Moving to Az. places NOT to live? (Phoenix, Tucson: houses, rental)

[zekemom]

Hi All...My retired husband and I (soon to be retired) want to relocate to either Arizona or New Mexico. We were interested in Tucson until our friends who live there mentioned the temperature was 120. The towns (cities?) of Mammoth or San Miguel were suggested because they are a bit cooler - whatever that means. Since we both will be retired by the time we move from Michigan next year, we aren't concerned about schools but we are concerned about water. We're hoping to not ever have to look at lawns again and are planning to sell our lawn mower and snow blower as soon as we know for sure when we'll be moving. Would those of you in the know, please let me know about the above mentioned places? We are also looking at Alamogordo, NM. We want to rent a house for a while until we're sure where we want to live out our remaining years - 20 - 30 years from now. We're both in our early 60's now. Also information about utility prices, taxes, etc.

[ejk]

Originally Posted by azbatman86

It really varies where not to live due to high crime. If you have the money, try Verrado out in Buckeye. It is a good place for outsiders from other states to move. It is expensive, but it is a gated community.

Verrado is a great place to live, but the place as a whole is not gated. Maybe there is a gated neighborhood within Verrado that I have not seen.

Originally Posted by zekemom

Hi All...My retired husband and I (soon to be retired) want to relocate to either Arizona or New Mexico. We were interested in Tucson until our friends who live there mentioned the temperature was 120.

Any chance they were pulling your leg? According to National and Local Weather Forecast, Radar, Map and Report 120 has never been recorded in Tucson. The closest it's come is 116 but that was over 40 years ago.

But, right now it is 102, which is still too hot for many people.

There are plenty of spots here where the temperature is more moderate (Prescott, for one) but water is still an issue...

[zekemom]

I made a mistake in my previous message. I meant San Manuel, not San Miguel. Sorry

[zekemom]

It is possible although they were reading the temperature from the thermometer from inside their vehicle that is supposed to register the outside temperature. If they were in a parking lot with black asphalt pavement in the middle of the afternoon there is chance the temperature could be that hot. I'll be the first to admit 21st century technology is not my strong suit so don't know how these things work. I've been to Tucson during the hottest months of the year and I've never seen 120 degree temperatures either.

[Phoneix mom]

Ohio Dave....Paradise valley school district is really known for its good schools. I am a product of it actually and found college to be easier than high school =) Also, Deer Valley school district is good and may havemore affordable housing..

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by Phoneix mom

Ohio Dave....Paradise valley school district is really known for its good schools. I am a product of it actually and found college to be easier than high school =) Also, Deer Valley school district is good and may havemore affordable housing..

You realize, overall, AZ ranks 50th in the nation for education, right?

And I only remember this from my childhood education (a song) and data to support it.

BTW, I do have an MBA from an accredited school and speak a foreign language. I just get so miffed when someone tries to pass off AZ education as adequate. Sorry, I am just in a mood. If you want your children to get a good education, don't come here. Stick to a school in a place like MN (sorry, that's the only thing I know and the schools are excellent!)

[ohio dave]

Originally Posted by Phoneix mom

Ohio Dave....Paradise valley school district is really known for its good schools. I am a product of it actually and found college to be easier than high school =) Also, Deer Valley school district is good and may havemore affordable housing..

Thanks for your input!

[Penny Pickles]

There are many small and growing towns along the I10 corridor through NM and AZ. The Safford area in AZ along with Willcox, Sierra Vista and Benson are growing and don't have the same level of problems with heat that the metro-Phoenix area has and the summer heat is primarily in June and July.

Check out weather internet sights that have actual data regarding average highs and lows. Another thing to check is elevation. Towns and cities at higher than 2,500 ft elevation tend to have less heat than those at lower ones. It also tends to cool down into the 70s at night even on hot days.

Elevations over 4,500 ft tend to go more to four seasons although the winters are extra mild compared to the mid-west or northeast.

[Penny Pickles]

I was schooled in the New York metro area and have been an educator in CT for over 30 years. The data from AZ are not good although they are certainly making strides.

At the same time, good students will tend to do well no matter where they attend school. It is the average and educationally at-risk students that can be hurt the most by low performing schools and drag down the summative data.

A school can have many students attending Ivy League universities while the overall data shows them to be low performing. I always look at the colleges that graduates attend along with the ACT or SAT data that give some predictive information as to potential for success in college. That is a better way of looking at a school district than only looking a one score on a report card. Those single scores (like GPA for us) are only one (albeit important) measure of a district's success.

Check the ACT or SAT national scholarship data for information about any state that you are going to. If the percentage of students is similar to known high performing states and your children are good students, then they will likely be OK.

[seecatherine]

Originally Posted by kowatson

Hi there, I hope someone can help! My family is planning to move from the Seattle area to Arizona and we are literally at step 1. Are there places within say 50 miles surrounding the Phoenix area that one shouldn't live in due to high crime etc.? Thanks!

Pheonix is not the best example of Arizona. You may find that by looking further away the higher elevations can offer a better lifestyle such as in Kingman and Golden Valley, about three hours away from Phoenix. Much cooler and hardly any traffic at all. Lower priced properties, too. Lake Mohave for boating 25 minutes from Golden Valley. If you like a hot crowded, polluted city then Phoenix is what you want. If you want fresh air and outdoor sports right out your back door then you might want to consider other options. I lived in Tucson ten years and got bored and tired of the heat. Phoenix is even hotter and I go through there monthly and have friends there. Now I live in Golden Valley and it's the best place I have ever lived. AND I have not seen a mosquito all summer. We have more wind in the winter and spring which could be the reason. Mossies and pollution simply can't hang around. Much healthier. Laughlin is 25 minutes from my house. Vegas is 1.5 hours and after the Hoove Dam Bypass is finished it will be one hour. Mohave county has aprox. 1,000 miles of shorline. Everyone who can afford it has a boat or a waverunner.