Mixed family possibly relocating to Phoenix from China (Mesa, Scottsdale: real estate, rent)

[415_s2k]

My wife and I are considering moving to Phoenix with our daughter in about 2 years time. I’m a white American who spent most of his adult life in California before moving to China, and my wife is mainland Chinese; we have a 2 and a half year old daughter who has US citizenship. My wife has never lived outside of China though we’ve traveled to the US and other countries, and she speaks fluent English. Our daughter is really good with languages and speaks both exceptionally well for a kid her age.

I’ve been to Phoenix on business a number of times, and like it a lot. We will be heading out there this summer to spend a month or two to check out different areas and see how we like "living" there (with LA/OC a backup); we are looking for advice on areas to look so we can rent a place or get a long term Air BNB on our trip.

We own restaurants in China which do well, and have other investments as well, so we make about $180k/year, which could go up or down according to both economies and the trade war ( ) but will maintain to some degree after we move. The plan is to open up a restaurant/bar where we settle in the US as well. Phoenix’s real estate and taxe rates are much better looking than back in CA, which is a big draw.

The biggest concerns for us are:

1) good schools for our daughter. This is my wife’s biggest thing. It costs about $30k USD/year to send your child to a good school in China, and they still pretty much suck. We can afford a private school but good public schools would be great as well.

2) proximity to an Asian/Asian-American community (especially Chinese). My wife says she "doesn’t care as long as our daughter goes to a good school," but as an expat who used to think the same way, I know that over time, it’s easy to get jaded and crave the company of people from your own culture, or at least a similar one. Also, we want our daughter to continue to speak Mandarin and grow up with other kids who share some of that cultural background.

3) safety. I don’t need to live in a gated community with a 24 hour security patrol but I’d rather not have bars on my windows and keep a shotgun next to the bed. My wife is more worried about this than me, since in China they exploit the gun violence and violent crime in America for propaganda purposes, but of course safer is better, especially with our daughter.

We would like to keep the housing cost around 500k but can go up a couple hundred grand if need be (if we end up not moving to Phoenix or Vegas, it’ll probably be LA, which means we will be looking at over $1m... yikes).

Any ideas for areas to look at? We’ve been checking on Zillow and it looks like Scottsdale has good schools and houses that fit our criteria. I read online that there’s a good Asian community in Mesa but it looked like the schools weren’t as good and a lot of so-so houses.

Thanks!

[KurtAZ]

While I hesitate to recommend this...look at Chandler, around Ocotillo (85248/85286). Tarwater Elementary has a Mandarin immersion program that starts in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Pretty diverse area due to its' proximity to Intel. I hesitate since it has gotten pretty crowded over the past few years but...Chandler Unified is still one of the best school districts in the State.

[observer53]

The above suggestion of Chandler (and south Tempe) is probably a good one. Understand that in metro Phoenix, people do not congregate in neighborhoods based on ethnicity, but by economic standing. So, in terms of neighborhoods, there are no Chinese communities. Using the school, as suggested above, and perhaps some other community resoureces woul be the way to go.


www.phoenixchineseunited.org

[jinho]

We have much the same except we have no kids, and my wife (Thai) lived in California a while. Probably better to get info from a resident but I have spent a lot of time (from Thailand where we live) and Chandler is near the top of our list. Like you we plan on living there a month, or two, to see that we like it.

Research tells me there is a concentration of Asians in an area and housing prices are reasonable, especially compared to California.

I'll watch this thread also, thanks!!

[Spuggy]

Yes chandler, with good schools. There are three major markets catering to a large Asian population. Mekong indoor Market , az international and Lee Lee’s all within 15 -20 mins of Chandler.

[Valley Native]

As far as where to live based on income & cost of living, California would be higher on both factors ... however, because the OP is a business owner, there is still potential to make a decent income in the Phoenix area while having a general lower cost of living. As far as schools, private education is the way to go. There are some excellent private schools (non charter) which I highly recommend: one of which is Rancho Solano, which has been in business for decades and has a stellar reputation.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

As far as where to live based on income & cost of living, California would be higher on both factors ... however, because the OP is a business owner, there is still potential to make a decent income in the Phoenix area while having a general lower cost of living. As far as schools, private education is the way to go. There are some excellent private schools (non charter) which I highly recommend: one of which is Rancho Solano, which has been in business for decades and has a stellar reputation.

I don't think there is a Rancho Solano anywhere near Chandler, though I agree they are good schools. It depends on what the OP's priorities are.

[kent_moore]

Zipcodes to live: 85248 and 85249 (this is above average income community).

Asian Stores: Lee Lee's, Mekong, all along Dobson.

School: BASIS Chandler (2nd best school in the entire US). 72% of the students are Asian (Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Japanese). But this school is very rigorous, you and your wife need to regularly participate with your daughter's school home works and lessons.

[Cinco Ranch]

You should consider moving to Houston, TX. It's just as "nice" as Phoenix, business friendly, and way more affordable. With a 500k-1M budget you can get a Mansion similar to the ones in LA.

Another plus with moving to Houston would be the huge Chinese population, there are tons of chinese communities (ALOT more than phoenix) and a very large Chinatown within a reasonable area close to major destinations and good schools.

[Tokinouta]

Originally Posted by Cinco Ranch

You should consider moving to Houston, TX. It's just as "nice" as Phoenix, business friendly, and way more affordable. With a 500k-1M budget you can get a Mansion similar to the ones in LA.

Another plus with moving to Houston would be the huge Chinese population, there are tons of chinese communities (ALOT more than phoenix) and a very large Chinatown within a reasonable area close to major destinations and good schools.

While I agree with your post, you have to factor in weather, humidity, Hurricanes and tornados. Orange County also has a much larger Chinese population but at a cost. Chandler has a smaller population but it's growing which would make starting a business easy with room to grown. While Chandler isn't "Chinatown" it is a growing Asian community with plenty of stores and restaurants catering to Asians.

Chandler, Alma School, Dobson/ Warner, has some nice affordable housing, and a growing Chinese population. There are a few other areas, but none that match that in Chandler that I've seen. Basis is an excellent but stringent choice for schooling with a wait list but the Chandler Unified District as a whole is excellent public education. It will depend on your child's aptitude.