Did you move here? Do you like it? Are you staying? (Phoenix: apartments, insurance)

[Artdaze]

I'm posting this because in the next 6 months to a year I plan on moving out of Florida. I've had enough of east coast life and I'm sick to death of the economy here in Florida. So why not move west like everyone else. My boyfriend isn't against the idea of Phoenix but he thinks if we go there we might as well go all the way and head to Tacoma, Wa so that we are near the Seattle area. Other places he wants to consider are Atlanta and Austin. Not fully against Atlanta, but I've been there, done that and rather not go back. Austin seems cool and all but that city got so hyped that everyone drove the prices up. The idea of Phoenix came to mind when my bf almost considered a job transfer there (he used to work for Wells Fargo). I looked into and though man this ain't so bad. The layout of the city seemed great. Apartment rates were nearly the same in Florida. Central Florida cant seem to build enough apartments which keeps the prices up pretty high (800-1k), and that's with me living all the way North of Orlando. Phoenix seemed to have an endless amount of apartments. I also figured if I liked living there enough get a house. Maybe live somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson, so I can take advantage of both job markets.

I was able to visit two months ago and just loved it! The weather was about 103 degrees. Which in Florida because of the humidity 80 degrees feels like a 100 sadly. I was mostly in Mesa and Scottsdale. For a two day trip and I enough time to check out the city life, catch a baseball game (Dbacks won vs Dodgers) and went to Usery Park for a hike. I had a great time here.

I also like the idea that if I lived there 1-2 hours away I can go north to Sedona or Flagstaff. Overall Phoenix just seems like a great place to live. I've tried applying to a few jobs. I didn't really get any hits (and that's with me lying about my location).

Long story short. Who has moved here? Especially from the east coast or Florida. Would you stay permanently? What do you like/dislike?

Also please no comments on the weather. I'll take 122 degree weather if it means the job market is stronger.

Thanks.

[wit-nit]

It's a dry heat. I've been here since 1963 and love it. As you said it's close to everything and a lot of great scenery up north of here to get away for a change, like the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Page, Bryce Canyon or west to San Diego beaches. Las Vegas is 5-6 hours away. A lot you can do in AZ all year around. The COL is much cheaper here too.

[goolsbyjazz]

Guess I will take first crack at this. We have lots of informative posters on this board who I'm sure will chime in.
First, let me disclose that I am from the east coast but have lived out here for nearly 20 years. As far as large cities go Phoenix is definitely one that is still somewhat affordable, however, we have experienced a lot of growth and, unless the economy crashes again, I don't forsee it slowing down anytime soon. Our economy is steady right now, especially for IT work or if you are in the medical profession. We also have lots of call center snd service oriented jobs. The pay scale is a bit low for a city of its size, but I do believe jobs pay a little better here than in Florida, for the most part.

I'm glad you were able to visit the area two months ago, but you really need to come in July or August to get a true feel for our summers. Not gonna sugar coat it...it's hot! The only time we get any significant humidity is during our monsoon (rainy) season which, due to climate change, is hit or miss. Having lived in Florida (I briefly lived in Daytona Beach) the humidity will be nothing for you.

Likes:
- Laid back lifestyle
- Reasonable cost of living
- Winters can occasionally get chilly at night, but no snow
- Guaranteed sunshine nearly every day
- No major weather issues (earthquakes, hurricanes) although we do have wildfires flare up in the summer months
- The grid system makes it easy to navigate
- Friendly people for the most part
- Tons of outdoor recreational activities at your disposal
- Mountains are nice to look at and explore
- Lots of housing options available
- Not far from Mexico, Vegas or the Pacific Ocean and coastal California cities
- Lots of grocery store options (unlike Florida where Publix dominates)
- If you're a foodie the valley offers a nice variety of food choices
- Good shopping options
- Although the legislature leans conservative daily living is more libertarian. People really don't get in your business
- Lots of nice communities to live in
I am sure there are things I missed but you get the picture.
Dislikes:
- Summer heat!
- Dust storms
- Right-to-work state
- Lack of seasons (I really miss fall and can get it by travelling north...but it is not the same)
- The legislature's attitude towards funding education.
- Teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation
- Lack of Fortune 500 companies for a city of its size
- Laid back lifestyle ( I know I included it in the list above, but it can be a catch-22!)
- Transient city. Many people come, love it initially and end up moving on after two or three years. Desert living is not for everyone.
- For me it's too far from our family back east.
- The dryness is an issue for many folk who have skin disorders
- Valley Fever - if you are not familiar with this look it up just to be informed should you decide to move here.

