Yah, I rather liked the East side of Tucson. Especially when snow covered the Saguaro cacti!

Going up to Mt Lemon to esape the July Tucson heat was always a treat. o "valley fever" issues up there either.

I always loved driving north from Phoenix up through the Black Canyon to Flag.

Sedona was especially beautiful, but it reminded me a lot of Carmel, at least the CBD part - it seemed too "precious", like it knew what it was...

The old territorial capitol, was pretty neat. I almost moved there in the late1980's. But I hear it was about to be "discovered"- with the predictable attendant results....

The Arizonans I knew as friends, all liked to vacation in Pinetop or hop over to San Diego for their "ocean fix", a surprisingly quick straight shot West on 8. I have been meaning to get down to Rocky Point in Mexico, across the southern border, Puerto Peñasco is supposed to be really fun and pretty affordable and safe too.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

It's safe. I've been going there since I was a kid. It's hurting some now, PP's economy follows Arizona / Ca more than it does the rest of Mexico. Huge RE crash there too. Good condo deals.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

from wiki:
Puerto Peñasco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Looks like a road trip there cold be in the offing.

Your info comports with what I read in a current RE magazine at the Mercedes Benz dealer waiting room when I had the "Red Plum" in there a few days ago for na 4 wheel new alignment for the new tires, that I bought last week.

And now Autumn has started, sounds like a cooler mment to get there now that July and August's infernal desert heat has faded.



And I had friends from Tucson that like to go there to party, you could come with all the fresh caught shrimp you wanted @ $8 a big bucket, along with the Tucson restaurants that got theirs there.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

It's an easy 2.5 hours or so from Tucson. The crossing at Lukeville/Sonoyta can be tedious on weekends. Don't miss Licores Vasquez on your way thru Sonoyta. Originally a little booze and curio store, they've taken over an entire block of shops in the last 25 years and sell every sort of thing a gringo tourist is likely to want, from ice to beer to booze to clothing and high end furniture. The taqueria right outside is great for cheap tacos de carne asada, and about 100 ft. up on the same block is an old style tortilleria with great flour tortillas, stock up on them on your way to RP and you'll be back for more to take home on your way north.

In college, we figured driving distance to RP thusly:
Tempe to Gila Bend, 1 six pack
Gila Bend to Lukeville 2 six packs
Lukeville to RP, 2 six packs
You could be on the beach for just a bit more than a case of beer.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

That would be my choice as well. I like Tucson.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Then again, there is the oft given advice . . . buy low, etc. Depending on the property, I believe that the PHX market has either hit or come close to bottom and is rising.

From Forbes, September 19. 2012

Phoenix, one of the hardest-hit cities during the bust, has roared back this year. Though many sales are still in the distressed category, median prices are through the roof – up 25 percent in the past 12 months. Inventory is down nearly 30 percent, and houses that are listed sell in a median 48 days.

Everything in Flagstaff costs 20 percent more than it does anywhere else in the state, except for real estate, which is half again as much. This is because people in Flagstaff apparently produce poo that has no odor, and college students can afford 5 dollar coffee with daddy's moolah.
There is some good beer made up there though, and a nice mesquite smoked whiskey. So there's that.
Check out KNAU the local NPR station's excellent multi part broadcast "Poverty With A View".
"Poverty with a View" Podcast : NPR Podcasts

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

I know the place is expensive. Places that are nice to be usually are.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Nice.
If you say so.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Nice, in terms of it's climate and outdoor recreational opportunities as opposed to Phoenix. Though the traffic congestion does suck. A constricted road network too small for the populace, about on a par with Tucson in that regard. Despite Phoenix's size it's almost better than both Tucson and Flag traffic wise, though that in itself is not sufficient reason to be here.

Folks have mentioned Scorpions. I'm currently waging war on them myself. Just killed a whopper about an hour ago. That's about eight in the last month.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Ive heard it refired to as The flagstaff ripoff on citiview.com

She came from Providence, the one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea

She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way and how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere to the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand or a place to hide

going to be in the gilbert area if i can. or chandler.

definitely renting for about a year, before we make any buy decisions...

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93 300E 2.8 - The Beezy
05 Mazda3 Hatch - The Zoom

http://www.fuelly.com/smallsig-us/66774.png
http://www.fuelly.com/smallsig-us/24183.png

my inlaws live in gilbert. def a nice area. do be prepared for scorpions though.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Wonder if it may be a worthwhile consideration of getting a fixed price option to buy when renting if area prices are tending upward 25 percent in the last year? Otherwise you may live to regret not buying on arrival. Then if prices escallate further even if you do not want the place you should make a profit. If not just do not exercise the option. Not much downside here. The option may have little to no cost. A lot woulkd depend on your abilities on the otherhand there is nothing like the present time to learn. As my grandmother used to say money and oportunity are made with your mind not your hands.

If there is still excess supply you should be able to do this fairtly easy. At forty eight days average listing time though it does sound like that may not be the case still. There also could be a surplus with properties being held back to give an appearance of less supply than is really there. Games in this current economy are probably almost endless or might become so.