Moving from Miami to Chandler with dog (Phoenix, Scottsdale: sales, rentals)

[met1219]

My husband & I are considering moving from Miami to Chandler and have a few questions. We have a 2 yr old Shetland Sheepdog who currently lives without a yard because we are in a condo (we rent). The association does not mow the grass often or spray for fleas & ticks (which are plentiful due to Miami's heat & humidity). So our dog must be inspected daily for approx 1 hr to remove ticks.

What is average pay for people with 3 yrs experience and a Masters Degree in an IT job? What is average pay for an Office Mgr. with 10 yrs experience? Is the air quality as bad as the I-10 corridor in S. Cal (I used to live in Rancho Cucamonga and the mountains would disappear behind the smog by 10:00am every day)? Are there lots of "dog people"?

The reasons we want to leave Miami: mosquitoes are biting year round, the humidity sucks and we have allergies to mold spores (I am fine with desert heat, lived in CA deserts for years and loved it), the commutes are long, cost of living is high in relation to pay, it is hard to make friends because 90% of the people in Miami are brainless partiers who are more interested in who will provide their next dose of cocaine/booze/etc. (I am not a teatotaler but partying is for people in their early 20s not their mid 40s) than going biking or hiking, and the Cubans can't stand us Gringos no matter how nice we are because our skin is the wrong color so they are loud/rude/obnoxious in an effort to discourage us from living here. The reasons we want to live in Chandler: low humidity, little to no mold spores, little to no mosquitoes, less fleas & ticks and the ability too rent a house so we could spray the yard to eliminate pests like fleas/ticks/crickets/etc., more tech type people for my husband to pal around with, more outdoorsy people and/or activities (except during the summer...we are already used to that in Miami with 6 months of high heat & humidity), little to no people who would despise us based on our skin color. Did I get anything wrong? I'm not afraid of spiders, scorpions, snakes and it sounds like if you remove their food source & any debris they might hide under in the yard they go away. It seems feasible for a 2 income couple to rent a house with a yard in Chandler (VERY cost prohibitive in Miami....min $2,000/month plus high utilities for a 2 bdrm 1 bath in a crappy area), there seem to be plenty of jobs in Phoenix area in general, etc.

[Captain Bill]

Met, I can't speak to the job market issue, but there will be other posters who can tell you about IT and Office Mgr positions.

As to the rentals, I looked up a few on the mls for you in the Chandler area. Depending on your job location you may wish to also look at Gilbert and South Tempe.

For $2000 you can rent a great house in great neighborhood. One that I happened to see was over 3000 sq ft near Hamilton High School, which is a very popular school near Fulton Ranch an upscale development, with a 10,000 sf lot with a pool. That may be larger than you need, but I use it as an example of what is available.

[met1219]

Thanks Captain Bill! We have found tons of listings of rental houses. The one you listed would be too big for us, but there are tons of 3-4 bdrm 2 bath houses that would be fine. Why all the cheap rentals in AZ? Was there some sort of huge coporate layoff? Are salaries lower there? Currently, in Miami we have a combined income of $100,000 with no state income tax and sales tax is 7%. Although we would have to pay state income tax in AZ it appears to be pretty low. The houses I see listed in Chandler for $1,100/month rent would be 3 times that in Miami. It just seems we would get more "bang for the buck" in AZ not to mention a yard for the dog, etc.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by met1219

Thanks Captain Bill! We have found tons of listings of rental houses. The one you listed would be too big for us, but there are tons of 3-4 bdrm 2 bath houses that would be fine. Why all the cheap rentals in AZ? Was there some sort of huge coporate layoff? Are salaries lower there? Currently, in Miami we have a combined income of $100,000 with no state income tax and sales tax is 7%. Although we would have to pay state income tax in AZ it appears to be pretty low. The houses I see listed in Chandler for $1,100/month rent would be 3 times that in Miami. It just seems we would get more "bang for the buck" in AZ not to mention a yard for the dog, etc.

Investors mostly. Our homes cost less so many bought extra homes to make money renting them out. Rent is still low, but it's been going up little by little over the years. Our sales tax is a little higher at around 8.1%, depending on the city.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by met1219

Thanks Captain Bill! We have found tons of listings of rental houses. The one you listed would be too big for us, but there are tons of 3-4 bdrm 2 bath houses that would be fine. Why all the cheap rentals in AZ? Was there some sort of huge coporate layoff? Are salaries lower there? Currently, in Miami we have a combined income of $100,000 with no state income tax and sales tax is 7%. Although we would have to pay state income tax in AZ it appears to be pretty low. The houses I see listed in Chandler for $1,100/month rent would be 3 times that in Miami. It just seems we would get more "bang for the buck" in AZ not to mention a yard for the dog, etc.

Right, and as I mentioned, I was showing you what can be had for $2000/mo. It was not a suggestion that this was something you should have.

