Anyone move from new england (NH) to Arizona? (Phoenix, Tucson: insurance, houses)

[hollyrose]

Hello Everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has move from new england to Arizona? My husband will be graduating in december 2008 for his MBA and we will be looking to move out of New Hampshire. I grew up in Salem,NH and he grew up in Medford,MA. New Hampshire is a nice a place but we are getting sick of the weather. We had a good amount of snow on April 15th this year! My husband is a project manager so we would probably be moving somewhere close to Pheonix. I would appreciate any advice or thoughts about this possible move. We would love to move to California but it's to expensive. We would prefer a warmer climate but not humid. So that doesn't leave us with many options.
Thanks,
Holly

[ji603]

I moved from Quincy, MA.


It's hard to answer your question really .... yes, it's warmer here but not humid. There are no blackfly here, and I haven't seen a mosquito...Most everything is paved over here, and the blacktop keeps the heat in. The traffic's worse than 93 and the pike during rush hour, and there are more illegals than in Brockton/Dorchester.... auto insurance rates are about the same as MA, registration costs are about the same as NH.

Heating bill in the summer here is like oil bill in the winter back there. Cars last a lot longer though because there's no sand/salt.

Wages are lower for construction type jobs - housing prices are far more reasonable than anywhere near the seacoast NH/MA...

2008 is a ways out ... you guys should visit the grand canyon and drive south to Phoenix and check it out. I used to check continental's webpage and found round trips from Manchester to Phoenix for $250 during the slow season. (no one wants to fly to AZ in the summer)

PS ... there are no Dunkin Donuts stores here anywhere !!!

[sunshinecities]

Hi,

My husband and are are from CT (New England) and also considering a move to AZ. You can search through all the forums (put a topic in the search part at the top too) and find out a lot. I asked tons of questions - look through mine too - Sunshinecities. I learned a lot by asking all the various questions. I love AZ and the desert but wanted to hear any negative too, if there was much, just so I would be realistic as I know visiting, which I've done, is not the same as living in a place. I know what you mean about the weather - we are sick of winter in CT. I love hot weather. My friend lived in Peoria/Glendale area for a few years and during the monsoon time in the summer she said it did get humid. Have you thought about Tucson? That's another great place to check out. We are attracted to Tucson because the traffic does not seem as bad and the weather a tad cooler although still nice and hot overall. On the other hand, Phoenix has a lot to offer and more facilities and such. Good luck in your decision!

[chionactis]

I am from western MA and husband from Eastern MA. We have been in Gilbert AZ since 2000 mainly for his work as a physician. He used to love it here; I tolerated it. We are moving BACK to New England - I am leaving this Tuesday. He will drive cross-country on June 18th. We are moving to Hebron, CT. It has grown ALOT since we moved here. It is just too hot for me in the summertime and, with 4 little kids, it is difficult to find anything to do with them other than swimming, that won''t cost me money (ie: go to the malls, go to an indoor play area, drive 2 -3 hours to get out of the heat, then what do you do?)...I think you need to visit here in the summertime as it lasts aa good 6 months in the Phoenix area (May-October 100 degree-plus heat). You will miss not having rain, you will miss the lush greenery, you will probably tire of the same sunshine and heat day after day in the summers. You will have to possibly deal with scorpions (we have them here on our property), fire ants (or a relative of - they are very aggressive and have nasty bites that itch for days afterwards) and roaches - common and abundent but are the least of the critters to have to worry about. Tucson is a better choice, I think. Northern AZ has changes of seasons and snow - but I don't think many job opportunities. Worth looking into, though.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ji603

Heating bill in the summer here is like oil bill in the winter back there. Cars last a lot longer though because there's no sand/salt.

They might not rust, but they wont last longer. Just throwing that out there...

