Strategic Relocation Information

[ldsparamedic]

I am proposing this thread be used to communicate information about the individual states to discuss the pros or cons for moving there.

Please include information concerning crime, taxes, personal property rights, zoning requirements, weather, climate and anything else which might pertain.

Let's get some really good information out there. I'll start with the first reply.

[ldsparamedic]

Arizona. I am located in Yuma County, SW corner of the states. We have VERY liberal gun laws here. In fact there is currently a bill which passed our house and is before the senate which would allow Concealed Carry Wepons (CCW) permit holders to concealed carry in a resturant which served alcohol, as long as the CCW holder was not ordering alcohol.

The climate down here is hot in the summer, nice in the winter. We rely on irrigation for any acreage planted. One bonus is there is a continuous growing season 12 months long. Fruit trees requiring long chill days do not do well, but I have seen apples, apricots, nectarines and peaches grown. Even though the desert is mostly barren, it is very fertile. Water some dirt and almost anything will grow in it. In the old river valleys the water table is shallow <100'.
The cost for acreage is fairly reasonable for this area (80K for 2 1/2) Larger acreage tracts > 10 acres are out of reach to the average person.
Arizona requires permits for everything you do to your property larger than 120 square feet as far as physical improvements go. Once a structure is erected, no permit is required for remodeling unless you re-roof it. You are also required to get a permit to install a water heater. I was told this because of the seismic activity of the area requires special installation.
Home schooling is allowed and there are no truancy laws that are enforced. Crime here varies on where you live. Out in the county, which is what you'd all call the country, the crime is lower. This is a border county so there is the illegal immigration problem. Fencing keeps out the undesirables. During the summer some of the more remote county areas are subject to loss of electricty due to power lines falling during the monsoon storms. The longest we were without power was 3 days. They are replacing the wooden poles with metal ones on a regular basis.
There is lots of public land to play on. You can still file a claim, if you find gold on public land, but you cannot live on it.