Moving to Arizona

[Tileman]

Hello all,  This is Josh.  Im a 44 year old  living in Aloha Oregon with my 2 year old boston terrier named beauty. We have been living off grid here going on 1 year.  I have been following Bobs channel, along with many other nomad & rv living channels on you tube, & i love the lifestyle. I am saving a lot of money living in my 1982 lance truck camper, on my 1984 gmc  longbed truck, with new engine & transmission.  I am also a tile contractor here in Oregon, & i have been in this trade since 1994.  I am looking to leave Oregon, & move to Arizona.  I would love to buy some of that cheap land out there somewhere between Pheonix & tucson,  so i would be near areas with tile work. In the short term, i would love to find a situation like where im living now.  I rent my space for my camper for $500 month from a local landowner who has 5 acres here.  I love it here, but i dont like Oregon & want to find a spot down there to move to.  Anyways, i thought i might start here, in hopes of finding some people who may live down there with space on there property , or knows someone.  I look forward to hearing from some of you

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Josh to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[outdoorcamogirl]

Hi Josh-
My name is Kathy- I live on the outskirts of Northwest Tucson, moved here long ago from New Jersey due to the cold winters. Arizona is a nice state, lower cost of living when you like living in the toolies….land can be cheap when you are outside the city limits but I will tell you, this is desert....many areas it looks like the moon, no water and very, very little vegetation...certainly no trees to speak of....and the heat of the summers is so intense that it is hard to convey to someone that hasn't actually lived here- it is certainly doable of course, but if you plan on living in your truck camper then you really REALLY need to be aware of the need for a plan on how to keep your rig shaded in the summer months to assist in keeping it cool....if you were away from your camper and your AC quit your little doggie would surely die inside your camper in the direct sun-....I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but most people are unaware of the magnitude of the summer heat and how so many people die if they are underequipped to deal with it- especially those that want to live in an RV or truck camper-

You can look on Zillow.com for land listings for Marana, Casa Grande, Red Rock, Eloy....these are all towns along interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson- you will be able to view pics so you can see the landscape....yes the land can certainly be cheap, but it is kind of lacking in eye appeal due to the lack of scenery and vegetation. I live just south of Marana in an area where there are Mesquite trees, but this is the exception rather than the norm- and after 20 years in the desert I am ready to move to a bit of a higher elevation due to desert burnout....Arizona it a good state, winters are wonderful- but when a person is coming from a place with much greenery, water and not familiar with arid landscapes and the killer summers sometimes it helps to talk to someone who have lived it. Best of luck with your plan!

 

[wayne49]

The problem is that staying in one spot in AZ, for your tile business, would require massive climate control.

PNW and SW are polar opposites in climate. Wet-Dry. Forest-Desert. (I know there is a desert region in Oregon and Washington. I lived outside of Spokane in the early 1950's.)

AZ is popular for dwellers who are not tied to a local geographic region, and can flee the furnace of Yuma-Quartzsite and head north and up in elevation to Flagstaff.

Having a steady tile business, requiring a physical presence, and being a nomad is probably not compatible.

Remote work that can be done from anywhere, with communication infrastructure, is the ideal nomadic industry.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah I was waiting for others to chime in. anywhere in the lower elevations(-4k) is brutal in the summer. in the Colorado River Valley below Boulder/Hoover Dam you will get 125° for days/weeks on end in the summer. same around Phoenix. if you are not use to it beware. heat exhaustion is common. highdesertranger

 

[HalfShadows]

I would look at Bisbee-Sierra Vista area. Climate is nice, very hospitable. The land is very inexpensive. Not sure of the opportunities for a tile man. Something to research. This area is very conducive for off grid living. I am considering purchasing land in the area. Bisbee is a fun little town and Sierra-Vista is Larger with box stores.

 

[owl]

I would caution you not to buy until you've spent some time here. You will find rv parks that will take you and make the temps more bearable. Parks not in large cities are very affordable, $200 to $250 per month.