Some of You Are Freaking Me Out!! (Phoenix, Mesa: lease, violent crime)
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This is all good! I have just been reading over some of the threads and posts and am getting quite scared to move to the Phoenix area. My husband and I are moving there in about two months from Alaska and some of these posts make it seem like there is nothing redeemable about the Phoenix area! We have lived in a very sheltered, very safe community for over four years and I have to admit, even though I can't stand it here, I am terrified to move to Arizona. I grew up in northern California and even lived in Las Vegas for eight months, so I can deal with the heat (even though it just snowed four inches here today), but I don't know about the crime. How bad is it really? Do we need to put an alarm in our car? Should we not be outside in a neighborhood after a certain time? Are there just some areas you shouldn't rent, let alone buy a house in?
There were moments living in Sacramento and Vegas I didn't feel safe, but we have almost been in Mayberry for the last few years (well, maybe not that good, but I have just started to feel uncomfortable going to the store at 11:30 at night). We have young children and I am nervous about schools and areas. I hear Gilbert is really nice, but it seems kind of pricey. My husband will be working downtown and so we don't want too far of a commute with gas prices the way they are these days. We just want a house in a nice neighborhood that our kids could play in the backyard and feel as though they are safe while I am in the kitchen. Oh, and none of the three "r's"-- rattlesnakes, rats, or roaches! I know that last part will have to come in the form of pest control, but we don't have those up here!
I guess what I am asking is if you like Phoenix, if you feel safe in the area, and if there are places you would just stay away from. Please give me some hope!
Phoenix is OZ to me I would not live anywhere else. I came here in 1986 and I love it. Though I admit I do make it a point to take trips out of here to places cooler during the sizzling months.
You will like it here. Get involved in things that interest you. DO NOT BE SHY - be proactive about meeting people and you will make friends and feel connected.
There were moments living in Sacramento and Vegas I didn't feel safe, but we have almost been in Mayberry for the last few years (well, maybe not that good, but I have just started to feel uncomfortable going to the store at 11:30 at night). We have young children and I am nervous about schools and areas. I hear Gilbert is really nice, but it seems kind of pricey. My husband will be working downtown and so we don't want too far of a commute with gas prices the way they are these days. We just want a house in a nice neighborhood that our kids could play in the backyard and feel as though they are safe while I am in the kitchen. Oh, and none of the three "r's"-- rattlesnakes, rats, or roaches! I know that last part will have to come in the form of pest control, but we don't have those up here!
Sacramento? nice. I lived there for 20 years and i turned out ok
Ive noticed to keep the roaches away, keep your area dry. I've yet to have a roach in my apartment complex. The pool away from the buildings and there is no grass and the palm trees are trimmed. The only problem we have are nasty pigeons.
Sacramento? nice. I lived there for 20 years and i turned out ok
Ive noticed to keep the roaches away, keep your area dry. I've yet to have a roach in my apartment complex. The pool away from the buildings and there is no grass and the palm trees are trimmed. The only problem we have are nasty pigeons.
Easy fix for "nasty pigeons" and other birds, w1ngzer.
Hang a few CDs from the eaves (fishing line works great) . . . the spinning and flashing scares 'em away.
Phoenix is safe. Okay, I understand every city has crime but cmon. Anyone who has lived in a real city would laugh at the perceived crime in Phoenix. How do you have crime in suburbia. Even the so-called crime ridden areas look like gated communities when compared to true barrios and ghettos found in similar sized cities. Phoenix isn't perfect and it's got its flaws but crime isn't one of them relatively speaking. Now I'm sure someone is going to respond with some crime stats but I don't care what those say. I live here and I don't feel intimidated or scared. If you check this city out, you will agree with me.
I think this person did a great job of summing it up. Ive long said on this board that crime gets exagerrated so much on here. Like this person said, anyone who has lived in a true crime-ridden place would come to Phoenix and laugh at the notion of Phoenix being "crime-ridden".
If you want to remain relatively close to downtown, then you will not be considering Buckeye, Maricopa, or Queen Creek. Those all offer low priced houses, but the commute time is crazy. Although distance is all relative. For the amount you are wishing to purchase a home, you could find something in Laveen that is nice and affordable.
A lot of people will say that the schools are not good, but that has changed greatly over the last 3 years, and the school district is winning many awards for their performances. They also just increased teacher pay for the second year in a row when most districts are cutting back. Laveen is about 6 miles from downtown (as the crows fly) or about 10 miles. It is also very culturally diversified, has a lot of new retail construction built or in the work, and will even be better once the freeway is extended.
If you want to remain relatively close to downtown, then you will not be considering Buckeye, Maricopa, or Queen Creek. Those all offer low priced houses, but the commute time is crazy. Although distance is all relative. For the amount you are wishing to purchase a home, you could find something in Laveen that is nice and affordable.
A lot of people will say that the schools are not good, but that has changed greatly over the last 3 years, and the school district is winning many awards for their performances. They also just increased teacher pay for the second year in a row when most districts are cutting back. Laveen is about 6 miles from downtown (as the crows fly) or about 10 miles. It is also very culturally diversified, has a lot of new retail construction built or in the work, and will even be better once the freeway is extended.
Actually the Fair Housing Act does not prevent a realtor from discussing the safety of neighborhoods or which schools are better than others because both those issues are a matter of public record. The Fair Housing Act protects the basic right of all Americans to pursue the dream of homeownership, free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin. Realtors can tell you the ethnic make up of a particular neighborhood or a specific school, we just can't use the information to discriminate against someone who is looking for housing. We can even guide a buyer to a specific neighborhood or school based on their desire to live near others of their nationality or religious preference. We just can't be "exclusive" by showing them only properties where the sellers are a specific nationality or religion, etc. Realtors, owners, lenders, etc. can not act in a discriminatory way in any real estate transaction.
You are treading on very thin ice if you do what you say. Yes, the information is public record, and you should direct your client's to the records if that is a concern of theirs. Providing information yourself is not a good idea.
You also contradict yourself. On one hand you say it's OK to show only certain areas to buyers based on their national/religious preference, but then you say you can't be "exclusive"?
From the NAR's website: "A request from the home seller or landlord to act in a discriminatory manner in the sale, lease or rental cannot legally be fulfilled by the real estate professional." Guiding buyers to neighborhoods based on racial/religious preference sounds discriminatory to me, even if they request it. If they ask to see homes in a certain neighborhood that is fine as long as the realtor does not provide guidance based on national/religious makeup. The realtor can direct them to sources of demographic information, but should not themselves be the source.
Although my cousin, who moved to Queen Creek in December, just had a rattlesnake on her walkway... that's kind of scary. But I believe all of you with your comments. I see moose here all the time, they can be pretty scary even though they look silly, but I have learned to deal with it.
It sounds like you are scared of any creature that has more or less than 2 legs....I'd be more concerned about creatures with 2 legs!
But seriously, you will be fine. I whine about certain things once in a while but nothing a normal person can not get used to (other than the Summer heat perhaps).
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"nasty pigeons"
*giggle*