Again, I'm sure I may have missed some things on this list as well. I do think the pros have an advantage over the cons, but everyone is different and this is all subjective. Good luck with your decision.

[USNomad]

^^^^
This.

I'm an east coaster now in Phoenix via NJ, MD, DE, VA via Tucson via Texas (Houston & Dallas). The area is growing in many ways and we really enjoy living here. As stated above, there are many options if you want to change the scenery within a few hours which is why we moved here....quality of life adjustment.

For instance, last weekend, we took at 1.5 hour flight to Reno, NV and then drive 45 minutes to Lake Tahoe...pretty cool to be at one of the best lake areas in the country in less than 3 hours. Arizona has much to see in and of itself too. We also like the 1 hour flight to San Diego, L.A. and 2-3 hour flight the PNW as well as direct flights to Hawaii.

As for the city, I did not realize how many festivals and events there are, especially during the fall and spring seasons. Yes, summer is hot but we adjust our schedules and lifestyle around it.

We heavily considered Austin however, cost of living worked better for us here in AZ as did the proximity to some west coast places we love to visit. Though Texas has no income tax, Arizona's top income tax rate is 4.54% if your making $152,435+ annually, so it won't kill you. Property tax rate here is nothing compared to my home state of New Jersey.

[westcoastbabe]

Will chime in as well....Moved from Charlotte 3 yrs. ago. Best move I could have made for myself, physically and mentally. The area is definitely in a "growth spurt". Like the previous poster stated, love being only an hour by flight to some of the places I love to travel to.. Definitely affordable and the diversity is getting much better as well. I think Phoenix gets a bad rap, due to all of the horror stories you've heard, but slowly but surely, its definitely changing for the better.

[43north87west]

Wow. If your choices are Atlanta, Phoenix, Austin, or Seattle, you have a lot of decision making to do and the weather is hardly the biggest factor.

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by Artdaze

I'm posting this because in the next 6 months to a year I plan on moving out of Florida. I've had enough of east coast life and I'm sick to death of the economy here in Florida. So why not move west like everyone else. My boyfriend isn't against the idea of Phoenix but he thinks if we go there we might as well go all the way and head to Tacoma, Wa so that we are near the Seattle area. Other places he wants to consider are Atlanta and Austin. Not fully against Atlanta, but I've been there, done that and rather not go back. Austin seems cool and all but that city got so hyped that everyone drove the prices up. The idea of Phoenix came to mind when my bf almost considered a job transfer there (he used to work for Wells Fargo). I looked into and though man this ain't so bad. The layout of the city seemed great. Apartment rates were nearly the same in Florida. Central Florida cant seem to build enough apartments which keeps the prices up pretty high (800-1k), and that's with me living all the way North of Orlando. Phoenix seemed to have an endless amount of apartments. I also figured if I liked living there enough get a house. Maybe live somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson, so I can take advantage of both job markets.

I also like the idea that if I lived there 1-2 hours away I can go north to Sedona or Flagstaff. Overall Phoenix just seems like a great place to live. I've tried applying to a few jobs. I didn't really get any hits (and that's with me lying about my location).

Long story short. Who has moved here? Especially from the east coast or Florida. Would you stay permanently? What do you like/dislike?

If you are wanting to escape the east coast life I'm not sure why you are even considering Atlanta. It's not going to be much different, really. Still only a couple hours from the east coast and people aren't really going to be different. Also, the place is sprawling and confusing to get around and traffic is awful. I don't get Atlanta, though I guess some people like it.

Austin is going to be similar weather wise. Still hot and humid much of the year. People are definitely different, though, and the economy is great there. Good food and culture. Wouldn't be a terrible choice, but it's getting more and more expensive to live there and infrastructure hasn't kept up with immense growth so traffic is quite bad and getting worse.

