Talk me into moving….. or not.

[GNEnsrud]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

 

[Bpracing1127]

Tons of offroading!!!

 

[evantwheeler]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

Grew up in the PNW and lived there until about the age of 30, and have been in the US southwest for the past 10 years. Parents still live in PNW, but the past 5 or so years have been slowly working towards retirement and scaling back. The weather is a non-starter for me to ever move back after experiencing the US Southwest. My parents toyed with the idea of buying a place in havasu around 2016-2017, but didn't want to be tied to always going to one place. They know they do not want to fully uproot and leave the PNW completely. They plan to downsize a bit and simplify things once they can sell the business, but they do enjoy life in the PNW, its just the late fall, winter, and early spring months drag on them after 60+ years of the same 'ol grey rainy dreary weather.

They bought a newer RV 3 years ago, and have spent 3-4 months per year on the road travelling the US. They really enjoy just seeing new places, visiting old places from an earlier time, and just kind of tooling around without a set schedule. Neither of them have big hobbies that require a trailer to tow all their junk or that leaves a hole in their existence while they are on the road. They just enjoy being with each other, cooking, reading, riding bikes or walking, and sight seeing around the areas they stop and park.

Being mid 50's, consider if you really want to re-settle down somewhere, or if your time now would be better spent being more active and adventurous before your body tells you to slow it down.

 

[Xring01]

There are Pros and Cons to pretty much everything in life…

There is also ROI for everything in life… (return on investment)…

Now you have to factor in the life style you want to live, versus the above.

I literally created a few spread sheets when I moved from CA a few years ago…
One spreadsheet was made based on the Cost of Living of the areas, that I was considering moving to.
The other one was on what hobbies I could enjoy and pro’s cons of each area..

I settled on Carson City NV for many many reasons. But we get a solid 4-5 months of winter.
But the rest of the year… Freaking amazing weather and I have Lake Tahoe 35 mins away, and pretty much all the outdoor activitys you can imagine.

Create your own spreadsheets, and get your wife involved on them… When you start putting $$$/costs/ROI on paper… it will surprise how easy the decisions are made.

 

[satellitemike]

There are Pros and Cons to pretty much everything in life…

There is also ROI for everything in life… (return on investment)…

Now you have to factor in the life style you want to live, versus the above.

I literally created a few spread sheets when I moved from CA a few years ago…
One spreadsheet was made based on the Cost of Living of the areas, that I was considering moving to.
The other one was on what hobbies I could enjoy and pro’s cons of each area..

I settled on Carson City NV for many many reasons. But we get a solid 4-5 months of winter.
But the rest of the year… Freaking amazing weather and I have Lake Tahoe 35 mins away, and pretty much all the outdoor activitys you can imagine.

Create your own spreadsheets, and get your wife involved on them… When you start putting $$$/costs/ROI on paper… it will surprise how easy the decisions are made.

Can you post what items you considered from your spreadsheet?

 

[Xring01]

Cost of Living…
Pretty much everything for the COL of areas..

State income tax, Cost of houses, property taxs, gasoline, utility costs (electricity, nat gas, water), dmv fees, smog requirements.
I did spreadsheet outlining the Western States, that I was interested in moving to… and Texas…

What I learned… CO, ID, PNW is basically almost the same costs as CA… in most areas.. Housing was a bit cheaper, pending neighborhood - neighborhood… There is a huge difference between 2000sq feet of OC house vs 2000 sq ft of Temecula house… so you have to take that into consideration to the overall metrics of your future home location.

Greater PHX area… had ROI Pros, but not quality of life pros… For me…

Nevada looked very attractive…Dig deeper but Las Vegas real estate compared to what you get in Carson City, Vegas sucks when you look at house for house in comparison to Reno/CC. To me, add in Lake Tahoe, infinite riding, much better weather IMHO, less crime…. Carson City for the Win…

But thats my math, not yours or your family. Got figure the metrics for your formula and fill in those blanks to your spreadsheet.

