The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on June 16, 2019, 12:40:47 PM
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Mel and I are going to be moving back to Lake Havasu City, Az. in the near future. We don't have an exact date yet. It will most likely be in the month of July sometime. Until then we'll be busy boxing, packing, moving, and unpacking. Along with getting settled into our new place.
We're both really excited about it. Lake Havasu is a nice town, and it will be great to be back in the Colorado River area of western Arizona. It's really a nice place to enjoy retirement. They also have a beautiful gun club there.
I don't know when I'll be up and running on line again. But I'll be sure to be back just as soon as we get settled in. Until then you guys stay well, and we'll be talking in a few months. Good luck in the meantime.
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Sound like you are really looking forward to the move, Bill. Spent a week or so there several years ago and it is beautiful and where else can you stroll across the London Bridge?
Take care and have a safe move.
See you here soon.
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gl with the move.
I will be there in 2 months for a bachelor party week with the boat( 2300 mile round trip lol)
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Good luck and stay safe! Will be waiting for your return and reports on the new homestead.
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Hey yeah, heck good luck with the move. What brought this on? I thought you were happy where you were....Phoenix area, right?
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Good luck on the move, Bill.
We just sold the family manse in Mesa. (Dad is in an ALF and neither my sister nor I wanted the house). Dad is 94 and in failing health, so my visits to AZ will be coming less frequently in the future. I love my sister, but seeing her more than a couple of time a year seems excessive.
Just a little advice after personally cleaning out my Dad's 3-car garage full of tools: don't try to move the gun safes or other heavy stuff by yourself. You'll throw your back out and probably herniate important parts that may have some future use. Hire some young bucks and supervise them closely.
Did you need to get "over weight" permits in order to move the guns and ammo collection? Inquiring minds and stuff...
Anyway, best of luck on this new chapter. The Havasu area is really quite nice.
Crusader Rabbit
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Having just moved to Savannah, GA, I can commiserate with the time commitment. Safe packing and an easy move, Brother.
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Good luck and safe traveling, Bill.... Hope all goes well and you get settled and back online soon.
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Hey yeah, heck good luck with the move. What brought this on? I thought you were happy where you were....Phoenix area, right?
We were...... Sort of. We've been here for the last 22 years, (1997). We had originally moved to Lake Havasu City from the Chicago suburbs back in 1991, and loved it there. But McCulloch Corporation where I worked went under because of NAFTA. Much like others did back in the early 90's when it was passed.
We didn't have to leave, but Lake Havasu didn't have much in the way of my trade, (Die Cast, Plastic Moldmaker / CNC Machinist). And I still had 18 more years to work.
So the Phoenix area was the best economic choice at the time. But after 22 years here we're seeing the neighborhood start to change. And they never change for the better. It was beautiful when we moved here, but now it's becoming predominately Hispanic. (3 of the last 4 homes that sold on my block were sold to Hispanics).
And the house next door to me was purchased at auction after the 2008 / 2009 crash, because the owners could not refinance their ARM mortgage at the time, after it ballooned, so they walked. And it's now being rented by the current owner. Needless to say the place needs work, but the owners are only interested in collecting a rent check.
Our place is in very good shape, and the neighborhood is still selling well. (My original next door neighbor of 21 years on the other side of me sold just last year for asking price in just 2 weeks). And we have been wanting to move back to Lake Havasu City since I retired back in 2014. But homes there have gone up considerably more than houses here with equal sq. footage.
Mostly because many Californians are cashing out on their homes in southern California, and many of them are moving to Havasu. It is driving prices up, much like it has in other areas of the country they're moving to, like northern Idaho. (Prices in the Sandpoint / Clark Fork area of Idaho have skyrocketed as well for the same reason).
We finally found a model exactly the same as the one we owned back in 1991 when we first moved to Havasu. It was built at the same time, and by the same builder, in the same area of town, and is in beautiful move in condition inside and out.
It has about the same sq. footage as my current home here, but it has a 984 square foot attached 3 car, boat deep garage. And the floor has a beautiful, high gloss Epoxy coated finish. And the entire garage has evaporative cooling. The rest of the home has all ceramic tile and hardwood laminate flooring. And not a stich of carpet anywhere. And we were able to get it for under appraised value. So it was pretty much a no brainer.
