Moving from Portland to Phoenix

[Discovery1]

Originally Posted by JimmyAZ

Hey, thank you. How do you compare Portland/Phoenix(Goodyear). Honestly, I'm so tired of Portland that I could scream. Thanks again.

If you talk about a city itself then Portland is better than Phoenix in many ways. I am talking about geography, a beauty, a vive of a city.
But anyway, this is how i left the PNW for the SW desert.
Almost everything i can think of in Arizona are way cheaper than Oregon except for the rate of electricity because of the summer heat but then we don't have to turn on our heat during winter though.
Home prices, food, gas...etc.... Wage is about the same with hi tech jobs at least in my occupation. Note : Portland currently has more jobs opening than Phoenix in general.
I like the open space down here that makes you feel more relax vs a combination of living compact + weather which led many people in Portland incuding myself feeling depress during winter time.
I found the people in Arizona are very friendly in general just like Portlanders minus the liberal way of thinking.
Schools here are not that great, abit worst than Oregon so location is very important. Gilbert is one city that i like from your list. I like Goodyear myself because it close to the main freeway so i can hop on I10 to Tempe, Chandler with the same amount of time travel comparing Hillsboro to Gresham. Most of Goodyear are new, clean and it will growth again when the economy stable. Goodyear today remind me of Hillsboro 15 years ago when it was most farm land.
You will be shock to see many many out of state license plates down here. The most i seeing are from California and Washington State then Oregon and the rest from all over including Canadien.
There are lots of thing i like down here but i will stop here so others can weight in. Penderosa and Finger Laker are some of the value posters here that i would suggest.
Let me know if i can help with anything.
Good luck !

[azriverfan.]

To the OP, you are inquiring about the best areas

Here are other nice areas

1. Ahwautukee Foothills- it's technically Phoenix but it is really Chandler because it's in South Phoenix and is adjacent to Chandler
2. Northwest Chandler - I-10 and Ray area, 101 and Ray
3. Moonvalley area (north Phoenix)
4. South Tempe area - I-10 and Elliot, I-10 and Warner look up Alisanos

[Climacus]

Gilbert and Chandler/Ocotillo are both good family places and not as expensive North Scottsdale. I imagine FH would be both expensive and an inconvenient commute, though I'm not sure where you're working. There is a certain super-conservative vibe that I sometimes pick up in Gilbert, whereas Chandler seems more relaxed to me.

[ean2010]

Originally Posted by JimmyAZ

(1) Ocotillo/Chandler
(2) Gilbert
(3) Fountain HIlls
(4) N Scottsdale (if we could afford it)

Is E Mesa a place to look? How about Surprise?
.

I'll look in Gilbert, Surprise.
Mesa - !

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by ean2010

I'll look in Gilbert, Surprise.
Mesa - !

For Mesa, look in:

• NE Mesa in the Las Sendas area,
• East Mesa south of Hwy 60.
• For older homes with larger lots, look in north Mesa near the 202.
• Some of the areas in east Mesa are in the Gilbert school district

Each of the areas will have different price points.

For Gilbert, it depends on what you are looking for in a community:

• Lake community
• Golf community
• Large lots, etc
• Regular type community (not golf, not lake, etc)
• Also, the proximity to either hwy 60 or south loop 202 for commuting if necessary
• Proximity to the high school of choice