 

[FreeBird236]

Just a few generalizations. Bullhead or Laughlin may have some decent home prices, but you would probably want to boat on Lake Mohave, or travel So. to access the river, the casino area is not a good place to boat. The negative about Mohave would just be Katherines landing boat ramps on weekends.

I don't know a lot about it but hear a lot of good comments about Mohave Valley as far a good buys and a decent river area, you can still shop at Bullhead.

If you got the money, across from Needles on the river might be nice, I would only consider the AZ side.

Havasu probably has the most positive things, but it's getting crowded and overly expensive.

I actually don't know much about Parker, but it seems like it's either vacation trailers or very expensive, and the river in that area is too crowded for me except winter and then the waters low. I'm not trying to be negative on Parker, you probably just need to talk to someone that knows the area.

Did I mention it's Hot? Good luck

 

[X Hoser]

We’ve lived in many different places, So Cal, Havasu, Tennessee and North Idaho. What we have come to realize is that no matter where you live, the weather is gonna suck 3 months out of the year. (With maybe the exception of the beach in So Cal, which is out of my wheelhouse). Kinda like one boat doesn’t fit all needs.

 

[HNL2LHC]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

We were right where you are about 8 years ago. Looked up and down the river for a couple of years. Spent time with friends in the Parker Keys and Havasu. Have the FIL in Laughlin. So we looked just the same as you. We love the Keys but Parker is too small for me and the wife full time. Bullhead is possible but not really where the fun and activities are. I still enjoy the option of seeing a good shit show from time to time. So after a couple of years Havasu was decided on. There is so much to do in the water and desert. The town is small but can grow on the big weekends. Then you are 2.5 hours from Vegas, 3.5 hours from Phoenix and 4.5 from CA. We have been Here for a couple of years now. Wife is full time and I try to get here as often as possible. It not perfect but works for us. There are two drawbacks in our eyes, Snowbirds and Medical. The town changes with the Snowbirds. Most are nice but some are set in their ways and are crappy drivers. Medical can be challenging but then again you are 45 minutes from Kingman or 3.5 hours from Phoenix.

Best of luck to you finding that perfect spot. If you do want to check out Havasu make the trek down here grab a hotel and post up for a meet up. I have met many people just by reaching out. I’d be happy to show you around town.

 

[Jay Dub]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

Upper river is quite a different experience versus Havasu. You should try out both. The huge downside to Havasu is medical care. I you live there, you need to consider the helicopter ambulance insurance in case you need specialized care.

 

[Instigator]

Depends on your political beliefs.
If your a liberal you need to stay where you are.
If your a true Conservative or Constitutionalist then Arizona and some other parts of our Free Country will still welcome you !!

 

[zbudman]

I hope you like hot weather.

 

[boatpi]

It’s hot and there’s a decent amount of tweakers around Bullhead so just be prepared for both.
You might want to look around Boulder city or the end of Henderson you can get to Willow Beach and do some river boating there or go to Mead and the dragstrip is even closer.
Of course if you’re in Nevada, you don’t pay any state income tax, although Arizona is pretty low.

 

[Ziggy]

Depends on your political beliefs.
If your a liberal you need to stay where you are.
If your a true Conservative or Constitutionalist then Arizona and some other parts of our Free Country will still welcome you !!

Lol, I actually thought this subject would pop into the thread in the first 5 responses.

 

[Pebo]

As for drag racing they do have the little track close to Parker. They run alot of no-prep cars there. https://chuckwalla.com/drag-strip

 

[Ziggy]

If you enjoy beautiful trees you won't find them in the places you mention. The desert has its own style of beauty(which I love)but generally speaking it doesn't include much if any greenery......the pro to that is you won't be mowing lawns weekly.

 

[Ziggy]

As for drag racing they do have the little track close to Parker. They run alot of no-prep cars there. https://chuckwalla.com/drag-strip

That's still 1.5 - 2 hrs from Havasu. @SummitKarl just recently had his first sessions there.