Anyway the move is going to be a ball buster, that's for sure. Especially during the hottest part of the year. But after it's all over with, it will have been worth it. So I've got my work cut out for me, that's for sure.
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All good reasons....but how far does this put you from the CZ Custom shop now?
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Well, get the most you can for your house. I know in Oklahoma home prices are up due to Hispanics. They cross the border penniless and somehow have money to buy homes outright no loan soon thereafter....it doesn't take a genius to know it's money laundering.
That's something you don't hear on any news media right now but it's a big deal around here with people beginning to take notice. If the banks feel like they are losing a buck it's just a matter of time before we start seeing enforcement action....but then maybe we don't hear about it because they are making money on it.
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Good luck and stay safe! Will be waiting for your return and reports on the new homestead.
Ditto, if we still have a forum. And let us know if you bought any new toys, or sold some to lighten the load for your move.
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How's the move going?
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How's the move going?
We're about 70% there. I have another 6' X 12' U-Haul trailer going there early Sunday morning. After that the gun safe mover is coming on the 30th. And after that the movers will be taking everything else. Hopefully in another 3 weeks the place will be all clean and empty, then it goes on the market.
This was the hardest thing I've ever done physically in my life. I totally under estimated how much stuff I had, and totally misjudged the weight. But the worst is over with. Finally the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train coming the other way. We had no help, and did everything ourselves thus far. The movers will be taking the beds, dressers, and other large, heavy items we can't handle.
It's so nice going from a cramped, hot 2 car garage, to a evaporator cooled 3 car, boat deep 984 sq. ft. one. So far, so good. But both of us are going to need a good long rest when it's all over! I'll most likely be pulling the plug on my Internet service here soon. But we already have Internet service at the new place. So it will just be a matter of getting everything hooked up. So most likely the next time I post, it will be from Lake Havasu. Stay well.
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Moving sucks. This time I only bring what will fit in 1 20' trailer. Every thing else is gone.
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Your garage is about 400 ft? larger than my current living space! ;D
Retired on a crisis with no reserve...still better than working in the industry I was working!
Enjoy the lake...
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Moving sucks. This time I only bring what will fit in 1 20' trailer. Every thing else is gone.
My Dad used to say that three moves are as good as a fire for destroying furniture. I think he was probably right. I've replaced couches and chairs after fewer moves than three.
Crusader Rabbit
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We buy used furniture... I've moved three times in the last twelve months and a good bit of our kit is still in a storage unit...
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Our son-in-law and daughter have been doing it right - They bought a home in Florida. After the deal was made he asked if they would take $10 for the furnishing ... SOLD! Two days of shopping, and our daughter had all the little crap done, and it is as well equipped as a home you have lived in for a decade. This past winter they sold this one, furnished, and they bought another, unfurnished. No moving of anything! One van load of personal stuff, and everything else has been delivered and set up.
Maybe, someday, if I start investing in the lottery, we will do it that way as well.
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My Dad used to say that three moves are as good as a fire for destroying furniture. I think he was probably right. I've replaced couches and chairs after fewer moves than three.
Crusader Rabbit
I love to build furniture, if I could actually make money at it I would do it. Just like art you have to be promoted by the art elite to "make it" I have zero desire to deal with them. That's part of the reason why the misses is having such a hard time with getting rid of stuff. It's " but you made that" I keep telling her I can build it again. For me personal belongings are just things. Not really important and. Can be replaced. Out of every thing I own that is really valuable to me could fit in a archive box. Everything else is just junk. Even my personal tools, 95% is not coming with me. I am taking my mechanics tools (1 rolling box) basic hand tools, my skill saw that I bought at 17 and has cut thru miles of 2x4 3.5 inche at a time and some nail guns. Everything else is being sold/ given away
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Well guys, this is my first post from our new home in Lake Havasu. Albeit on a crappy, slow lap top. We purchased this home furnished, which is both good and bad. The good side is it was very tastefully furnished for the most part. A lot of the time people leave a bunch of crap for you to get rid of, that they don't want anymore.
This wasn't the case here. So we were able to get rid of a lot of stuff back in Phoenix, and not have to pay the movers to move it 200 miles. That helped. The downside is you wind up with double everything. So you start getting rid of stuff here as well.
