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The heat is beyond stifling. From May through Sept it'll be in the 100s most days. Lots of folks don't think that's a big deal, but if you're comfy in the northwest, you'll be largely confined to indoors all day for the entire summer.
AZ and Phoenix are right at ground zero in America's financial collapse. The state is talking right now about paying its workers and contractors with IOUs like California...the problems are immense, there is no roadmap for a way out, and the population base that will have to pay for the big sins of the past is relatively small. The housing market is in a state of ongoing and severe market collapse. It's a certainty that AZ's already high taxes and fees are going to go up a lot more. Make sure you plan for that in your budget.
The entire state is awash with illegals from south of the border. Sure, they're everywhere else now, too, but in AZ, you'll be swimming in them. And paying their bills, too. Might as well get started learning their language if you're gonna move there, ese.
The pollution and traffic are at epic levels. Especially the traffic. If you've never lived in a high-traffic area like L.A. or D.C. before, it's hard to fathom how much of your life will be utterly wasted stuck on a scorching hot asphalt road breathing in dust and exhaust. The air pollution, especially in the winter, is as bad as L.A., too.
Did I mention that it gets really hot?
Virtually none of the things one needs to live are produced there. If the day ever comes that our national fiscal insanity spikes gas prices to the $10/gal level in today's dollars, then AZ will become a pretty interesting place to live, given that to live there requires reliance on cheap plentiful energy for everything...water, food, transportation across a sprawling metroplex, and to keep the 118 deg heat out of your houses, schools, hospitals, and malls.
Oh, and I think I might have forgotten to mention that it gets as hot as H3LL there!
I wasn't going to mention the negatives like I usually do... but these are our reasons for wanting OUT of here.
It should not be considered a land full of summer time adventure. Kids are confined indoors all summer long due to the heat being at its worst when they are out of school. Better get a swimming pool if you intend on enjoying outdoors near home in the summer. Figure on the winters being the time to be outdoors... which makes it hard to get out and do anything as a family. It gets dark very early and you don't have much time to do anything extraordinary inside the city limits after the school day and homework.... or even on the weekends when you consider traveling time to & from better destinations in the northern part of the state and an early Sunday return to be ready for "Monday"
These are all great responses.. kind of an eye opener if you will.. We plan to go to phoenix in Feb of 2010 and check out a few locations and just see how it feels.. Once i get locked in its hard for me to turn it off.. again.. thank you!!
These are all great responses.. kind of an eye opener if you will.. We plan to go to phoenix in Feb of 2010 and check out a few locations and just see how it feels.. Once i get locked in its hard for me to turn it off.. again.. thank you!!
Good idea! Some of the posters on here are given to a tad of hyperbole, I think. See for yourself.
These are all great responses.. kind of an eye opener if you will.. We plan to go to phoenix in Feb of 2010 and check out a few locations and just see how it feels.. Once i get locked in its hard for me to turn it off.. again.. thank you!!
We moved from MN to AK for hubby's work. I was done with the family in MN and the weather and gladly went...then more isolation and cold. When the opportunity came for us to relocate to AZ I was shaking. We have a 12-year-old granddaughter with us and she had no choice in the matter. We are the parents at this point. I have a hard time with the idea of Christmas and the weather 70 out now during the day. Our families are in MN and I have no desire to go visit now, I will pick my time, though I do miss the grown kids and grands. They are now making their own traditions without us, and we are doing the same. We are going to spend this Christmas camping in a tent mind you, because we miss doing that. I work at home and would not live in Phoenix by choice, so we are in Casa Grande, but within driving distance for hubby. Look at other areas if you can if you want to be within driving distance away once in a while. Best of luck to you
Last edited by Grannysroost; 12-18-2009 at 07:40 PM..
Im back again for a quick one - sounds like you are gonna make a visit. Good idea. Maybe make another one later in the year before making your final decision so you can actually feel the heat.
Though Bob from the South is entitled to his opinion, I see he lives in Colorado. Now, he may have lived here in past, but his post doesnt say so.
Somehow, someway, millions of people live in the valley and environs and enjoy life....its all a matter of the lifestyle choice one wants to make. I personally could not even fathom living every year in the winter weather....and I do get outside almost every day even in the summer as do many others!
As for the states problems, they are there, but so are MANY other states. Not sure where the existing high tax comment comes from.....very low compared to most states! Will they go up to get out of our mess? Probably.
Traffic can be bad...but the OP says he works from home so probably not a daily issue. Same as me.
I live in a middle class neighborhood here in Casa Grande, and though there is some hispanic influence....the town is not "awash" in illegals?! I have been to many neighborhoods and suburbs around Phoenix and just dont see it as much anymore. Enforcement is tough and the economy has solved much of this problem for now at least.
AZ is not for everyone......but given the overall cost of living, if one has a good job already as the OP says, then it can offer much to a growing family.
Though Bob from the South is entitled to his opinion, I see he lives in Colorado. Now, he may have lived here in past, but his post doesnt say so.
Lived there eight years. Still have family in the area. I live in Colorado Springs because it's none of the things I listed in my post about the Phoenix area. Every time I go back to visit (last time was in Sept) I leave heaving a sigh of relief.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sh9730
Somehow, someway, millions of people live in the valley and environs and enjoy life....its all a matter of the lifestyle choice one wants to make. I personally could not even fathom living every year in the winter weather....and I do get outside almost every day even in the summer as do many others!