A large number of homes are for rent because of people not being able to sell them, and they don't want to sell for lower prices or at a loss, so they intend to hold onto them until the market recovers.

Those who afford some negative cash flow will rent them out. Since there are so many rentals available, the competition keeps the rental prices low.

Renting before buying here is a good idea because you can take your time to decide what area is best for you to buy into.

[AZ Tracy]

There are lots of "dog people" here, and places to take your dog...
Dog Parks

[sheena]

Originally Posted by met1219

My husband & I are considering moving from Miami to Chandler and have a few questions. We have a 2 yr old Shetland Sheepdog who currently lives without a yard because we are in a condo (we rent). The association does not mow the grass often or spray for fleas & ticks (which are plentiful due to Miami's heat & humidity). So our dog must be inspected daily for approx 1 hr to remove ticks.

What is average pay for people with 3 yrs experience and a Masters Degree in an IT job? What is average pay for an Office Mgr. with 10 yrs experience? Is the air quality as bad as the I-10 corridor in S. Cal (I used to live in Rancho Cucamonga and the mountains would disappear behind the smog by 10:00am every day)? Are there lots of "dog people"?

The reasons we want to leave Miami: mosquitoes are biting year round, the humidity sucks and we have allergies to mold spores (I am fine with desert heat, lived in CA deserts for years and loved it), the commutes are long, cost of living is high in relation to pay, it is hard to make friends because 90% of the people in Miami are brainless partiers who are more interested in who will provide their next dose of cocaine/booze/etc. (I am not a teatotaler but partying is for people in their early 20s not their mid 40s) than going biking or hiking, and the Cubans can't stand us Gringos no matter how nice we are because our skin is the wrong color so they are loud/rude/obnoxious in an effort to discourage us from living here. The reasons we want to live in Chandler: low humidity, little to no mold spores, little to no mosquitoes, less fleas & ticks and the ability too rent a house so we could spray the yard to eliminate pests like fleas/ticks/crickets/etc., more tech type people for my husband to pal around with, more outdoorsy people and/or activities (except during the summer...we are already used to that in Miami with 6 months of high heat & humidity), little to no people who would despise us based on our skin color. Did I get anything wrong? I'm not afraid of spiders, scorpions, snakes and it sounds like if you remove their food source & any debris they might hide under in the yard they go away. It seems feasible for a 2 income couple to rent a house with a yard in Chandler (VERY cost prohibitive in Miami....min $2,000/month plus high utilities for a 2 bdrm 1 bath in a crappy area), there seem to be plenty of jobs in Phoenix area in general, etc.

Watch out I know some Cubans in the Valley I know what you are saying though, I have lived around the Cubans for years and married myself one. I'd probably have a hard time in Miami. My husband would like it though but I would be in divorce court.

[Think (Freedom)]

met, it sounds like we're in a similar situation. I too am in Miami and possibly looking to relocate to the Phoenix area, and also have 2 small dogs.

Phoenix seemed to be pretty dog friendly, and it is after all the hq for PetSmart. So I would imagine there are plenty of 'dog people'.

Good luck with your plans

PS. Sheena - any good Cuban food in the Valley?

[met1219]

My friends have explained that it is the "hillbilly" type of every race that annoys me (white people included). I think I was spoiled by living in SoCal for several years. I worked at a multicultural company and never felt that anyone looked at me as anything other than a human. So a few Cubans in the Valley would be great, along with Mexican, Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, etc. I

would simply like some friendly neighbors of any race, not ones who sit on their bed and talk loudly with their Mom, Dad, and brother at 4:00am on a weeknight (in a condo complex with paper thin walls) and keep us awake. Not ones who vomit in the hallway or parking garage due to excessive alcohol, etc. Just some nice, normal working class people who like to work, exercise and/or train their dogs, and do outdoorsy things like hiking, camping, etc. Someone professional and techie for my husband to talk IT stuff with, someone outdoorsy and dog/horse loving for me to talk with, etc. My husband and I are socially limited in Miami and would like a change. We would like a drier climate, less mosquitoes, less hard core partiers (we drink red wine), more intellectuals who are interested in current global events, etc. The Valley sounds good for these reasons. Any comments?

[WhiteSandsYucca]

There seems to be a connection between Miami and Phoenix. I've known of several people who have moved between both towns. Both are warm and sunny. Both offer interesting areas of town, like South Beach and Scottsdale.

Although Miami has lush grass, greenery, gorgeous tropical foliage, and fun, beachy areas, as you said, you have to deal with intense heat/humidity, rain, hurricanes, mosquitoes, and flatland with motes and marshy areas. The culture in Miami is overall very different, and hard to get used to. Phoenix also has "sun culture" like Miami, but I think Phoenix is a bit calmer and quieter than Miami. That is just my opinion.

I hope whatever you do, you make the right decision, and enjoy your home.