Anyone from the Bay Area (Northern Ca) (Phoenix, Tucson: mortgage, house)

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by mikeboxerca

Hello, anyone from the Bay Area living in the West Valley? How do you like it? I really want to get out of Northern Ca. Just too expensive. My sister comapany is in Tolleson and I'm thinking about transfering. I would like to hear your comments.

Thanks

Not quite the West Valley, Mike . . . however, I relocated to Tucson from Walnut Creek about 12 plus years and my only complaint now is why didn't I do it sooner. I considered Phoenix but preferred a smaller and a little less hectic atmosphere.

So far, EVERYTHING is better, especially the cost of living, the quality of life and the weather. Yes, even in the UGH months of Summer.

As for retiring . . . if I had not relocated I probably would have been working until at least 100 years, possibly longer.

My advice . . . GO FOR IT.

! ! ! ! ! !

[mikeboxerca]

Originally Posted by kdog

Just curious, but is there anything other than housing that you find significantly more expensive there?

Gas, school tuituion, long commutes, toll crossings, freeway tolls, housing, are all fees that keep growing on hourly wages that can't keep up. I'm very discouraged in the direction that Ca. is going.

[mikeboxerca]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Not quite the West Valley, Mike . . . however, I relocated to Tucson from Walnut Creek about 12 plus years and my only complaint now is why didn't I do it sooner. I considered Phoenix but preferred a smaller and a little less hectic atmosphere.

So far, EVERYTHING is better, especially the cost of living, the quality of life and the weather. Yes, even in the UGH months of Summer.

As for retiring . . . if I had not relocated I probably would have been working until at least 100 years, possibly longer.

My advice . . . GO FOR IT.

! ! ! ! ! !

Awesome!!!! Thanks for the reply

[Mares84]

I grew up and lived in California for 18 years. Then because of the housing market moved to Michigan where I lived for 8 years. Hated it! Always dreamed of moving to California (Concord/Walnut Creek/Fairfield) but knew I simply couldn't afford it. I think Arizona seems to have a like minded culture and I really love it here. I am happy to be raising my young children here and I am in a reasonable distance to what I still consider my "hometown" of Northern California.

[Goober13]

I lived in the Bay Area for 15 years and left about 10 years ago. I lived in the Hilltop Mall area of Richmond, Vallejo,Suisun City, Alameda, and Antioch. I had a sales territory that covered 1/2 of the peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties, the east bay from Fairfield to Fremont,and San Francisco.

I found it was cheaper to live in NW Contra Costa County (I liked that the best as it was closer to SF) and Antioch and Pittsburg, but it was a longer commute. I bought 2 homes while I lived here.

The last time I was there traffic seemed to be worse, and bridge tolls went up. I liked it there but to buy a house you have to compromise, and move farther out. I left when my dad died, and Phoenix is home although I work out of town about as much as I am home.

Wages are lower in AZ, the political climate here is absolutely horrible, and Phoenix is more of a urban sprawl place. I liked the racial diversity in the Bay Area and the more educated liberal way of thinking.

I was born and raised in Phoenix, and it has become more diverse, and somewhat faster paced than it used to be, although the *******s running Maricopa County are doing all they can to move things backwards.

It depends on what kind of work you do. If you have a line of work where you can pretty much work anywhere and make the same money, you'll do fine here. You can buy a home much easier, as you know the real estate market is wide open now. In CA one is blessed to buy any home period and rehab it.

Your commute could be much less than those hour to 1/1/2 hour commutes in the Bay (2 hours on a bad day), maybe 15-30 minutes if you locate yourself strategically. Not too many people commute over 45 minutes.

AZ is a right to work state so be prepared to earn 20-25% less here than in Northern CA.

If you can make the job situation work out, I think you'll be comfortable here and adapt just fine. This state is known for political scandals but I feel within the next decade with the demographic changes here, the scamming and fear mongering going on now won't work anymore.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Goober13

AZ is a right to work state so be prepared to earn 20-25% less here than in Northern CA.

Why would right-to-work have any effect on salaries for white collar jobs that aren't unionized?

[Goober13]

Lots of new growth companies in AZ come here to save money on their operations, and the going rate of certain careers can reflect the current market wages, which could be less.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Goober13

Lots of new growth companies in AZ come here to save money on their operations, and the going rate of certain careers can reflect the current market wages, which could be less.

Which has absolutely nothing to do with right-to-work. White collar wages are driven by supply and demand. You have surgeons making $600K a year in Phoenix just like anywhere else.

[Miranda2]

You asked about expenses. I lived in San Francisco the first 40 years of my life. In my opinion, its the most expensive place outside Orange County CA to survive. Gas, rent, food and taxes are high there, all over the bay area. I lived in the central valley for 8 years...yuck. Its hard to compare the two areas, they are so vastly different. Calif. is crowded to the max. One tract after another and no room to breathe. If you can tolerate the heat, you may really prefer it here. Plan to make a lot of visits here and do your research.

[mikeboxerca]

[MOD NOTE-- Merged with thread by same poster from 2/2011]
Anybody from the Bay area (Northern Ca) living in the Phoenix area? How do you like it? Any regrets about moving to Az? I just became eligible to transfer to Az for work. I'm ready for a change, I've been to the West Valley 5 times now and like what I see.