Lots of people enjoy life in Calcutta, too, but you wouldn't want to move there, either...
Quote:
Originally Posted by sh9730
As for the states problems, they are there, but so are MANY other states. Not sure where the existing high tax comment comes from.....very low compared to most states! Will they go up to get out of our mess? Probably.
I'm referring to the total tax and fee bill...property taxes, sales taxes, auto registrations, etc. And Arizona's fiscal mess is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill shortfall...it rivals California's in severity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sh9730
I live in a middle class neighborhood here in Casa Grande, and though there is some hispanic influence....the town is not "awash" in illegals?! I have been to many neighborhoods and suburbs around Phoenix and just dont see it as much anymore. Enforcement is tough and the economy has solved much of this problem for now at least.
C'mon now, you must just be acclimatized to it. Every time I go back to Phoenix or Tucson it's everywhere I look.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sh9730
AZ is not for everyone......but given the overall cost of living, if one has a good job already as the OP says, then it can offer much to a growing family.
Any person with a good attitude can make the best out of living nearly anywhere. But if you have a choice of living in one place or another, best to know what you'll be making the best of.
The heat is beyond stifling. From May through Sept it'll be in the 100s most days. Lots of folks don't think that's a big deal, but if you're comfy in the northwest, you'll be largely confined to indoors all day for the entire summer.
I agree you need to have your eyes open. No place is perfect, and I'm glad the OP is planning a visit!
That said, biggest risk is how tough it would be to ever go BACK to the NW. I grew up there. The 10 weeks of summer are incredible, but the 42 weeks of rain sucks. As to short winter days? Are you kidding? SEA winter days are 8.5hrs long, and even on the brightest Dec days at noon my auto headlights came on. I ttruly rains there 40 days and 40 nights at a time. The sun provides NO warmth from Sep-Jun, only a little light. I've travelled the world and done 3-6mo internships around the US and always defended the NW. But after living in sunny big sky country for 2 years before we returned to visit the NW, I was shocked at how dreary the 2 weeks of incessant summer rain felt and how claustrophobic all the greenery made me feel. I wanted to see the SKY. I wanted to feel the sun's warmth on my skin. I wanted to smell something besides scotchbroom, dripping pines, and wet earth.
Of course my family there still loves it there. To each there own -- and that's my point. The OP may come and love it or hate it, but even if PHX doesn't prove to be your forever place, it might be a perfect "for now" place. A place to spread your wings a little.
Although I can't say I look forward to months of blistering heat, I can say that my priorities can be met there better than where I am. I like CO, but I've got to get off this darn mountain and closer to sea level. I need more consistent weather, too. My priorities are about being able to afford a nice home, work to live, not live to work, spend time together as a family.
I work from home as well, and sometimes that is very isolating and sometimes I think about returning to a "real" job just for the interactions. [Then I come to my senses, lol]
The key isn't finding the perfect place, but a place you can live your priorities, whatever they may be. If you live to be on your sailboat, AZ is not for you. But if you want to put a few miles from your current life and try something new -- maybe, just maybe, it is.
I can't compare a Seattle winter day to an AZ winter day, but when you consider kids get out of school near 4pm, you have less than 2hrs of daylight during the week to run out and do something fun nearby. Summer daylight last almost until 9pm though.
My point was that if your family wants to be outdoors together, summer isn't usually conducive to quality outdoor time within the city itself which happens to be their summer vacation. Winter time is more suited for being outdoors in Phx, which is in conflict with the school year. Summers are usually spent leaving Phoenix and going up North, to San Diego or Rocky Point for a week or two.
The rest of the time, the summer within the city itself will be spent indoors or in your pool if you have one, which to be honest... even that is hard because the sun bares down so bright and brutally in the dead of summer it feels more like a nuclear meltdown. My wife goes out about every other hour and re-slathers sunscreen on them and forces them to drink water! Once the season starts they love the pool, but before long even they get sick of having to swim in order to be outside. Get 'em a TV and stock up on video games, or be prepared for "I'm bored" statements all summer.
I can't compare a Seattle winter day to an AZ winter day, but when you consider kids get out of school near 4pm, you have less than 2hrs of daylight during the week to run out and do something fun nearby. Summer daylight last almost until 9pm though.
My point was that if your family wants to be outdoors together, summer isn't usually conducive to quality outdoor time within the city itself which happens to be their summer vacation. Winter time is more suited for being outdoors in Phx, which is in conflict with the school year. Summers are usually spent leaving Phoenix and going up North, to San Diego or Rocky Point for a week or two.
The rest of the time, the summer within the city itself will be spent indoors or in your pool if you have one, which to be honest... even that is hard because the sun bares down so bright and brutally in the dead of summer it feels more like a nuclear meltdown. My wife goes out about every other hour and re-slathers sunscreen on them and forces them to drink water! Once the season starts they love the pool, but before long even they get sick of having to swim in order to be outside. Get 'em a TV and stock up on video games, or be prepared for "I'm bored" statements all summer.
SEA has that high latitude thing -- summer days are almost 16hrs long, but payback is getting dark by 4:30p dead of winter. You go to work/school in the dark and come home in the dark.
Good point though: you should try to imagine how you would really live in a new place. Consider the consequences to your lifestyle, both good and bad. Having adequate indoor space is probably a bigger deal in the summer in AZ.
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