Buying land in AZ or FL.

[carl2591]

So i was looking around and found a listing for 2 lots in Willcox AZ which, and this is not the norm for AZ land, has water, elec and gas to the lot. That alone is worth the price of admission

This is near the Willcox Muni Golf Course..and there are a couple other mobile homes in the area and the price is right. The lots are approved for MH's but not sure what else.

I am not sure how we might use this or even if this is something like this would be something we could use. But I was thinking i could put a storage building on the lot with a few thing like refrigerator, freezer maybe something with small appliances etc.

So any input good or bad about this idea.. another thought was to buy a lot in florida for residency stuff..

just thinking outside the box so to speak.

[SteveH]

Have you ever been to Wilcox, AZ? I fail to see any reasonable way to compare it with anywhere in Florida.

[Tincampers]

I can. Florida is awful. Too crowded, they are now using red light cameras and have shortened the yellow light so you don't stand a chance. I will take AZ over anything FL has to offer.

[Msmoto]

Gosh, the "I Want Land" thread....LOL

Colorado, see the RV pad at El Moro, CO Address may be copied and pasted into Google Maps

37.242853N, 104.466851W

280 Acres

Send PM

[xrvr]

If you think Fl is crowded then you've never stopped in the northern half of the state. AZ. Is nice, though. Two totally dif environments. My choice, norther new mex or north Georgia. You got a ticket, huh? Jim

[A W Warn]

Never been to AZ. I like Florida during winter. In the areas away from the coast and away from the large towns there are plenty of wide open spaces without crowds. There's actually a lot of farm land, huge tracts of undeveloped land, and plenty of public land to explore.
Before we retired, we would occasionally "discuss" owning a place as a vacation destination. (I would bring it up and she would say no way). We finally decided, after we retired, to rent. It's just easier! And, if we decide that we do not like what's happening at one place we can move on to another. Though, we have no plans to move on. We have made good friends in the 55+ RV park community where we rent a year round lot. I think we will be there during winter when we are no longer able to handle traveling with our Airstream. We have the ability to purchase a second home if we want, but the social aspect of the RV community we have found appeals to us. It feels like home, almost as much as our sticks and bricks home where our family lives.
The other things that we enjoy about where we rent: Someone else maintains the lawn, facilities, and buildings. We have access to the pool, clubhouse activities, and group activities outside our RV park. We do not deal with taxes or insurance related to the property. We can leave our trailer parked/stored on our lot or travel as we please. There is security in having the same close neighbors. Even when we are not there our neighbors watch out for our trailer and they do notice if anything is different. We do not worry that we will get a bad camping site, since we always have the same one.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

If you think Fl is crowded then you've never stopped in the northern half of the state. AZ. Is nice, though. Two totally dif environments. My choice, norther new mex or north Georgia. You got a ticket, huh? Jim

Yep. Some podunk town over there somewhere. I haven't been to AZ in a number of years. North Ga is no good anymore. Development everywhere. Big houses on top of all the mountains. Trees cut down so they can see the view.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by mrprez

...................Development everywhere. Big houses on top of all the mountains. Trees cut down so they can see the view.

I hate that. It also happening along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

[carl2591]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

Never been to AZ. I like Florida during winter. In the areas away from the coast and away from the large towns there are plenty of wide open spaces without crowds. There's actually a lot of farm land, huge tracts of undeveloped land, and plenty of public land to explore.
Before we retired, we would occasionally "discuss" owning a place as a vacation destination. (I would bring it up and she would say no way). We finally decided, after we retired, to rent. It's just easier! And, if we decide that we do not like what's happening at one place we can move on to another. Though, we have no plans to move on. We have made good friends in the 55+ RV park community where we rent a year round lot. I think we will be there during winter when we are no longer able to handle traveling with our Airstream. We have the ability to purchase a second home if we want, but the social aspect of the RV community we have found appeals to us. It feels like home, almost as much as our sticks and bricks home where our family lives.
The other things that we enjoy about where we rent: Someone else maintains the lawn, facilities, and buildings. We have access to the pool, clubhouse activities, and group activities outside our RV park. We do not deal with taxes or insurance related to the property. We can leave our trailer parked/stored on our lot or travel as we please. There is security in having the same close neighbors. Even when we are not there our neighbors watch out for our trailer and they do notice if anything is different. We do not worry that we will get a bad camping site, since we always have the same one.

Alan
thanks,, that is the kind of info i was looking for. While i have not been to Willcox i have been to that area as in phoenix, which i would not live in year around especially during summer.

The effort was more to have a place, somewhere out west in the lower sections where the real cold does not go to and during summer where it not the 110 like in phoenix.

The info about a 55+ community sound like a nice place. I like florida my self and summer is not bad close to the coast. I did find some lots in Interlachen, Florida, as well.. its not on the coast but close. Up near St Augustine and west of I-95 between gainesville and the coast. . Some of the places are on dirt roads but there are other homes in the area but not that many.

