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My husband and I have lived in Northern Indiana our whole lives and want to move to the Phoenix, Mesa area. He has family there, and we're both tired of living in Indiana. I don't know that we want to make it a permanent move, as we are expecting our first grandchild soon, but I know that I for one want to live and experience somewhere else before I die! And I don't think I can take any more DST, I hate it! Even after 7 years, I just hate it even more.
My question is, how does one go about finding a job there when you live so far away? We can not afford for him to fly out there multiple times to look. We are a one-income family as I homeschool our children, and want to continue that no matter where we live so school systems are not an issue. My husband does not have a degree, but he excels at whatever he does and would be a terrific asset to any company. From what I have read in researching relocating there, companies tend to not hire people from out of state unless they have some kind of high-demand skill set or are in a specialized field. So, we have a catch 22...need a job to live there, need to live there to get a job.
Right now we are considering saving like rabid squirrels over the next year so we can pay ahead on rent for a few months and give him time to find a job. I've looked on craigslist, monster, and the classifieds in the area newspapers and there just doesn't seem to be much there, at least not much paying what we'd need to make it there. We don't necessarily want to buy a house at this point, as we don't want to "settle down" anywhere permanently yet. Although I guess we've kind of been "permanently" in Indiana lol.
I know it gets hot there, and while I don't necessarily like summer, I rarely leave the house as it is in Indiana because I can't stand the heat and most of all the humidity. I figure I can do my errands in the evenings or early mornings. My husband hates winter and desperately needs the sunshine because he gets so gloomy and lethargic in our Indiana winters. I would be happy to tough out the hot summers there to see him happy and feeling better, not to mention all of the amazing nature and history there will make wonderful learning opportunities for the kids.
All that said, I'm just looking for advice or would love to hear your own experience if you were in a similar situation and moved out there. I know we need to be patient and smart, but it's so hard when I feel like I can't stand one more day in this state!!
Indeed. com - Im in the process of selling my house in NC.(finally got an offer) I've been applying to jobs via indeed.com and surprisingly I have gotten a ton of phone interviews. Of course they havent offered me a job because Im physically not there...but I've been making a ton of connections so that when I do move, I will have my connections to fall back on regarding future opportunities. Also join Linkedin.com and start networking there as well.
That's great! I know it's a tough seller's market these days...one thing I like about renting is we don't have to worry about selling before we move! I'm sure some day I'll want to settle down somewhere and buy a house, but I'm not feeling the urge yet...I'm 41, maybe I never will lol. Thanks a lot for the info on indeed.com and linkedin.com, great ideas! I'll tell my husband to get on that
From what I have read in researching relocating there, companies tend to not hire people from out of state unless they have some kind of high-demand skill set or are in a specialized field.!!
Bet that is the same whereever you go.
While some will always denie this, Mexicans are hard workers, and fairly cheap...... So, that is what he has to fight with. AZ has no decent paying jobs. I drive a truck, once they offered a job, hauling gas... tstarting pay $7.50. That is just crazy, and also the reason for the large number lousy truck drivers out there. Some of the biggest bottom feeders are from Phoenix...
Swift, Knight..... Overturn rate of 130%.
I had my house on the market for a year and 2 months before I received an offer......Nothing I ever want to go thorugh again..not for a while anyway. Im 40...and I feel what you are saying about living someplace different. Made a visit there last year to Scottsdale and the 2 years before that...Phoenix is very scenic and the sunsets are breaktaking....and it seems like there are growing opportunities there.
Bet that is the same whereever you go.
While some will always denie this, Mexicans are hard workers, and fairly cheap...... So, that is what he has to fight with. AZ has no decent paying jobs. I drive a truck, once they offered a job, hauling gas... tstarting pay $7.50. That is just crazy, and also the reason for the large number lousy truck drivers out there. Some of the biggest bottom feeders are from Phoenix...
Swift, Knight..... Overturn rate of 130%.
LOL my FIL, who lives in Mesa, used to be a truck driver years ago and he says "all truck drivers are worthless". Now, I know there are good truck drivers out there so please don't take offense at that...just like there are hard working Mexicans and Mexicans that sponge off the system...same with any race, really. I know of white people who are lazy and sponge off the system too. We have a large Hispanic population in this area and the job market isn't spectacular here. I don't know how anyone can live off of $7.50 an hour, even $10 an hour is next to impossible to live on...and I know we'd never make it on that in Arizona, the cost of living is much higher there.
We pay $600 a month to rent an OLD, 5 bedroom house...granted, we're friends with the landlord so they gave us a good deal, but by the time you factor in utilities we're paying around $1000 a month just to live in this house. The youngest of my stepsons recently moved out, so we don't need a house this big and want to move into something smaller, but if we're going to move I want it to be out of Indiana...not move and move again. I hate moving LOL. The rents I'm finding in Mesa, Phoenix, etc. are way higher than that for smaller places.
I know we need to be patient, but I am so restless. I've wanted to move away from here for at least 3 years now and every year I find myself still here is a big disappointment. I've been out to Phoenix, Mesa and Avondale a couple times in the last year and just loved it. Of course, I wasn't there in the HOT time of the year, but it still pulls at my heart and I can't wait to get out there for a while. Maybe forever, who knows.
I'm "in charge" of research in my family, so I'm scouring every source I can find for relocation info, job hunting, info on the areas we're looking at in AZ. I'm also the resident list maker and planner so I'll be doing a lot of the "footwork" so to speak for my husband. I love doing things like that, he doesn't, so it works out well lol.
