All Things Habitat - Lets talk.....
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Members page says it's Foggy's Birthday today!
- Thread starter j-bird
- Start date
Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
Happy B-day Foggy!
foggy
5 year old buck +
Actually gonna stay pretty close to home MO. Plans have changed a bit. The traffic around the area is BRUTAL with both the Super Bowl and the Open in town.....so travel is not fun. Both my wife and I have been sick all week with a cold and cough....that just lingers on. We've stayed somewhat homebound for a few days.....other than a trip to watch the Open on Thurs. Weather is not up to AZ standards either with a rain passing thru. There is ALWAYS a cocktail hour going on in this home complex....so likley will hang out at one later today. :)
May hit the driving range and practice my game. Considering a movie.....like American Sniper later today. Gonna find a piece of cake and ice cream......for sure. :)
May hit the driving range and practice my game. Considering a movie.....like American Sniper later today. Gonna find a piece of cake and ice cream......for sure. :)
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Happy 68th Foggy !! I'll bet your " wind-chill " factor in Az. is better than ours in Pa. The rain will move out of your area and the sun will be back out. Here........... spring's a ways off yet.:( Enjoy the day and some good food and " select beverages " !!:D
foggy
5 year old buck +
They finish 3 new homes a week in this complex.....and have another 300 re-sale homes or so each year. Real estate market is VERY active here. When finished there will be over 6000 home in this gated community. Quite large. Homes sell fast here.....most are on the market less than 60 days. Getting to be a waiting list now.....with all the boomers retiring.
Freeborn
5 year old buck +
Happy b-day Tom, what are you seeing for pricing? Sounds like with that demand costs are or will be going up?
phil@thesidehill
5 year old buck +
Happy b-day Foggy! My old man will be 68 in July! Keep and eye on your illness....measles is in AZ now from what I hear...lol.
West Branch
5 year old buck +
Happy Bday!
My wife and I went to Arizona last May and we loved it. We did some hiking in the Sedona area and then up around Williams, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Sedona was nice, but too much of the new age BS, and it was crazy busy on the weekend. We spent one evening drinking with the "locals" at a bar in Williams. They were all retired to that area from California, MN, Colorado and a couple other states. They did say that Williams still averages 4-5 ft of snow a winter, but the days are sunny and a lot warmer than MN.
My wife and I went to Arizona last May and we loved it. We did some hiking in the Sedona area and then up around Williams, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Sedona was nice, but too much of the new age BS, and it was crazy busy on the weekend. We spent one evening drinking with the "locals" at a bar in Williams. They were all retired to that area from California, MN, Colorado and a couple other states. They did say that Williams still averages 4-5 ft of snow a winter, but the days are sunny and a lot warmer than MN.
West Branch
5 year old buck +
My in-laws have been renting various places in Arizona and Florida for a couple weeks at a time the last couple winters to get a feel of what they want to buy for retirement. My FIL is still crop farming and has feeder hogs in Iowa so they probably won't buy for a few years, but it seems like a good way to check things out.
foggy
5 year old buck +
OK. For those that are interested.... Here is a little synopsis about AZ, retirement living, and the "market" here. (I'm never brief, am I? :D)
Homes are going up a bit in price as demand continues to improve. We built a new home in a gated, active adult community. There are lots of choices of quality and amenities. You have to spend allot of time deciding what you want.....and what you want to pay for in this environment. The home prices went up about 5% since we bought ours. Most of the folks that have spent a few winters here will tell you to buy a big enough place.....as you will spend more time here rather than back home....as time goes on. I think its true. Lots of folks here permanently after 4-5 years. Family comes for visits.....and they vacation elsewhere during the hot summers here.
You can buy existing homes in retirement communities with prices for nice 2 BR/ 2BR homes going in the area of $150 on up. Sometimes they are sold fully furnished.....right down to the liquor cabinet......as some of these folks pass-on and the family does not want to deal with it. I had a widower-friend do that. He bought a 2 BR / 2B home w/ garage and a nice lot in Sun City and it was fully furnished and stocked with EVERTYHING including a golf cart. Price was $175. He did not want to have to shop for all the stuff to decorate a home.....and seems quite happy with his house. Its not the same quality as this area, but it is nice.
The development I'm located in has homes priced from about 200k (resale homes) to about triple that amount for the best new homes. 300 to 400 K is likely the "mean". Almost all are 2 BR homes - some with swimming pools, but snowbirds mostly use the community pools (or their neighbors :D). No "kids" allowed to live here...but are welcome to visit. Tiled roofs, treed yards, lots of landscaping and palm trees, LOTS more amenities: Golf Courses, tennis courts, theater, fitness clubs, swimming pools (indoor and out), hiking trails, dog parks, full-time gated security, resteraunts and coffee shops, craft and social clubs, and so much more - all on-campus. Drive your golf cart to any and all events if you want. If you cannot find things to do here.....you have a problem. Taxes and HOA fees are quite reasonable IMO. (especially compared to MN !!)
A good shopper could find a home to spend a winter here for $150 to $300 - no problem.....depending on your wants and needs - or your wife ;). Taxes may be less than 2k a year and HOA would be well-under 2k in that scenario. MUCH CHEAPER TO LIVE HERE THAN IN MN OR WI. NO DOUBT. Of course you can buy an estate in Scottsdale for the mega-millions too. ;)
You just have to decide what you want to pay for in the above amenities. I learned that new home areas are full of out-of-towners that are all egger to meet other new people arriving. THAT has value. We have lots of neighborhood social events and I've found a number of other guys to do stuff with. Joined a shooting club and a few other clubs here. Gotta not burn out from doing too much (a common problem). Lots of areas to travel to as well.
^WB....that is what we did too. Rented for a month or two to find a lifestyle we wanted and to check it out. We went from FL to TX to AZ and many different areas. We like it here. :) Getting harder to find rentals as more folks retire tho. Prices are going up too.
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foggy
5 year old buck +
Just remember.....the best deals and the lowest prices - have the best riffraff. ;)
Kansas-andres
5 year old buck +
happy birthday foggy.......
*Hawaii5joe*
5 year old buck +
Hope you had a great birthday Foggy!
Scenttrails
5 year old buck +
Happy Birthday!
