[Azzurri]

Moving from Clinton TWP to TUCSON really soon for new work oppurtunity.

Not sure where, but probaly S. Tucson Area.

Any PRO/CONS compared to MICHIGAN besides the weather?

Schools? Family Orientated? Etc.

Any fellow Michiganders have any info or expierence w/ AZ...?

Thanks for the help in these fustrating times,

Sorry so vague with info... Just Dont know much about S. AZ.

[mhogan10010]

I have old friends who retired there. One of those deals where my folks had kids the same age as them and we went to the same church. However, they left Michigan for Louisville (Fords transfer), for several years before they retired.
Anyway, they love it. The first couple of years they hated the weather, but eventually adjusted and now would not live anywhere else. They are in a retirement community in between Phoenix and Tuscon. Since they moved there, all three of their adult kids have moved to the area.
Unlikely I would ever move there, but then I actually like New York City.

[bubbagirl]

I have good friends that own a winter house in Buckeye, outside of Phoenix. They can't handle the temps after about the 1st week of May. Prepare yourself for some serious heat. But, winters are wonderful .. if you're looking to get away from snow and such. You won't see much rain, you will see a lot of dust. Yards have to be irrigated to grow much of anything. Certainly not as naturally green as it is in the midwest (this is a big down point for me - I'm an outdoorsy person that loves trees).

Also, just had a client move down to Phoenix. He's never spent any time down there before making the move. Said there are a lot of people ... lots of traffic, more than what he saw in the Detro Metro area, but otherwise really likes being down there. Great work opportunities from what I hear, but some of the housing is over inflated in price right now because so many are flocking to the area. There are some absolutely beautifl places to visit and breathtaking canyons, too.

Best of luck with your move!

[trudawg]

I moved to Phoenix in 12/06 due to not being able to find a job in MI. Haven't been to Tucson, but I'm sure it's not much different from PHX. We have what we call a desert landscape in our yard. Rocks, and plants, (no grass). That's what I wanted after cutting grass, raking leaves, and shoveling snow all my life in the midwest. Its' low maintenence. The weather is not that bad compared to the Humiditiy in MI. The highest it's been so far is about 106, and while others were complaining of the heat, I was saying "this is not so bad" granted I haven't seen the constant 110 degrees that the summer brings. Traffic in PHX is horrid, but I work early and get off late, so I avoid most of it. People are nice, LOTs of hispanics, (I'm black) and rarely see anyone else that looks like me....lol
I'm mainly out here to work!! If I could have the job I have now in MI, I would have never left even though I absolutely hate snow and cold!
Gas is about 3.07 here, Everyone and their mama drives lifted trucks and SUV's. I've seen more here than I ever seen in MI and WE actually get snow, and actually need 4wd. But I guess off-roading in the desert is fun.
Housing in Tucson is affordable but going up due to population increase.
I couldn't sell my home in MI so I rented it, and I'm renting here 1700 sq. feet 2 full baths 4 bdrms for $1000/month. I had the option to buy it for $250k! Umm.....no thanks. I'm going to wait to see what happens with the realestate market, becuz it's a little inflated right now. May move back to MI, if any permanant jobs in my field open up. Do a google search for school ratings, and you can get statistics on any school in the nation. Everything from racial break-down to the percentage of kids eligible for free lunch, to teacher reviews.
Do your research! Check out a company called U-Pack for relocating your belongings. It was cheaper to use them, and fly my family out than renting a uhaul and driving!!!
Anyother info I can share feel free to PM me, or even call me.

[adam85225]

I moved here (Chandler, AZ - SE Phoenix suburb) from Grand Blanc (south of Flint) in May of 2005. This will be my third summer.

It depends on your field, but my understanding is that Tucson does not have a strong economy compared to metro-Phoenix. I'm sure its probably better than Michigan right now, but I doubt it is booming. But, if you're in aerospace or defense, you can probably get hooked up with a good job.

The weather is hot in the summer and can be miserable, but I just wrote in an earlier post that I would take this in a heartbeat compared to shovelling my car out of snow and commuting down I-75 in the ice each day. I also went back to Michigan for a trip last summer when it was around 100 degrees each day and that felt much worse than 115 here. With the humidity I felt wet all of the time. But grilling steaks in shorts and sandals in January is totally worth it. I think the temps can be a little cooler down there than in Phoenix, too. I know people that lived in Sierra Vista and they said it would often be 10-15 degrees cooler there than in Phoenix during the summer. I think the elevation is a bit higher. AZ is neat because it will be 90-100 here and I can drive a couple hours away and be in the forest and 60 degrees.

