LT'S S2K

Hello Flagstaff/Arizona peeps ,

I haven't been very active on the forum in a long time, but I continue to lurk.
Anyways, I may be moving/relocated to Flagstaff soon. Possibly by May time frame.
I have been researching Flagstaff via web: weather, housing, etc.
These are the sites I've been so far. Pretty much Google "Flagstaff, AZ" and "Flagstaff Realty"
http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/
http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/
http://www.flagguide.com/
http://www.flaghomes.com/index.cfm?f...n=housingareas (this has been most helpful so far regarding estimated $$$ for homes, but no pictures!!!)
http://www.bestflagstaffhomes.com/

But, I wanted a local's feedback and advice regarding...
Weather: how bad is it? Average temp according to the sites are fairly low, but not too bad.
How much does it snow? It looks like 6 months of winter and 6 months of Spring/light Summer/Fall. Not too hot as I would've imagined Arizona to be.
How about rain? Is it dry like the desert?
I guess what I'm asking is... Can I drive an S all year or should I look for an AWD

Housing. Where's a good location? Flagstaff doesn't look too big. So, where is a better neighborhood per say. North, South, East, West, SE, SW, NE, NW, etc?
For example, SE Washington DC is to be avoid at all cost for tourists and for most locals; Northern part of Arlington, VA is for rich folks, while Southern part is slightly more affordable; so on and so forth.
I'm looking to buy either a 2-bedroom+ townhouse or a single family home up to $300-350k. Where would you recommend and why? Any new housing district that fits my needs?
No kids, just wife, so school is not an issue at this time.
Any realtors here?

Anything else you could add?
The outdoor life looks amazing. I'll learn to ski/snowboard. Love hiking, mountain biking, running. Grand Canyon doesn't look too far away. There's a lake nearby. Vegas isn't too far away. Etc.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

LT

replica

If the S is your only car, I would definitely give it up for an AWD. Flag is an older town, so the roads can be rough and the weather can be snowy/icy at times. Otherwise, buy a beater 4x4 for the bad weather days. If you need mortgage help, shoot me a PM. Good luck!

l8brakr

^Dude, Bryan. Don't tell me you're in mortgage too. This is getting comical.

ceo2b

Well, I think I'm the only Flagstaff peep on the board (although I've started to see a few more cars up here), so here's a start from a local...

Weather: Winters can be bitter cold and windy - at least from the perspective of somebody living in Phoenix. If you're from Minnesota, you'll be walking around in shorts all winter. Summers have been getting warmer lately - very dry humidity with 80 degrees in the summer months. Nights cool off nicely - sometimes a bit too much. Winters are typically mild. Lots of 40 degree days, again with low humidity. We usually get a decent amount of snow - but none so far this year. The nice thing is that you can get a blizzard that messes everything up for a day or two - then nice warm temperatures with clear blue skies afterward. Not much of this bleak gray winter weather. So, if you're a fair-weather guy (not into extreme heat or cold) you should do fine. As far as length of seasons, I'd say it's pretty much equal fall, winter, spring, and summer as far as temperature goes. We dont' get a lot of rain - with most coming during the monsoon seasons of July and August.

The one thing to keep in mind about the weather here is that it changes frequently. You average out about equal between seasons, but it was 65 degrees here Christmas Day this year, and I've seen snow in July. The great thing is that in the winter, about the time you're really sick of the cold, you get a few days of warmth. And in the summer, when it gets uncomfortably hot (most of us don't have a/c up here and a 90 degree day can warm up your house pretty good), you get a few cool days in the middle.

Like replica says (although I'd probably argue with the 'older town' remark given the current growth and development going on), the roads up here pretty much suck. This is mostly due to the extreme temperature shifts. Last winter we got a lot of snow and had a wet spring. Both unusual and both took a toll on the pavement. This winter it's been dry, with highs often in the 50s or 60s, but then it got down to 6 or 7 degrees a couple of nights. These huge swings are not good for the roads. Plus, when we do get snow, the cinders they use on the roads linger and don't do your front end any good.

I would recommend a daily driver, but AWD / 4x4 are not necessary. Until now (bought an AWD Pilot) I've only had front wheel drive cars and I've never had a problem in my 15 years of living up here. There are plenty of fantastic S2000 drives to be had within close vicinity, though.

