40E

[Mr_Mark1]

jwmII wrote:
You'll love it there. it's almost all Californians wanting to do everything like they did it in Ca. Very few arizonans left.

Just curious, what are the Californian's doing there that people in Azizona don't like?

The cities I've been in or traveled through could be any city in CA just by looking.

MM.

[jwmII]

You'll love it there. it's almost all Californians wanting to do everything like they did it in Ca. Very few arizonans left.

[RayChez]

RayChez wrote:
The only thing I know about Prescott is that it is a beautiful place, but very cold in the winter months.

Well maybe it has changed since the last time I was there, and that was sixty years ago. I was just a young man traveling through there on the way to Phoenix on a passenger train. I remember seeing lots of deer running around as the train was going by. But as I read some of these posts, I guess it has become a good size city now and lots of things change as folks from the big cities move into small town America.

[toolman1]

Well Phil, you can expect a chorus of Boo's from all your local friends, co-worker's and camping buddies who have known you guy's for many years. OR, maybe those boo's are just some jealousy from all of those whom cannot join you guys.
Best of luck on the move, and I would hope we will still see ya "out there" occasionally.

[ferndaleflyer]

I got out of Ariz when everyone else in the country started moving in.....1966. Had lived in Tucson till 1958 then Mesa.....Went back a few years ago and could not believe the BIG CITY ways that the transplants brought with them....HOAs??? Here we don't even have zoning, building permits, etc.....You don't like chickens and cows stay in the city. But I really loved Arizona when I was a youngster.

[zman-az]

See in your sig you got some toys. Nothing like firing them up and drive out of town (leave tow vehicle and trailer at home) to your favorite spot. Tons of great boon docking nearby.

[cougar88nw]

We have lived in Prescott Valley for 8 years.....trying to sell our house if you need one;)

1.Drivers License is good till 65 years of age.

2.You will need to have plates on everything including ATV, trailers, etc. The trailer tags are permanent and the price depends on the weight/capacity, our utility trailer was around $120-130 for a permanent tag. With the ATV you have the option of an "off or on road tag" I would go with the one that allows you cross public roads because the law enforcement in this town loves to cite you for most anything. Now you have to purchase a $25.00 (per year) trail use sticker for each atv.
Off-Highway Vehicles

3. Taxes aren't all that bad but we don't own any new vehicles. Our 2300 sq.ft. home sitting on 1/2 acre is around $1200 per year. I pay $80-90 per year for my 2004 F-250 Diesel.

4.You are lucky you won't have to deal with the photo enforcement radar, they finally cancelled the contract with Redflex back in October, 2013. Speed limits in this town are ridiculous 25 MPH is the most common posted speed.

5. We are not native Arizonan's and since you are coming from Cali you will need to have a thick skin, the native people want your money but they don't like it when you stick around. Many claim the Cali transplants are trying to change their Conservative town into a Liberal town. The outsiders are the majority now;)

6. Groceries are cheaper here (than Cali), sales tax is high (IMO), lots of new business in Prescott Valley....Culver's, Tractor Supply, Dicks Sporting Goods, new Wal-Mart, etc.

7. Weather> Very! Windy in the spring and fall, it gets colder here than most think, lowest 6 degrees and warmest was around 101 degrees.

8. Utilities are pretty reasonable too. APS (electricity), Unisource (natural gas), CentryLink (phone), Cable One (Local Cable Co.), Town of PV (water/sewer), Trash/Garbage (Wingfield the best IMO), (Waste Management), or (Patriot).

9. No big problem with critters like some others have mentioned. We have seen a few rattlesnakes in the mountains, some Javelina, lots of skunks, etc.

10. Scenery depends on where your house is, if you live in one of the HOA communities (Granville, Pronghorn, Stoneridge, etc) your views will be OK but not great. Our home is on the back side of PV on a hill so we have great views of Granite Mtn. in the front and Mingus Mtn. in the rear. The sunsets are unbelievable.

11. Schools here are NOT GOOD! If you have children I would recommend online. charter, or private schools.

12. Wages in this town are terrible! If your educated or have a skill, don't expect to be paid a fair wage. Minimum wage is about all most can expect. If you are retired or own your own business, you will be fine.

13. Town of PV will not allow you to have an RV parked in front of your residence, it must be behind the house or in the side yard and at least 25 feet from the front property stake/property line. This includes trailers, boats, etc.

If you have any questions and want a straight answer, shoot me a PM and I'll be glad to help any way I can. We moved here from South Carolina and our real estate agent was not up front with us on many of the negative aspects of living here. However, we do love Arizona.