 

[SummitKarl]

I have several customers building homes here all out of the Bend Or. area and PNW and all made the same decision AZ. is the spot, DC-88 called it like it is, I might differ on Healthcare a bit ,along the river it's awful (one for profit company owns it all) but a short drive to Kingman and I am totally happy, I just had a stent put in and it took less time to do that then to eat one of the double doubles that caused me to need it DRAG RACING!!! Havasu is the MECCA of cars, car shows and car people, and yes we drive around with open headers and slicks here. we have a active group in Havasu see the facebook link below, I am leaving in the Morning for Chuckwalla for a big event, $7k sponsor + $200 buy in and I bet there will be $30k in the pot when it's said and done. if that is not good enough I may or may not be able to tell you where to make some "street money"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/609676789232701

 

[SummitKarl]

Depends on your political beliefs.
If your a liberal you need to stay where you are.
If your a true Conservative or Constitutionalist then Arizona and some other parts of our Free Country will still welcome you !!

obviously you missed the "DRAG RACER" part, There are no Libtards or Pronouns in Drag Racing

 

[Gelcoater]

It’s hot and there’s a decent amount of tweakers around Bullhead so just be prepared for both.
You might want to look around Boulder city or the end of Henderson you can get to Willow Beach and do some river boating there or go to Mead and the dragstrip is even closer.
Of course if you’re in Nevada, you don’t pay any state income tax, although Arizona is pretty low.

Reading the OP, Henderson/Boulder popped into my head as well.
Close to Vegas for the drags racing program, close to Mead.
Fishing is good in Mead if the OP is into it.
There’s no gambling in Boulder so it stays at a slower pace, some decent food, breweries, saw many classics and street rods whenever I’ve been there.

I’m not even a fan of desert living but if I didn’t have to work anymore I’d consider it.

 

[boatpi]

I could tell you this we kept our house at Huntington Beach California and moved to Las Vegas about 5 1/2 years ago never looked back. We made a bunch of new friends here. There is a car culture here, but it’s very different than in California.. of course I’m a upper income now, but the money we save on income tax is beyond belief.

Of course, Las Vegas is entertainment of the world so as the years went by, we found a good spots to really enjoy some nightlife and I don’t mean being up to 1 AM. I’m too old for that bullshit and some great reasonably priced restaurants all off strip.
It’s in different culture here, but it doesn’t take long to adjust, government very responsive unlike California.

if you want to build things and now the construction pace is slow down it’s a little easier to get things done
If you end up coming to Southern Nevada you may want to look at Southwest valley,somewhat country, feel yet most anything you want daily is within a few minutes away. No apartments and no section 8 within miles of our house. Living where I do is like living in La Quinta California. See zip code 89113.

You find yourself later in life doing some traveling McCarran airport at Las Vegas has a lot of fights that are quite reasonable because of so many people flying in for conventions. now the international terminal is just growing and growing we expect nonstop flights to Asia coming next, they already go to Europe nonstop.

The crime rate relatively low and Las Vegas Metro Police Department is in a standing department plus they have helicopters in the air most of the time The good thing is we have a good sheriff in southern Nevada, and the governor is moderate Republican who is the former sheriff is in his first term I fully expected him to get reelected next time around.

Just a lot of good things going on. If you are target shooting things of that nature, we live in the southwest and 21 minutes in my house I could shoot anything just shy of a cannon in the desert.

 

[4Waters]

I towed my racecar 1.5 hours to LACR a couple times a month, Vegas won't be that bad.

 

[poncho]

Took me a long time to leave the Seattle area but once I did not a single thing about that place is missed. I'm there traveling through several times a year for work and every time is an excellent reminder I made the right choice, don't miss the traffic, rain or the insane liberal policies.