I'm sure we'd have the same issue no matter where we were looking...I just have no idea how to go about this since I've always lived in this God-forsaken state The most recent idea I had was to squirrel away every penny we can (which would be easier living in a newer, smaller, more efficient place, of course so maybe we will end up doing that...ugh...) and then augment that with our tax refund next year (here's to hoping we get one LOL). I figure it's going to cost at least $5000 to make this move, provided that he doesn't have a job when we do and we have to pay a few month's rent up front.
Well, it will work out or it won't...time will tell.
I had my house on the market for a year and 2 months before I received an offer......Nothing I ever want to go thorugh again..not for a while anyway. Im 40...and I feel what you are saying about living someplace different. Made a visit there last year to Scottsdale and the 2 years before that...Phoenix is very scenic and the sunsets are breaktaking....and it seems like there are growing opportunities there.
Wow, that would be awful!!! I'm not a very patient person, that would drive me nuts to have to wait that long! I haven't been to Scottsdale, I don't think...we stayed with my in-laws when my middle stepson graduated from MCRD San Diego, then drove out to SD for the graduation. It was a whirlwind trip...out to SD for 2 days, then back, next day up to the Grand Canyon (I couldn't believe how COLD it was! It was the middle of December, and I just always imagined AZ as either warm or HOT all the time I guess) so we went through several towns on the way. Stopped at Oak Creek Canyon, so beautiful! Then about a year later, in this past November, my hubby and I went to a NASCAR race at PIR (I could care less about racing, I just wanted to get back there LOL) and we stayed at the racetrack in Avondale in my in-law's fifth wheel. I just loved it. We started talking then about moving out there. My hubby has always wanted to live out there but I always said NO WAY IT'S TOO FREAKING HOT. But the longer I live here (and with my husband lol) the more I'm starting to hate winter. I hate the summers here too because of the humidity. So, now I sequester myself indoors for two seasons, out there it would just be for one! And the big thing is that I just can't handle the DST thing. We've had to do it here now for 7 years, and every year I just hate it more and more. I don't handle the time change well at all...and moving out there I'd have to adjust to living 2 time zones away, but at least I wouldn't have the havoc of changing the clocks twice a year. So stupid. It really messes me up in the spring, I never really "adjust" at all.
I go to sleep at night imagining our move out there, from packing up the moving truck and driving out there to getting settled in. If I dream of it enough, it must come true, right?
Dreaming won't get you anywhere.
When selling or buying, time is something you must deal with, impatient is what the real estate person loves....
And you should not hate the little stuff.
My daughter can not talk, walk, is deaf, mentally maybe 5 or 6, gone through many operations, but she is patient, always happy,that is how we teach her. You gotta grab live the way it comes, if you tel yourself you're not happy, than you won't be happy.
Dreaming won't get you anywhere.
When selling or buying, time is something you must deal with, impatient is what the real estate person loves....
And you should not hate the little stuff.
My daughter can not talk, walk, is deaf, mentally maybe 5 or 6, gone through many operations, but she is patient, always happy,that is how we teach her. You gotta grab live the way it comes, if you tel yourself you're not happy, than you won't be happy.
BTW.. Scottsdale might be little to much.....
I sure didn't mean to sound ungrateful! I am very thankful for all we are blessed with, I know that many people don't have the luxury of going to bed with a full stomach every night, surrounded by family to love. I guess the thing for me is that I have felt out of place, like we just don't belong here anymore, for years and sometimes it's hard to find peace when you feel so out of place. I've been to a lot of places over the years, but none have pulled at my heart so fiercely as AZ!
Rolling with the punches is a good thing for sure, but sometimes you have to make things happen too. You're absolutely right, dreaming alone won't get us anywhere but dreaming keeps me motivated to make it happen I guess.
And yes, I am sure Scottsdale is more than a "little" too much! We live simply and frugally, partly by choice, partly because of foolish choices we both made in our younger years. We don't have to have the latest, greatest, biggest and best and are happy with what we are blessed with...even though I decorate in "Early Thrift Shop" I know that by many people's standards in other parts of the world, I live in a mansion.
Many people may feel sorry for your daughter because of her disabilities, but I think there is a blessing in not knowing so much of the world. It sounds like she is quite blessed to have you as her parents, as you are blessed to have her.
I have no choice but to be patient, for sure, as there's no way we could move today even if we wanted to. But if we want to move in a year, now is the time to start working on a plan!
It is fine to dream. Dreaming gives you ideas, goals, and motivation.
We 'dreamed' of moving to AZ for a decade. We visited the area a number of times from about 2000 onward.
After our youngest graduated HS in June 2010, we were pulling into Phoenix within weeks.
Some people can just decide on a major life change and do it in the spur of the moment, but for us, it took a lot of careful planning and thinking, that spanned years leading up to the big move date.
The biggest factors are employment, finding a place to live, and selling your old place. You are lucky not to have to worry about that last one- ours was on the market two years!
I would also recommend a visit in June or July. Your comment of not liking the heat, but wanting to move to the hottest major US city sets off warning bells. You need to make sure of what you're getting into! There are warm weather cities in other states that are not as extreme.
Of course none that are as beautiful as the desert southwest!
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I've been applying to jobs via indeed.com and surprisingly I have gotten a ton of phone interviews. Of course they havent offered me a job because Im physically not there...but I've been making a ton of connections so that when I do move, I will have my connections to fall back on regarding future opportunities. Also join Linkedin.com and start networking there as well.
The most recent idea I had was to squirrel away every penny we can (which would be easier living in a newer, smaller, more efficient place, of course so maybe we will end up doing that...ugh...) and then augment that with our tax refund next year (here's to hoping we get one LOL). I figure it's going to cost at least $5000 to make this move, provided that he doesn't have a job when we do and we have to pay a few month's rent up front. 