I can't count the trips I've made to both Goodwill and St. Vincent DePaul both here and there. A lot of it was stuff we have not touched in the 22 years we were living in Phoenix. So out it went. I still have both of my gun safes to get moved, and then the movers are going to take everything else. But basically my ass busting is finished. All that's left is to unpack and get organized.
Unpacking is always a lot easier than packing. And I'm sure there is a lot more to get rid of, or else tossed. I can't count the dumpster runs I've made as well. I hate doing that, but the landfill both here and back there is a PITA to get to and from. Plus I've known a lot of people who ended up with nails, screws, and God knows what else in their tires.
When we moved here the first time in 1991, you just put your bagged garbage at the curb. Now all you get is 1 bin, and that fills up with just the garbage that you generate in only a week of living.
Anyway, so far so good. I'm guessing we will be pretty settled in within about 3 weeks or so.
Then all I'll have to worry about is selling our old place. I hope that goes quickly, and without problems. I'll try to stay in touch as much as I can in the next few weeks. In the mean time you guys stay well and take care.
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They say it takes 1 month per year of living in a house to finally get settled. For me it's like 3 x that as I spend almost no time at home. I hope things change after the next move. It will be the 1sy time since I was 14 do not have a job/ company to run. Should be interesting.
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Bill it's good to hear the arduous task is near completion.
Tab, you are going to have quite a transition. I "practiced" retirement 4 months a couple of years ago. It took me 6 weeks of actively trying to not be involved to get the old habits where they were not absolutely controlling me. Many I have known die in 6 months....stressed out with "nothing to do" and they don't have a clue on what there is besides work. You have hobbies...and the reload thing is a nice side job I figure you will make it.
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Bill....get those safes moved yet?
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Bill....get those safes moved yet?
Yes. Both safes were successfully moved and placed on the 30th of July. Yesterday the movers emptied out the house of everything. It's now an echo chamber. All of our possessions are now under our roof here in Lake Havasu. Today the realtor is going have his cleaning crew come through the house and get it ready to be shown. Windows cleaned, carpets shampooed, etc. It should go on the market the first of next week. He also lined me up with a good pool guy he trusts, who will maintain it until we sell and close.
I just didn't have the time to stay and do all of it myself, because I had to beat the movers back here yesterday, so they could unload everything. It worked out for the best because I would have had to hire out the carpet cleaning along with the pool maintenance, and he has crews he trusts. And they work at a better price because he funnels a lot of work their way due to of all of his listings.
If I'm lucky I won't have to return to Glendale again. Which is good, because counting yesterday I have made a total of 7-1/2 trips back and forth at 400 miles a crack round trip. That comes out to a total of 3,000 miles of desert driving over the last 2 months. I managed to make most of it at night because it's so much cooler. Except for yesterday, when the movers got here at 3:30 PM when it just hit 120F.
All that's left is to unpack, and that is mostly Mel's job. I'm going to take it easy for a few days. Then I'll start getting my stuff better organized. But it's all downhill from here..... Hopefully. My landline and Wi-Fi still isn't working right, except for Melanie's computer which is hard lined. Now that we're here permanently, I can set up an appointment to get a tech guy out and fix everything. That will happen soon...... Hopefully. But at least now we don't have to depend on other people. We can accomplish the rest at our own pace. Except of course for selling the house. And that will happen when it does.
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Well, it's been a little over a week ago that the movers delivered the last of our "stuff". Along with countless boxes. Yesterday we unpacked and organized the last of them. We still have some work left to do. But at least now the place has some semblance of order.
I have my "gun room" in very good order, so today I'm getting a haircut, (I really need one since all of this started 2 -1/2 months ago). Then I'm going to relax in our new abode.
Our realtor came through with flying colors. He sold our old place in less than a week, and for $9K ABOVE asking price. The buyers look very solid. And if anything tanks, he has 2 backup offers in place. If all goes well we'll close on that place on 9/12. Then it will be over. I'm very thankful it sold so quickly, and so well. You never know about these things until they happen. So for now anyway, it's all's well that ends well.
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I'm glad to hear things are going well Bill, but 120 degrees!!! The only time I experienced that kind of heat I was on fire. :o One time I knocked an alcohol lamp over right onto my leg.