Moving to Phoenix (transplants, sales, apartments)

[tyoung2212]

I am currently looking into moving to Phoenix at the end of the year with my family. I have read some of the pros and cons of living there and they seem nothing really that serious. Jobs in the Human service field. I do have a degree, I have been working with Vulnarable adults that have Mental Illness, MR, and so on. I enjoy my career so I am not looking to have do something new. I have been doing it for over ten years this is my calling.I guess my main concern would be housing, renting not looking to buy. I have been doing some research on craigslist looking at apartments and houses and notice there are a lot of fees that go along with renting. True or Not. Just looking for some feed back. LEAVING MINNESOTA BEHIND!

[S. Chris Webb]

"I have been doing some research on craigslist looking at apartments and houses and notice there are a lot of fees that go along with renting. True or Not."

Well, that depends on what you consider "a lot of fees". A landlord may legally charge one and one half times the monthly rent in deposits. Usual deposits include: Security, Cleaning, and Pet (if applicable) A professional landlord or Property Manager will most likely also pass on a transaction privilege tax (TPT) which is what the city or county charges them (usually 1.5 to 2.5%, depending on the city). It is also quite usual for tenants to pay their own utilities, except for some multi-units which may include water, trash pickup, and sometimes cable. Occasionally an HOA will also charge a tenant registration or pool key fees which landlords usually pass on to the tenant.

Less usual fees are property manager registration fees, lock re-key fees, pet rent, or cleaning fees. While fees outside of the deposits are not in any way "customary", many Property Management companies are passing junk fees on to tenants in exchange for low management fees to the home owners.

Good luck with your move!

[tyoung2212]

this next question is mainly about the job market my husband works mostly in the customer service / sales field and what we have noticed is the pay for such positions is low considering what he currently makes what is your take on this he makes 16.00 hr

[YAZ]

I've said it before and I'll say it again......

Folks come out here and it's all "palm trees, swimming pools, and warm weather."

Yep.

And then we have the typical daily grind that everyone else in this country has. Arizona has been wonderful for us, and we went on this great adventure not sure of what was in store for us.


We were happy when we arrived and even happier now.

Just like anywhere else, you'll have to bust your hump to succeed (it's up to you to define "success"),

and you'll have to deal with life's typical ups & downs as usual......


Cost of heat is low; cost of AC is high.

Crime is high in some parts of town; low in others.

You catch my drift, eh?



Can Y'all make it with a Social Services degree and a career based on customer service/sales?

Sure.

Can you fail and hightail it back to MN?

I've seen it happen more times than I can count.

It's up to you, kiddo.

[PlainWhite]

Have you ever been to Phoenix?

[7footer]

Wife and I moved to Phoenix June 2012, and both of us had spent enough time down here (before we met) so we both had an idea of what we were getting in to. In fact, I stumbled across CD site when I started doing 'research.'

We rented a single family home after having a relative check it out for us. (The market was pretty competitive at the time, but I had good rapport on the phone with the homes' owner so that may have sealed the deal.) Due to having two small dogs I think we paid about $1,600 up front, and rent was $1,175. There was (is?) a 2% tax that brought the rent up to about $1,200. We found jobs in fairly short order, but had strong savings just in case.

We had about 2/3 of a semi-truck filled with our stuff so it wasn't a cheap move but we both knew we weren't going to move back so the expense was worth it. You will likely have to put a security deposit down for utilities, but if you have your current utility provider give you a letter of recommendation or credit letter (assuming you're in good standing) then the deposit should be waived.

If you can handle the summer's heat and the lack of lakes, and the previously mentioned "ups and downs," then you will do fine down here. Go for it!

[tyoung2212]

Thank You so much 7footer. To answer some of your questions no we have never been there, but planning on coming down in June just to get an idea of the area and the heat conditions. It's just me and my husband, daughter. Not bring a lot of things kinda starting off fresh. Tired of the cold and with some of my husband medical conditions I think it would be great. Thanks again.

[Zathras]

Originally Posted by tyoung2212

Thank You so much 7footer. To answer some of your questions no we have never been there, but planning on coming down in June just to get an idea of the area and the heat conditions. It's just me and my husband, daughter. Not bring a lot of things kinda starting off fresh. Tired of the cold and with some of my husband medical conditions I think it would be great. Thanks again.

If you've never been here this is the best thing you can do. A trip here in June will give you a taste of what it is like for 4-5 months straight. Blazing hot. Personally I love it, but it ain't for everyone. Of course we all love it this time of year when our temps begin with a 7 and the temps in your neck of the woods usually begin with a dash...
But make sure you can hack the worst of the summer before you decide to move here if it is a voluntary thing.

[PoppySead]

You certainly won't make as much working here but you will probably pay less so it will even out. The weather is why we draw so many people. Our winters are wonderful, and our summers are hot but if you swim then you'll love it! Great swimming, lounging weather. You don't even need a towel when you get out of the pool in the summer, you are dry in 5 min.

It depends on your husbands conditions, as a few are irritated by the heat, but for the most part the heat is a good thing especially if the condition involves trouble walking. No snow or ice, and not much of the wet stuff either. Pretty easy to get where you are going. Just remember to get a car with AC.

Good luck on your move and don't worry, you will feel welcome, we get a lot of transplants. People won't even notice you haven't been here for years. Plus, you will get to brag to your friends from MN and send pictures of you laying by a pool in January. lol

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by 7footer

Wife and I moved to Phoenix June 2012, and both of us had spent enough time down here (before we met) so we both had an idea of what we were getting in to. In fact, I stumbled across CD site when I started doing 'research.'

We rented a single family home after having a relative check it out for us. (The market was pretty competitive at the time, but I had good rapport on the phone with the homes' owner so that may have sealed the deal.) Due to having two small dogs I think we paid about $1,600 up front, and rent was $1,175. There was (is?) a 2% tax that brought the rent up to about $1,200. We found jobs in fairly short order, but had strong savings just in case.

We had about 2/3 of a semi-truck filled with our stuff so it wasn't a cheap move but we both knew we weren't going to move back so the expense was worth it. You will likely have to put a security deposit down for utilities, but if you have your current utility provider give you a letter of recommendation or credit letter (assuming you're in good standing) then the deposit should be waived.

If you can handle the summer's heat and the lack of lakes, and the previously mentioned "ups and downs," then you will do fine down here. Go for it!

While I realize there won't be a gozillion lakes like in Minnesota but we do have some pretty terrific lakes here. Canyon and Apache are spectacular.
Just sayin'

Originally Posted by Zathras

If you've never been here this is the best thing you can do. A trip here in June will give you a taste of what it is like for 4-5 months straight. Blazing hot. Personally I love it, but it ain't for everyone. Of course we all love it this time of year when our temps begin with a 7 and the temps in your neck of the woods usually begin with a dash...
But make sure you can hack the worst of the summer before you decide to move here if it is a voluntary thing.

Just FYI. Love that line. Don't be surprised if I "borrow" that line once in a while.