 

[rivermobster]

Grew up in the PNW and lived there until about the age of 30, and have been in the US southwest for the past 10 years. Parents still live in PNW, but the past 5 or so years have been slowly working towards retirement and scaling back. The weather is a non-starter for me to ever move back after experiencing the US Southwest. My parents toyed with the idea of buying a place in havasu around 2016-2017, but didn't want to be tied to always going to one place. They know they do not want to fully uproot and leave the PNW completely. They plan to downsize a bit and simplify things once they can sell the business, but they do enjoy life in the PNW, its just the late fall, winter, and early spring months drag on them after 60+ years of the same 'ol grey rainy dreary weather.

They bought a newer RV 3 years ago, and have spent 3-4 months per year on the road travelling the US. They really enjoy just seeing new places, visiting old places from an earlier time, and just kind of tooling around without a set schedule. Neither of them have big hobbies that require a trailer to tow all their junk or that leaves a hole in their existence while they are on the road. They just enjoy being with each other, cooking, reading, riding bikes or walking, and sight seeing around the areas they stop and park.

Being mid 50's, consider if you really want to re-settle down somewhere, or if your time now would be better spent being more active and adventurous before your body tells you to slow it down.

This makes buckets of sense...

 

[n2otoofast4u]

I am a bit younger than you, but also live in the PNW (Camas WA). I used to LOVE snowmobiling, LOVED the winters, etc. I am fkn OVER it! I have sold off the sleds and we find ourselves spending more and more time in the SW, and recently have fell in love with LOTO. I recently opened an office in Phoenix and am spending 10 days give or take a month down there. The kid graduates in 4 years, and then we are out of here. We are looking at buying a condo in PHX, keeping our 1bed 1 bath rental here, and building/buying a house in LOTO. I, much like you, feel like I am missing out on WAYYYY to much (including happiness) going on 6 months out of the year. Keeping a small place here will allow us to VRBO it when not here but come back during the summer. I can work in PHX, as can the wife, and we are long drive, or a direct flight to LOTO. We are aligning ourselves for 3 small houses in targeted places that we can utilize to create the best lifestyle we can.

 

[rivermobster]

I am a bit younger than you, but also live in the PNW (Camas WA). I used to LOVE snowmobiling, LOVED the winters, etc. I am fkn OVER it! I have sold off the sleds and we find ourselves spending more and more time in the SW, and recently have fell in love with LOTO. I recently opened an office in Phoenix and am spending 10 days give or take a month down there. The kid graduates in 4 years, and then we are out of here. We are looking at buying a condo in PHX, keeping our 1bed 1 bath rental here, and building/buying a house in LOTO. I, much like you, feel like I am missing out on WAYYYY to much (including happiness) going on 6 months out of the year. Keeping a small place here will allow us to VRBO it when not here but come back during the summer. I can work in PHX, as can the wife, and we are long drive, or a direct flight to LOTO. We are aligning ourselves for 3 small houses in targeted places that we can utilize to create the best lifestyle we can.

So just a summer pad in LOTO? The winter there is BRUTAL!

 

[Gelcoater]

So just a summer pad in LOTO? The winter there is BRUTAL!

Summer in Havasu is too.
Just a different type of brutality.

 

[rivermobster]

Summer in Havasu is too.
Just a different type of brutality.

But it's a dry heat!

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Summer in Havasu is too.
Just a different type of brutality.

Ice storms are a bitch. They bring a different level of suck. Tornadoes and Hail do as well. When I was 13/14 we rode out a fast moving storm in Laurie/sunrise beach in a covered dock with golfball plus hail falling. I don't mind to visit places like the ozarks, and lake Lanier etc....but I'd never live there.

 

[2Driver]

Doesn't sound like you have been there at all or much? Id come down and spend 3 or 4 days in each area. If you are thinking full time then do it in summer.

The river isn't for everyone. Some people just hate it, whether it's the topography, weather, lack of services or the type of people.... it isn't for everyone. People on here are mostly die-hard river folks, not everyone is.

