Moving to Phoenix from Michigan. Where to look for living? (Scottsdale: apartments, rent)

[bmanzullo]

Hi everybody,

I just graduated college a few months ago in Michigan (where I was born and raised, also) and accepted a position based smack-dab in downtown Phoenix, starting in mid-September.

I'm looking at cities/places/apts at the moment, and could use some good advice. I don't trust ratings sites too much because they're usually filled with outspoken, angry people (I can't imagine too many people who liked where they lived would write many reviews).

I'll be making nearly $34,000/year for entry-level, and I will have college loans and car payments to take care of. So yes, cost is a bit of an issue; my hope is to pay less than $600/month. I'm not extremely picky on the quality of an apartment, but I would like a decent place to live without too many complaints. Pluses: workout membership/facility, shaded parking, washer/dryer in unit.

Safety is always a concern, but I grew up in a suburb of Saginaw, Mich., a city which rated highest rate of violence per capita in the country recently. As long as I'm not in a run-down place that's extremely prone to break-ins and car thefts, I'm okay.

I'd like a place within reasonable driving distance of downtown, where I work. Right now, I'm looking at places in Tempe. Would love Scottsdale, but I hear it's expensive. I'm not sure of any other nice suburbs with affordable living. I'm also searching on roommates.com.

Also, any tips I should know as I make the move from Michigan to a hotter climate such as Arizona? Anything I should do to prepare my car, perhaps, for the heat?

I may have more questions later. Thank you so much in advance!

[Mares84]

Originally Posted by bmanzullo

Hi everybody,

I just graduated college a few months ago in Michigan (where I was born and raised, also) and accepted a position based smack-dab in downtown Phoenix, starting in mid-September.

I'm looking at cities/places/apts at the moment, and could use some good advice. I don't trust ratings sites too much because they're usually filled with outspoken, angry people (I can't imagine too many people who liked where they lived would write many reviews).

I'll be making nearly $34,000/year for entry-level, and I will have college loans and car payments to take care of. So yes, cost is a bit of an issue; my hope is to pay less than $600/month. I'm not extremely picky on the quality of an apartment, but I would like a decent place to live without too many complaints. Pluses: workout membership/facility, shaded parking, washer/dryer in unit.

Safety is always a concern, but I grew up in a suburb of Saginaw, Mich., a city which rated highest rate of violence per capita in the country recently. As long as I'm not in a run-down place that's extremely prone to break-ins and car thefts, I'm okay.

I'd like a place within reasonable driving distance of downtown, where I work. Right now, I'm looking at places in Tempe. Would love Scottsdale, but I hear it's expensive. I'm not sure of any other nice suburbs with affordable living. I'm also searching on roommates.com.

Also, any tips I should know as I make the move from Michigan to a hotter climate such as Arizona? Anything I should do to prepare my car, perhaps, for the heat?

I may have more questions later. Thank you so much in advance!

I just moved here from Saginaw, Mich!!!! I can't reccommend any apts, but safe travels and you are gonna love the weather!! We didn't do anything to our cars. I think you should be ok with that.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by Mares84

We didn't do anything to our cars. I think you should be ok with that.

LOL, born in Flint - been here four years now, as bad as it is now, folks in AZ have never had it as bad as MI as far as jobs.

FWIW, the poster above is correct - I bought an old City of Phoenix Caprice a couple of years back - tons of new parts on it, but the upper radiator hose was original, it had a date stamp of June 1988 on it - this was in 2009!

Tires and batteries and windshields get murdered here - ALWAYS buy the "road hazard" warranty - I put 4 new tires on that Caprice in 2009 and three of them have been replaced due to nails/glass/whatever in the past two years. Buy your car battery at Costco - easy, quick exchange every couple of years, and you'll only have to pay for the first one.

As far as apartments go - get even a block off the "main" busy streets, ,and the prices go down - not as many people see the "first month free" signs and they're alot more willing to deal.

Pay your rent on time and get a receipt every time - Evictions in Phoenix take 17 days if the landlord knows what he's doing - and they can KEEP your stuff! seriously, they don't play!

Don't be afraid to deal either... Ask for free "pet rent", or an extra $50/mo off - you'll actually get it many times - especially if your credit is good.

There are great places to live all over town - look for one closer to work, because Phoenix traffic can be like I-75 on Friday evenings in Mi. Living 30 miles away from work is a big deal here. Don't "write off" an area without looking for yourself - we have $50k homes within the same zip codes as $500k homes - look at neighborhoods not just "northside" or "southside"... You can miss some gems if you do.

As far as getting your car broken into - it's a "cottage industry" here - it will happen, so rip out the subs and the amp if you're in an apartment, or the bad guys will. If you've got a car that's easy to steal, get a club or a steering column wrap. We have some of the highest auto-theft rates in the country - and even in great areas, your car is an easy target. Take your Ipod or GPS with you every time you leave the car, and don't forget the bracket on the windshield - criminals know there's a "toy" somewhere if there's a bracket in the car.

Watching the news will freak you out, but remember it's a much larger metro area - People who play with fire ( buying/selling drugs, hanging out in bars, drunk driving) have a much greater risk of having problems. Drunk driving is a huge source of revenue for the government in this area - don't do it. You can be cited in AZ for drunk driving even if your BAC is below 0.08 - some areas are renowned for doing it.

[bmanzullo]

Thank you guys for the responses!

@Zippyman - My car is relatively clean of anything worth stealing. It's a 2004 Neon with a stock radio/CD player and speaker system. I almost never leave valuables in it since my previous car, a 1997 Malibu, was broken into years ago. I figure that helps a lot.

I also don't "play with fire," like you mentioned, and I especially never drink and drive, so that will help. I'm not scared of big metros, I just want to make sure I'm playing it safe.

Thank you again for the tips, will definitely keep it in mind. Still looking for a good place to live!

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by bmanzullo

Thank you guys for the responses!

@Zippyman - My car is relatively clean of anything worth stealing. It's a 2004 Neon with a stock radio/CD player and speaker system. I almost never leave valuables in it since my previous car, a 1997 Malibu, was broken into years ago. I figure that helps a lot.

I also don't "play with fire," like you mentioned, and I especially never drink and drive, so that will help. I'm not scared of big metros, I just want to make sure I'm playing it safe.

Thank you again for the tips, will definitely keep it in mind. Still looking for a good place to live!

FYI - neons are easy to steal. Neons are currently #4 in baltimore

Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention - Theft Stats

[YAZ]

Another ex-Michigander checking in.....

Congrats on graduating and the new job!

While Phoenix is a lot more livelier than Saginaw, you're gonna find that it's just as spread out as the Detroit metro area. I woudn't want a 30 mile commute in either place.

You can pretty much eliminate the driving in the weather issues here though..........but you prob'ly already knew that.

What are your cross-streets work wise?

[singlegurl]

I live in Central Phoenix near 7th St. and Thomas. It is a good area. Near transit/light rail and central to everything. When I relocated, I found my apartment online before I moved here and what I saw was pretty much what I got. I like it.