Lake Havasu Real Estate Frequently Asked Questions
LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA REAL ESTATE FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
WHAT IS AN ARIZONA ROOM? An Arizona Room is an enclosed patio. It can be screened in, or walled and windowed.
WHAT IS A WASH? Washes are natural gullies that appear in the desert created by rain run-off (Arroyos in Spanish). When Havasu was subdivided, the natural washes were left in place and roads built around them. Very smart move. We don't have the street flooding problems every summer during the monsoon rains that many desert communitiesexperience. This strategy has saved Havasu a fortune in road repairs. That's why our city map shows no straight roads and resembles a plate of spaghetti.
IS A HOME BACKING TO A WASH A GOOD OR BAD THING? Property backing (or siding) a wash is a real plus, for the privacy factor. Picture a home on a typical 80'x125' lot. Then picture the rear of the lot backing to a wash 100' to 200' wide (some are bigger than others) with a house on the other side. No neighbors abutting your back property line. Typically the wash is about 5 to 10 feet deep, gently sloping from top to bottom. During a very heavy rain, you can expect to see 6 inches to maybe 18 inches of running water. Definitely not a flood threat.
WHAT IS A BUBBLER? Bubblers are like what you know as landscape sprinklers...but instead of sending out a spray of water (evaporation in the desert) the heads are designed to trickle water to the tree, shrub, plant, etc. Look close to the left of the tree trunk, in front of the left support stake.
WHAT IS AN AUTOMATIC TIMER FOR? LIGHTS? SECURITY? Automatic timers are connected to the landscape watering system (bubblers). They can be set to come on automatically as often as needed, and stay on as long as needed, depending on the plant and the time of year. They are usually located in the garage.
WHAT KIND OF WATERFRONT PROPERTY IS AVAILABLE IN LAKE HAVASU? Havasu has very limited waterfront property: several dozen condos on the channel near the bridge (starting in the $600k range) and a mobile home park on the island (no fee simple...space rent instead). Waterfront is reserved for boatersand wildlife refuge. The 140+ miles of shoreline are mostly state-owned or Indian Reservation. We do have some awesome lake view homes. Launch ramps are conveniently located in the north, central and south ends.
WHAT IS LAKE HAVASU'S WEATHER REALLY LIKE? Well, Im writing this on the 1st of December, 2008. It's a beautiful, sunny day with a gentle breeze, temperature in the mid 70s. Weather is normal for this time of the year. Snowbirds are getting brown as berries poolside. I'm wearing long sleeves and slacks ;-) This will typically continue to mid April, when we begin to warm up a bit. Temperatures in late April and May run between the low 80s to the low 90s. June can reach 100 degrees. July, August and the first half of September temperatures run in the high 90s and can reach 120. Nights will cool down to 90 degrees. By mid September we begin to cool down again. October and November are fabulous! December is delightful. January and February can get a bit cool, down into the high 40s-50s during the day. We usually get rain in the winter, and again during the monsoon season in July and August. Our monsoon storms are beautiful! Breathtaking skies and cloud formations, fabulous lightning shows, and a good boom of thunder now and again. If we get rain with the show, we consider ourselves twice blessed.
WHERE DO LOCALS GO IN THE SUMMER TO COOL OFF, BESIDES THE
LAKE? About an hour drive east on I-40, above Kingman, are the HualapaiMountains. Nice parks, playgrounds, hiking, and soothing cool breezes. Snow in winter provides great sledding (no skiing).
Seligman has become a popular cool getaway for Havasu locals, about an hour drive east of Kingman on I-40. With lots of wide open space and inexpensive land, it's a great place for an RV or cabin retreat.
Williams, near Flagstaff, is a pine-filled, cool breezes delight and is conveniently close for a visit to the Grand Canyon.
Most locals plan their vacations during the summer.
WHAT ARE POT SHELVES? Just about any interior photo of a Havasu home with vaulted ceilings will show built-in shelves in the upper walls, decorated with plants, pottery, whatever suits your fancy.
WHAT IS A BRIDGED KITCHEN? A bridged kitchen refers to the type of pot-shelves, also known as "floating pot-shelves." Here's a photo of a typical bridged kitchen:
HOW MANY MALLS DOES LAKE HAVASU CITY HAVE? Our new mall north of town near Home Depot opened in 2008. Styles for Less opened 8-6-08, joining Dillards, JC Penney, PetSmart and WalMart Super Center.
The following stores are now also open: Famous Footwear, American Eagle Outfitters, Jus' Kidding, rue21, GameStop, Chicago Grill, Michaels Arts & Crafts, Motherhood Maternity, Defiance, (a young men and women's store based in Las Vegas) and a 40,000 s.f. 10 screen UltraStar Cinema,
Aeropostate (clotheir), and Downey Savings are coming soon, as are Aéropostale, BKOZ, Christopher & Banks, C.J. Banks, Kay Jewelers, #1 Nail Experts and More, and Sally Beauty Supply, Ah-So Steak and Sushi, Pho Café, Orseeni Coffe and Tea, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
Vegas malls are 2 hours away. Laughlin, about 1 hour away, has a nice Outlet Mall. Phoenix malls are 3 hours away.
