Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Arizona > Phoenix area
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 02-07-2016, 07:30 PM
 
Location: Detroit, MI/St. David, AZ
205 posts, read 574,617 times
Reputation: 284

Advertisements

Well.... Its time to change things up a bit.

I have been back and forth from Michigan to Arizona, dozens of times a year for several years... have a place in St. David (between Benson and Tombstone). I know the Tucson area rather well and the Phoenix area decently but not enough to make any kind of educational guesses.

I have browsed the boards, punched the search button several times and have acquired many answers, but some not entirely clear.... Some research I have to do on my own and I will do that in May (which I just booked tickets to come to the Valley May 27th to June 1st.).

So here we go....

My plan is to buy a house in the Scottsdale area, doesn't have to be exactly Scottsdale if the right deal comes along but I will be working there if I do relocate. So I want to keep the travel minimal.

I will be potentially be bringing my apprentice at work with me who is looking for new experience. I am single and until I am married, I will not depend on anyone other than myself. He will room with me for a while and split living costs etc...... but if he decides to stay in MI then I will obviously be relocating solo.

I currently make around 90 to 120k/yr, I am commission based and it fluctuates year to year but usually not less than 90ish.... Now, I will be discussing specifics with the employer when I am out that way in May. I am in the automotive field and have a few friends in the valley who do what I do and it seems to be comparable or slightly better out there but obviously the cost of living is a little higher in AZ.

The heat is no bother to me, I vacation to Lake Havasu many times during the brunt of the summer and stay for extended periods of time. Have actually considered moving there but the closest place doing what I do is in Kingman and that commute is just a tad much for me on a daily basis. I do boat so I will most likely keep my boat in LHC and spend the weekends there.

So, with normal electric and gas usage, what should I expect (ballpark). Obviously AC (or heat pump) usage will skew that, so lets say keeping house around 70-75. 1500ish sqft home. Gas usage probably being similar to what anyone would use. Normal water usage.

I'll probably leave this house here alone and rent it out, so that means all the appliances will stay and I will buy new. Not sure what is more ideal out there as I am unsure of utility costs. So if someone could chime in with Electric and Gas costs that would be fantastic.

Will probably be an even trade off on vehicle expenses, Insurance is cheaper there but registration, plates etc are higher. Boat insurance will be quite a bit higher, so I am prepped for that one, lol! Although, for a longer season it will be worth it!!!

Move will be December of this year for a fresh start with the new year in AZ!

Lots of rambling and not a lot of questions, so here are my main questions:


  • Let's say I move and only make 90k/yr lets deduct another 10k and use 80k/yr as a figure. Roll with it and base your opinions on it, moving solo. 31yo male, will have enough cash on hand to live at least 6 months without employment if something were to happen.
  • Unlikely that I will rent first, will shop prior, fly out several times and purchase before I move. So lets say 250k +/- home with 20% down(already handled). House payment can be figured but unsure of local home owners insurance rates and taxes.
  • Utilities, just a decent ballpark based on decent AC usage at 70-75 temp (Or heat pump, whichever home is equipped with). No Pool. Gas range/oven for cooking.
  • Water bills, sewer etc...
  • Pros/cons of exploring areas outside Scottsdale but commuting to Scotts. I am not opposed to other areas such as Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler or any other suggestion. If you could chime in with pluses and minuses to each area, things that I may not think of, that would be awesome. Will be in the market for a 3 bed, 1.5-2 bathroom. 1500ish sqft. I don't need to be within walking distance of anything, totally cool driving. Will be working in Scottsdale so do need to keep that in consideration.
  • Hit on items I haven't thought of...




And lastly:


Thank you in advance!




Time to bring on life changes and some more sun in my life! I have seen enough grey skies!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 02-07-2016, 08:31 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,024 times
Reputation: 10
Hi. Don't have an answer for you, but HOPEFULLY I will be in the same situation soon after me and my son graduate college this December. I will be prolly dragging a reluctant wife along, but I really wanna do this. Big diff from you is I'm not gonna be able to make repeated trips out there to check out the job situation. We have been to AZ many times though, so I know the area. Any advice?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-08-2016, 11:54 AM
 
Location: Detroit, MI/St. David, AZ
205 posts, read 574,617 times
Reputation: 284
Quote:
Originally Posted by meandmealone View Post
Hi. Don't have an answer for you, but HOPEFULLY I will be in the same situation soon after me and my son graduate college this December. I will be prolly dragging a reluctant wife along, but I really wanna do this. Big diff from you is I'm not gonna be able to make repeated trips out there to check out the job situation. We have been to AZ many times though, so I know the area. Any advice?
Secure a job before the move and if you are unsure of area I would recommend renting until you figure out where you want to live.

Have a vehicle!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Arizona > Phoenix area

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:34 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top