Hate This Place? Me Too! (Phoenix, Mesa: hoa, homeowners insurance, gated)

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Andre5140

I take issue with your attitude about being friendly. I am from Michigan and I, too, love my privacy. It is just taken to the extreme here. Locals here act like Manhattanite snobs who are too good to talk to anyone.

Block walls are an ASSET? When I noticed that every home I looked at with my realtor had an ugly, grey wall, I told her that I want that torn out to be replaced by pickets or even chain link. She almost scolded me and said it would de-value my home.

Why can't neighbors talk to eachother? You don't have to be buddies or divulge personal info. A friendly hello (without the snide comment to your girlfriend afterwards) never hurt anyone.

It's as if we don't trust anyone anymore. Frankly, I knew everyone on my street in Michigan. I did NOT know their personal lives but if there was ever trouble or I needed a helping hand, we helped eachother out.

What has happened to civility?

Pickets in Arizona? It's just not that type of envirnonment there. You know I loved my block wall and not being able to have one while I was thinking about moving to the Carolinas stopped my move for over a year. I didn't think I could live without my block wall. Well now that I live in a community with open backyards and we all are surrounded by a lake, I don't know if I ever want to see that block wall ever again, but this is still new to me, my opinion may change as soon as I get an obnoxious neighbor. So far so good.

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by azkylady

opinions are fine and welcome, no need rude in any case, even if others are, dumb reason to justifly rudeness, because other people have been.

1) I also didn't find Grimey's post offensive at all, so by calling him rude because you felt that way is not fair. I actually found his post honest in a humorous way. We need more of it not less.
2) I think you were being particularly rude to NiceNiceBaby.

Opinions are just that; opinions!
Just because you don't agree or like what someone's said, shouldn't give you the right to call them rude or dumb or etc.
I am saying this with all my sincerity, I do not mean to upset anyone but if it does, so be it...after all this is my opinion.

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by sheena

my opinion may change as soon as I get an obnoxious neighbor. So far so good.

That is why I might have to buy a house with a block walls (as much as I find them ugly and unfriendly, I think the weather and neigbor conditions might be behind the need), I will mount a light machine gun and a blender with margarita mix handy, depending on my neigbor, I use one or the other.

[Andre5140]

Originally Posted by sheena

Pickets in Arizona? It's just not that type of envirnonment there. You know I loved my block wall and not being able to have one while I was thinking about moving to the Carolinas stopped my move for over a year. I didn't think I could live without my block wall. Well now that I live in a community with open backyards and we all are surrounded by a lake, I don't know if I ever want to see that block wall ever again, but this is still new to me, my opinion may change as soon as I get an obnoxious neighbor. So far so good.

And you are exactly right: Arizona is no place for white pickets. It was more of an analogy to describe how much I detest the block wall. I understand the desire of block walls to hide nasty back yards of neighbors, but frankly, when I go house hunting, I peer over the wall to see just what I'm going to be living next to. So far, the neighbor's yard has scared me away from 5 otherwise beautiful homes. Shallow? Maybe, but I want the entire neighborhood to be nice without having to pay a RIDICULOUS hoa. HOA's in Michigan are for gated communities only. I have seen NOTHING yet that deserves to be shrouded by gates. Absolutely nothing. It's all cheap crap.

You have a great attitude about getting used to being without. Sounds like something I'll have to do

[Fatty Jay]

Originally Posted by NanawaleJulie

Am I the only one who truly hates this place? I am miserable. I cannot stand this weather and it truly makes me depressed kind of like the reverse of the Seattle blues due to no sun. I am miserable that I cannot just go outside whenever I want to without being so uncomfortable.

I am stuck here due to personal reasons that I can do nothing about. [I have about 6 more years on my "sentence" in Arizona due to my child custody situation and then I am moving to the beach.]

I also think that the people here are so unhappy/unwelcoming and rude.

I am looking at this like a poll with a complainer type attitude. Please tell me I am not alone and share your stories!

DO NOT REPLY IF YOU ARE HAPPY AS PIE-THERE ARE OTHER THREADS FOR YOU GUYS.

I'm glad you posted this thread. I've lived around Phx my whole life. Then I join the Marine Corps to be sent to Yuma.

We're planning on moving to Cali when I get out. I was beginning to think it's a bad idea. Everyone saying how great AZ is then on the Cali threads people saying how bad that is. But I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who doesn't like AZ anymore. It's way too hot. What, like 10 months of summer then about 3 weeks of cold? LOL...

I'm looking forward to the nice weather in So.Cal. Also having the ocean, hills, green grass and trees. I also hate it that you can't walk outside for most of the year without burning up. Or that your car gets as hot as an oven and you can't touch the steering wheel.

