Phoenix "Chat Room" (apartment, insurance, transfer to)

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by nebulous1

I moved here for a job, and I don't think the weather here is any better than the midwest. At least in the midwest, it cooled off at night. You didn't have to have the air conditioning running 24/7 and there were days you could actually open up the windows and let some fresh air in.
Everything is more expensive here. Food, car insurance is DOUBLE, everything...and less regulation on what people can do. Have fun picking out a licensed massage therapist.

Oh my gosh, the biggest shock for me wasen't the double car insurance. its the vehicle registration, its 34.50 in Ohio for a passanger plate, it cost me 500.00 here for my new car! Home taxes are cheaper, but that decrease you get moving here is offset with the double the car insurance and unbelieveable car registration, I could see why there would be so many illegals driving, I mean , thats a rather large amount for anyone. In short, Its expensive to drive here. duh, I quess Illegals couldn't get a drivers license anyways.

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Coming from DC I think the weather is gorgeous here and the cost of living is dirt cheap. I can't believe how cheap housing is and how much house I get for the money. Sales tax is higher, but there is none on groceries, while there was in VA, DC and MD. I can ride my motorcycle with no helmet and a sidearm strapped to my hip. What a country!

why don't you trade that motorcycle for a horse?

[azjack]

"Oh my gosh, the biggest shock for me wasen't the double car insurance. its the vehicle registration, its 34.50 in Ohio for a passanger plate, it cost me 500.00 here for my new car!"

Yep, a personal property tax disguised as vehicle registration fees. Straight-up cash grab.

What's next? A personal property tax on your refrigerator? Better not upgrade to that stainless steel model with the extra compartments.

I don't mind paying a reasonable income tax and a reasonable sales tax; I am just not a fan of the nickel and diming. It costs the State of Arizona the same amount to process the registration of a 2008 Camry and a 1998 model. How is it the state's business to charge quintuple registration fees (or more) for the newer model? If anything, the newer vehicle means reduced emissions (not to mention increased sales tax revenues).

[Phoenix lady]

Originally Posted by azkylady2

Oh my gosh, the biggest shock for me wasen't the double car insurance. its the vehicle registration, its 34.50 in Ohio for a passanger plate, it cost me 500.00 here for my new car! Home taxes are cheaper, but that decrease you get moving here is offset with the double the car insurance and unbelieveable car registration

I also found food higher here, home insurance and electric (maybe, not sure about that one). Sometimes, the lower taxes are only part of the total picture.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by nebulous1

I moved here for a job, and I don't think the weather here is any better than the midwest. At least in the midwest, it cooled off at night. You didn't have to have the air conditioning running 24/7 and there were days you could actually open up the windows and let some fresh air in.
Everything is more expensive here. Food, car insurance is DOUBLE, everything...and less regulation on what people can do. Have fun picking out a licensed massage therapist.

AC is on all of the time in Phoenix for 3 or 4 months at the most, while that poor midwestern furnace is forcing warm air out of the vents for 6 months. Windows are open around here for 7 - 8 months.

My vehicle insurance in Phoenix is $36 more per year than what it was in the Detroit area. For me, that's a 0.5% increase. Brown baggin' my lunch for a week makes up for that.



Please explain why less regulations is bad....

[MotleyCrew]

Our electric bill is a push/shove compared to CA. Heating bill is way less, gasoline is less here. Our vehicle reg. is about half. Property taxes are still lower here, but there is a tax on food here vs CA. State income tax is less here and I understand that the Governator is planning on raising income tax again, which may cause another wave of evil Californians to AZ.

[LivinginSDagain]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

Our electric bill is a push/shove compared to CA. Heating bill is way less, gasoline is less here. Our vehicle reg. is about half. Property taxes are still lower here, but there is a tax on food here vs CA. State income tax is less here and I understand that the Governator is planning on raising income tax again, which may cause another wave of evil Californians to AZ.

Dang us Californians Our vehicle reg. is about the same as CA, car insurance about the same, gasoline about .30 cents less here, ran the AC about a week or two VS. 24/7 here and I used my heater in SD in the winter hardly ever, so electricity much cheaper in CA, rent WAAAAAAAAAAAY cheaper here and the cost of buying a home of course is less. Military pension is still taxed on like CA however, $2,500 IS not. Yippee that's nothing but BUT at least it's not as expensive as CA.

I like to say that you run your AC here 24/7 for those 3-4 months maybe (still new to me) here. BUT in the Northeast, we run our heater (propane) 6-7 mos. out of the year from Oct - May or even early June. It was 2.86 a gallon of propane when we left NH over a year ago.

[w1ngzer0]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

Our electric bill is a push/shove compared to CA. Heating bill is way less, gasoline is less here. Our vehicle reg. is about half. Property taxes are still lower here, but there is a tax on food here vs CA. State income tax is less here and I understand that the Governator is planning on raising income tax again, which may cause another wave of evil Californians to AZ.

I believe California had a wave like this back in the 80's, My parents were one of those people. When they found a job in Arizona in 00', they told me they're done with California.

[scottie]

Speaking of Phoenix, I wouldnt mind a few days of golf there......not this year though, oh well.

Thought I would add my 2 cents

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by Phoenix lady

I also found food higher here, home insurance and electric (maybe, not sure about that one). Sometimes, the lower taxes are only part of the total picture.

I agree, if I was not ready to buy a house (may be in AZ or elsewhere), then I'd probably continue living in So Cal. but who knows, with the current economy and job market, I might have been out of a job, unemployed and forced to move elsewhere?

The $$ I am saving from gas is definitely going to groceries, Safeway is rip-off, FRY's is not much better and I am not even going to mention the others.

Insurance is a bit less here which is amazing since everyone else say otherwise. Car registration is a little less, motorcycle is about the same or tiny bit more + $20 for the emission (which sucks squirrel nuts imho).

Apartments here have a stupid tax here, which is not much (approx. 2%) but still annoying.

Again, it is way better to be a home owner here, especially if you didn't overpay for it which those who bought it between 2004-2006 seem to have...