NJ Self Employed Single Parent Of One Moving To Arizona (Phoenix: low income, real estate market) - (AZ) - City-Data Forum

MzEntreprenurial · 01-14-2015, 09:48 AM

Hello All,

I currently reside in New Jersey and have been looking into moving to Arizona since I have lost my desire to move to GA. Since I work form home I will need to have a 3 bedroom or nice 2 bedroom with maybe a huge enough loft area where I can have a decent sized work/ storage space. My budget is limited so I can't go over $960 a month which in the state of NJ will DEFINITELY sign me up for areas where rape, robbery and gangs will be high on the menu. i reside with my parents now in a nice middle class area of NJ however if I wanted to move to even a 1 bedroom in the area where I am currently it will start at 1300. I have been looking on websites and have seen that I can definitely find a nice home within my price range however I have no idea what areas are good for a single parent like myself and what is not. On top of that (if things couldn't be any worse than that) the school system will not be up to par and all the above has me seriously concerned...no I take that back. It has me scared out of my mind. So I first wanted to ask what areas I should consider being that my child is still small (he's 7). My concern is being able to find an area that has great school system and hopefully not to far from shopping centers and markets. I wanted to ask here being that sometimes when you speak with realtors and renters they are in it for the money (some of them) and that really is all that matters. So I hope that coming here I can get a more thorough review of areas from the people who live in them. I know that I will need to take info with a grain of salt due to others experiences, but I'm definitely in need of some starting points. My apologies if this inquiry may have been asked before. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Thank You so much in advance.

KurtAZ · 01-14-2015, 01:35 PM

And the inevitable...where in AZ are you looking?

MzEntreprenurial · 01-14-2015, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

And the inevitable...where in AZ are you looking?

Hello Kurt,

As mentioned in my prior post I don't have the answer to that question being that I have never been there or have a detailed knowledge of counties and townships. My apologies for not having a designated township for you to actually discuss, however I didn't know that was a requirement to get help with general information on good areas there with good school systems. I made my inquiry so that I can begin to make an in depth search of the towns and schools mentioned. If you are unable to assist with this that is ok, I appreciate you even taking the time out. Hopefully someone can assist me with this question who is not focused on those requirements.

KurtAZ · 01-14-2015, 02:45 PM

No..not at all...just wondering if you are looking at the smaller towns in AZ, Phoenix or Tucson. This is a BIG state so asking the general question on "where should I live" should be taking into account a large number of factors. If you don't want heat...I would say stay out of Phoenix or Tucson. Prescott offers a little larger mid-state town vs. say Payson. Flagstaff is up on the Rim and has the most varied climate of the larger towns/cities in the state (i.e. gets snow....lots of snow).

So what you said was a 3 or 2 bedroom with a loft, cost of max $960 payment in a non-crime ridden area with decent schools. As a parent...schools would be my top concern with a 7yr. old. So I would start by checking the rankings of school districts from the DoE: School Rankings

Interestingly, by that list, the Ash Fork district is the top in the state...now I would not want to live in Ash Fork...it is in the middle of nowhere...but they have a high performing school district. The next public school district on the list is Higley...that is in Phoenix so the detractor there would be Summer heat. Anyway...I would kind of run with that until you find a district that you are okay with in an area of the state that you want to live...the $960 per month is reasonable in almost any city/town in the state (probably not Scottsdale, areas of N. Phoenix, Carefree/Cave Creek or Sedona...may be priced out of Flagstaff as well but I am not up to date on the rental/real estate market in Flag).

Point being...if you gave us some more specifics as to what you are looking for/enjoy doing/etc. then we can help narrow down areas you may enjoy.

azdr0710 · 01-14-2015, 08:43 PM

definitely take care of the little guy.....there are several websites, I hear, that rank schools.....

does it have to be Arizona?....if not, I presume there are many places across the country that have reasonable rents and top-quality schools....

and are you SURE you can move and make a go of the working-from-home thing?....

as Kurt says, we do need to know your tolerance for heat or cold, your social needs, etc....will you have a car?....all those type vitals will help us make suggestions

sunshinez247 · 03-01-2015, 08:35 PM

Hello MzEntreprenurial,

We have a lot in common. I'm originally from NJ but I currently live in San Diego, CA and will be relocating to AZ this spring with my teenage son. I'm somewhat familiar with the Phoenix area. I visit often and have family in that area. I have decided to settle in that area and deal with the hot summers. It's so hot June - Aug! Just stay in. Even going to the pool is painful. lol At least it is dry heat so when the sun goes down it's quite nice.