Housing, even though it is going down in Phoenix, is ridiculous compared to what I'm used to in Michigan. My in-laws own a house here that we rent for now. Not sure I can justify paying 2-3x the price for a home as what I would have paid in MI. Not sure how cheap Tucson is.

Good luck with everything.

As the other guy said, look at many moving options. I did the U-Pack thing myself. ABF is the trucking company, i think. Just be sure to box things extra thick. We felt very confident when we loaded the truck, but all of the bouncing for a week cause tables to rub dressers and stuff. Had some wood wear grooves into each other right through cardboard and blankets. I would avoid driving a UHaul out here. I've driven from Michigan to AZ twice and its not fun in a car.

[5kingsinvegas]

My husband's cousin moved to Tucson from Walled Lake Michigan. One thing to remember is how close to the border Tucson is. Also, you didn't mention what area of Michigan you are moving from so remember, parts of Michigan are very "White". Tucson is very mixed. We move to Las Vegas from Michigan and the same is true here. I actually like the cultural mix, but some might be surprised.

[soberri]

I live in Tucson and it stinks. There is no real work. Housing is through the roof, and building is shoddy. For what we paid for our stucco shack we could have a really nice home on property in Mich. The crime is horrible and drugs are rampant. The schools are really bad. A lot of people home school. They really need to close the border. Oh, and it was 101 today. Sorry to burst anyones bubble but it is a horrible place. I grew up in Michigan and always dream of moving back there. I hate not have seasons. However we got six inches of snow last winter. It killed every thing in our yard. Just fed up with this place. Taxes here are no picnic either. What is it like for small business in Michigan? They run ads on T.V. to try to get people to move there.

[sandyo]

I moved to Tucson about 12 yrs ago, with husband and our two kids. I was born and raised Michigan. I left when I was about 26 yrs old. Lived in CA for many years. Tucson desert heat in the summer and lack of water, grass and trees was very hard to get used to. The economy seems to stay pretty steady. If you are a medical professional or in the areo space industry you you are likely to find a job. Mining is good right now, engineering or labor. Mining is a big industry and like the auto industry in MI, when copper mining took a dive, we felt it a little in Tucson area (but not as bad as MI with the auto dive). Home prices jumped and are too high for the non professional wage earner, sadly. Phoenix job market is much much better than Tucson. Tucson is much more charming and prettier I think. Mountains are all around, very pretty sunsets and sunshine daily. Winter is fantastic. Come for a visit in the summer to see if you can stand the heat. However you do acclaimate to it. I think now we are happy to be here in Tucson, nice people, sunshine and no ice. I am a REALTOR and my business is slow right now. Check my website to get links to Tucson information and homes. Its a big decision to move. Do research especially for jobs. Try jobbing.com and put in Tucson and your industry. You will see what is there. Good luck. Moderator cut: advertising

[sandyo]

A little more on living in Tucson. Any relocating is a big decision. It takes time to make roots, good friends, meaningful relationships. I now have made some good friends but it takes time. Many people I meet who moved here absolutely LOVE IT without a doubt, moving from MI or NY. Californians like it too as they are happy to be away from heavy traffic of LA areas. I agree with that. The weather is fantastic here too. Bad heat is only about 3 months. Just stay in the AC during mid day. I recommend a good investigation into the towns you are interested in moving such as Tucson ( or any place). Examine closely to see if it offers your things of interest. We find the people are very friendly for the most part here. The demographics are different in NW,N,NE,S,W, SW as you may find in any city. I recommend you examine the demographics noted on my website. The families and the kids in our area sure seem to be happy. I think children under 10 get used to areas and can adept well to changes. After that it seems to be harder for some kids to move and find friends. Good luck.

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[BRIDALGIRL]

I moved from Michigan 6 years ago for a job opportunity. Arizona is great except for the summer months. They are so hot and it really unbearable. You will miss the green and the change of seasons. Arizona has 2 seasons; hot and hotter. I am actually moving back to Michigan. Michigan is "home" for me. My family is still there and have been able to hang in there during the tough times. Perfect situation would be to be a "snow bird". Live in Arizona during the cold winters and in Michigan during the summers. Last comment. My roomate is from Tucson and she said to avoid South Tucson. Not a safe area.