Relocate?? Any tips??? (neighborhoods, live in, prices)

[AzDreamer]

The preparation needed for a relocation might depend on your situation in life.

If you are young and single then do what many of us did, just load your car and head out.

If you have a family depending on you then try to find a job that covers some of your relocation expenses.

[teepolo]

Originally Posted by JennySquirrel

Well, I would think a serious soul searching is first. Sit down and make a list of all the "dream" places you would like to live and then break it down to pro's and con's on each place.

I have been doing my research to move for years. I can say one thing that is important is to travel to the various areas and stay for a few weeks to get a feel for it. Once you eliminate a few areas, go back and revisit the favorites a few times. Make sure you stay during the "extreme" season. So if you are considering AZ, don't just visit for a few days in January and think " Oh this is great". Try staying 3 weeks in August and see how you do.

Also, as someone else suggested, subscribe to the newspaper. I can't tell you how many we have subscribed to over the years. It does help get a better feel for the area.

I read as much as I can on City Data, Sperlings, etc. I ask questions, look at demographic studies compare taxes, insurance, employment, growth, auto registration,etc. Call the local Sheriff's dept. and ask them about the crime. Don't bother asking a realtor, they can't tell you anything negative.

I have found that City Data was a valuable tool. The people will answer any question, give great info, sources,etc.

Good luck

WOW, awesome idea in calling the Sheriff dept. Whom would i ask for and what do you really ask them?? I never thought of calling the Sheriff dept. I figured nobody could tell you that type of information.

Thank you very much! I look forward to your reply.

[teepolo]

Originally Posted by Phoenix lady

Get the newspaper from where you want to relocate to--we did that when in Florida and it helps you get a feel of the place. Also, visit at least once and ride around--you have to get a feel for it yourself.

How would i obtain newspaper(s)? Would they actually mail it to me daily?

[esselcue]

Originally Posted by teepolo

WOW, awesome idea in calling the Sheriff dept. Whom would i ask for and what do you really ask them?? I never thought of calling the Sheriff dept. I figured nobody could tell you that type of information.

Thank you very much! I look forward to your reply.

I have provided crime stats for many, many people (I work for the Sheriff's Office)...if you have a certain area in mind, those statistics can be pulled and provided...BUT, remember that the Sheriff covers only the unincorpoarted areas. If you need stats on a particular city or town which has its own Police Department, you need to contact that entity for the information

[Gretchen B]

Originally Posted by teepolo

How would i obtain newspaper(s)? Would they actually mail it to me daily?

You could do that, but an easier way would be to Google the Newspaper and the town(s) you're interested in. Almost all newspapers have an online edition now. For instance you can go to dcourier.com to access the Prescott Daily Courier. It's really a cheap, easy way to see the latest happenings, look at the classifieds for jobs, housing, etc.

[Nanny Goat]

Originally Posted by teepolo

How would i obtain newspaper(s)? Would they actually mail it to me daily?

When I lived in Florida, I went to a city newstand and just picked one up every few weeks for out here in Arizona. You could have it mailed, too(it'll arrive late, but for your purposes it would still be okay).

Check for on-line newspapers for the cities you're interested in or a major city nearby to where you want to scout out to live.

[Gretchen B]

PS I definitely agree with the other posts about spending as much time as possible visiting and exploring the area(s). When you visit a place, be sure and strike up conversations with the locals. You'd be surprised how willing most people are to talk about their town and the things they like best and the things they dislike. You'll also get a good idea of how friendly a town is by doing that.

As far as housing goes, when you're still in that initial phase and haven't narrowed down your choices, a good resource is Realtor.com. You can keep an eye on home prices in various towns. Also you can maybe eliminate some towns if the cost of housing is too high. Viewing the Virtual Tours on realtor.com can be helpful, too. Many VT's will also show"Views" and that way you can get a good idea of the terrain, etc.

[rich67]

Originally Posted by teepolo

WOW, awesome idea in calling the Sheriff dept. Whom would i ask for and what do you really ask them?? I never thought of calling the Sheriff dept. I figured nobody could tell you that type of information.

Thank you very much! I look forward to your reply.

I'd actually try to find a marked patrol car, then approach the officer and flat out ask him where the bad areas of town were and where the areas were that he got the least amount of calls.
On the phone, you could try calling the main number for the city/county agency, then ask to speak to a watch commander or someone who could give you information on a particular area of town and crime stats there. If you got anyone who was a detective or a road patrol officer on the phone and they had time, I am sure if you named off some spots/streets, they'd tell you instantly how good/bad that area was. That's really a TRUE gauge of crime in the area, in my opinion. Papers leave out stuff and people who live in the area only know about their little microcosm of real estate--they may not have a clue about what is going on down the street (crack house, child molesters, etc.), but the cops always know.

[teepolo]

Originally Posted by esselcue

I have provided crime stats for many, many people (I work for the Sheriff's Office)...if you have a certain area in mind, those statistics can be pulled and provided...BUT, remember that the Sheriff covers only the unincorpoarted areas. If you need stats on a particular city or town which has its own Police Department, you need to contact that entity for the information

esselcue,

I will be looking in the Queen Creek, Casa Grande, Chandler / Mesa areas. I do appreciate the offer of this information, if your able to retrieve it! I have a few other areas that i am considering but i guess we can start there if that is not too much of a problem. Thanks in advance.

[teepolo]

Originally Posted by Gretchen B

You could do that, but an easier way would be to Google the Newspaper and the town(s) you're interested in. Almost all newspapers have an online edition now. For instance you can go to dcourier.com to access the Prescott Daily Courier. It's really a cheap, easy way to see the latest happenings, look at the classifieds for jobs, housing, etc.

I did see someone else mention this yesterday and i am going to do a search online for newspapers in the areas i'm interested in.