With all that being said, it is true that you can get more help if we know your tolerance for heat and at least a general area of where you'd like to go.

I like the SW Phoenix suburbs overall. It's very reasonable ,(gas, food, housing) and you can rent a really nice place for $960. You can't rent a decent closet in San Diego or Jersey for that. I have quite a bit of family and friends that do well there (good jobs/homes). They keep telling me I'll get used to the heat but coming from San Diego...everywhere else sucks in terms of climate. It's a sacrifice I've decided to make.

Finally, go for it! You never know until you try. I know exactly how it feels to want to spread your wings and try something new. Make an informed decision and do not let anyone discourage you. Your child is young so this is the best time. Even if you don't like it or find another area you like better, it's okay. If you don't like something, change it. Be bold and fierce and best of luck in your endeavors.

Pennies4Penny · 03-01-2015, 10:02 PM

Hi there. We are moving out of Arizona for a lot of reasons, but number 1 is the schools. They are terrible and will surely be getting worse with the governor already making cuts. If you scroll down a bit you'll see a post about a teacher looking to relocate from NJ. I posted some news articles in there about the deplorable state of this state's education system. If you are completely set on moving here anyway, the Chandler school district is one of the better ones (it's where we live, SE of Phoenix), but honestly if you want any sort of standards you need to find a charter school or private school.

Our family is low income. We are struggling here. In the next 6-12 months we are moving to Minnesota, Twin Cities area. The schools there are top rate (MN ranks number 6, AZ is 48), incomes are much higher than here, but cost of living is about the same. We can buy a nicer house there for about the same price as here and our monthly budget is a bit lower than yours. It's a place you may want to consider.

***Riggs Elementary is part of the Chandler school district. It is the number 1 public elementary in the state.

infocyde · 03-05-2015, 09:41 AM

960 to rent a 3 bedroom house seems low to me except if you get lucky or pick one of the smaller towns. Smaller towns sound good but often have problems associated with all smaller towns in the USA right now. Maybe start looking on craigslist for rentals to get an idea of pricing in areas you think are desirable.

observer53 · 03-05-2015, 12:18 PM

And, making any serious plan to move far away to a state you've never set foot in is perhaps not the best plan. I'd come out here this summer and visit, to get a feel for whether this state is a good fit for you.

johnp292 · 03-06-2015, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by observer53

And, making any serious plan to move far away to a state you've never set foot in is perhaps not the best plan. I'd come out here this summer and visit, to get a feel for whether this state is a good fit for you.

I have to second this, and I'm from NJ originally and love Arizona. But AZ is not for everyone (no single place is) and I am also concerned that you've never been here.

AZ is very different from NJ, especially the desert areas. The weather is different, the politics are different, which translates into areas that do effect daily life - I'll give you one example...in AZ a renter who runs into financial problems and is late with the rent can find herself homeless very quickly, unlike back east where the process can take a month or more and eviction can be averted more easily. I'm not saying that would happen to you, just using it as an example.

Also, if you are familiar with suburban NJ schools....you just won't find that here. NJ is known for excellent schools outside the urban cities. Putting it politely, Arizona is not.

Don't get me wrong, I love it here and we have school age children. We have one child in a charter school that we are happy with, but our other child has special needs and we are struggling to find anything appropriate for her. We are currently homeschooling her and may continue to do so.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from moving here if they are sure they want to, have a good plan and know what they are getting in to. I'm just concerned, OP, that you might not be.

But if I am wrong about that, the folks here, myself included, will no doubt continue to try to help provide whatever information or advice we can, so ask away!