NEIGHBORHOODS: DOWN HOUSTON MESA ROAD FAST FACTS WHISPERING PINES Population: 148 Median age: 55 Under 18: 23% Over 65: 25% Married: 72% With Children: 37% Home age: 23 years 2nd homes: 71%
BEAVER VALLEY The East Verde River offers an abundance of fishing holes and swimming spots.
East Verde River corridor WHISPERING PINES Many homes in this small community on the banks of the East Verde River boast rare stream frontage on a creek stocked all summer by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The stream has been augmented in recent years by water released into the headwaters of the East Verde from the Blue Ridge Reservoir atop the Rim. Dominated by vacation and second-home ownership patterns, the community lies about 15 miles from Payson on the well-maintained Houston Mesa Road. The unique homes are tucked in among the trees fronting the creek.
MESA DEL CABALLO Population: 765 Income: $26,188 Avg. age: 47 Under 18: 22% Over 65: 17% Housing: 406 2nd Home: 23% The homes are both further away from shopping and other town amenities than most of the other creekside communities and more expensive. The community has its own volunteer fire department and a cozy, intimate feeling. Many families have owned land and
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Population: 226 Income: $37,166 Married: 68% With kids: 18% Home age: 20 years 2nd home: 47%
Beaver Valley Mesa Del Caballo
Star Valley
44 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2014
homes there for generations. The area was the site of one of the original homesteads in the region and maintains a remote, western feel. BEAVER VALLEY This small community fronts on the East Verde River and dates back to one of the first homesteads in the region. It’s about eight miles from Payson on Houston Mesa Road and sits almost on top of stocked fishing holes and popular camping, hiking and picnicking areas. Residents have their own fire department and water company. The subdivision has a grassy playground for children — often the grandchildren of longtime residents or the children of visitors enjoying an old-time vacation.
MESA DEL CABALLO Sitting on a mesa overlooking the East Verde between Beaver Valley and Payson, the unincorporated community offers some of the least expensive housing in the region in a rural setting. Plagued by water shortages in recent years, the community has obtained access to water from the pending Blue Ridge pipeline, which should end shortages and boost property values by 2015. The roughly 800 properties offer an array of conditions and prices, from endearing rural getaways to real fixer-uppers. It is one of the best deals for homes and real estate, with easy access to the East Verde River and miles of hiking, riding and biking trails.