[canudigit]

We sold our house in SE Michigan earlier this year for quite a bit less than we had hoped to get, but here's the thing: we also just recently bought a house in a small town in SE Michigan for about $100,000 less than the original asking price when it was built two years ago. When you think about that, you realize that you aren't actually losing much if anything at all.

Whether you buy here or in AZ, you will still get a great deal. The house that we were going to buy in AZ and had our offer accepted on verbally by the bank is now listed for $20,000 less than our offer, so that tells you that prices are still plummeting in AZ because there are still too many homes on the market for the number of buyers there, just like here in Michigan. Presumably, someone will be paying even less than the new price for that house when it eventually sells, because no one pays the list price. Whew! We sure dodged a bullet there!! And it actually did appraise for our offer price about four months ago, so there you go, prices there are going down same as here.

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by JGatti

The same day we received an offer on our house, the plan for our next house fell apart. What the hell are the chances this would happen in the same day? Now we have two options. Turn down the offer and pull our house off the market. Or move to Arizona. ( the only other real option)
What a nightmare. I never would have dreamed this could happen.

AZ isnt what it is cracked up to be. I moved here from MI in 2005, and AZ is bar none the worst place I've lived. Re-think your options twice, three times, even four times. Arizona is no better off than MI, and thats a fact. Besides, there are too many people in AZ for the extremely few jobs available. Do you know how many people come here for a "better" life and go home when things dont work out? Most. Too many people here for the jobs and services available is part of the state's ills. If you can, please stay in the Wolverine State. Why do you see AZ as an option? Do you have a job offer here? Family? Is it weather? New Mexico or Utah is a much better alternative to AZ. Please please please please re-think your Arizona thing. We dont need anymore peple coming here.

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by hydigger

Get the heck out of MI. Its dying, Arizona would be ok but it is hurting right now, I would move some place that is going to be posistioned for a large comeback and MI ain't it. Florida is not doing well as far as jobs go, but it will make a come back faster than MI will, and homes are priced right. Texas is doing well but what person that has a brain would want to live in red neck heaven? I think I would pick a spot that I wanted to go and like the above posts show rent. Remember your home in MI will most likely go down in value even more in the next few years. The auto industry is not poised for any come back soon. And even if it does make a come back I doubt it will be Flint and Detroit that sees the profit from it. SELL and run.

Why not Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wyoming, or the Dakotas? Those are the few states that are actually doing well right now. With Arizona's very very meager education (50th ranking of the 50 states), there will be no job opportunities, corporate expansion, or corporate relocation to AZ any time soon. In fact, there was an article yesterday in the AZ Republic newspaper that said Arizona will continue to see HEAVY jobs losses for at least the next 2 years. There just arent any educated workers here to fill the demand, so companies waved by by to this place long ago.

[hydigger]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

Why not Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wyoming, or the Dakotas? Those are the few states that are actually doing well right now. With Arizona's very very meager education (50th ranking of the 50 states), there will be no job opportunities, corporate expansion, or corporate relocation to AZ any time soon. In fact, there was an article yesterday in the AZ Republic newspaper that said Arizona will continue to see HEAVY jobs losses for at least the next 2 years. There just arent any educated workers here to fill the demand, so companies waved by by to this place long ago.

I am not saying that Arizona is the place to be, although I will say it is better than Michigan. Michigan is the gold standard of a bad economy right now. But Wyoming is not a good state, it has the population of a midsized city. You could add 10 jobs and drop the unemployment by 2%. Texas is a good place if you can stand the Upchuck Norris types that live in many parts. Austin is a great place.

[Sparrow_temp]

Kind of depends on what your goal is if you want to rank the states. If it's just to get a job -- target where the unemployment rank is the lowest in your field but be prepared to move anywhere. I chose NM on my weather ideals (sunny skies, warm winters, tolerable summers, low humidity), population density (low), and taxation (relatively low). I had a job in MI, had a new job offer across the street from where I worked, and had a job offer in NM -- decided to move because I was really sick of the cold winters and constant cloud cover during most of the fall/winter/spring and wanted a change. I'm still confident I made the right choice for myself.

I've since sold my house in MI (thank God) and am renting like I previously recommended to the original poster. If I lose my job, I'll go to wherever the jobs are. If some great opportunity comes up someplace else, I can pursue it.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by YAZ

So,

does this mean we're gonna do lunch in Phoenix soon?

Maybe when we come out there on vacation my friend. Things change fast and it looks as if our original plan is back in motion. Our goal is to stay the course, pay off bills and save as much $$$ as we can. We really wanted to stay in the area until to keep our kids in their current schools. I hope we can stay where we are going until at least then. After that the wife will be a nurse and we will be able to go where we want. Until then it's save save save.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by JGatti

Maybe when we come out there on vacation my friend. Things change fast and it looks as if our original plan is back in motion. Our goal is to stay the course, pay off bills and save as much $$$ as we can. We really wanted to stay in the area until to keep our kids in their current schools. I hope we can stay where we are going until at least then. After that the wife will be a nurse and we will be able to go where we want. Until then it's save save save.

We are literally "stuck" in Phoenix right now. While I've enjoyed the AZ lifestyle for 5 years, my wife, (Desert Girl) would love to live in a place with 4 seasons. Snow?

That's a 4 letter word to me.

Putting aside my adoration for palm trees and wearing shorts on Christmas day, we did some exploring and found that cities like Atlanta, GA and Grand Rapids, MI had enough going on that we'd both be happy in either place.

Ain't gonna happen in the near future.

We're so upside down on our properties right now that my head hurts from standing on it so much.

While folks like to bash Phoenix, Michigan, et al, on these boards, I can tell ya that life is what you make it, wherever you are.....

[tjay]

you should sell your house and stay in michigan. you have a job here, you don't have a job in arizona.

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by YAZ

We are literally "stuck" in Phoenix right now. While I've enjoyed the AZ lifestyle for 5 years, my wife, (Desert Girl) would love to live in a place with 4 seasons. Snow?

That's a 4 letter word to me.

Putting aside my adoration for palm trees and wearing shorts on Christmas day, we did some exploring and found that cities like Atlanta, GA and Grand Rapids, MI had enough going on that we'd both be happy in either place.

Ain't gonna happen in the near future.

We're so upside down on our properties right now that my head hurts from standing on it so much.

While folks like to bash Phoenix, Michigan, et al, on these boards, I can tell ya that life is what you make it, wherever you are.....

AMEN!!! Can someone please take this sentence and post it in large, bold font at the top of every one of these forums? Seriously, this is the wisest thing I have read on this board since I joined quite a while ago. Anyone else tired of seeing an area bashed over and over, ad nauseum, just because someone's own SUBJECTIVE opinion has decided that everyone should feel the same way that they do? If you aren't happy in Michigan, you ain'ta gonna be happy in Arizona, or anywhere else, and vice versa.

Nice post, Yaz!