Another small town that is within range of Phoenix is Payson, Arizona, which is at 5,000ft elevation (less heat) and has less than 20,000 people.
Can you get by with a 2,079sf log home on an acre for $229,000?
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/367-S-River-Rd_Payson_AZ_85541_M14788-47252
Or how about a brand-new 1,630sf house on a quarter-acre for $339,000:
Or a 2,213sf log cabin on a half-acre for $455,555?
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/505-W-Homestead-Ln_Payson_AZ_85541_M15350-81559
Good living!
Haven’t been to Payson, but Flagstaff and Prescott are both livable.
Payson is comprised of lower income year round residents plus vacation cabins for Phoenixites. Lots of fires up there these days. Not a place I would want to live year round.
Fires are everywhere now (four burning currently in SD County).
I need to provide some solutions for people who want/need to downsize, and wouldn’t mind getting out of the rat race.
Payson isn’t perfect, but it is worth considering.
Been there recently?
Agree about Prescott. Medical facilities in Phoenix are much improved these days. The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale is expanding.
If you want a nice, suburban neighborhood with excellent schools, accessible shopping, and low crime, check out Gilbert.
I also suggest looking at Sedona and surrounding areas. The Village of Oak Creek is on the southern edge and has some nice houses and a golf course. At a little over 4,000 feet in elevation, summers are a little cooler and you get an occasional dusting of snow in the winter. Weekend traffic on 79 is a bear because of the tourists, but it’s a nice, quiet place to live.
If really want to get out of the rat race and maybe have a couple of horses, southern Arizona has a lot of options southeast of Tucson. Check out Patagonia and Sonoita. Not all of Arizona is saguaro country. Lots of grasslands and breathtaking views in the area for very reasonably prices. Want a funky small town? Benson and Bisbee come to mind.
If you are selling a million dollar plus home in coastal California, buy a nice home in Gilbert and a cabin up in Payson with the proceeds. Try doing that here for less than $2MM.
Been there recently?
Yes, 1976. 😆
Thanks for the tips on the others. I will work my way around.
But… living a bunch of miles from the Pacific Ocean? Cowboys jumping off perfectly good horses to tie up baby cows with rope, while old fat people egg him on? And not being near the Pacific Ocean?
Eww!!
It’s like a little Lake Arrowhead with rednecks!
Payson is a nice town. When my husband and I lived in Phoenix, we would frequently go to Payson and go hiking. Our favorite was Horton Creek Trail. Beautiful pine trees all along the hike, with a babbling brook alongside the trail. Very, beautiful place.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/horton-creek-trail