So now I wonder about the 55+ places and buying/renting a lot in there. I am not familiar with places in Florida or AZ so any idea for place welcome, and links if you have them..

[SteveH]

I was taken out of context....Arizona in general, is nice. Southern is nice in the winter, and the higher elevations in the North are great in the summer.

But Wilcox????? There's a reason that land is for sale.

I suggest you go there and rent an RV space for a month or two and see how you like it.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by carl2591

..........So now I wonder about the 55+ places and buying/renting a lot in there. I am not familiar with places in Florida or AZ so any idea for place welcome, and links if you have them..

What I would suggest is for you to go look around in areas you are interested in. Internet searches are not very fruitful, since most of those places don't have a website. The few that do exaggerate what they really are.
I started going to the area 50-70 miles southwest of Orlando about 25 years ago, taking my parents when they got to old to travel on their own. That area is where we go now. My wife likes a more suburban location than I do, for shopping, restaurants, etc., so we compromised. We are on the outskirts of a small/medium size town with a population of ~10,000. Population balloons somewhat during winter, but it's no worse than where you and I live in NC.

add edit:
Another thing we like, that I did not mention before: it's a one day drive if we need to get home quickly. We (DW especially) will always want to have our home in NC.

[Bill M.]

We lease a lot year around in a 55+ park in Dade City, Fl. Lots of amenities. $3000 a year. They cut the grass. You could try something like that while you look for a lot. I like the lease arrangement better than owning a lot.

[polarlyse]

There may be lots of reason to criticize Florida and that could be debated enough to put us to sleep BUT open spaces is not one of them. The largest cattle ranch in the country is in FLORIDA. Go figure. I can't really say much about Arizona having been there only once. I enjoyed that visit and would like to see more.

[LHall]

Willcox is kind of a road side stop along I-10 in So AZ. There is actually a town there that is somewhat quaint, and there are lots of things to do and see in that part of the state. You are not far from AZ Wine country in the Patagonia, and Sonoita Area, Bisbee, Douglas, and the famous Tombstone. Additionally, it is an easy trip to see the ruins at City of Rocks, NM. Also the Chiricahua National Monument and mountain reserve area is very near. I am a little biased, fell in love with AZ 12 years ago when I moved here.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

There may be lots of reason to criticize Florida and that could be debated enough to put us to sleep BUT open spaces is not one of them. The largest cattle ranch in the country is in FLORIDA. Go figure. I can't really say much about Arizona having been there only once. I enjoyed that visit and would like to see more.

You can have my share. I live 45 minutes from FL and I choose to rarely go there.

[KJRitchie]

I took a peek on Google maps and street view of Wilcox in general and the area around the golf course (Twin Lakes) and it's not very appealing. I wouldn't want to invest in land there. You may not be able to get rid of it if it didn't work out for you.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

.................. I wouldn't want to invest in land there. You may not be able to get rid of it if it didn't work out for you.

I think one could say the same, about the ability to get rid of property in a timely manner in any area where seniors retire to or spend winters in mass. Wherever seniors are, there's going to be a large turnover of properties as we "age out". That's something I do not want my children to have to deal with.

[pappy19]

Originally Posted by LHall

Willcox is kind of a road side stop along I-10 in So AZ. There is actually a town there that is somewhat quaint, and there are lots of things to do and see in that part of the state. You are not far from AZ Wine country in the Patagonia, and Sonoita Area, Bisbee, Douglas, and the famous Tombstone. Additionally, it is an easy trip to see the ruins at City of Rocks, NM. Also the Chiricahua National Monument and mountain reserve area is very near. I am a little biased, fell in love with AZ 12 years ago when I moved here.

My folks lived(and my mom is still in Tally) for 50 years, all over FLA. I have also lived and worked in Arizona for a number of years. The bottom line is whether you want the beach and crowds, along with the humidity in Florida or do you want desert solitude, low humidity, and a few dust storms. Both states have their fair share of bugs, but Florida have many more of them and snakes/gaters. Arizona has rattlesnakes but not as many as does Florida. Florida has fire ants and Arizona has some monster scorpions. Florida has raccoons and Arizona has roof rats. I guess I like the versatility that Arizona has with the mountains and the vastness of desert wilderness. Yet, you can go to Bisbee, the White Mountains or Flagstaff and get completely out of the heat of summer. So in the end, it's just what you like the most, beaches/Disneyworld, or the western scene in Arizona; for me, it's Arizona.

[fmr.capt.evi]

I hope reincarnation isn't true...then I'll never have to go back to Disney World again.

[perryg114]

If you pick FL, I would stay in the pan handle and north of Gainsville. South of Gainsville, FL is too crowded. Central FL around Orlando is the worst. I think there is an Airstream park near Pensacola.

Perry