WHAT ARE THE BIG TOWNS NEAR LAKE HAVASU CITY? Vegas, 2 hours; Phoenix, 3 hours; Palm Springs, 3 hours; Disneyland, 5 hours; LA, 6 hours; San Diego, 6 hours. Yuma, 3 hours. Algodonnes, Mexico for your prescriptions, eyeglasses, dentistry, etc. is approximately 15 minutes past Yuma.
HOW NUMEROUS ARE SNAKES AND SCORPIONS IN LAKE HAVASU? Since moving to Havasu in 1990, I've seen two snakes (one big rattler in CopperCanyon, and a baby unknown brand brought into the backyard by the cat). That's not to say throw caution to the wind when hiking or camping on the beaches. I've seen two scorpions on my patio since '90. Black widows are abundant, but our peskiest critter is the cricket.
IS IT TRUE COLLEGE KIDS RUN NAKED DURING SPRING BREAK? Yes and no. Lots of flesh can be seen out on the lake on houseboats in the afternoon when beer consumption is at its highest. Since Spring Break occurs over six weeks, and college breaks vary, the Breakers are not all here at once. Crowds are not large, except in CopperCanyon and on the sand bars at the north end of the lake. Quite frankly, we see more doors of public establishments held open for ladies and senior citizens by visiting college kids than we see under "normal" conditions the rest of the year. In the spirit of full disclosure, be aware that Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day bring some wild activity to the channel area by the bridge, and the sandbars. Thong bikinis are standard fare. Officers are kept busy writing tickets for mooning and the baring of breasts. Police and judges work overtime to handle the alcohol related arrests. Not a place to bring the kiddies during these weekends!
HOW IS THE CRIME RATE IN LAKE HAVASU CITY? Wonderfully low. You'll not find graffiti anywhere. Our police department has a Zero Tolerance Policy reference gang activity.See www.azleague.orgfor details.
WHERE ARE THE LESS DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOODS IN LAKE HAVASU CITY? Lake Havasu City is a young town, incorporated in 1964. Property values and desirability are linked to zoning and proximity to zoning (i.e. a home in residential estate zoning versus a home close to industrial zoning), views, amenities of the home, garage size, etc.
WHERE ARE THE BEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN LAKE HAVASU CITY? "Best neighborhoods" is kind of an unknown in Havasu. We have six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. All are rated similarly, so that's not a factor. Crime rates are low city wide, so that's not a factor. The age of homes varies on every street, so that's not a factor, either. The closer to the water, the more panoramic the view, the newer the home, the bigger the garage, proximity to golf courses, the size of the lot, and the overall condition and amenities of the property are factors that affect value.
WHY DON'T LAKE HAVASU HOMES HAVE BASEMENTS? I'm guessing here, but I think most of the first homes were built for retirees, who didn't need the extra room and didn't want the stairs and construction expense. That seems to have set the standard, which has continued to this day. We do see a basement now and again, but not many.
WHY ARE MOST LAKE HAVASU HOMES SINGLE STORY? Properties zoned R-1, Single Family Residence, allows a building height of fifteen feet. Residential Estate and Residential Agricultural (Equestrian Estates) zoning allows 30 feet. The Master Plan concern for preserving as much view to as many home sites as possible is the reason for the fifteen feet height restriction in R-1 areas.
WHY ARE GARAGES SUCH A BIG DEAL IN LAKE HAVASU PROPERTY? Toys! Boats, quads, jet-skis, dirt bikes, sand rails, tow vehicles, and the famous Relics and Rods hot rods and historical vehicles. Whatever your passion, Havasu's the place!It's all about lifestyle.
WHAT IS ASWAMP COOLER? WHAT'S AN EVAP COOLER? They're the same thing. A common brand you'll see mentioned is the MasterCool evaporative cooler. The system uses water to cool, and is very energy efficient up to about 100 degrees, when the dew point (humidity) is low. Another nice feature is that you can open doors and windows while the evap is running. Let the sun shine in!
WHAT IS AN R/O SYSTEM? R/O stands for Reverse Osmosis. This is a water filtration system that makes tap water much more palatable.
WHY THE TV ANTENNAES IN LAKE HAVASU CITY? NO CABLE? New fiber-optic cable was laid throughout Havasu in the mid 90s, so cable is available citywide. TV antennas are gradually coming down.
Have a question we haven't answered? We'd love to hear it. Please email it to us at Michele@BrentandMichele.com.
When you're ready to buy or sell Havasu, we're ready to help. We want your business and we'll do a great job for you!
Brent DeWitt and Michele Michaels Havasu Realty Full-Time Lake Havasu REALTORS since 1990 928-854-1700 or Michele@BrentAndMichele.com
IS IT TRUE COLLEGE KIDS RUN NAKED DURING SPRING BREAK?