 

[PlanB]

Ice storms are a bitch. They bring a different level of suck. Tornadoes and Hail do as well. When I was 13/14 we rode out a fast moving storm in Laurie/sunrise beach in a covered dock with golfball plus hail falling. I don't mind to visit places like the ozarks, and lake Lanier etc....but I'd never live there.

When I was in the Army I spent time in Kentucky, Alabama and Texas. The weather in these southern states can be brutal.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Stay at a hotel in Laughlin. Bullhead, Boulder, Henderson and, of course, Laughlin itself can easily be checked out from there. Boating in Bullhead - that section of the river contains the highest number of PWC rentals anywhere in the SW during boating season. Havasu - again stay a few days at a hotel. Get a feel for the area. LHC has a multitude of 7 figure homes now. If you have an existing medical condition, a place closer to LV may be best.

 

[cofooter]

Go rent a place for 12 mths and experience the climate, the towns, the recreation options, the locals, the tourists, etc. Only then will you know if that is the place for you, your investment, and your happy life....... Lots of people that move there have been vacationing in the area for years and already know it well.

 

[GNEnsrud]

We’ll be in Havasu for 2 weeks 6/24 - 7/5 this year. We’ll certainly learn a lot then. Renting a place for a while before investing may be a good idea, maybe not.…. I despise paying for other peoples investments. But for a year or less it could be money well spent.
LOTO certainly looks like a fun place to party, but I’m not sure the weather is much of a step up from where we’re at now, and the Southwest just feel like where I’m drawn to. LOTO is on the vacation bucket list, I’m sure we’ll drag out there someday.

I’ll expand my research to include Kingman and up to the Henderson area as well; Thanks for the tip. The wife absolutely LOVES Vegas. Not sure being to close TOO that place would work in my favor

this is exactly what I hoped for…. Lots of ideas, lots of first hand experience to draw from. Thanks for the insight, Keep the conversation rolling.

 

[napanutt]

Took me a long time to leave the Seattle area but once I did not a single thing about that place is missed. I'm there travelling through several times a year for work and every time is an excellent reminder I made the right choice, don't miss the traffic, rain or the insane liberal policies.

Is your current state that much better than over there?

 

[poncho]

Is your current state that much better than over there?

Boston in the city no, where I'm at yes.

 

[badgas]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

As the years keep peeling off the calendar this becomes more in focus. If you want a book to give you some motivation check out " die with zero" by Bill Perkins.

Good luck with your decision.

You will get to see a lot of action in Havasu on the 4th of July, Don't judge it by that holiday. We love Havasu year round but we do skip holidays due to crowds on the lake and in the town. If I lived there full time I would stay home by the pool on Holidays.

 

[Bakotrash]

I have lived in Boulder City for about 5 years now and absolutely love it! Quiet small town feel with no crime and only 30 minutes from some of the best food and entertainment in the country. My family also has a place in Bullhead City (PVM) that we mainly use on the weekends in the summer. People are not wrong about the PWC mess around the casinos, but if you stay south of rotary park you don't even notice them. I would absolutely live in Bullhead City/Fort Mojave...........sure there are tweakers, but there are tweakers everywhere. I don't go crawling around the Riviera at night, so I never see them. PM if you have any questions.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I was stationed at Ft Lewis for two years back in the '70s. I don't think the weather has changed much since then. The PNW is a beautiful place but man, that weather is depressing.

On the other hand, I lived in Vegas are for three years and I found the constant heat to be brutal. I did spend a lot of time on Lake mead and Havasu but having to deal with it on a day to day basis for most of the year was too much for me. I also didn't care for the dry lifeless Mojave desert which doesn't provide for much variety.

I do love running The River and will be making some trips down there to do so, I just could not live in that environment full time. I would definitely recommend spending some extended time during the summer peak heat time before making a permanent move. Some people love it and others like it for the first couple years but grow tired of it after a while.