Seattle is an awesome city and has beautiful scenery but Seattle itself and immediate surrounding areas have gotten crazy expensive. Also, the rain and gloom can drag on people after a while. Some will do fine but others deal a lot with seasonal depression and it wears on them. It depends on what you like to do and what your budget is. Don't expect to ever buy a house there, though, unless you want to live an hour and a half away from Seattle or make well into 6 figures.

Phoenix has it's pros and cons. Not everyone loves the desert, but a lot sure do. It is still relatively affordable for most people, especially compared to other western markets (and it's the cheapest of those you mentioned aside from Atlanta, which is comparable). The job market has certainly improved over the past few years here. There is plenty to do within Phoenix and surrounds and it is nice that you can drive to so many different places and climates a couple hours away.

I would not recommend living in between Phoenix and Tucson, as you say, to take advantage of both markets. Pick one or the other because Casa Grande, Florence, or Eloy are not as close as you think and there is not much there for younger people. You would get bored quickly. I'd stick to Phoenix proper which is 4-5 times bigger than Tucson anyway and has a better job market. Not sure what your budget is but if looking at apartments for now then anywhere aside from the nicest parts of Phoenix or Scottsdale and Paradise Valley will have something that will work. Most of the action and jobs are going to be in one of these places: downtown Phoenix, north Phoenix/I-17/101 corridor, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler. At least those are where the highest paying jobs will be. Choose a place to live accordingly if you do come hear. Realize that the further you get from those places, the longer your commute will be but the cheaper the housing.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

I moved here from NY back in 2001, will be here another 4 years, then moving to SoCal. I like it here, Phoenix and LA are the only two metros I would live in that country if that says anything.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

Phoenix has it's pros and cons. Not everyone loves the desert, but a lot sure do. It is still relatively affordable for most people, especially compared to other western markets (and it's the cheapest of those you mentioned aside from Atlanta, which is comparable). The job market has certainly improved over the past few years here. There is plenty to do within Phoenix and surrounds and it is nice that you can drive to so many different places and climates a couple hours away.

Just be aware that the "relative affordability" of the Phoenix MSA is starting to go away. Our median home price is now $299k for Maricopa County...while this is still low compared to other major cities, it has definitely been going up from our low in 2011 of $131k. Specific markets will differ, obviously, but as a whole....with more and more people moving to the Valley, more housing will need to be built or sold. As of this morning...the AZ MLS has 22,045 listings for residential resale. There are whole threads about the evils of sprawl vs. urbanization...the type of home you want is going to depend on your tastes and budget.

Tie in the rising costs of food, our minimum wage increasing to $10/hr, utilities, insurance etc. you could argue that it can be just as expensive to live in Phoenix as other locations. Austin is 18% more expensive when compared to Maricopa County because their median home price is north of $400k. Seattle is more expensive...if you live IN the city...largely due to the number of Microsoft and Amazon employees.

Point being, the affordability of Phoenix is slowly becoming a misnomer due to demand and people moving here willing to pay top dollar in cash for homes after liquidating their home in a more expensive locale.

[acrylic]

I've lived here for 7 years, originally from Minnesota.

Everyone has different preferences on what suits them, so maybe Phoenix will be the perfect fit for you.

I've grown bored of everything this metro has to offer. I escaped northern Minnesota when I was 21 simply based on weather and wanting something different. Well, I've had 7 years of different, and I can say that while there's many things I'll look back on fondly here, I can't say this is a place I'd want to live in for the rest of my life, or a place I'd want to start a family. Some reasons: the weather in the summer, lack of real trees, lack of natural water, lack of four seasons (hey, I miss some of that stuff!), and it doesn't have all too much of a defined culture, as I've learned over the years.

My main point, and one that people really need to understand: the summer weather is just not fun. You should also be advised that the hot weather starts in May and goes until mid-October. Granted in May and the tail ends of the hot weather, there are a couple days here and there where temperatures aren't that bad. But be prepared for June, July, August, and September to be a straight 4 months of HOT with no respite in the forms of overnight lows where you could crack a window open. Air conditioning will be your best friend.

So, with that: If you like the sprawling metro and extreme summer heat? Yeah, I'm sure you'll love it here. Every metro area has something for everyone, maybe Phoenix will have something for you.

Please don't think that I'm entirely negative about the Phoenix area. I'm not - I've just given it a fair shot for the last 7 years, and it's just not for me