Surprise Bisbee Mini-Rally

[Kevin Means]

Neat things happen when you’re a member of this Forum. Cyndi and I were camped just outside of Bisbee, Arizona yesterday, looking for property, when I got a text from Alpena Jeff. Coincidentally, he and Judy just happened to be visiting Bisbee (a small tourist town south of Tucson) and were saying “hi.” They knew we were interested in this area, and just wanted to let us know they were there. Needless to say, we had great time visiting with them.

Kev

[Alpena Jeff]

Funny how things work out when you really want them to. 😎

[Gizmo100]

And just how cool is that

[garyb1st]

Kevin, Bisbee?  Well I guess you're used to some pretty warm weather.  Keep us posted on your search.  If you find a decent area, high temps well below 120º, we might just consider following your exit from the tax nightmare called California.  All I need to do is convince Maria.  She says she's on board if we find the right area. 

[Back2PA]

I looked at some property down there, and what's interesting is there is a large aquifer in some areas, allowing you to have a mini ranch out in the arid desert, yet have significant well water. Deep though, if I recall wells run 500-800 feet so spendy initially

[SargeW]

We owned a 4 acre lot in Sierra Vista for years which is about 25 miles away from Bisbee. We were going to build and retire there before life got in the way.  It's a nice community in a military town (Fort Huachuca). Also close to Tombstone AZ.

[Heli_av8tor]

Day late Dollar short. We are driving through Tucson today.

Enjoyed our time together last month.

[Heli_av8tor]

Kev, looks like you’re eating healthy.

Jeff, hope Judy gave you a bite or two.

[Chet18013]

Hey Kevin,

Before you settle in, go north about 35 miles and stop in an see us here at the Escapee Saguaro Co-Op in Benson - Mile marker 295 on Hwy 80  http://www.skpsaguaro.org/lots-available.html
This is a great area and there are some good real estate deals around us. If you're an Escapee member and have never been here before, you can get a coupon on our web site and stay here for a week for $60.00.

In addition to Laurie and me, Bill and Jolene Wetstone are here also.

[Alpena Jeff]

Kev, looks like you’re eating healthy.

Jeff, hope Judy gave you a bite or two.

Yea Tom. We split that monster club!
We enjoyed meeting you and Theresa in KOFA last month and thanks again for having us for dinner.
Good people!

[Alpena Jeff]

I’m starting to really like this forum!

[Heli_av8tor]

Jeff, Our pleasure.

We’ve stayed at the saguaro sip part a couple times. Nice park. Didn’t work out as a stopping point today.
Would have been fun to meet up.

[Alpena Jeff]

Understand Tom. Had no idea u were in the area.
We moved on to Del Rio this morning.

[PJ Stough]

For those who are interested but dont know there is a RVForum.net group on RVillage.com where people on the forum can keep up with others location.  I dont believe this forum has that capability, but would be a nice addition.

https://www.rvillage.com/group/508/rvforum-net

[Kevin Means]

Kevin, Bisbee?  Well I guess you're used to some pretty warm weather.  Keep us posted on your search.  If you find a decent area, high temps well below 120º, we might just consider following your exit from the tax nightmare called California.  All I need to do is convince Maria.  She says she's on board if we find the right area.

We'll keep you posted Gary. We'd love to have you guys as neighbors. We found a beautiful piece of property a few miles out of town in the mountains (over 5000 feet.) The average summer highs hit about 90, and the area gets about 6 inches of snow each year. We're going to have to build, but that's OK - it won't be our first time. I spend a lot of time with our grandkids, and it's going bother me to be away from them, but I'm sure they and I will get used to it.

We passed through Sierra Vista, the town Marty mentioned, coming and going. Gas stations there were selling 92 octane gas for $2.54 a gallon. When we got home that evening, 92 octane gas was selling for $3.76 a gallon at our local 711. On the way to Bisbee, we stopped at a Flying J north of Tucson and put 81 gallons of diesel in the RV. It would have cost more than $100.00 more to fill up in San Diego. More than a $100.00 savings - on a single fill up. Amazing!

Kev

[jackiemac]

Yea Tom. We split that monster club!
We enjoyed meeting you and Theresa in KOFA last month and thanks again for having us for dinner.
Good people!

I thought you were on a diet!

That's a fantastic area. Check out Chiricahua National Monument if you get time.  Great area for birdwatching too in Madera and Ramsay Canyons.

Have fun.

[PancakeBill]

This is a great neighborhood, we are loving Benson, and the towns here are nice.  There is even a town of Whetstone near here, which is fun for me, but wouldn't want to live there, not much of anything there.  Have not yet been to Bisbee, but on the short list for the next couple weeks, we leave here for West Yellowstone in 3 weeks.

[Ken & Sheila]

Kevin, Bisbee?  Well I guess you're used to some pretty warm weather.  Keep us posted on your search.  If you find a decent area, high temps well below 120º, we might just consider following your exit from the tax nightmare called California.  All I need to do is convince Maria.  She says she's on board if we find the right area.