Housing: Expensive compared to salaries. However, for $350,000 you can get into a nice 1500 sq foot townhouse, or a reasonable 1200 to 1500 square foot house. Each area of town has it's premium and lesser desireable areas - part of our charm I guess. I'd recommend the Elk Run / Country Club area or Boulder Point area for a nice townhome or duplex. If you want a house for $350, would go to outside of town (within 10 miles) to Kachina Village, Bellemont, Cheshire, or even Doney Park. $350 doesn't buy you much right in town any more - but you can still find some bargains on the outskirts.

Realtors: There are a lot up here. I know a few good ones so if you get serious about coming here, I would be happy to make some recommendations. I can absolutely inform you about several to steer clear from. Also, I recently had the best mortgage broker experience of my life - who now has my business for life. Sometimes it's nice to use someone local who is well established in the community. (Not to knock anyone on the board who offers mortgage services, though!)

Other: Most people love it here (me) or hate it (seminole2001, for example). The outdoor activity here is amazing. The air is clean. I moved 10 miles outside of town and it still only takes me 15 minutes to get to work. There are stars in the sky. (I know, the Phoenix guys don't quite get that one... ) and countless other great things up here. I travelled just about every week for a few years, and never found a place I'd rather be - even if money was no object.

The biggest problem here is employment - there isn't any. I work at Gore - the largest private employer in town. I'm lucky. Let me know what you do and I can probably point you in the right direction. There is opportunity here, though. Good climate for small business growth, lots of growth and development in the community, and it's a college town. So if you're the entrepreneurial type, opportunities abound. If you want an employer, there isn't a huge selection that will help you make the mortgage payment on a $350K house.

I'd really suggest coming up here while the weather is cold before you decide to move. I would be happy to show you around or meet for a coffee to talk more. Email is dhitesman@msn.com

Good luck with your decision making!

LT'S S2K

ceo2b,

Thanks for your input. That was exactly what I was looking for.
I'll definitely hit you up when/if I get relocated.
If I move, it'll be for a job/an assignment with Uncle Sam, and my wife is looking for some time off from her job. So, our job/employment situation is secured.
Weather we'll tolerate, so no complaints there.
Housing market, I couldn't believe it, but it's similar to DC metro. That's crazy $$$! But we'll deal with it. My housing allowance is same as DC, so that helps.
The roads, that's what's concerning me the most (yeah, I got my priorities). I was looking forward to some "nice" open road drives. I was hoping to visit/travel Vegas, San Diego/other parts of Cali, and Pheonix during the winter season to get away from the cold. But, the road conditions concern me some. I guess we'll have to take the Civic for those trips.
My other option job/assignment wise is to remain in DC metro.
I'll know by September'ish the latest, so I have tons of time to research.
I'll let you know what happens. But meanwhile, thanks again for your great input.

LT

ceo2b

Just to clarify - the roads right in town are sketchy - but there are a lot of incredible drives to take and the highways aren't too bad - relatively speaking. Sedona is an awesome jaunt, as are Jerome, Prescott, Grand Canyon, and yes - even San Diego. The S is not my daily driver - yet I've still managed to rack up 75,000 miles since December 2000. Arizona is a great place for your S.

Keep us posted and let me know if you need further info on Flagstaff.

Dave

ronblanford

Wait a minute!!! Even San Diego??? I'll have you know we have runs that match and beat any of yours. Come on down here and I'll show you.

seminole2001

I don't hate Flagstaff.

I hate bitter cold!

J3ffro

I spent 5 years in Flag while going to school (had a bit too much fun, had to take a victory lap) and now my year is split 7 months/5 months between Flagstaff and Phoenix. Ceo2b hit the nail pretty much dead on, its a great town to live in. Every hypes up how much snow there is in the winter, and it really depends on the year. The roads are crap, when I changed jobs to head back to Flag I had to get rid of my 18's and go back to 17's. There were just too many roads that were undrivable. As far as housing goes, the only place I can think to add to Dave's list would be University Heights. It can get pricy in there, but you can find some deals.

The town's got some great charm. There are some downsides (shitloads of college kids and not much for public golf courses) and some upsides (shitloads of college chicks and a great downtown ) but the physical location in awesome. Less than 2 hours to Phoenix anytime you need a weather paradigm shift is a great option, not to mention Vegas is a short run away.

Oh and Dave we gotta make a mini drive when I get up there in April, provided the weather plays nicely.

Ragingazn

there you go buddy... fixed that typo for you