Looking to relocate from Ohio to Arizona

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by Donna7

I've lived in a h*ll called NE Ohio for 36+ years now, and believe me, I've noticed. I've noticed the gray and gloomy skys for 5-6 months out of the year, cold, and freezing. Summer is the opposite being hot, muggy, humid, and mosquito infested; West Nile scares frequently. Jobs are scarce and the economy is bad. There is a pervasive status quo mentality that abounds. People's attitudes and moods fluctuate with how good or bad the Cleveland Browns or the Cleveland Indians are doing as if it's the only thing that some of these people have to live for. Not kidding either.

People on this board and other boards try to scare others away with the "wait a few years to notice". I don't have to wait a few years to know that I'm getting out of here ASAP - it would be sooner if it wasn't for kids being in college and school. It it was just me, I would have been out of here years ago.

To the ex-Ohioans who have moved out of NE OH, can you be more specific as to where you moved (those of you who like it)? I'm a 45 year-old former public accountant, now business owner. Husband is pharmacist. We have a larger family; Catholic schools for the kids. Oldest son is graduating with a major in Education - Chemistry/Biology concentration. Next younger son is in college majoring in Spanish. He's also in the Airforce Reserves. Younger kids are in high school, middle, and elementary. Hoping to hear from fellow Ohioans or ex-Ohioans. Thank you.

Move to Scottsdale, you'll love it. Anything school but Coronado. But with your finances you'll be able to find something north of the Fashion Square Mall. Welcome!

[CaroleEr]

Better bring a lot of money with you, for the cost of living here is very high and wages and schools suck. Your proboly better off there. Take it from me, we lost everything!!!

[Captain Bill]

Donna, with your 2 income family you should be able to live anywhere in the valley you choose. There are a lot of nice areas with good schools.

In the east valley there is Scottsdale, south Tempe, south Chandler, and Gilbert.

You need to first determine where your jobs will be, and then select the area that meets your criteria and also is within a reasonable commute distance.

From there, you determine the price range of your home and look for communities. When you find the community you want, you begin to seriously look at homes. It isn't a difficult process. A good realtor can provide you with a lot of assistance to make the relocation easier and less stressful.

Bill

[kylefox101]

I live in Mesa right now and I would highly recommend the area. The schools are fairly good, but Scottsdale and Chandler are very nice places to live. It depends on whether you would want to live in the outskirts like Buckeye and Surprise. (Not for long) Arizona is a great bet if you can endure the grueling summers. Best of luck!

[kylefox101]

Originally Posted by CaroleEr

Better bring a lot of money with you, for the cost of living here is very high and wages and schools suck. Your proboly better off there. Take it from me, we lost everything!!!

Just depends on where you try and go, the valley is much more reasonable than places back east. Although prices have gotten a little out of hand lately (the value of our house nearly tripled in ten years).

[nomdad4life]

I have moved back to Phoenix twice. I currently live in New York, which qualifies me to comment on the posts written. First and foremost, if you are relocating, take solace in the fact that everyone has done the same. The minorities in the state are people that have been there for two or three generations. This will make it very easy to make friends.

Here are some negatives right off the bat-

1. A politically active and vocal retiree population. These people have the time and political muscle to strike down any legislation aimed to improve infrastructure and schools. In their mind, they have already paid for it in another state. This is, in my opinion, the main reason why the schools perform so poorly.

2. The general populace is not as educated or informed as one would expect. I have my theories, which I will save for a later day, but until the subprime mortgage crisis caused irrational excuberance in the housing market, you didn't have to be smart because the cost of living was so low. I hope that with rising housing costs, that there will be a reemphasis on education.

3. Sprawl and traffic. The light rail construction has started in earnest and I hope people use it. While Los Angeles is the poster child for sprawl, its parner in crime, Houston, is by far the worst in the country. The oil companies there scared developers into not creating sidewalks. At least Phoenix has sidewalks, but with four lane residential streets, no one walks. Hopefully, public transpo and better planning will get people out of their cars and walking.

4. I have been reading about Phil Gordon from a distance, but it looks like he was slow to impact leadership in within the City of Phoenix. Make no bones about it, the developers run Maricopa county and a strong govt partnership with a solid vision for the future is needed.

The positives-

1. The weather. People complain about the heat and I was there in 2003 when there were 123 days over 100 degrees (F), but all in all, you can count on good weather for 7 months out of the year. If you are an optimist, 8. The blue sky is truly a sight to behold.

2. In general, the people are friendly and laid back. Despite the growth and congestion, people do feel that there is enough space to collect one's thoughts.

3. Everything is new and even old is new. The town grew up in the 50s and 60s, so dated construction from that era is often demolished in favor of new construction or renovated. (Los Arcos Mall, Park Central Mall).

4. Everyone that comes here is starting over in one way shape or form and the city has a strong sense of hope and optimism.

All in all, I would definitely move there, but if you find an area affordable and if you have school aged children, be warned. If it is affordable, it is for a reason and inevitably the schools will suffer. If you can, and I not a realtor, stretch to get into a desirable neighborhood so your school aged children will have a fighting chance at success in life, instead of fighting for their life at school.

Good luck.

[xwideopenskyx]

Originally Posted by Donna7

I've lived in a h*ll called NE Ohio for 36+ years now, and believe me, I've noticed. I've noticed the gray and gloomy skys for 5-6 months out of the year, cold, and freezing. Summer is the opposite being hot, muggy, humid, and mosquito infested; West Nile scares frequently. Jobs are scarce and the economy is bad. There is a pervasive status quo mentality that abounds. People's attitudes and moods fluctuate with how good or bad the Cleveland Browns or the Cleveland Indians are doing as if it's the only thing that some of these people have to live for. Not kidding either.

People on this board and other boards try to scare others away with the "wait a few years to notice". I don't have to wait a few years to know that I'm getting out of here ASAP - it would be sooner if it wasn't for kids being in college and school. It it was just me, I would have been out of here years ago.

To the ex-Ohioans who have moved out of NE OH, can you be more specific as to where you moved (those of you who like it)? I'm a 45 year-old former public accountant, now business owner. Husband is pharmacist. We have a larger family; Catholic schools for the kids. Oldest son is graduating with a major in Education - Chemistry/Biology concentration. Next younger son is in college majoring in Spanish. He's also in the Airforce Reserves. Younger kids are in high school, middle, and elementary. Hoping to hear from fellow Ohioans or ex-Ohioans. Thank you.

Hi Donna

We posted replies to each other's posts on the Ohio forum. I usually read both AZ and OH forums. I miss some areas of Ohio and I may come back to visit down the road, but I no longer wish to live there.

I hear the comments of "wait a few years and you'll notice" all the time. If you research an area completely and spend some time here first before moving you won't have many surprises. It took me a few years to decide where to live in AZ, many trips and countless hours online. It paid off! I love living in AZ!

AZ is not for everyone. If you don't enjoy heat it's a tough place to live.
Since the state has a wide variety of climate zones there is a place for everyone. Coming from Ohio I personally can't deal with Phoenix temperatures and prefer a bit higher elevation for a better climate, but not too high since I don't care for snow either.

I would recommend that you come out for a few visits and check out as much of the state as you can during different parts of the year. It is a major decision and one that should be made based on lots of research.

I am still waiting "to notice", it's been almost a year and a half since I've been here, and the last time I checked........I still love it! What can I say, it's all based on personal preferences. Some people love it and some people hate it. That is always the case.

Good luck to you! Happy Holidays!

ex-Ohioan and 'Zona lover