What's life like in the Phoenix area?  I'm looking at possible relocation prospects for a couple years down the road.

I don't want to be in the city. (I can work in a city, but I want some elbowroom where I live).

What are real estate and taxes like?

What are state and local governments like?

Anything else you think is important would be appreciated.

Thanx.

I just moved here from Wisconsin a year ago.  Here are my throughts:

1.  Taxes are lower here than they were in WI.  Property taxes are nil and income taxes are low.

2.  Anything to do with autos SUCKS.  Registration is expensive and our insurance costs are through the roof.  Auto theft is a constant worry.  (Welcome to living in a border state.)

3.  Phoenix itself sucks.  There are nice areas, but Phoenix overall is ehh to me.  It's all about the Valley cities; the suburbs east and west of Phoenix.

East Valley: Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Chandler, Apache Junction, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley.

West Valley:  Litchfield Park, Surprise, Sun City, Sun City Grand, Buckeye, Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson, Glendale, Peoria.

Right now it's all about the east valley.  However, there's EXPLOSIVE growth in thw west valey and the tables may be turned in 20 years or so.

Mike

I just moved from MA August of this year. I find taxes alot higher than MA and car registration/insurance was a shock to me.I find gas cheaper but house prices are on a rise and finding a decent job is difficult(still unemployed).Pay is also quite a bit less than MA. I find I pay the same amount of bills/utilities as I did back home but the pay is less. I'm in the E. valley and it's ok here but would like to move to Scottsdale after our lease runs out. I certainly don't regret moving.The weather is great and there's so much to do in AZ.

I live in machinegun friendly Chandler (CLEO signs forms in 2 days!!).  I moved here from PA.  For me, everything was more expensive, but wages were also better, so I guess it is a wash.

Housing is going up evey day it seems.  I bought our new 2500 sq ft house back in 1996 for $165,000 and I just refinanced it, the appraisal was $240,000 and the houses are selling!!!  I couldn't buy in my neighborhood anymore.

Intel, Motorola and a few other large companies are within a few miles of my house.

azski

i moved from chicago 2.5 years ago... the jobs are hard to find, the pay is moderate at best, and the cost is rather high.  I moved to teh west valley because i couldnt get over the ghetto feel of the east valley.  im not saying it all IS ghetto, but it just felt like it... that and Temp is just a huge ass college town.. and i didnt want to be near that.  The northwest valley is real nice.. clean, and fairly new.  Yes most things at the moment are east valley, but as someone said, its BLOWING UP HUGE over here.  in the last 2 years ive been here stores have doubled, and resturants have trippled.  Im on the border of glendale and peoria and its HUGE here.  Not to mention im giddy as hell that the coyotes are moving over to glendale here...being the hockey fan i am.  But even the cardinals are movin to glendale very soon.  So the east is staying put, but all the new stuff is west and some north.  The property values up northwest here are also skyrocketing because of the growth.  My boss bought a smaller house further west in Surprise for fairly little, and its already gone up nearly 40k in 2 years (least im fairly sure thats what he said).  So id say west valley is the best bet right now....  I wouldnt even give it a 20 year timeline... id say in the next 5-10 no more!

my .02


O yea... and i HATE the freakin weather!!!!!  cant say that enough....  other than nov-feb, i feel a constant urge to kill myself in the oven.  I used to get real energized and been in great moods on sunny days back east... now i feel that way on the 3 days a year it rains here.  Dont start to think that the things you hear about the weather here are exaggerated... THEY ARENT!!!!!  AAAARRRRRRRGGGG!  i need to go outside now...

Quoted: O yea... and i HATE the freakin weather!!!!!  cant say that enough....  other than nov-feb, i feel a constant urge to kill myself in the oven.  I used to get real energized and been in great moods on sunny days back east... now i feel that way on the 3 days a year it rains here.  Dont start to think that the things you hear about the weather here are exaggerated... THEY ARENT!!!!!  AAAARRRRRRRGGGG!  i need to go outside now...

I work in it all day and I'm from the Mid West! It SUCKS in the summer! The West valley IS the new East valley and in 20 years Buckey will be bigger than Phoenix!



P.S. Ruiner, congrats on the wedding and IM me when you want to go shooting, I'll work around your sceduale!

