really enjoyed my time in 2010, thinking about a move in future from houston (Phoenix: fit in, house)

[eastontracks]

hi all,

there seems to be topics sprinkled in but mainly wanted to get perspective on how its been the past 2 years, and maybe from texans who now live there.

my job in 2010 had me traveling the entire southwest and northwest i spent time back in late 2010 for about a month in the phoenix area and really enjoyed it. i also spent maybe another month or two up north in the sedona area, flagstaff and also tucson. i also lived in LA in 2011, and have thoughts again about moving out to the southwest. i think that part of the US is awesome.

the job market isnt a factor and my gf works in the medical field. houston is a nice place (minus scenery and aggressive drivers), but we're both considering a place like phoenix in the future. i love the outdoors and how theres so many places within a 6 hour drive (pacific beaches, cali, lakes, red rock, grand canyon, vegas, etc) . you just dont have that in houston. i actually like the way homes out there in the southwest look with the stucco instead of brick. casinos off the 101 loop are pretty cool too

overall, with my interests, i feel the southwest is somewhere i should be again, and probably fit in a little better. im hoping to maybe get some feedback on what different from 3 years ago: how the housing market is now, what it may look like in another year and those that have come from texas out to the desert. i lived in san antonio for 3 years and experienced 103 heat but def know its still another 10-15 degrees to go in phx. thanks in advance for the info!

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

Well nothing has changed in only 3 years. Just slightly more crowded, 2 new outlet malls, and.......nothing else really. And fyi LA is not the southwest (sure geographically but they are westcoast and will kill you if you refer to them as southwestern). The housing market is slowly but surely on the rise. For every one house that comes on the market you probably have at least 20 bidders. Phoenix and Houston are just about equivalent as far as housing prices go but Phoenix isn't exactly Texas cheap we do have a couple of areas where housing is quite expensive. In all honesty the only the only thing Phoenix really has over Houston is the outdoor recreation, dry climate, and close proximity to SoCal, Vegas, and mountains. I mean you just can't beat the outdoor lifestyle here. So if that appeals to you then by all means pack your bags and welcome to beautiful AZ. Other than that Houston is much closer to a beach than Phoenix and has everything else Phoenix has as far as everyday amenities go. And you're one of the very few people that actually likes stucco housing. I love brick housing and the newer homes back east. My suggestion is to visit Phoenix and really get a feel of the city because the desert isn't for everybody and a lot of people that move here either love it or hate it. And keep in mind that you won't be going to California, Sedona, Flagstaff and the beaches on a regular basis so make sure you can actually picture yourself living full time in the Valley of the Sun.

[PoppySead]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeBoyDJ

Well nothing has changed in only 3 years. Just slightly more crowded, 2 new outlet malls, and.......nothing else really. And fyi LA is not the southwest (sure geographically but they are westcoast and will kill you if you refer to them as southwestern). The housing market is slowly but surely on the rise. For every one house that comes on the market you probably have at least 20 bidders. Phoenix and Houston are just about equivalent as far as housing prices go but Phoenix isn't exactly Texas cheap we do have a couple of areas where housing is quite expensive. In all honesty the only the only thing Phoenix really has over Houston is the outdoor recreation, dry climate, and close proximity to SoCal, Vegas, and mountains. I mean you just can't beat the outdoor lifestyle here. So if that appeals to you then by all means pack your bags and welcome to beautiful AZ. Other than that Houston is much closer to a beach than Phoenix and has everything else Phoenix has as far as everyday amenities go. And you're one of the very few people that actually likes stucco housing. I love brick housing and the newer homes back east. My suggestion is to visit Phoenix and really get a feel of the city because the desert isn't for everybody and a lot of people that move here either love it or hate it. And keep in mind that you won't be going to California, Sedona, Flagstaff and the beaches on a regular basis so make sure you can actually picture yourself living full time in the Valley of the Sun.

This ^ great post! I couldn't top it.
The only add is if you want a wet shirt or a dry shirt in the summer. lol We have a dry heat, you won't have a wet shirt all summer long unless you play in a sprinkler. And yes, the adults do play in sprinklers here on any given summer day.

[eastontracks]

lol @ wet or dry shirt. and i agree and appreciate the post by buckeye.

true about not going to other places close by daily or regularly but after getting to know the area a little bit, i overall left with a good impression. we do have a beach within an hour but its not worth swimming in. one worth being in is about 3 hours away from me, and in phoenix, one is maybe 5-6 hours away? so its not a very huge increase.

i guess stucco appeals to me more since it looks almost more like concrete modern housing which i really like. although brick is pricier/better than stucco.

hows the state income tax? i dont hear too much about it and it sounds like property taxes are lower too so maybe it evens out?

