Relocate to..Arizona or Florida...opinions? (Phoenix, Tucson: apartment, to rent, school)

[Gandalara]

Originally Posted by Saradance

AZ has a better cost of living, but the dead desolate desert gets old too :\

Dead? Desolate? Desert?

Nah

[bongofury]

Dead, desolate desert is your characterization. I said scorched earth brown desert environment (and I should have added desert prairie to that description as well). Most of the homeowners and HOA landscapers I see in Arizona plant around homes to create an illusion of botanical bounty and order, although it is a created environment and not the natural environment. I mentioned this 're-landscaping' (by hired help or home owners) not as an indictment of residents trying to beautify their space, but as an extra source of allergens. Arizona does have variety within its various zones. Anyone who has been in the state a while knows that increases in altitude bring about a change in scenery and foliage. Residents in and around places such as Flag, Sedona, Oracle, Payson, the White Mountains, etc. make up a tiny percentage of the states population. The majority of Arizonians live in concentrated population areas within landscapes of prairie, desert, scrub, rocks with muted shades of brown/beige/red being the predominant colors, and most of these live in the ubiquitous housing tracts re-landscaped with truck loads of processed yard gravel (to cover the large swaths of rock and dirt lots) and plantings not authentic to the area. Gesundheit.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by SirenSong71

Okay currently I live in PA. My hubby is a fire-fighter/emt. We're sick of the taxes spiraling out of control here, the astronomical price of housing and the weather. We long to lose our winter gear and opt for shorts most of the year. Two small children (below school age). I posted this thread on the Florida forum and y'all won't believe the slug-fest it turned into (don't know why) and the nasty things said about AZ in general. My brother lives there, (Chandler area) is originally from NJ and absolutely loves it.

What do you think? Arizona...or Florida?

I love to read your opinions

Thanks!

We almost moved to Florida but after the big wind blew our realtor out of sight, we decided to stop over in AZ and take a drive around. Love it. Property taxes are far less even though we have other taxes that add to the cost, it is still a decent state to live in. I do still love Florida, especially the ecology there and visit when we can.

[lorilsark]

I am in exactly the same place--Mesa or Port St. Lucie. What's making we squirmy about AZ is the valley fever out there. Dogs get it and it can kill them. Plus the anti-fungal meds are VERY expensive and some dogs need to be on them for the rest of their lives. People also get it and often have to be on the anti-fungal meds for a long time.

Then in Florida, there's the venomous snakes, scorpions (though not the deadly kind like in AZ), alligators, and lots of other creepy crawlie things. Plus the mosquitoes. I have two dogs and a horse (horses can get valley fever, too) and I am always very concerned about their well-being because they are the only family I have. So I'm in a quandary.

I've been offered a job in Mesa that I need to say either yes or no, and am just beginning conversations about another possibly position in Florida. I know no place is safe--there is crawlie things, and bad stuff in the air no matter where you live, but both Florida and many parts of central to southern AZ have things that are very common that are not so comforting for a single gal with her beloved animals.

[PRNCSS86]

I think I want to move to AZ....has anyone heard of Grand Canyon Village? Is it a nice area? what are some other nice places around that area? Or are they all overrun by tourists?

[Gandalara]

It's located in Grand Canyon National Park and is wholly focused on accommodating tourists visiting the canyon.

So yes, there are a lot of tourists there.

[Boompa]

Maricopa county is NOT all of Arizona, it is overcrowded and polluted. There are plenty of other places like Tucson, Flagstaff, Sierra Vista etc. I have tried both florida and Phoenix Area and given up.

[lorilsark]

It just so happens that my job offer is in Mesa, Maricopa County. If I could do the commute, and live up in the mountains, it would be a no brainer. I'd accept in a heart-beat. But I'm a pastor and need to be somewhat close to the church.

[lorilsark]

Well, I turned Arizona down. Now looking at Florida as well as a few other places. Thanks for your feedback.

[MaryPa]

Ugh Florida has tornados and hurricanes. i live in Pa and will be buying in Tonopah Arizona. I`ve done so much research on Tonopah i feel like I live there already. Arizona has stolen my heart.