 

[sprintcvx]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

We did just that. We're a little older at 59. We left Gig Harbor (just west of Tacoma) and settled in Bullhead City. Sometime in 2023 my wife had had enough of working for the City of Tacoma (34 years) and wanted to retire and we were also very tired of the weather. I was self-employed in residential construction and have only worked with one other guy for the past 15 years, so I could get away whenever. We started to plan and knew we wanted to be somewhere where we could still boat and offroad. I've been on this site for a while, and we (she) started looking between Bullhead and Havasu. My wife is a heart patient, so we needed to be close to appropriate heath care. Put the house on the market in Sept/23 and it sold in 6 weeks. Sold almost everything inside at auction, bought an RV, towed my wife's car and a buddy drag the boat down for us. Lived in the RV for four months while we looked for a house. With the help of the beautiful and talented RDP BHC relator, @Mrs. Shiver River we found a place in a 55+ gated community (LOVE IT!) and plan to travel in the RV when it gets too hot. Side note, the wind blows like a mfer down here.

Leaving behind the almost 60 years of friends & family (3rd generation Gig Harborite) was a challenge, don't get me wrong, but we really didn't get to see or do much with them, in the rain, anyways! Everyone is planning on coming down here where the sun shines to visit, dig those SW $89 flights from Vegas to SeaTac! Do not miss the Washington Politics either! See you soon!

 

[Long Way Home]

I have been looking for the perfect place to live out my time but I found it's not out there.
See if you can keep a place where you are at that you can visit during the good weather times as most people stay a few hour's drive of at least some of their extended friends/family/grand kids..
Is it important to you that health care and proximity to a hospital, if so Try to stay near a medical and hospital with great to first-class health care.
The desert weather. When I was young the 125 degree (July-Aug) desert weather did not affect me as long as I was in the water/boat, but I cant do that anymore as I can't deal with the outside heat and I would get cabin fever staying inside during this time, The desert wind in the spring time will drive you crazy at times.
So everybody will need a place to escape to, From Havasu, LV/Boulder City or Phoenix travel to Flagstaff for a few days/weeks or back home PNW area to get out of the heat. Their are a few Arizona mountain towns to explore during this time.

Check this sit out..................

Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. Sperling's BestPlaces

Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more.

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2024 Compare Cities Overview: Lake Havasu City, AZ vs Bullhead City, AZ

Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more.

www.bestplaces.net

 

[mash on it]

Below Bullhead Community Park is rock bars. No sandbars here.

The wind only blows twice a year.
Once from the north. (winter)
And once from the south (summer)
Lake Mohave only gets blown out on days that end in Y.

Casino row jet skis are thicker than flies on shit, and their brains are left at the dock. (Think demolition derby with an open bar)

Medical? Kingman over Bullhead city. But really not much better, but I'm still above dirt, so there's that.

Bullhead gets about 5 inches of rain a year.
What they don't tell ya is it happens in 15 minutes.

Snow bird traffic is almost as bad as the summer visitor traffic.

Over 120° is a heat wave.
110+° is just an ordinary day.
Over 100° at midnight isn't unusual.
But it's a dry heat.

Other than that, it's perfect.

Dan'l

 

[poncho]

We did just that. We're a little older at 59. We left Gig Harbor (just west of Tacoma) and settled in Bullhead City. Sometime in 2023 my wife had had enough of working for the City of Tacoma (34 years) and wanted to retire and we were also very tired of the weather. I was self-employed in residential construction and have only worked with one other guy for the past 15 years, so I could get away whenever. We started to plan and knew we wanted to be somewhere where we could still boat and offroad. I've been on this site for a while, and we (she) started looking between Bullhead and Havasu. My wife is a heart patient, so we needed to be close to appropriate heath care. Put the house on the market in Sept/23 and it sold in 6 weeks. Sold almost everything inside at auction, bought an RV, towed my wife's car and a buddy drag the boat down for us. Lived in the RV for four months while we looked for a house. With the help of the beautiful and talented RDP BHC relator, @Mrs. Shiver River we found a place in a 55+ gated community (LOVE IT!) and plan to travel in the RV when it gets too hot. Side note, the wind blows like a mfer down here.