But it's a dry heat, right?

Here in coastal SC it's like 8 months of summer (with massive humidity) and 4 months of fall/spring, skipping what I'd call a real winter (I grew up in PA).  

My parents just moved to Palominas which is a hop and a skip from the Mexican border but the weather there is great(never HOT) like the valley and has a mild 4 seasons.North of the valley is going to be cooler too.It's funny how people who have never been to AZ think the whole state is sweltering hot.

Quoted: I live in machinegun friendly Chandler (CLEO signs forms in 2 days!!).  I moved here from PA.  For me, everything was more expensive, but wages were also better, so I guess it is a wash. Housing is going up evey day it seems.  I bought our new 2500 sq ft house back in 1996 for $165,000 and I just refinanced it, the appraisal was $240,000 and the houses are selling!!!  I couldn't buy in my neighborhood anymore. Intel, Motorola and a few other large companies are within a few miles of my house. azski

Are you saying the Chandler Chief singed signed your Form 4's!!?!?

Quoted: Quoted: I live in machinegun friendly Chandler (CLEO signs forms in 2 days!!).  I moved here from PA.  For me, everything was more expensive, but wages were also better, so I guess it is a wash. Housing is going up evey day it seems.  I bought our new 2500 sq ft house back in 1996 for $165,000 and I just refinanced it, the appraisal was $240,000 and the houses are selling!!!  I couldn't buy in my neighborhood anymore. Intel, Motorola and a few other large companies are within a few miles of my house. azski Are you saying the Chandler Chief singed signed your Form 4's!!?!?

Yes sir!  I filled it out, dropped it of at the Police Station and two days later I get a phone call to stop by and pick it up.

azski

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I live in machinegun friendly Chandler (CLEO signs forms in 2 days!!).  I moved here from PA.  For me, everything was more expensive, but wages were also better, so I guess it is a wash. Housing is going up evey day it seems.  I bought our new 2500 sq ft house back in 1996 for $165,000 and I just refinanced it, the appraisal was $240,000 and the houses are selling!!!  I couldn't buy in my neighborhood anymore. Intel, Motorola and a few other large companies are within a few miles of my house. azski Are you saying the Chandler Chief singed signed your Form 4's!!?!? Yes sir!  I filled it out, dropped it of at the Police Station and two days later I get a phone call to stop by and pick it up. azski

Aren't you lucky.I called the Mesa Chief and his secretary said he doesn't sign off because civilians shouldn't own them This was only regarding a SBR.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I live in machinegun friendly Chandler (CLEO signs forms in 2 days!!).  I moved here from PA.  For me, everything was more expensive, but wages were also better, so I guess it is a wash. Housing is going up evey day it seems.  I bought our new 2500 sq ft house back in 1996 for $165,000 and I just refinanced it, the appraisal was $240,000 and the houses are selling!!!  I couldn't buy in my neighborhood anymore. Intel, Motorola and a few other large companies are within a few miles of my house. azski Are you saying the Chandler Chief singed signed your Form 4's!!?!? Yes sir!  I filled it out, dropped it of at the Police Station and two days later I get a phone call to stop by and pick it up. azski Aren't you lucky.I called the Mesa Chief and his secretary said he doesn't sign off because civilians shouldn't own them his

Chandler is the only local city PD that signs. I'm lucky that I live here.  A couple friends who have purchased Class 3's in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa had to have Sheriff Joe sign the form.  He'll do it, it just takes a few weeks instead of two days.  

azski

I just recently transplanted from CA.  I have been visiting Tucson and Phoenix for about 15 years.  Phoenix is like Los Angeles junior.  Not to start a war, but think about it, Phoenix folks, am I on track?

900 sq ft house in CA $250000.  1200 sq ft house in CA $285000.  2200 sqft house in Tucson $161000.

Sure, the pay is less, but if you can cashout and get a bunch of house, it can't be beat.

We are #2 in the nation for car theft.  

This was my first full summer here.  It wasn't too bad. Several days in the 115 range and many over 100.  Phoenix is usually 2 to 10 degrees hotter.  I rode my Harley every day, rain or shine and wore my leather jacket and full faced helmet on most days.  Don't fear the heat.