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Copyright© 1999-2008, Holly Grigaitis-Svercl. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content requires written permission from the owner. |
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830 S Main Street Suite 1-A Cottonwood AZ, 86326 |
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A Guide to Living in the Rural Southwest-Continued |
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ACCESS: 1. The fact that you can drive to your land does not necessarily guarantee that you can access it at all times. 2. Emergency response times (police, fire, ambulances, etc.) aren’t guaranteed. Under extreme conditions you may find that response is slow and expensive. 3. You may gain access across to your real estate, by crossing property belonging to others. It is wise to obtain legal advice and understand the existing easements. 4. You can experience problems with the maintenance or cost of maintenance of your road. Yavapai County maintains 1600 miles of road, which is funded by the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF). The fund comes from a tax on gas within the County. Revenue does not come from County property tax or from State sales tax. Many rural properties are on private roads which are maintained by private associations or individuals. Some county roads are not maintained by the county and some county roads are platted, but do not physically exist. 5. Extreme weather conditions can make area roads impassable, sometimes for days in a row. Any bridges on your road should be designed to support the weight of emergency vehicles. Private road maintenance is the responsibility of the property owners. 6. Many private roads will not accommodate large construction vehicles or fire trucks. If you are building, check out construction and emergency vehicle access requirements. 7. You may need to drive your children to the nearest school bus route for transportation. 8. Floods, can destroy roads. Yavapai County will repair county roads, but private roads are the responsibility of the landowners who use those roads. A dry creek bed can wash out roads, bridges, and culverts. 9. Unpaved roads generate dust and dust is a fact of life for most rural residents. 10. If your road is unpaved it is highly unlikely the county will pave it in the near future. Check with the county road department. 11. Mail delivery is not available to all areas of the county. 12. Newspaper delivery is also not available to all rural areas. 13. Many private roads do not have adequate road signs. Lack of proper identification on your residence will create problems for emergency services attempting to locate you. UTILITY SERVICES: 1. Water, sewer, electric, and other services may be unavailable or may not operate to an urban standard. Repairs often take much longer than in towns and cities 2. Telephone communications can be a problem, especially in the mountain areas of Yavapai County. Cell phones will not work in all areas. It is important to note here that telephone service is not available in all areas of the County. 3. If sewer service is available to your property, charges may apply to hook into the system. 4. If sewer service in not available, you will need a septic system or an alternate treatment system. Have a perc test done, it is important in determining the cost and function of your system. 5. If you have access to a water company, there may be tap fees. 6. If you don't have access to a water company, you will have to use a water well. Cost for drilling can be considerable. The quality and quantity of water can vary considerably depending on weather conditions, population growth and other factors beyond your control. It is strongly advised that you research this issue carefully. 7. Not all wells can be used for livestock. Permits from the Arizona Department of Water Resources may restrict water use to that which is used inside of a home. If you have other needs, make certain that you have the proper approvals before you invest. 8. Electric service is not in all areas of Yavapai County. Determine the proximity of electrical power, It can be very expensive to extend power lines to remote areas. 9. It may be necessary to cross property owned by others in order to extend electric service to your property in the most cost efficient manner. It is important to make sure that the proper easements are in place to allow lines to be built to your property. 10. Electric power may not be available in two phase and three phase service configurations. 11. If you are purchasing land with the plan to build at a future date, there is a possibility that electric lines (and other utilities) may not be large enough to accommodate your needs. 12. The cost of electric service is usually divided into a fee to hook into the system and then a monthly charge for energy consumed. It is important to know both costs before making a decision to purchase a specific piece of property. 13. Power outages can occur in outlying areas frequently, and takes longer to repair. A loss of electric power can also interrupt water from a well. 14. Trash removal is more expensive. It is illegal to burn trash. The burning of shrub and tree limbs and such requires a permit. In some cases, your only option may be to haul trash to the transfer station yourself. Recycling pick-up is not available in most rural areas. 15. Fire service may or may not be available. Insurance will be more expensive or unavailable, if the land is not in a fire district. Do not expect other neighboring fire jurisdictions to respond. Additionally, the United States Forest Service will not suppress fires on private property. IN CONCLUSION... The preceding text was adapted from the Code of the West written originally by John Clarke, former County Commissioner of Larimer County, Colorado. The information provided here is by no means exhaustive. There are multitude of other issues that you may encounter. Be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could potentially make your move less pleasant. We have offered these comments in the sincere hope that it can help you enjoy your decision to reside in the country. It is not our intent to dissuade you from relocating to the Verde Valley, only inform you of items you may wish to investigate and whether or not one or more of these issues may affect property you are considering. In general, Sedona and The Verde Valley rate very low on the natural disaster scale. We do not have hurricanes, major earthquakes, or blizzards. Tornados, and catastrophic floods are incredibly rare. |
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This page was last updated on 12/26/2007 |
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Guide to Living in the Rural Southwest, Continued |