Possibly relocating to AZ... best areas (Phoenix, Tucson: house, job market, best schools)

[mrz haygood]

My family is considering relocating to AZ from Michigan. We wanted to go somewhere with dry heat (and no snow for me) for my husband's fibro, with good schools and affordable housing. Can you give me suggestions of the best areas? The best schools? housing prices? and the employment status?

[poolgirl51]

Originally Posted by mrz haygood

My family is considering relocating to AZ from Michigan. We wanted to go somewhere with dry heat (and no snow for me) for my husband's fibro, with good schools and affordable housing. Can you give me suggestions of the best areas? The best schools? housing prices? and the employment status?

Are you asking about the entire state or the Phoenix area? It is a big state. Do you have a job lined up? Have you visited Arizona yet? Just a bit more info will help folks provide meaningful info for you.

[AzDreamer]

Here's a link to some AZ climate maps. You can see that the SW part of the state is the hottest and driest. This should help you eliminate about half the state from your search.

The remaining half of the state has only a handful of towns outside Phoenix and Tucson that have decent schools. My experience has been that towns with good schools are not as affordable as nearby towns with poor schools.

Arizona Climate | Picture of Arizona Climate Map | World Book Encyclopedia (http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/climates/north_american_climate_arizona - broken link)

[Headin4AZ]

Hi in Michigan from Wisconsin - we are semi-retiring to the Hereford/Sierra Vista area this fall. We traveled all over AZ and each area has its own kind of beauty, but we thought the weather would be really nice in Sierra Vista. Also, we don't like "big city life" but also don't want to be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the sticks either, so we're hoping we found the right place since we already bought a house there.

[mrz haygood]

Well, we were looking more towards Scottsdale, or places in that area - based solely on the schools. That is a MAJOR concern for me. The Phoenix area is also a thought. We haven't visited yet, and I am currently researching the job market out that way. Because of the size, I'm just trying to get help narrowing down my options.

Thanks so much for all of the help and input I recieve.

[Ritchie_az]

"Well, we were looking more towards Scottsdale, or places in that area - based solely on the schools. That is a MAJOR concern for me. The Phoenix area is also a thought."

Most people would say that Scottsdale is a part of the Phoenix area.
If you use the "search" feature on the Phoenix forum, you'll find a wealth of information.

[AzDreamer]

There are several prior threads on the quality of East Valley school districts. Do a search and if that doesn't answer your questions another post on the Phoenix forum should do it.

[andrzejn]

Originally Posted by mrz haygood

Well, we were looking more towards Scottsdale, or places in that area - based solely on the schools. That is a MAJOR concern for me. The Phoenix area is also a thought. We haven't visited yet, and I am currently researching the job market out that way. Because of the size, I'm just trying to get help narrowing down my options.

Thanks so much for all of the help and input I recieve.

I wouldn't consider homes in Scottsdale to be affordable(per your OP). They have dropped in prices over last couple of years but still are least affordable in the area.