Posted: 10/9/2008 4:37:16 PM EDT
So I have been working a project here for the past few weeks (months) and a bombshell was dropped today. The client has request I move to the Phoenix area and is offering me significantly more then I am already making in Dallas. Let me say, I don't make peanuts now and from what I understand, cost of living is lower here.  So...if you were brand new and had to do it all over again? Where would you live etc? I'm planning on renting an apartment for the first few months and go from there. What are the gun laws like here in comparison to Texas? Thanks in advance.... |
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Gun laws here are better than Texas. Id say make your living choice based on where you are going to be working.. you dont want to live on one side of phoenix and have to drive to the other for work. most of the suburbs on the east valley and west valley have some very nice areas as well as some not so nice. there is lots of new housing around too. |
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No way would I live in an anti-gun state like Texas. Cost of living is pretty comparable. Possibly a little higher here, but not that much. You want to live fairly close to work if you can. The best advice is to avoid buying in the far outlying areas, they are very overbuilt and values will be flat or declining as long as the builders have excess inventoy. Older, more established areas are a better bet. |
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I bought a home in one of the "historic" districts near downtown and commute clear out to Chandler every day. This is considered a "reverse commute" though, as most folks are heading into Phoenix in the morning and I'm heading out, so the traffic isn't bad at all. Same deal coming home - everybody's trying to get out of Phoenix and I'm heading in. As was mentioned earlier, there are pockets of good neighborhoods right near, shall we say questionable areas. If you're looking near downtown, I would stay north of McDowell Road and east of say 15th Avenue, but there are exceptional areas south of McDowell too. Do plenty of research and don't rush into anything. It's a buyers market, to be sure. Try this: http://www.historicphoenix.com/ |
Gotcha
I laughed. Dern....they are that good eh? Hmmmmm. I'll be working in what apartments.com calls the Central Phoenix area. Noted as area "1" in this little map. Hop skip and a jump from the airport! Just the way I like it! Doesn't exactly appear to be houses to buy in this area but in this economy....do I really WANT to buy right now?  I may be able to remain in Dallas and simply commute every now and then, but we'll see on that. What I am really liking about the area is how freaking close mountain biking, road biking, climbing, hiking, sking, etc are to here...not to mention the ocean isn't exactly...far!
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| The opportunity to have some time to "scout" the area before making a committment on real-estate is a real advantage. The market is depressed here, like everywhere else, but more-so in some areas than others and for different reasons in some areas than others. There are some great residential areas in the Central Phoenix area but with price tags to match. Welcome to the Valley. |
yeah, when it comes to the outdoors we have WAY WAY WAY more public land than texas as well was way more national forests, national monuments, and national parks that most states. Our highest peak is 12,633 up in flagstaff about 120mi north. But there is great desert hiking closer and excellent mountain hiking not too far away either in the supersitions, and the mogollon rim area. fyi phoenix is the second largest city in the country.. central phoenix is ghetto for the most part, where south phoenix and north phoenix are really nice. You will need to scout really. |
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Also know that Phoenix is really a large Metro area where the only real way to tell which city you are in is by the color of the road signs, depending on where you are working, it is just as reasonable to live in Temp, Mesa, or Gilbert and be just as close to the airport. In other words, don't necessarily limit yourself to a "Phoenix" address. |
Key is International flights. I have been to Qatar, Ireland and India this year alone. That's sparse compared to most years. Main reason I live in Dallas is because it is a major hub etc. Fortunately I travel with a Garmin Nuvi so finding things is pretty easy so far. :P Most apartments I have seen along Camelback are in my price range and decent to very nice. I'm going to keep looking. I'm in no rush and have not officially decided what I am going to do just yet. |
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I saw you asking about buying a home right now, and if you can, it's a buyers market. i work for a builder where we have homes up to 7K sq ft, completely decked out for peanuts, a base price of $285 for a 4600 sq ft home...... It's an awesome time to buy a home so buy new if you can, and a little bit of a drive to live in a nice community is worth it to get well away from the concrete jungles of the city. There are plenty of alternate routes to get to where you'll be working, but no matter what, you will always have some traffic to deal with when you are going into that area. |
 So I have to ask...what neighborhood would this be? Feel free to send me a PM if its secret squirrel material. I am game for something worthwhile up to 400kish. |
I live in a gated community ten minutes from the airport, near the base of South Mountain, and next to two golf courses. There are a dozen or more houses that have been for sale for nearly a year, and a few with 'For Rent' signs. None are more than five years old. It is located SE of the airport just over the (mostly dry) Salt River. I do the reverse commute (mostly) into south Chandler for work, and it takes me about 15-20 minutes on a good day (about 12 miles). All main streets are wide and well laid out, some go from one end of this valley to the other! Just scout out a few neighborhoods. Heck, even a realtor would be good to contact, even to rent. |
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As noted, do your homework. There's lots of bargains all over the Valley, but there are bargains, and then there are bargains. Many developers/builders severely overbuilt in the more distant locations of the Valley, and there are now whole neighborhoods of unsold homes with the builders/banks desperate to put folks into these homes as buyers/renters including government subsidized renters. There have been some horror stories on this forum of folks buying into to these bargain neighborhoods only to find out that that some of their neighbors represent a less than desireable segment of society. Your budget will get you a nice home in most neighborhoods in the Valley (well, maybe not Paradise Valley) so don't jump at the first opportunity without looking at all of the factors involved. More than 10% "For Sale" signs in a given neighborhood ought to be a red flag. As suggested, a good realtor might be a good suggestion, although remember that the realator represents the seller in most cases, not the buyer. |
I believe I'm only one or two subdivisions to the west of you. |