Moving to AZ from United Kingdom (Phoenix, Tucson: new home, neighborhoods, buy)

[domtheboyo]

Hi All,

I have plans to move to AZ this year with work and would really like to know which areas of AZ you would recommend. My wife and I are 30 and our two boys are 3yrs and 18months old. We can possibly afford a house around $300-$400,000.

Just looking for advise really. We are planning to visit in June to take a look around.

Thanks,

Dom

[SElaine]

First and foremost, Where is the job going to be located and are you going to have to commute? That will play a huge factor, especially if you are going to be in the Phoenix valley.

[MotleyCrew]

I agree with the above poster. Your job location will be the focal point in your search. There are plenty of great choices in just about all the different areas right now. Gillbert on the east side has some nice new and established communities. I am more familiar with the west side and there is plenty to see there. Maricopa has some very affordable new homes and you might want to look at Chandler too for the southern section. North central Phoenix has some nice areas such as some of the neighborhoods off off Cave Creek Rd above Deer Valley. My daughter just moved into a wonderful house there. Find a realtor when you get here to help you navigate your way through. Good luck.

[daisy4given]

Hi there!
I have lived in the Phoenix area for the last 19 years, and my husband's family has been here for generations. Like another poster before me said, it REALLY depends on where you will be working. While Phoenix is a "commuting" metropolis, it's still a METROPOLIS, and you REALLY don't want to live too far from work. I currently work at ASU, 7 miles from home and my commute is 45 minutes each way, so i spend a minimum of 90 minutes a day just in my car - if there's an accident or construction, which there usually is a few days a week, it takes even longer. The traffic here is horrible. So where you live should definately be determined on where you work.

Also, June is a great time for you come and see just how HOT it is here. You think you know hot... but just wait, there's nothing that can prepare you for this heat. You can literally fry eggs on the street in the summer, its a pass-time that every AZ kid has done at least once! The heat in the summer feels exactly like opening up the door on a hot oven, and it never ends. During the hottest months of July and August, it sometimes never drops below 100 degrees (f) at night. Thankfully, every single house, store, car, etc has Air Conditioning, so you rarely have to venture outside when the heat is like this. And it's very rarely humid, which is VERY nice. The "spring", "Fall", and "winter" months here are FANTASTIC, which is why people move here, i suppose. The winter usually has mornings in the low 30's (f) and the afternoons in the high 50's (f). Spring and fall last about a month each with beautiful, breezy weather in the 60's-80's(f). It very rarely drizzles rain here, but our monsoon storms are amazing, causing giant thunder storms, flash floods, and walls of dust to cover the city. It's actually quite spectacular. It doesn't rain often in AZ, but when it does, it REALLY RAINS.

The Phoenix area, as you might guess from my previous statements, it very crowded. Lots and lots of people in an area that is rapidly spreading further and further into the desert. We have lots of great shopping, and some good museums and music and art scenes, but it's pretty much just a vast, flat, hot suburb.

Tucson is less crowded, with a little prettier landscape, and is generally 5-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, which really makes a big difference in the summer.

Phoenix is a 3-hour drive from Flagstaff which has pine trees and skiing, and is only a 1-2 hour drive from lots of fishing and beautiful camping spots. AZ is a great place for outdoor activities! It is also only a 6-hour drive from San Diego and Los Angeles in California, so most Arizonans take trips to the beach and Disneyland on a regular basis.

I really love Arizona, which is why I've lived here for so long, but many people aren't prepared for the heat and the massive size of the Phoenix area. Truly, I highly recommend living here. Just drink lots of water and buy lots of sun screen!!

[Cyanna]

Originally Posted by domtheboyo

Hi All,

I have plans to move to AZ this year with work and would really like to know which areas of AZ you would recommend. My wife and I are 30 and our two boys are 3yrs and 18months old. We can possibly afford a house around $300-$400,000.

Just looking for advise really. We are planning to visit in June to take a look around.

Thanks,

Dom

Hi Dom. My husband and I are getting ready to move back to Arizona from the UK as well. Which area of the UK are you moving from? People from some areas of the UK may not be as shocked by the heat if they come from the warmer areas in the south of the UK. It would be helpful to know what type of work you will be doing or where your job is located if you already have one lined up.

[domtheboyo]

We live in Bridgend, South Wales. I work for a small Software Company that are affiliated with Inter-Tel US and we are planning to sell/support our products out there. However, as we do not have a US Office I'm having trouble getting a sponsor so we are looking at opening an office there first. Hopefully should be there by the end of the year.

[Cyanna]

Hmmm...the weather in that area is fairly mild, very similar to the North East of England. The hotter weather in AZ doesn't bother me since I'm originally from California and also lived in Arizona for 9 years. But my husband is a Geordie and he loves the hot weather. It does wonders for stiff UK leg and arm joints

Queen Creek is an area that is just starting to "boom" so it might be worth looking in that area. They will need commercial business to help with their expansion. Go to the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce site and email them. They are very helpful. Also, try Mesa and Tempe. At least if you can open something in one of these areas you can avoid the worst of the traffic. Just my humble opinion

[domtheboyo]

Cyanna. Thanks for your advise. We've also been looking at Maricopa. Any ideas about that area? I may need to commute to Phoenix on occassion but don't really want to live too close to the city. By the way, we always get great hot weather in South Wales, similar to Cornwall.

[Cyanna]

I don't really know much about Maricopa other than what I've read on these message threads. The area didn't start to really develop until after I had moved to the UK in 2001. From what I can recall reading, it is a bit of a bad commute into the city of Phoenix and other areas from Maricopa. One of the benefits of living in Mesa, Tempe or Chandler is that you can find alternative routes through driving the surface streets instead of the freeways.

Yes, you guys down south had a bit of a heat wave last year and the year before, didn't you? Weren't there some deaths caused by the heat? I know that Portmouth also gets very hot, almost tropical, just like the south west of Scotland. I think you will love the area. A fellow UK denizen called Dazgaz frequents these boards and he is also moving to Arizona, so he'll be helpful as well

[ejk]

Originally Posted by Cyanna

Hmmm...the weather in that area is fairly mild, very similar to the North East of England. The hotter weather in AZ doesn't bother me since I'm originally from California and also lived in Arizona for 9 years. But my husband is a Geordie and he loves the hot weather. It does wonders for stiff UK leg and arm joints

Queen Creek is an area that is just starting to "boom" so it might be worth looking in that area. They will need commercial business to help with their expansion. Go to the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce site and email them. They are very helpful. Also, try Mesa and Tempe. At least if you can open something in one of these areas you can avoid the worst of the traffic. Just my humble opinion

We're beginning to boom out here in Buckeye, too

Might be worth checking out.

Goodyear may also be worth looking into.