Ca to AZ? (Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale: relocating, foreclosure, condo)

[Katimae]

First of all, this is probably going to be long, I apologize. I have a million questions and this is important to us! My husband and I are thinking about moving from the SF bay area to the Phoenix area. We are in our early 30's, no children and we both work. He is an accountant, I'm in childcare (I've done preschool and nanny jobs, currently director of a preschool). We love sports, movies (especially old and independent), music and the outdoors. Of course we have our separate hobbies, I like to make beaded jewelry (mostly just for friends and family... and myself) and he enjoys karate. We'd like to live in a busy metro area where we could go see a game or a movie or a great local band and take public transportation! We have been to Arizona a few times and always found it fun and friendly. We actually stopped on our way to California in Tombstone, Tucson and Sedona and we both commented on how much we loved it and wondered if we were making a mistake.

OK, so here are our reasons for choosing Phoenix. We want a city, we want to be warm (we're both freezing to death in Ca!), we hate snow so we need a place where it never snows, we are tired of California people, we read it has a great job market, and we're big Diamondbacks and Alice Cooper fans.

These are some of the reasons we want to leave Ca: It is way too cold year round... hardly ever gets up to 80 and I only consider that warm! We think the people are snobby, rude and lazy, It is so overpopulated it's a nightmare to do anything (it takes 4 days to just get the doctor to call in a refill... 3 months to get an appointment) the housing is a joke and unbelievably expensive (over $2000 for a shoebox!), the job market is awful (it took 8 weeks to find my current job and I settled... now I have to find a part time job to make up the wage difference, I'll be working over 60 hours a week) The traffic is horrible... it's way faster to ride our bikes than it is to drive! We went through one "big" earthquake and it is not something we want again. There is just no quality of life here.

These are things we like about Ca: We love the beach, but in this area the beaches are unusable, so we have to drive at least 5 hours to a decent beach anyway. We love SF and all the fun things to do there, but most things we can't do because 1. we have to work 2. we can't afford it 3. it's not worth driving 2 hours through hellish traffic and the public transportation closes at 11 PM. We love Giant's stadium and the games, but the Giants kind of suck and it's always freezing there.

So here are my questions: Are we going to be able to find decent jobs? We are content to rent and we have no kids so schools are no big deal, but we'd like to be close to public trans and in the city. What neighborhoods should we check out? I've been reading other posts and I'm thinking Tempe and Biltmore and Central Phoenix... good? bad? What is healthcare like? We're generally healthy, but I'd like to know that if I need an appointment I won't have to wait 3 months, then be pushed out the door in 5 minutes. Are the people friendly or do they check what kind of bag you have before they talk to you? Will we finally be able to live in income for 40 hour work weeks? I've done a lot of research on the weather and we were there for a couple weeks in August and a couple weeks in late November, so I think we have a basic idea of that... we even got the monsoon rain treatment. Of course my #1 question is do you think we'll be happy in PHX? Thank you for reading my rants and answering my questions!

[sablebaby]

Well, at the moment we only have the bus system for public transportation. At the end of the year we will have the light rail, but it's only in a small area of the phx metro area. One of the only places I would recommend from your list is downtown Phx. You can catch the light rail, go to a game or concert, and go to Alice Cooperstown for dinner. Downtown will be so nice soon. They are really working on it.

As for living down there, you will probably pay the same as you are paying now, but for a nice downtown condo/loft.

You should have no problem finding jobs. You would most likely have to commute out of that area, but he should be fine.

Check out the several threads regarding living downtown.

Healthcare will be similar. For a PCP, you should be able to get an appt within a week or two. A specialist (obgyn) about 2-3 months. Many won't have much time to talk to you or pass you to their PA. The best care you can find is without ins! I love my walk-in doc in Scottsdale. I recently went to one with my ins next to my work and waited 90 minutes to see her and then only spent about 10 mins with her. Next it took 1 solid week to have blood taken and then 2 weeks to get the results. She never even helped me with my original complaints. Not going back! I do feel like a number.

[Katimae]

Thank you so much for your advice. Right now we really can't afford to move for at least another year, plus I made a commitment to my job for a year and we have a lease.... etc., so the light rail should be in full swing when we get there. Does the light rail go into Tempe? I thought I read that it does. Can anyone recomend a good Karate school and a good yoga school? We love Alice Cooperstown! It's so fun. We're excited about checking Phoenix out some more... we have a few more trips planned down there this year.

[Bummer]

WOW, Katimae . . . quite the post!

Having relocated here (Tucson, not Phoenix) from The Bay Area (first Alameda and then Walnut Creek) about ten years ago, I understand your frustrations and pain.

First off, Phoenix is definitely NOT San Francisco. In fact, it is more like Los Angeles . . . spread out with lots of traffic.

Granted there is no perfect place to live but once you adjust to the differences, I bet your only complaint will be the same as mine . . . WHY DIDN'T I DO IT SOONER?

Good Luck

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Katimae

Thank you so much for your advice. Right now we really can't afford to move for at least another year, plus I made a commitment to my job for a year and we have a lease.... etc., so the light rail should be in full swing when we get there. Does the light rail go into Tempe? I thought I read that it does. Can anyone recomend a good Karate school and a good yoga school? We love Alice Cooperstown! It's so fun. We're excited about checking Phoenix out some more... we have a few more trips planned down there this year.

Yeah, it is going to Tempe as well and that may be a place you like as well. It might give you the best of both worlds. I like driving pass the Tempe Town Lake, it's very pretty.

I'm sure you'll find good karate and yoga schools near where ever you live. It's SO spread out here, just like LA (just on a smaller scale).

