possibly relocating. . .

[labrat]

I suppose most of you have heard that I am looking for another position due to the lack of funding by my states non-commitment to its environmental responsibilities. Through my searches, I have found a position that is right up my alley; however, I am unaware of the lifestyle changes I will have to make. Does anyone know of the Yuma, Arizona area and how my homesteading will be affected, i.e. available land, cost of living, water, soil properties? I’ve done a search but can’t find much on property availability, the cost of living is quite decent, but if all I can purchase is 0.41 acres then I surely won’t be happy.

[Kathy]

labrat, I hadn't heard about the problems with your job. >:(I'm sorry since I know you truly enjoyed your work and the area.

As for Yuma, all I know is the climate is much drier and water is always an issue.

I'll try to find some links that I had accumulated when I was looking at some AZ land about a year ago.

Will you be flying/driving out to the area to check things out before making any major job decisions. I know some companies only fly a person out for the interview and back home in one day-not really enough time to check the area out; especially when the terrain, lifestyle, climate and mindset is going to be much different.

Good Luck in your decision making process; this chance certainly would be a biggie.

Kathy

[Kathy]

Labrat, I found the climate information. Yikes; it's more of a desert than W. Texas was! I'd be concerned about water issues especially if you plan on gardening or raising livestock.

Yuma Precipitation Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Precipitation (inches) 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.5.....3.2


www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/arizona/yuma/

[labrat]

admin said:

labrat, I hadn't heard about the problems with your job. >:(I'm sorry since I know you truly enjoyed your work and the area. Kathy

My job is grant-funded and lately even though the DOE (Department of Energy) has appropriated the funds, the grant is administered by the state; that is where the problem is. The grant is effective October 1, for two years, every two years and the funds were available to the state back when then, they just haven’t released the money for use. This causes problems because the university is supposed to administer the funds to us. Meanwhile the lab is thirty thousand dollars in the hole, due to payroll and supplies we must purchase. I’ve been looking for a about a month now and the type of work I do is only funded by the federal or state governments, I’ve been looking there. I’ve applied for several positions on the east coast an some west of the Mississippi, but these types of jobs take time to process: applications, background and security checks, and then again, some of the positions haven’t closed yet.

admin said:

Will you be flying/driving out to the area to check things out before making any major job decisions. I know some companies only fly a person out for the interview and back home in one day-not really enough time to check the area out; especially when the terrain, lifestyle, climate and mindset is going to be much different.

So, in response to this question, I probably won’t fly out to look for property, in most cases, the government does not pay for relocation, not to say that all jobs are that way, but initially, that’s the way it is. I will probably just rent until I find the right place.

The water issue does bother me. Here in Kentucky, it's not unusual to get three inches an hour!

[momo]

My best friend just came back from a TDY there. She was surprised at the cost of living compared to here. She said restaurants, groceries and rent were the biggest things she noticed. Of course, if you get a raise it will even out. It is very hot too.

[qbvii]

I'm in KY, too.

We were in Tucson last winter --- the main difference in prices I noticed was in rent.

Food was about the same, I thought.....gas was probably a bit higher, don't remember.

[Deleted]

Labrat:

I was stationed in Tucson and spent a large amount of time in Yuma.
Yumas is in the desert. Think cactus, sand and rocks. Without substantial irrigation gardening is impossible. The final damming of the Colorado River occurs in the Yuma area. There is substantial agricultural activity in the area supported by the water from the River.
Yuma is hotter than Tucson or Phoenix. Rockhounding in the area is great. If you are looking at a job at the Proving Grounds the facilities are several miles from Yuma. The MCAS is just on the edge of Yuma. There are seed stations several miles from Yuma. The people who live in Yuma and environs have good things to say about the town.
Just accross the river in California are the Chocolate Mountains, so named because they are bare. I don't mean to sound negative, I loved the desert except in the summer. The winters made the discomfort of summer worthwhile. Here are some real estate websites;
www.yumacasa.com/
www.homeguidemagazine.com/Magazine/ListingSearchReturn.cfm?MagId=2032&PersonId=827926
www.homeguidemagazine.com/Magazine/PersonnelSearchReturn.cfm?MagId=2032

The cost of living in Arizona is higher than in Kentucky

I would move back to Southern Arizona in a heart beat.