Chandler, AZ. General questions before I move there!

[AlmaRgahi]

Originally Posted by autism360

I am from Boston and love it here, I lived in Florida for 15 years before moving here because I got tired of hurricanes and humidity. The food costs here are much lower than Boston and we have many more food chains and choices here.

mmmmmm, cool !

We are not fully decided yet, but I need to get out of here by end of this year! LOL

[christykwan]

1) >> not sure

2) How hot does it get and how long does it last?
>> this afternoon it's around 97'F - 100'F;
>> seems to me that triple digits temperature usually last till September;
>> Nov - Jan (3 months) are generally very nice, bit chilly after mid-night. didn't turn on my heat during these 3 months.

3) how are Car insurance prices near Chandler?
>> not sure

4) Any recommended 4 year Colleges/Universities (IT related majors)
>> ASU
>> University of Phoenix got some neg news lately, so not sure about this one.

5) How are State Taxes (housing and other taxes)?
>> Arizona State Sales Tax: 5.6%
>> AZ Local Sales Tax: Phoenix: 8.3%, Chandler/Gilbert: 7.8%, Santan Valley: 6.7% (Arizona (AZ) Sales Tax Rates by City)
>> Property tax, here is a good estimate calculator Arizona Property Tax Calculator
>> Income Tax: here is a AZ income tax calculator Arizona Income Tax Rates for 2015
Tax Bracket (Single) [2] Tax Bracket (Couple) [3] Marginal Tax Rate
$0+ $0+ 2.59%
$10,000+ $20,000+ 2.88%
$25,000+ $50,000+ 3.36%
$50,000+ $100,000+ 4.24%
$150,000+ $300,000+ 4.54%

6) Please tell me there are not potholes LOL.
>> There are some, depends where you travel. Roads are in pretty good conditions in Tempe, Ahwatukee, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert & Scottsdale.

7) What are other Chandler like cities/towns do you recommend to buy house in? I want quiet and not very expensive type of town.
>> Not sure what are your price range, but I believe price/sq ft here is much cheaper than NYC, LA, SF, Seattle or any bigger cities.
>> I prefer Scottsdale, Chandler & Gilbert.
>> Gated community if possible
>> Garage is desirable due to the hot sun & dust storms & micro-burst(sometimes carries small gravels which is bad for your vehicle & its windshield)
>> check for flood-zone, last year we had some bad flooding
>>There are many houses available in Santan Valley but not my choice due to its distance ...etc.
>> try trulia.com to check crime rate & flood info...etc. If you need a RE agent, the guy who helped me is good & quite honest

[VisserPrice]

The weather from November-April is the nicest weather on the planet and makes the hot summer worth living through.

[LovingAZLiving]

Hi Alma Rgahi,

Moving across country is a big move and lifestyle change. I am orginally from Buffalo and lived many years in Chicago, before re-locating here 9 years ago. Every day when I see the palm trees and the beautiful cacti and mountains, as well as BLUE skies, I say "I still can't believe I live here!"

You will find most every aspect of life cheaper here than in MA (my son went to BU, by the way). Property taxes are so low here, you will think your Realtor or lender is mis-quoting you!

Chandler and Gilbert are the premier SE valley communities with driving ease into Phoenix/Scottsdale. There is a lot of tech industry in Chandler, including Intel, Microchip, Paypal, Nationstar, so I would think there is a lot of need for IT personnel. ASU in Tempe offers 4-year programs. Both Chandler and Gilbert offer homes starting below 200K. Other newer communities are Maricopa, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley. They are further out "in the boonies" but have the necessary infrastructure and lower home prices.

For crime rates, schools and everything you could possibly want to know about, here is the website:
https://www.aaronline.com/wp-content...erAdvisory.pdf

I live and work in Chandler and would be happy to help you any way I can. (I am new to this forum but 100% legit!)