From the southernmost part of Bullhead City to Mohave Valley at the Arizona/California border, the Fort Mohave Indian Tribe owns most of the waterfront land, so you won’t see any riverfront homes in Fort Mohave, AZ.

But if you head just a few miles South, you’ll find the most amazing riverfront homes in Mohave Valley, AZ, 86440 that you’ve seen anywhere in Mohave County.

Most of these fabulous luxury homes on the Colorado River are located on Dike Road, on half acre to acre sites, with the white sandy beaches our area Mohave County waterfront home buyers most desire. These are the homes you will be drawn to if you want to pull your boat in and out of the water often. Most of the other waterfront subdivisions will require that you launch from a public or community launch and then dock at your own dock. Not here! You will be able to walk out into your back yard and stick your toes into the sand, lounge with a sippy cup on your own private beach. This is life on the Colorado River at its very finest.

Dike Road has three sections:

• The North part, off Courtwright Street where the homes are palatial and on large (many acre+ lots), most with private wells.

• On the West side of Harbor, and just north of the Needles Bridge over the Colorado River (the last right turn before the River if heading toward California), many of the lots are split in half by Dike Road. Some of the land owners split the lots and sold them; others built their supersized garages on them and their gorgeous custom homes on the waterfront side. That’s why you’ll see some garages seemingly situated ‘solo’.

There are both site built and manufactured homes, and private wells and city sewer are typical in this area. The zoning is mostly RE Recreational and allows for guest quarters with County permits and approval.

• On the East side of Harbor, there is a gated community called The Colony, where the properties are elevated above the River by rocky bluffs, and the homes almost all have their own docks below. These homes sit across from the Needles Municipal Golf Course and Jack Smith Park.

As of posting date, there are currently 4 active listings, and since January 1, 2010 there have been no sales. Square footage ranges from the 1400s to almost 7000. List prices range from the upper 500s for a manufactured home to just shy of 2M for a sizeable luxury home on the Colorado River.

Spring in full swing and Summer around the corner, expect prices to rise as is customary during this ‘on’ season for watersports enthusiasts and Colorado River vacation home buyers.

The Colorado River has something for just about everyone, but these are the very best of Bullhead City and Mohave Valley, AZ.

There are other riverfront, river access and lakefront communities in Bullhead City, Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley, AZ. Give me a shout for more information! I know my way around Bullhead City, Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley real estate . . . and will be happy to share what I know.

Many relocations to our area and even more vacation and seasonal residents’ transactions start happening in Fall when the weather starts to mellow.

And every second Summer, the mistake-makers–those whose buyer (often dual) agents were masters of the ‘panic sell’ and bought wrong, wrong, wrong–come crying that they need to move back ‘home’–or anywhere else.

Upside down as all get out at worst case. Losing money or just breaking even at best.

Living in Bullhead City, Fort Mohave 86426 and Mohave Valley 86440 is GREAT. This Southern California transplant made the move in 1993 and never looked back.

BUT – we came for a 4 month leave of absence from our jobs in LA and rented until we were sure.

Before you buy, you will need to be clued in to the basic and immutable truths about our area.

1. Bullhead City is REALLY HOT in Summer (can be nearly 130 on some days! And it does NOT cool down at night so temperatures are often still over 100 for a low in mid July). And you know all the jokes about it being a ‘dry heat’? That’s ‘mostly’ true. BUT, during our ‘monsoon season’ the humidity cranks up and you’ll think you’re in Florida or New Jersey. Except hotter.

2. Bullhead City can get COLD in Winter. We are the desert! We don’t get snow. But it gets cold! If you are buying a Summer place, you will need to take precautions against freezing plumbing–a chief cause of water damage.

3. Bullhead City jobs are mostly ‘service industry’ related. Arizona is a ‘right to work’ state and our casinos (major source of employment) often won’t get you better than a 30k annual salary including tips unless you make it to upper management.