[MalteseJane]

We moved here from Houston 4-½ years ago. The only thing I miss is the food shopping. There is no Central Market here.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by MalteseJane

We moved here from Houston 4-½ years ago. The only thing I miss is the food shopping. There is no Central Market here.

Have you been to Sprout's or AJ's? Curious how those stack up.

[SK115]

I was born and raised in Houston, but currently reside in Scottsdale. To be honest, there is not much that I prefer about Phoenix. I feel that whether or not you like Arizona, is based on perspective. Many come from California, seeking lower taxes, or the Midwest and Northeast, seeking warmer weather. Those are both things that can be found in Houston. As a Houstonian, there are many things that I miss about Houston. I miss the food. Houston has more and better restaurants, with cuisine from all over the world. Arizona's dining scene simply cannot compare (from Texas BBQ to Vietnamese, from Cajun to Indian, from Tex-Mex to German). If you grew up eating Tex-Mex, you will probably not care for the Sonoran Mexican food of Arizona. I have started to see Houston's scenery from a different perspective, I never realized how green and lush it was until moving to Arizona. I also feel that Houston is close to more destinations than Phoenix. While Phoenix is 6 hours away from many things, Houston is within 3 hours of San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, the Hill Country, beaches and it is within 6 hours of New Orleans. Also, Houston is closer to theme parks, piers/boardwalks (Galveston and Kemah), and the Schlitterbahn water parks. Houston people are generally friendly and have better manners than those in Phoenix (you simply can't beat Southern hospitality). Also, you may eventually start to miss the rain. It gets old having sun every single day.

Positives for Arizona are the lack of traffic, better roads (with red light cameras, and photo-radar to prevent you from speeding), less humidity, and lack of natural disasters. The drivers here are perhaps less aggressive, although many are older and not "tuned in" to the road.

I would definitely advise you to visit in the summer. It is much hotter than anything experienced in Houston. Humidity or not, it gets incredibly hot here. I much prefer the Houston summers.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by SK115

I was born and raised in Houston, but currently reside in Scottsdale. To be honest, there is not much that I prefer about Phoenix. I feel that whether or not you like Arizona, is based on perspective. Many come from California, seeking lower taxes, or the Midwest and Northeast, seeking warmer weather. Those are both things that can be found in Houston. As a Houstonian, there are many things that I miss about Houston. I miss the food. Houston has more and better restaurants, with cuisine from all over the world. Arizona's dining scene simply cannot compare (from Texas BBQ to Vietnamese, from Cajun to Indian, from Tex-Mex to German). If you grew up eating Tex-Mex, you will probably not care for the Sonoran Mexican food of Arizona. I have started to see Houston's scenery from a different perspective, I never realized how green and lush it was until moving to Arizona. I also feel that Houston is close to more destinations than Phoenix. While Phoenix is 6 hours away from many things, Houston is within 3 hours of San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, the Hill Country, beaches and it is within 6 hours of New Orleans. Also, Houston is closer to theme parks, piers/boardwalks (Galveston and Kemah), and the Schlitterbahn water parks. Houston people are generally friendly and have better manners than those in Phoenix (you simply can't beat Southern hospitality). Also, you may eventually start to miss the rain. It gets old having sun every single day.

Positives for Arizona are the lack of traffic, better roads (with red light cameras, and photo-radar to prevent you from speeding), less humidity, and lack of natural disasters. The drivers here are perhaps less aggressive, although many are older and not "tuned in" to the road.

I would definitely advise you to visit in the summer. It is much hotter than anything experienced in Houston. Humidity or not, it gets incredibly hot here. I much prefer the Houston summers.

I agree that it is a matter of perspective when it comes to what people like and don't like about new, current, or former cities one lived in. I just have one question: do you really prefer the hot, sticky humidity?

[SK115]

In the summertime, yes. I find Phoenix to be extremely hot. Also, because of my skin tone, I burn easily.

[Jukesgrrl]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Have you been to Sprout's or AJ's? Curious how those stack up.

Just a personal opinion: I love AJ's — they have top quality and things I can't find elsewhere, but it IS really expensive. I dislike Sprouts. The quality of the produce isn't any better than most supermarkets. In fact, both Safeway and Fry's have better and fresher-looking fruits and vegetables. Also, since I'm eating for one, I like to buy some prepared foods and the quality at Sprouts is bad.