Moving and looking for advice and info (Phoenix, Prescott: real estate, foreclosures)

[P8riots12]

Hi there. I am trying to do some research to find out some info about the area. I have family that live in Phoenix, Prescott, Prescott Valley and Dewey. So I have been there to visit quite a few times and just fell in love with the area. We are currently living in the midwest and I am just tired of tornado seasons and freezing my butt off. LOL. My husband and I are in our mid 30s and we have 2 kids and 2 dogs. I don't think that I would be happy in Phoenix, it would be nice to visit on occasion but it is too big and too hot for me to be comfortable enough to live there. I am thinking more about the PV area and maybe even Chino Valley.

We are looking for somewhere that: has nice, welcoming people; crime is not a big issue; a good school system; four actual seasons without extremes one way or the other; and a small town feeling without the small town mentality (if that makes sense ).

What do you think of real estate prices and taxes in the area? Of course I have to ask about the job market. My hubby is an automotive mechanic with numerous ASE certifications and I am an LPN/LVN. I am hoping to be able to bridge to my RN before we move, but if not I hear that there is a good community college in PV.

Thanks in advance for any help/ info you can give me. I greatly appreciate it.

[BriansPerspective]

Hi Patriots,

We too moved to get out of the cold. We're thankful everyday for the weather here! With regard to your desires, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey, and Chino Valley can all work. Prescott probably has the best school system, but PV, Dewey, and CV are good as well.

Housing prices are fantastic right now. We are basically back to 2004 prices, which are very reasonable. Taxes are extremely low compared to other parts of the country. They are in the $1,500-$2,000 range for a $200K-$250K house.

There are lots of jobs in the medical fields. I do not know about the automotive fields. You can take a look at www.BetterPrescottJobs.com for local jobs. In general, the job market is extremely tight, so you might want to secure jobs before you come here.

[LADY_DI]

schools suck in pv move to prescott is your best bet plus they are always hiring nurses and cpn

[Gretchen B]

We moved from the Midwest to the Prescott area several years ago, and I could never go back to that weather. Totally know what you mean about tornado season and freezing cold icy winds in the winter. We tried Phoenix for a year, and I thought I'd like it, since I'm not a fan of cold, but I found I really missed my summers. It's just so hot in Phoenix for so many months that you really can't enjoy those long summer days. My first year up here in Prescott, I thought, "If this is what they call winter, I can handle this!" Just enough of the white stuff, and it melts so quickly that for this former midwestern gal, it gives me enough winter to be happy. And the summers up here are much less humid and hot than the Midwest.

As Biggs mentioned, health care jobs are the best place to be in this economy. It would seem like, with more people hanging onto their older vehicles now, that mechanics would be a good industry to be in, too.

The Humboldt school district has received some high "grades" recently. That would be the Dewey area. Check out SchoolReportCard.com to compare schools. While the Prescott area schools are some of the best in AZ, they may not be on a par with some of the Midwestern schools - just depends on where you're moving from.

Home prices in Prescott Valley and Chino Valley have dropped rather dramatically, mainly because of foreclosures in those towns. Prescott has seen fewer foreclosures, and the home values there have not fallen as much, although prices have softened substantially in the past two years. Lots of homes to choose from right now, and there are some real steals if you keep your eyes open. Again, though, depending on where you're moving from, you may or may not love the prices here. Generally taxes here are quite a bit lower than most Midwestern states, but the home prices are quite a bit higher than what you probably are used to, unless you're moving from Chicago or the Twin Cities or similar midwestern metropolitan area.

It's nice you've been able to visit frequently in the past, so you've probably already gotten a good idea of what the area has to offer . . . kind of a midwest feel without the midwest weather.

[mrbradleyb]

You will want to research the job situation. You shouldn't move anywhere in the US at this time without knowing you have a job.
I have 5 kids and the schools are great. I am a lifer. After growing up in Chino Valley my wife and I have moved to just about every community in the vicinity and settled in the city of Prescott.
Prices are low right now as well as interest rates so housing is more affordable. Yavapai College is a great community college with a focus on nursing.
I sell homes in the area and always advise my clients to seek employment first. Talk to family that lives here already.
Good luck, we love to have young families come to Prescott.

[checkthecodes]

Medical fields are wide open and needed here... On the other hand the automotive field is 100% dead. I have friends who are auto mechanics, some are out of work and others are just praying for a customer to come in so they will be able to feed their family that week. As far as schools I have no grade school children so I can't say anything about them.

[P8riots12]

Thank you everyone for all the information. I have already gotten and info packet from Yavapai College. I guess it is time for the hubby to look into a new career.