Mark & Nancy

[mustangglp]

I think you can get plates for the qauds from what I've heard? At least in some parts.

[RayChez]

Orange county vs Prescott? I think I would stay in the warmer area.

[SoCal_Camper]

FIRE UP wrote:

SoCal Camper wrote:
So this summer were moving to Prescott Valley Az from Southern California. Any one live in Az or specifically the Prescott Valley area than can give me an idea what Im in for?

1. I understand Registration is very expensive in Az, What are my options if any?

2. it gets below freezing there so I'm guessing I'll need to winterize.

Anything else I should know?

My Moho is an 05 Revolution LE 40E

SoCal Camper,
Well Sir, I envy you. I hope you have a great time there. I used to think Prescott might be a place I'd like to move to but, the last couple of times I was through there, it sure seemed crowded to me. But, it was "rush hour", both times.

Anyway, you'll not be too far from one of our favorite camp spots. And that's Kaibab National Forest campground. It's about a couple of miles from Williams, on the 64, on the way to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Very nice, seriously quiet campground. I really like the area. Yep, it gets a bit cold there in the winter but, other than that, really nice area. Good luck.
Scott

I couldn't talk the wife into more rural that that. Still Way less people than where we live in Orange. Cant wait to get settled in and start exploring the areas.

[FIRE_UP]

SoCal Camper wrote:
So this summer were moving to Prescott Valley Az from Southern California. Any one live in Az or specifically the Prescott Valley area than can give me an idea what Im in for?

1. I understand Registration is very expensive in Az, What are my options if any?

2. it gets below freezing there so I'm guessing I'll need to winterize.

Anything else I should know?

My Moho is an 05 Revolution LE 40E

SoCal Camper,
Well Sir, I envy you. I hope you have a great time there. I used to think Prescott might be a place I'd like to move to but, the last couple of times I was through there, it sure seemed crowded to me. But, it was "rush hour", both times.

Anyway, you'll not be too far from one of our favorite camp spots. And that's Kaibab National Forest campground. It's about a couple of miles from Williams, on the 64, on the way to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Very nice, seriously quiet campground. I really like the area. Yep, it gets a bit cold there in the winter but, other than that, really nice area. Good luck.
Scott

[kjburns]

I live in Prescott and have lived in Prescott Valley. I've lived in the area for eight years now. Registration is based on the MSRP and reduced each year. It can be very pricey. Plates for your 2005 coach shouldn't be too bad.

You will need to winterize or build an RV garage like I did. The low is forecast to be 9° F in a couple of days. It will snow once in a while (maybe tonight), but generally melts within a week or two.

Traffic isn't much of a problem. The traffic lights are not timed, so expect to stop at half of them, especially on Glassford Hill Rd. The two towns have populations around 40,000. There are decent hospitals in Prescott Valley and Prescott. There are lots of events around both towns. Downtown Prescott seems to have something going on every week and has many historic buildings and houses.

Property taxes vary a lot by area. The tax on my first house was about $3000. My second house was only about $1200 and I pay over $6000 on my current home. Be aware that the Yavapai County Treasurer will probably not bill you on the first year (assuming you buy the house outright). If you don't look up the tax bill and pay it on time, you'll get a nasty bill for interest and penalties. No, you can't protest it.

The Costco here is nice and generally busy. A few miles away, in Prescott Valley, is a Sam's Club that's similar and much less busy. Costco has better prices, but Sam's Club has some things I pick up periodically. Both have good prices on fuel. Sam's Club has diesel, but Costco is supposed to be selling diesel in the near future.

The critter list that DutchmenSport posted really doesn't apply here. I've seen two rattlesnakes in eight years. There are coyotes and javelina in my area. Pronghorn antelope can be seen often in certain areas. The javalina can be aggressive at times and aren't to be messed with. They might look like cute little pigs, but can kill a pit bull. You won't see them often, but if you do, maintain a safe distance.

Overall, it's a very nice place to live. I love the weather variations. The people are generally much friendlier than other places I've lived. Water is not a problem. My wife came here from Phoenix last year. At first, it was like a foreign country to her. Now, she hates visiting Phoenix. We go there once in a while to see her parents, but we don't stay long.

[TexasShadow]

Prescott is in a very scenic area, high desert with mountains all around.
Do NOT use 89 to get there in your MH. from the north or the south.

[cpd520]

Nice part of the state. We live on the other side of Mingus mountain, in the Verde Valley.
You can be at 7,000' in about 20 minutes or on a desert lake at 1,700' in about an hour or so.