Remember Arizona has a annual Vehicle License tax (I think it's about 2.9% of "depreciated" value as determined by the state) in addition to Income taxes and Property
taxes.

[PancakeBill]

That part is what is holding me back a bit.  How long per year do you have to be out of state to avoid having to be permanent resident?

[garyb1st]

Remember Arizona has a annual Vehicle License tax (I think it's about 2.9% of "depreciated" value as determined by the state) in addition to Income taxes and Property
taxes.

That looked reasonable until I applied it to our 14 year old motorhome.  More than twice as much.  I take it your new ride is not registered in AZ.  BTW, congratulations on the Newmar.  Did you and your buds get multi-motorhome discounts?   

[UTTransplant]

We spent time in Bisbee on our way east this winter. What a fun place! Not so far from Tucson that you can’t go in for a day of shopping occasionally, but not so small that you can’t get groceries. I loved the hippie vibe too. The weather was amazing to me, being as far south as it was. Elevation sure makes a difference.

[Kevin Means]

Remember Arizona has a annual Vehicle License tax (I think it's about 2.9% of "depreciated" value as determined by the state) in addition to Income taxes and Property
taxes.

Yep, and that's a pretty hefty tax. We figure it would cost us about $3100.00 a year more to register our motorhome in Aizona, than in California. However, our state income tax rate here in California is 13.3%. In Arizona it would be 4.54%. Sales tax is about a wash between there and here, but the COL index in San Diego is 177.5, and it's 83.5 in Bisbee. Then there's the cost of fuel, and utility rates (ours are the highest in the country.)

When you factor in all those numbers, we'd save enough (in taxes alone) to pay for the property we're looking at, and a new stick-built home. We wouldn't even have to sell the two homes we own in San Diego. We'd rent them out to people who think California is what it once was. Then there's the traffic, the crowds, the politics... I'll stop there.

Kev

[Alpena Jeff]

I thought you were on a diet!

That's a fantastic area. Check out Chiricahua National Monument if you get time.  Great area for birdwatching too in Madera and Ramsay Canyons.

Have fun.

Diet? I don't do diet! I eat whatever I want and can still see my feet...barely!

[Gizmo100]

Diet? I don't do diet! I eat whatever I want and can still see my feet...barely!

I thought the rule was see your shoes...That why I always set them on the table next to me.

[More-Gas]

Heading back to Michigan from Yuma this year we stopped in Tombstone and Bisbee. Bisbee is a place we could live in its an awesome town. We will be heading back to visit longer.

[ArdraF]

Jerry's great aunt went to teacher's college in 1904 in NW Pennsylvania and later graduated with a B.S. from Columbia in New York City.  Her first - and only - job was teaching in Bisbee.  They hired her fresh out of college in 1919 and she retired from there 27 years later.  Irene taught high school history and geometry.  We met two of her former students and they showed us where she lived, the church she attended, and told us all about her.  Can you imagine a young woman growing up in green Pennsylvania and moving to Bisbee?  What a culture shock that must have been.  Her students said they had no running water at home so Irene would take the girls to have lunch at the YWCA where she was living at the time.  They loved going to the YWCA rest room where they could wash their hands in nice warm water.

We have a postcard showing the Lavender Pit Mine when there was still a hill.  Now it's a deep pit.  Jerry's grandmother visited her aunt Irene and was amazed when they told her they were going to tear down the entire mountain.  We found a couple of miners from her era who showed us where the photograph on the postcard was taken.

The Bisbee High School was in Ripley's Believe It or Not.  It's a five-story building situated on a hillside and all five floors have entrances which was unique at the time.

ArdraF

[HueyPilotVN]

Yep, and that's a pretty hefty tax. We figure it would cost us about $3100.00 a year more to register our motorhome in Aizona, than in California. However, our state income tax rate here in California is 13.3%. In Arizona it would be 4.54%. Sales tax is about a wash between there and here, but the COL index in San Diego is 177.5, and it's 83.5 in Bisbee. Then there's the cost of fuel, and utility rates (ours are the highest in the country.)

When you factor in all those numbers, we'd save enough (in taxes alone) to pay for the property we're looking at, and a new stick-built home. We wouldn't even have to sell the two homes we own in San Diego. We'd rent them out to people who think California is what it once was. Then there's the traffic, the crowds, the politics... I'll stop there.

Kev

In Arizona like some other states you get one vehicle registration and tax free if you are 100% VA Disabled each year.

Saved me a lot including the sales tax when I bought the DP and I save each year on the renewals.

[Alpena Jeff]

Yo! More gas. Where in Michigan?

[More-Gas]

Hi Alpena Jeff. we are in Davisburg Mi on Big Lake just out side of Clarkston Mi exit 93 off I 75.