[Boatdrinks]

I lived in Maine for a few years and spent a lot of time in NH as well. It's a LOOOOOOT different here. Not just the weather - that's obviously different. But if you're used to the "reserved, keep to yourself, that's how things are done and it ain't gonna change" mentality of New England, you'll find it's much different here. Obviously this is only based on my experiences, so take it for what it's worth. But we've found people here to be a lot friendlier, open and more accepting of newcomers, since we're all newcomers. We found that, in Maine, you had to be 3rd generation before you were really accepted. NH's not quite that bad, but you probably know the vibe I"m talking about. It's kind of a state where people are kind of friendly but it's very keep to yourself, be strong and get by without help, and tough to get to know people. Again - just my experience. Here in AZ, people have been great.

Obviously this area is much more developed, crowded and commercial then Salem. Houses look different, lots of shopping, restaurants. To me, that's great. But we're far from the ocean, so that's a downfall in my opinion - it's about 5 hrs to San Diego beaches. We are close to the mountains in Flagstaff, which actually remind me a lot of New England. Flag is gorgeous with lots of fir trees and it's much cooler up there.

It's really so much different here. For me, the differences are positive. But for a true New Englander at heart, they probably wouldn't be positive. I have a lot of family in NH - born and raised - and not a single one of them would ever want to live here.

We like it here, but it's not for everyone just like New England isn't for everyone. You should plan a few visits out here to check it out - come in the summer and also in the winter. Winters are wonderful here. Summers are hot and long but I'd rather deal with a 5 month summer then a 5 month winter like we had in ME.

Good luck!

[exlexisnexis]

PS ... there are no Dunkin Donuts stores here anywhere !!!

I read recently they are building about 40 new Dunkin Doughnuts in AZ
I am from Massachusetts and love it here and if it was not a great place to live it would not be the fastest growing state in the USA.
let the naysayers explain why it is growing so fast if it is a lousy place to live?

[115db]

Ironically, I do know of a couple who came out here from New England, they now live in Az City. They are looking into moving back to the East coast, as shes had nothing but respiritory issues since shes been here, despite the number of cities and towns theyve lived in all these years. Im trying to get them to try heading to Northern Az for awhile first and see if that helps. Heck, Id move up there for the right reasons!

[hollyrose]

Thanks for the responses. We're are leaning towards Pheonix, Arizona especially for the job market but who knows. I'm in Barrington,NH and it was 55 degrees today cool and very rainy yuck for June weather! I am one of those people that I think has SAD or seasonal affective disorder. So being in New Hampshire doesn't help that with lack of sunshine.

[MsB23]

I think the weather is really a matter of perspective. I've been in Phoenix my whole life (a whopping 30 years...I know, I know...) & I can't stand the summers & the way everything here either is dead or looks dead (plant-wise). It is absolutely no exaggeration that the temps are over 100 from May through October. This year we hit 100 in April.

By July, it is no longer a "dry" heat. It may not be 80% humidity, but 60% humidity at 115, is pretty dam* uncomfortable, IMHO.

There will be essentially no snow in Phoenix (I've seen snow here maybe twice in my lifetime & it is barely a dusting on the ground & it is gone by 7 am), there will be virtually no rain. Every year we are encouraged to take 3 minute showers to conserve water (it's a desert), but there are hundreds of golf courses here with green grass. Go figure.

There are things that I don't like about Phoenix (northern AZ is better--trees, green stuff, seasons, weather), however, one of my best friends loves Phoenix for exactly those same reasons. It depends on who you are & what you like. You should just be honestly informed.

Additionally, you should take care moving here if you have bronchial issues. There is a lot of dust in the air (again, it's a desert) & we also end up with a lot of smog. Phoenix is basically just a big bowl where smog collects and with the lack of weather, the smog can hang out for a long time before it blows out...and if the smog is blown out, the wind that is blowing out the smog is then kicking up the dust...

It all depends on what you're looking for. People are moving here in droves, which I guess should mean something, but I've always disliked it. However, I have always lived here, so I have very little perspective on the annoyances of other places.

Oh, if you have SAD, then you may benefit from the constant bright, sunny weather--altho, do keep in mind that the sun is brighter & more intense here that in the northeast.

For a point of reference, it's supposed to be 107 degrees today, & the low is supposed to be 80.

Whatever you decide, good luck!