I LOVE Arizona!

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Moved to Scottsdale in '91 from Cleveland with a 3yr old daughter and a wife. Bought a house on a 1 1/2 acre plot with 20+ vacant acres in front and back, beautiful ! 6 months later there was an 8' block wall on either end with what they call "Patio Homes", an Olympian could broad jump roof-to-roof.

Always enjoyed driving out to Cave Creek (north of Scottsdale) on the weekend when I wasn't being "Mr Mom". It reminded me of Key West, only with Jeep Tours instead of Fishing Boats. The drive was a 2 lane road (one lane each direction) that was like a roller coaster. After 9pm it was a rare car you'd see coming the other way. Today it's 4 lanes with a median and most drive it at 60+mph.

I've lived in Cave Creek since '93 and still have mostly undeveloped land on either side at the base of Black Mtn;

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DHDRSC3

At 1:43, my home is in the middle of the screen closest to the mtn, for perspective. I do LOVE it here, yet I hate to see it change SO dramatically, So quickly. My biggest caution to anyone looking to move to AZ is; BEWARE of vacant land nearby !

Zoning laws are so easily changed to allow Up-Zoning for more density and changes from Residential to Commercial are quite common. I KNOW, you can't close the door behind you !

Had great times 4wheelin' in Tonto Nat Forrest just to the north. Saw all that beauty in Jerry's video there. Then it burned for days and turned to moonscape. Feds said they would re-open it for Wheelin' in 2 yrs, that was 12 yrs ago. It just burned again this last summer. Once the Govt takes something, don't expect to ever get it back.

What will kill the joy of living here is, WELL, ... you know, ... that which is unspeakable here. Let's just call it "Changing Demographics". Talked to a Phx Cop last year, and he stated that 4,500 people move into Maricopa Cty each month, and have been for years, and are predicted to continue. Then there's projects such as this;

https://www.globest.com/2020/03/05/a...20201103102138

Even in '91 there was a fear about water becoming an issue soon. New development had to prove that it had legal rights to a certain amount of H2O to proceed. They called it "Paper Water", because they were buying the allotments from Indian Tribes. People were and are buying up Grazing rights to land in order to take the allotted water. Bottled water vendors drive 40' tankers out into Tonto to pump said water for your convenience. They turn over quite frequently on the hairpin turns getting there and back. Scary to run into one driving out there. Yeah, ... WATER, ... it will likely be THE issue since the blind/greedy refuse to see.

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For the "Green New Dealers" that will flock to Gates Cyber city, consider this. This is in your backyard there, and prevailing winds being what they are;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_V...rating_Station

Can't live comfortably in AZ without AC ! Gonna need a LOT of windmills and solar panels to sustain your presence.

[G.T.]

Hi to all, I loaded up my family in South Dakota in a 25 ft rider truck and made a, "Grapes of wrath!" epic move to AZ with the hope and promise of a better life for my wife and I, and opportunity for my kids.
As for me, I miss the springs and falls, hunting and fishing, but it seems a fair trade for the absence of spring tornados and brutally cold winters! I had a chance to offer my family a better life and I took it, the outcome remains to be seen, but I've won some and lost some... One always has many steps and choices to make in life going forwards! And some steps back as you struggle to make the right decisions with both your head and your heart, most times not even relatively close in the outcome?
Now, 20 plus years down the road, not much has changed except the view ahead, and the experiences behind... I can't imagine moving to any other place than AZ. So, still, I go forward! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT

[grantman]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Hi to all, I loaded up my family in South Dakota in a 25 ft rider truck and made a, "Grapes of wrath!" epic move to AZ with the hope and promise of a better life for my wife and I, and opportunity for my kids.
As for me, I miss the springs and falls, hunting and fishing, but it seems a fair trade for the absence of spring tornados and brutally cold winters! I had a chance to offer my family a better life and I took it, the outcome remains to be seen, but I've won some and lost some... One always has many steps and choices to make in life going forwards! And some steps back as you struggle to make the right decisions with both your head and your heart, most times not even relatively close in the outcome?
Now, 20 plus years down the road, not much has changed except the view ahead, and the experiences behind... I can't imagine moving to any other place than AZ. So, still, I go forward! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT

Hi G.T. I was in AZ in 1964, as a young child. A business associate of my father was married to a woman whose father was the chief developer of the Carefree & Cave Creek area. At that time, there was easily a mile between homes and the landscape was unreal. I would wander around in the desert and pretend I was on another planet. The amount of wildlife at that time as unreal. I'm sure it has been developed densely since then. The town of Carefree had a sundial that heated water for the local residences...thats how low the demand was.