I was just in CA over the weekend and it was nice. We could drive with the windows down and enjoy the breeze. Then I'm back to work in Yuma and walking outside sucks again!

[sheena]

Originally Posted by TurcoLoco

That is why I might have to buy a house with a block walls (as much as I find them ugly and unfriendly, I think the weather and neigbor conditions might be behind the need), I will mount a light machine gun and a blender with margarita mix handy, depending on my neigbor, I use one or the other.

I hear ya Turco.......You never know what your gonna get.

[azkylady]

Originally Posted by TurcoLoco

1) I also didn't find Grimey's post offensive at all, so by calling him rude because you felt that way is not fair. I actually found his post honest in a humorous way. We need more of it not less.
2) I think you were being particularly rude to NiceNiceBaby.

Opinions are just that; opinions!
Just because you don't agree or like what someone's said, shouldn't give you the right to call them rude or dumb or etc.
I am saying this with all my sincerity, I do not mean to upset anyone but if it does, so be it...after all this is my opinion.

I was not rude to anyone, I said it is a ( dumb reason) to be rude just because others are, never mentioned any one by name

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by Fatty Jay

I'm glad you posted this thread. I've lived around Phx my whole life. Then I join the Marine Corps to be sent to Yuma.

We're planning on moving to Cali when I get out. I was beginning to think it's a bad idea. Everyone saying how great AZ is then on the Cali threads people saying how bad that is. But I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who doesn't like AZ anymore. It's way too hot. What, like 10 months of summer then about 3 weeks of cold? LOL...

I'm looking forward to the nice weather in So.Cal. Also having the ocean, hills, green grass and trees. I also hate it that you can't walk outside for most of the year without burning up. Or that your car gets as hot as an oven and you can't touch the steering wheel.

I was just in CA over the weekend and it was nice. We could drive with the windows down and enjoy the breeze. Then I'm back to work in Yuma and walking outside sucks again!

I agree with you to a certain extend. First of, I think the really unbearable portion of the hot season is about 3 months give and take couple of weeks.
After 15 years living in So Cal, I finally made the move here beginning of June and needless to say it was much warmer here but it was not unbearably hot. It would barely go over 100, staying around 105 on the average. Only the last few weeks it has been consistently over or at 110 degrees between noon and 7pm. I know I am probably in the minority when I say this but I do like my Summers hot may be not over 110 but warm enough where I can wear tank tops even in the evenings. After all this is what Summer is about imho. Then 8+ months of beautiful cool to warmish weather? Like heaven I say.

But what I really wanted to say was, when an average 3bdr house price starts at about $650K, if you are not making a bundle of money, after a while that so called beautiful weather will phase out, the breeze will turn into poluted air and green grass will look pale and lifeless if you can even notice it anymore. You work your buttox off to make ends meet or at least you find yourself working too hard and too copetitively that you can no longer enjoy your life, the weather and socialize with other people. Things look more attractive from a distance and when you are visiting but when you start to live there, you will notice how everyone appears to be in a rush, how little they care about most of the stuff you say or do. There are some nice neigborhoods and nice people out there but I am telling you, all my friends who purchased a home in the last 4 years or less is struggling. Those who are trying to upgrade and move into a bigger house is in another dilemma...
Again life can be beautiful in CA if you are making the $$, if not a place like Phoenix might start to look might appealing...or not...but good luck to you.
After all, whatever makes you happy.

Originally Posted by sheena

I hear ya Turco.......You never know what your gonna get.

Yep, you can shop around for your house and be selective but not so with your neigbors.

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by azkylady

I was not rude to anyone, I said it is a ( dumb reason) to be rude just because others are, never mentioned any one by name

May be I jumped the guns, from your other posts I could tell you were not a mean person so sorry if I was being too hard on you (I blame the heat).

My real reason was to post more so this thread makes it to 4K!

[movin'on]

I hate this place, and no qualifications necessary. That is how sure I am of myself and my reality here.

To each his own. Not the place for me.

On Edit..I am going to miss my house in N Scottsdale, dearly, as it is a super investment and I really like it. Nonetheless, it's a business deal and I can go anywhere and double my investment, if I choose the right place. This is the second place I've invested wisely. So...I guess I can survive, but I'm still sad as I really like this place (this independent property. If I could take it and plop it in the Bay Area that would be my dream, but I cannot.)

I was going to add more, along the lines of philosophizing, and then realized I'd be better served by just being quiet. It doesn't make any difference, anyway. People are going to think as they will. Goodnight.