Arizonans who have also lived in the California Desert....

[infocyde]

I'd ask this (if you haven't already) in a Californian forum. Might get more of the pluses!

[KurtAZ]

No one has mentioned the rampant drug problems in PS/PD/DHS and on up the hill to Yucca Valley. I am not sure what there is to be enamored of in Palm Desert that you can't find in AZ with less downside to deal with.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

Have you ever considered Tucson?
I love the California low desert, it's very beautiful and there's so much to do and explore, but the same is true of Arizona's deserts -- and I'd argue we have a much nicer array of deserts since we have a lot of desert that gets more rain and is more verdant than the California deserts -- and it's much cheaper to live here in just about every way.

Yes, I like it quite a bit in Tucson and have considered it. It would be warmer but then I hear it has higher crime than Phoenix. Sometimes I think about moving to Phoenix but then wonder why I would. It is a long drive for the day when you're going back and forth in one day but I do it

I think what I love the most in PD are the distant mountain views and the vibrant feeling community.

[adventuregurl]

Crime, drugs and wind are not on my list of wants for sure...there just doesn't seem to be anywhere like PD. I could spend a month there a couple of times a year. I have the freedom to do that, and that might be enough for me, then I could stay up in the Verde Valley.

[payutenyodagimas]

Originally Posted by funflyer99

Palm Desert and Palm Springs both have a lot to offer, however, as others have said, they come with a price and really don't offer any more than you have here in Arizona.

The best thing Arizona has over the Socal area are the small towns which are still close enough to the big city and everything you like to do. There are no more small towns in Socal where you can get away from the crowds, traffic, noise and unfriendly, rude people. Back during the housing boom they all moved out to the IE from LA and Orange county and brought all that with them.

Also, along with the boom came the crime, it's real bad and getting worse every year. Property crimes have gotten so bad that the police don't have the manpower to respond like they used to. Now they take non-violent crime reports over the phone. Do some online research and you'll see. The bottom line is you would probably want to find a home in a gated and guarded community. Those are also costly with monthly HOA dues of up to $900 or more.

Now hopefully you like the wind. The wind in the PD and PS area blows worse than anywhere I've ever been in Arizona, especially in the summer. Oh, and the blowing sand comes with it.

Good luck to you wherever you decide to live.

please specify which cities you are referring to coz there are a hundred cities which don't have those problems especially in OC

[dvxhd]

Originally Posted by DougStark

Not mentioned, but CA has this crazy real estate property tax called Mello-Roos (funds bonds used to build sewers, roads, schools, etc.) Mainly applies to newer built homes, but it significantly raises one's property taxes. Just be on the look-out for it in CA.

In all fairness, those fees are packaged into a lot of home prices in Arizona too, and are referred to as impact fees. This state isn't immune from those either, for the record. Here are some examples:

https://www.phoenix.gov/pdd/devfees/impactfees
https://www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=480
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/AssetFactory.aspx?did=42465
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/finance/bud...nt-impact-fees

[teddyearp]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

No one has mentioned the rampant drug problems in PS/PD/DHS and on up the hill to Yucca Valley. I am not sure what there is to be enamored of in Palm Desert that you can't find in AZ with less downside to deal with.

Pretty much all of the Inland Empire, i.e. most of Riverside county.

[Flovis]

Check out Clovis, CA, op.

Its a wealthier suburb of Fresno.

106-107 is usually the max for summertime heat in Clovis and those highs are kind of rare(most summer temps are high 80s-low 100s). Summer usually starts in July and ends late September. Winter does last a little longer than the desert, but its usually a mild winter in most years.
Housing isn't too expensive, crime is low, I think retirees would do well there. I'm a little surprised It hasn't caught on with snow birds/retirees. Perhaps, Fresnos bad reputation is to blame.




Oh, well, good luck, op.

[adventuregurl]

Will do, thanks Flovis!