![]() According to the weather service, almost one day in three the temperature tops 100 degrees in the Phoenix area. While hot, dry air may be good for damaged lungs, it’s downright uncomfortable – and some would say unlivable – when temperatures can exceed 100 degrees before breakfast. He had tuberculosis and he thought the dry climate would be better for him. One of the reasons Boyce Gulley moved to Arizona – besides the fact that the locals didn’t seem to care about his strange he behaved – was because of the climate. Aptly called the “Mystery Castle”, this 18-room mansion had 13 fireplaces and was built from a hodge-podge of local materials including river rocks, telephone poles, and railroad ties. In fact, Gulley had moved to Arizona and began a 15-year project building one of the state’s oddest mansions. In 1929 he left his family in the Pacific Northwest and as far as his family knew, he disappeared from the face of the earth. ![]() One such character was Boyce Luther Gulley who, among other things, built one of Arizona’s first mansions. While still others found the state a perfect place to express some of their unorthodox - or as some would call it - odd-ball behavior and lifestyles. Others came and stayed after striking it rich from the region’s natural resources. Some came to the state for its dry climate which helped ease symptoms for those suffering from respiratory conditions. The one thing most wealthy people had in common was a desire to live in a large, beautiful home. Arizona's First MansionsĪffluent folks began moving to Arizona a long time ago for a variety of reasons. Even in Paradise Valley or Scottsdale, two of the most exclusive areas in the Phoenix area, the highest price tag for any mega-mansion rarely, if ever, exceeds $25 million. A few years back, a mega-mansion sold in Beverly Hills for a whopping $165 million. However, California beats Arizona when it comes to paying top dollar for a beautiful mansion. Arizona’s luxury homes attract a significant number of celebrities too, particularly aging 1970’s rockers like Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks, along with many others. Sure, Beverly Hills may be the first place someone thinks of when it comes to expensive, over-the-top luxury homes, but Phoenix, Paradise Valley, and Scottdale have their fair share of luxury homes that compete with anything found in celebrity saturated Southern California. ![]()
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