3. Our way of life is a lot SLOWER PACED than our LA, CA or Las Vegas counterparts. Some can’t deal with how ‘country’ we still are.

4. If you are inclined to overindulge in food, drink or gambling, Bullhead City, with its 24 hour casinos and bars within a 10 minute drive, could very well be your downfall.

5. We have critters–sun spiders as big as your hand–scorpions–rattlesnakes–coyotes–mountain lions. You won’t see ‘most’ of those in the suburbs–and I personally own stock in the pest control company! But move onto a 10 acre ranch at the foot of the Black Mountains? DUH!

So PLEASE, investigate this area well before settling on it. I won’t be crushed that you decided not to rush forward on what might be an unwise move. Some people SHOULD rent. And we have rentals as well as sales.

HOWEVER, if you think this may be the place for you–and it is a WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, FUN place for those who understand 1 – 5 above– here’s a REALLY SMART PLAN:

• Arrange for a ‘reconnaissance mission‘ trip prior to any property touring to cruise the area solo. That way, you can really figure out what areas you are attracted to without distraction, and at your own pace. Listings, maps, directions, not a problem. Just ask. 

• Visit our area in Summer — and in Winter.
  
  
• Second reconnaissance mission will be with me. We’ll see some representative properties in areas you’ve found of interest. No pressure. 

• Get your financing in order. If you are making a job transfer for instance, you may need to rent for a bit first to qualify while you ‘settle in’ to your new position. And loan professionals are not all created alike. I know who the great ones are–and who they aren’t. Ask me before you start clicking around online! 

• When you are certain you like our area and can handle the extremes of heat and cold, slower pace than big city living and the occasional unwanted ‘critter’, we make an appointment and see a list of the properties that fit your criteria BEST just prior to making your OFFER to PURCHASE. 

• Let me EDUCATE you about the PROCESS of buying property in AZ, so you enter into your TRANSACTION comfortably, confident that you’re making a sound DECISION.

Remember that working with your real estate broker is a team effort:

YOU, preapproved or funds-ready, knowing what to expect from our area PROPERTIES, ready to work together toward this common goal.

And ME, ready to share my MARKET KNOWLEDGE and BUYING or SELLING STRATEGIES with you as a CLIENT.

You may not know it, but you just got a little bit LUCKIER. Because

LUCK = Laboring Under Correct Knowledge!

When you want NEED the repair done, done right the first time and done fast, being proactive and efficient on YOUR end will help you–or your client–significantly.

When requesting service:

• Request service online. Most warranty companies have portals where the homeowner or agent can request service. USE THOSE BLANK FIELDS that ask for additional explanation! This is a lifesaver when you have a middle of the night plumbing leak or thermostat issue. First in the Q = first to dispatch.

• THEN, call the warranty company‘s CSR and pay your service fee via CC or e-check. That too should expedite processing–and vendors who get paid fast get the work done fast. It’s also great for them to not have to collect the service fee. Saves time all around.

• Ask the warranty company for a LOCAL vendor as close in proximity to the property as possible, unless you have a reason not to. Keep in mind that the companies do not know which zip code is closest. My house is closer to a zip code in another state than 3 local ones.

• Ask the warranaty company for the phone number of the vendor. They often have a ‘back office’ number that won’t go to voice mail.

• Call the vendor. They are faxed the service requests, usually via an office person who may or may not be a ‘techie’. There’s a good chance, even after the previous steps, that the information they got from the warranty company CSR is incomplete. Tell them a request is en route. And be PLEASANT!

• Provide information to the vendor: the make, model, type of appliance if applicable, and tell them as clearly as possible what is wrong and what parts of the appliance appear affected. Repeat trips are often eliminated when the vendor can arrive with the correct replacement parts.

• Give the vendor DETAILED directions to the property.

• Give the vendor your cell number and/or e-mail address so they can give you an ETA and heads up. Murphy’s Law WILL prevail and you will not want to miss each other!

You’ll be amazed how easily things get done when you help servicepeople help you…