Idaho to Arizona- rent or BLM land squat (Yuma, Lake Havasu City: apartment, rentals)

[katygoldenakers]

Tired of the cold. Where should I look in Arizona for cheap rent, low population, adequate H2O for garden. $300/mo. max for rent. Retired, low-income woman not needing many amenities - electricity and indoor plumbing. Please tell me about free or low-cost living on BLM lands. How about the Yucca area, though I didn't see any rentals listed in the local paper on-line.

[Steve Pickering]

I gather you have never been there?

[Greg Rider]

Yucca is nothing but an old proving grounds of some auto mfg. There is most definitely no water there. But, not far away, in Mohave Valley you might be able to find an old single wide for $300/mo. but it would take some patience. Of course any place you find that low rent is going to be very rough.
Now, you could come pretty close to that in a fairly nice place but you would be watching every penny. In Lake Havasu City you could rent a Studio Apt. for $375 - $400 a month. If you don't use heat EVER, and it would not be hard since it simply doesn't get real cold there, and you could handle having your apartment very warm in the long summer months you might be able to manage it.
The really tought thing about having a fixed income that is very meager is that changing rental rates can have you in and out of a home in an unpredictable and kind of cruel way. It would be good if you could find someone to share a place with. For around $550 - $650 a month you could get an older 2 bedroom apt. in the same area, and with two people you would be doing much better. Maybe a 1 bedroom with den for $450/mo would be even better. That's also possible. There are families toughing it out in shelters these days. It's even driving young people, some even in their pre-teens out on the street. So although it can be hellish to cohabitate as we get older, grumpier, and more stubborn, it may just be the only feasible way to live.
What do you think? Why not try to hook up. The internet can make such things a lot easier than before.

[mohawkx]

Winslow or Gila Bend

[katygoldenakers]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I've lived in N. Idaho many years. A beautiful place; my home is cheap and secure but I can't afford a large garden space plus I crave some adventure. Maybe buy a travel camper and go on the road. Overwhelmed perusing a USA map. Perhaps AZ is too drastic. How do folks hook up via internet? Don't think I could share personal space but looking for an older dwelling in a warmer climate with a longer growing season.

[Havasu]

Yucca is very cheap but like someone said water might be an issue, Kingman is also a option and there are some deals there now. Lake Havasu is another but the deals that are there will need some fixing up.
I would get a travel trailer and spend the entire winter checking out each city and then decide which one suited my needs best then take it from there.
It sounds like a fun adventure.

[notmuch69]

I recomend visiting for at least a week in July or August before you move. It's hot and air conditioning costs money.

[katygoldenakers]

My son has lived in Yuma and Tuscon - he hates the heat. I would be paying to stay cool in AZ instead of paying to stay warm in Idaho. HAVASU's advice to travel the area before deciding is good. Do you scorn snowbirds? We proletariat here in the frozen North can be that way about the folks who build large summer houses on the lake for a two-month visit.

[billybones]

If you do go the way of an RV or travel trailer, consider workamping. That's where you work at a campgrounds for a few extra dollars and often a spot to park your rig.

Google workamping and be sure to check out Workamper News. It's a publication dedicated to work campers. I have several friends who have seen the country in their RVs and even made a few bucks along the way.

Best of luck with your adventure.

Bones

[katygoldenakers]

Great idea! Now I'm looking at volunteer campsite positions - like one at Organ Pipe Cactus Nat. Monument. Maybe not the most desirable what with the scary action in that area - but probably that's why a place is available and a likely placement for a beginner. My son did some USAF Pararescueman training there and ran across illegals and arms caches.