Leaving behind the almost 60 years of friends & family (3rd generation Gig Harborite) was a challenge, don't get me wrong, but we really didn't get to see or do much with them, in the rain, anyways! Everyone is planning on coming down here where the sun shines to visit, dig those SW $89 flights from Vegas to SeaTac! Do not miss the Washington Politics either! See you soon!

When I was involved in circle racing in the NW there was a large contingent of comp jet guy's out of Gig Harbor that were a great bunch that brought some really nice hardware to every race.

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

The wife and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire adult lives. Currently in our mid-50’s and retirement is getting to the point where I can actually see it out there. We’ve been grinding away for decades and are now in the position where we both have some flexibility in our careers and with finances.

I can’t shake the feeling that I’m short-changing myself by spending my whole life in one spot. I have roots and family here, and dont get me wrong, the Northwest is a great place to live….. but good god am I sick of the weather. I recently had an epiphany that if you measure your life by the amount of smiles and fun you pack into it, I’m effectively shortening my life by living in a place with maximum 5-6 months of good warm weather a year. This brings me to the point of my post…..

I’ve been looking at places in on the Colorado river area of AZ. Essentially from Laughlin / Bullhead to Parker. I certainly see that up north is more affordable; Bullhead City looks downright advantageous coming from where I’m at. The river lifestyle as chronicled here at RDP is a big draw, as is the 300 days a year of sunshine. I drag race, so that’s a fly in the ointment, as the closest drag strip (Vegas) is nearly 2 hrs away. But I golf, boat, and enjoy our RV as well.

Help me see this picture more clearly. What other things are great about the greater Havasu / Co River area, and maybe more importantly, what are the drawbacks?

Fire away…..

GNE

LAUGHLIN' RANCH, custom homes and trac homes.

 

[jperog]

So just a summer pad in LOTO? The winter there is BRUTAL!

I have homes in Florida, Northern Michigan and LOTO. The last two years we have spent 10 months at LOTO. The winters are nowhere near brutal or I wouldn't be there. No traffic, great amenities, and great people make it a great place.

Joe

 

[Ducksquasher]

I have homes in Florida, Northern Michigan and LOTO. The last two years we have spent 10 months at LOTO. The winters are nowhere near brutal or I wouldn't be there. No traffic, great amenities, and great people make it a great place.

Joe

Please explain nowhere near brutal?

 

[rivermobster]

I have homes in Florida, Northern Michigan and LOTO. The last two years we have spent 10 months at LOTO. The winters are nowhere near brutal or I wouldn't be there. No traffic, great amenities, and great people make it a great place.

Joe

I live in SoCal...

Anything below 60 is brutal to me!

But 11 degrees? As Rainman would say...

Definitely, definitely not, definitely not..

 

[Orange Juice]

Don’t forget Yuma.
Daily travel into Mexico is minutes
San Diego is a day trip.
Glamis Sand Dunes minutes away.

 

[rivermobster]

The perfect place to live Climate wise is the central Ca coast. But one, it's Beyond expensive and two, it's still in CA with all fucked up politicians!

I went all through the PNW last summer. So beautiful. But too many rainbow flags for me.

Loved Idaho. Felt like I went back in time 40 years up there.

East of the Rockies? Sorry, but I can't do humidity or ice storms. F that.

For me, a small humble pad in northern Idaho, and get the fuck outta Dodge for the winter could work.

To live I the desert Full time? That's a big nope for this guy.

 

[sprintcvx]

When I was involved in circle racing in the NW there was a large contingent of comp jet guy's out of Gig Harbor that were a great bunch that brought some really nice hardware to every race.

Where did you guys race up there? Spanaway Lake? American Lake? We didn;t go to many lakes, unless there was a waterski course on it.