From Michigan to Avondale, AZ (Phoenix, Mesa: real estate, high crime, new home)

[OutofMI]

Hi, I'm a college student who's going into the real estate field and I'm considering transferring to a school near Avondale so I can begin flipping houses, but I need a job and I don't have my degree yet and I was wondering if It's a good idea to move to Az this summer or what until the end of the year when I have my degree. There's not any jobs here in Michigan and I want out now! I don't want to live in a dry humid place... I'm hoping you guys could give me advice on where's a great place for a single woman to move and find a job in AZ.

[BurtsBees]

Im from Michigan and going to Law Enforcement. I, like you, am interested in Arizona for a career and a place to live the rest of my life. From what Ive gathered so far, Scottsdale, Peoria and Chandler are some of the nicer "medium" sized cities. Then you have Goodyear, Avondale, etc.

Good luck!

[HAMMERHEAD46]

Avondale is a bit rough for living in but you have Goodyear right next door and it is much better.
If you consider the East Valley Stay away from Tempe and or Mesa proper, extreme E Mesa isn't to bad but the rest has a very high crime rate.
rents are in the low $650 to $1200 range for the most part anywhere in Metro Phoenix for a 2 bed 2 bath Apt.
The Goodyear area has some very fine Doctors in 2 medical buildings at 13555 and 13567 W. McDowell Rd, I go to (5) of them in those (2) two buildings and I live 250 miles away NE of there!
There is a new Hospital (West Valley) right behind those offices also.

[jco]

If you're so close to getting your degree, why would you leave early? Realize that many people go into real estate, don't make it, and then need to find another job. Once you have your college degree, no one can take it from you. Sometimes an employer won't care what you have a degree in. If you have one, it says that you're the type of person that will stick it out and reach goals.

Usually places are dry or humid, not both. I would say that we're a dry heat, except during the monsoon season.

As far as Avondale, I agree with hammerhead46. Although, there are some nice parts of Avondale now. Litchfield Park is definately the classier of the two, though (except by the base, IMHO).

[sablebaby]

Finish your degree first and then do some research. There are tens of thousands of real estate people here. Our market is so saturated and nothing is really selling. If you want to make lots of money flipping houses here, you needed to come out 10 years ago (no joke!). That was the prime time to start doing this. Our market is trying to stablize right now. Do your homework and realize that it's over. Also, why Avondale?

You sound like you want to do too many things at once...move, switch schools, finish degree, get a job, and buy and flip houses. Pick one and finish it then pick another and do that.

[brittZ]

Ok, first off avondale is full of new homes in great price ranges from high 100's to mid 400's. I see many people on here who say dont live in avondale live in goodyear, dont live in phoenix live in tempe, dont live in gilbert live in chandler etc . . . Every city in the valley runs together into a hodge podge conglomerate. There are great neighborhoods and crappy neighborhoods in every single "city" in the Valley. You have to find the area closest to what matters to you that fits your needs and is in your price range. it is not like other places in the country where as soon as you cross a certain road everyone is different and everything is somehow better or worse.

Second, if you are thinking of flipping houses you are a day late and a dollar short. Perhaps back east or in the midwest homes are selling but out west stuff is sitting on the market for months before it gets touched. New home developments are dropping prices and offering incentive as inventories stagnate and used homes are dropping prices and getting competitve as they sit on the market for a while.

Dude, do the smart thing - stay in school and get your degree. Use real estate to build long term wealth not short term profit.

Last, you said you dont want to live in a dry humid place. I'm with you but I cant seem to find a place that isn't either dry or humid. As for the Valley, it is dry. point blank, after almost 30 years here and being a native there is nothing else to say except it is dry.

good luck to you on your degree it is such a huge achievement in life. dont let it become an unfinished regret.