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by Katimae

First of all, this is probably going to be long, I apologize. I have a million questions and this is important to us! My husband and I are thinking about moving from the SF bay area to the Phoenix area. We are in our early 30's, no children and we both work. He is an accountant, I'm in childcare (I've done preschool and nanny jobs, currently director of a preschool). We love sports, movies (especially old and independent), music and the outdoors. Of course we have our separate hobbies, I like to make beaded jewelry (mostly just for friends and family... and myself) and he enjoys karate. We'd like to live in a busy metro area where we could go see a game or a movie or a great local band and take public transportation! We have been to Arizona a few times and always found it fun and friendly. We actually stopped on our way to California in Tombstone, Tucson and Sedona and we both commented on how much we loved it and wondered if we were making a mistake.

OK, so here are our reasons for choosing Phoenix. We want a city, we want to be warm (we're both freezing to death in Ca!), we hate snow so we need a place where it never snows, we are tired of California people, we read it has a great job market, and we're big Diamondbacks and Alice Cooper fans.

These are some of the reasons we want to leave Ca: It is way too cold year round... hardly ever gets up to 80 and I only consider that warm! We think the people are snobby, rude and lazy, It is so overpopulated it's a nightmare to do anything (it takes 4 days to just get the doctor to call in a refill... 3 months to get an appointment) the housing is a joke and unbelievably expensive (over $2000 for a shoebox!), the job market is awful (it took 8 weeks to find my current job and I settled... now I have to find a part time job to make up the wage difference, I'll be working over 60 hours a week) The traffic is horrible... it's way faster to ride our bikes than it is to drive! We went through one "big" earthquake and it is not something we want again. There is just no quality of life here.

These are things we like about Ca: We love the beach, but in this area the beaches are unusable, so we have to drive at least 5 hours to a decent beach anyway. We love SF and all the fun things to do there, but most things we can't do because 1. we have to work 2. we can't afford it 3. it's not worth driving 2 hours through hellish traffic and the public transportation closes at 11 PM. We love Giant's stadium and the games, but the Giants kind of suck and it's always freezing there.

So here are my questions: Are we going to be able to find decent jobs? We are content to rent and we have no kids so schools are no big deal, but we'd like to be close to public trans and in the city. What neighborhoods should we check out? I've been reading other posts and I'm thinking Tempe and Biltmore and Central Phoenix... good? bad? What is healthcare like? We're generally healthy, but I'd like to know that if I need an appointment I won't have to wait 3 months, then be pushed out the door in 5 minutes. Are the people friendly or do they check what kind of bag you have before they talk to you? Will we finally be able to live in income for 40 hour work weeks? I've done a lot of research on the weather and we were there for a couple weeks in August and a couple weeks in late November, so I think we have a basic idea of that... we even got the monsoon rain treatment. Of course my #1 question is do you think we'll be happy in PHX? Thank you for reading my rants and answering my questions!

I moved from there to here and have NEVER been more miserable. That is all. I'd go on, except the life blood has been sucked out of me after living here for close to five years. I used to be much smarter.

[Katimae]

Thank you Sablebaby, Movin'on and Bummer for your posts! Bummer, I hope I wasn't too harsh about the bay area, I'm just SO unhappy here (and have I mentioned cold?) it's just not for me at all. I'm curious what made you choose Tucson? We really like Tucson too, but We thought Phoenix might be better for the whole job thing. I love the pictures of homes in Tucson on Craigslist... though I suspect they "share" the same picture for multiple ads.
Movin' on... I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy, maybe we could swap! I have to say I feel really stupid here everyone has a doctorate from Stanford or Harvard. They all demand that their child walk, speak 4 languages and find a cure for cancer by the time they are 5 months old

I'm ready for a change!

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Katimae

Thank you Sablebaby, Movin'on and Bummer for your posts! Bummer, I hope I wasn't too harsh about the bay area, I'm just SO unhappy here (and have I mentioned cold?) it's just not for me at all. I'm curious what made you choose Tucson? We really like Tucson too, but We thought Phoenix might be better for the whole job thing. I love the pictures of homes in Tucson on Craigslist... though I suspect they "share" the same picture for multiple ads.

I'm ready for a change!

You're welcome, Katimae

Definitely not too harsh on the Bay Area as I understand fully. After about 15 years of crappy weather (Walnut Creek was the least crappy) and constantly being broke because of the ridiculously high cost of just about everything . . . relocating was the best solution.

I chose Tucson over Phoenix and other Southwest cities mainly because of the smaller size (read no freeways and much less traffic) and what is often referred to as The Cowboy Mentality. Better weather due to the higher elevation had a definite influence as well.

Once again . . . GO FOR IT.

[ORexpat]

Maybe I'm not the one to reply, because I feel like Movin'on, and have been here the same amount of time. However, you sound like people who would actually like Phoenix. I personally believe I would have preferred Tucson.
Public transportation is a little difficult when it's 110 or hotter, and my experience with Arizona leads me to the conclusion that it is a fascist state.
I believe there are jobs, however, and housing is certainly cheaper. If you wanted to go farther out you might find a nice house to rent for under $900.
Just be sure it's not in foreclosure.
As for the doctors, I believe every incompetent doctor in the country must have moved here. But, admittedly, my experience hasn't been good.
I LOVE cold weather.

[MichaelinWA]

Wow, didn't I read in another thread that you're from Palo Alto? That town has such a nice, warm Mediterranean climate, at least most people would think so. When I worked in Redwood City and PA, I loved walking around or jogging during lunch in the summer, because I never could do that in Phoenix, where I lived earlier.

I think you'll love Phoenix, at least from a weather perspective, because you obviously love the heat. I can understand some of your reasons for wanting to leave the Bay Area, though. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Katimae

(we're both freezing to death in Ca!)