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Old 03-14-2018, 09:30 AM
 
Location: Central Illinois
4 posts, read 6,174 times
Reputation: 10

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So my wife and I have been thinking about making a big move for awhile now. After lots of talks and research we keep coming back to the Phoenix area. We love outdoor activities and warm weather. My wife use to visit Mesa a lot with her grandparents and always wanted to go back. I’m wondering about the job opportunities for a Paramedic(me) and someone with bachelors in business marketing(my wife). Also with a one year old and another one on the way how is the family life. My last question may sound weird but how convenient is it for family to visit. They will probably be flying in 5 or 6 times a year. Any general pros and cons would be appreciated also. Thanks in advance for any advice or input.
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Old 03-14-2018, 09:52 AM
 
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
5,649 posts, read 5,966,125 times
Reputation: 8317
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmedix30 View Post
So my wife and I have been thinking about making a big move for awhile now. After lots of talks and research we keep coming back to the Phoenix area. We love outdoor activities and warm weather. My wife use to visit Mesa a lot with her grandparents and always wanted to go back. I’m wondering about the job opportunities for a Paramedic(me) and someone with bachelors in business marketing(my wife). Also with a one year old and another one on the way how is the family life. My last question may sound weird but how convenient is it for family to visit. They will probably be flying in 5 or 6 times a year. Any general pros and cons would be appreciated also. Thanks in advance for any advice or input.
Keep in consideration that when schools are out for summer, its intensely hot (105-117 degrees), which isn't really conducive for outdoor activities. All too often I hear from kids about how their parents wanted to move to AZ, and they hate it with a passion. I know your children are infants, but do keep them in mind. Most yards here are rock and unshaded, so summer activities will be severely limited to the very early morning hours or evening hours. Also keep in mind that most of Mesa is full of crime, so pick your areas wisely. I would look at Chandler or Gilbert way before Mesa.
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Old 03-14-2018, 10:03 AM
 
2,003 posts, read 2,880,823 times
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Good constructive comment above. I lived in the desert for five years (Palm Springs CA), and I constantly ran into people who moved there based on visits they made in November or December or January when they fell in love with having their holiday ham outside by the pool when it's sunny and 70, but when summer hit they were melting in the one-teens.

OP may love outdoor activities and warm weather, but the Phoenix oven gauge is dialed up well past "warm" at least half of the year. Be careful.
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Old 03-14-2018, 10:49 AM
 
Location: Central Illinois
4 posts, read 6,174 times
Reputation: 10
Honestly our children is one of the main reasons we are thinking of moving. Not to be negative but Illinois is a miserable state lol. Corrupt politicians and just depressing towns and cities that are falling apart. No jobs anywhere and pay $500/month in property taxes thousands more in state and local taxes. I use to work in West and south Texas doing manual labor when I was younger and we had a lot of dry hot 100+ degree days. The heat can be miserable but does it really limit outdoor activities that much? Wife and I have trrrible allergies so we don’t mind no grass. One big thing is here a $250,000 house doesn’t get you that much unless it’s a nice house and property in a small run down town. Then you have to drive 45-60 minutes that get t work. Also we have been looking at chandler and Scottsdale. I said Mesa just cause they use to visit family there
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Old 03-14-2018, 11:18 AM
 
9,196 posts, read 16,645,144 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmedix30 View Post
Honestly our children is one of the main reasons we are thinking of moving. Not to be negative but Illinois is a miserable state lol. Corrupt politicians and just depressing towns and cities that are falling apart. No jobs anywhere and pay $500/month in property taxes thousands more in state and local taxes. I use to work in West and south Texas doing manual labor when I was younger and we had a lot of dry hot 100+ degree days. The heat can be miserable but does it really limit outdoor activities that much? Wife and I have trrrible allergies so we don’t mind no grass. One big thing is here a $250,000 house doesn’t get you that much unless it’s a nice house and property in a small run down town. Then you have to drive 45-60 minutes that get t work. Also we have been looking at chandler and Scottsdale. I said Mesa just cause they use to visit family there
$250k won't get you much in Chandler and likely nothing in Scottsdale in terms of SFHs.
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Old 03-14-2018, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Central Illinois
4 posts, read 6,174 times
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Are there bad neighborhoods in chandler? Cause I’m finding several nice looking homes for under $300,000. I just don’t know the area that well and we are planning a trip out there this summer.
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Old 03-14-2018, 11:32 AM
 
9,196 posts, read 16,645,144 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmedix30 View Post
Are there bad neighborhoods in chandler? Cause I’m finding several nice looking homes for under $300,000. I just don’t know the area that well and we are planning a trip out there this summer.
Yes, the north part is less desirable and parts are run down. You can find houses in Chandler around $250k, they'll just be smaller and likely in need of updating and without a pool.
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Old 03-14-2018, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Central Illinois
4 posts, read 6,174 times
Reputation: 10
Ok thanks for the input. Guess we just need to get planning and go out for a week or two and see how we like it.
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Old 03-14-2018, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
17,914 posts, read 43,417,255 times
Reputation: 10726
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG CATS View Post
Keep in consideration that when schools are out for summer, its intensely hot (105-117 degrees), which isn't really conducive for outdoor activities. All too often I hear from kids about how their parents wanted to move to AZ, and they hate it with a passion. I know your children are infants, but do keep them in mind. Most yards here are rock and unshaded, so summer activities will be severely limited to the very early morning hours or evening hours. Also keep in mind that most of Mesa is full of crime, so pick your areas wisely. I would look at Chandler or Gilbert way before Mesa.

I have no idea where you are getting that info. Mesa is a very large city in terms of area. While there are pockets of higher crime, I doubt that "most" of the city is "full of" crime. That said, Chandler and Gilbert are certainly viable options.


As far as "most yards are rock and unshaded", that doesn't necessarily apply to rear yards, which you can't see as you drive around. Exaggeration is really not helpful to people looking for info like the OP.


Yes, some kids hate the heat, but in my experience kids are better able to deal with it than adults, generally.
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Old 03-15-2018, 06:57 AM
 
2,830 posts, read 2,503,562 times
Reputation: 2737
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmedix30 View Post
The heat can be miserable but does it really limit outdoor activities that much?
Absolutely, yes.

Your activities will be significantly limited from about May through September. Most people either stay hole'd up in their homes during these months, escape to air conditioned malls, travel north to the mountains, or plan outdoor activities in Phoenix during a small window in the early morning before the heat hits.

Ultimately, it's something you have to consider.
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