Detroit Area to Phoenix Area? Good Idea?? (Scottsdale: rent, home)
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I know, I know!! Believe me, If I could sell my home, we wouldve been there last year! I've had it up for sale twice with no real offers. Thinking about trying again this spring & taking whatever we can get. Its hard though, you put your life savings into what you thought was a solid investment & could possibly walk away with 0, or with a loan at closing to pay the difference. It may be worth to take what we can get now, as it may worsen in the coming months.
I know, I know!! Believe me, If I could sell my home, we wouldve been there last year! I've had it up for sale twice with no real offers. Thinking about trying again this spring & taking whatever we can get. Its hard though, you put your life savings into what you thought was a solid investment & could possibly walk away with 0, or with a loan at closing to pay the difference. It may be worth to take what we can get now, as it may worsen in the coming months.
No disrespect intended; most of the Midwest is tanking due to the imploding auto industry.
I know, I know!! Believe me, If I could sell my home, we wouldve been there last year! I've had it up for sale twice with no real offers. Thinking about trying again this spring & taking whatever we can get. Its hard though, you put your life savings into what you thought was a solid investment & could possibly walk away with 0, or with a loan at closing to pay the difference. It may be worth to take what we can get now, as it may worsen in the coming months.
Is your house in Detroit? I thought that areas like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, CLeveland, Detroit weren't hit with the escalating prices? It stinks that you might lose money, but breaking even or even losing a few grand is worth it for the peace of mind. Best of luck to you!
Ok, I'm new here, just found the site and had to register just to respond to this thread immediately.
I too, am a Detroiter, seeking new habitation in AZ. I just got back from AZ on Wednesday and started to bust a gut when I read about the no litter on the ground even in their "ghetto!" It was funny to me because I woke my husband up just to show him that I wasn't crazy for repeating that one fact several times since I've been home.
I have owned my home since 2000 and the values here have dropped so much due to the foreclosures in my area I just assume that when I go to sell I won't be able to leave the table with any money. Unfortunately, I just got my acceptance into HFCCs nursing program starting in Fall 08 (this part not unfortunate) so I have to finish school, and I want to work for a year to gain actual experience and have a cushion before I leave here. My husband and I have 4 children and one of them has severe allergies and asthma. My husband went to Mesa about 5 years ago to apply for a job as a police officer...didn't get it, but I've been interested in moving there (somewhere in AZ) ever since. Hopefully since I'll be here for another 4-5 years the market will improve, but on the downside, if it improves here...it will more than likely improve there...keeping us in the same predicament.
I just love it there and of the cities I've seen (Gilbert, Queens Creek, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley), I love the first two. Phoenix is nice too!
Why I want to leave Detroit you might ask? Well, the Detroiters already know.....
A small section of Downtown is being rennovated, while the rest of the city is shot to s**t.
Property taxes continue to rise, ARMs rise (fortunately I don't have one), but property values decline.
City services keep disappearing....except one though, but that's DPS, so I don't know if it counts...but for the first time in my life, this school year Detroit Public School have started using school buses to pick up students! But to counter that more than 30 schools have closed in the past 2-3 years.
They've started charging $300 per year to pick up trash, but reduced bulk pick up to 4 times a year!!
As far as the police response time...I can attest to that! Years back, two family members were having a fight. One called the police on the other and she was crying and hysterical over the phone and told the police that the other member was pointing a 22 at her and threatening to shoot her. (No it wasn't me..lol and there was no actual gun, but she figured saying that would make them come sooner) By the time the police arrived at the house, the altercation was over, everyone made up, and we were walking out the door to go to the mall......4 hours later. On multiple occassions police are called and either never come, or may as well have never come because it's way too late. But, the city makes for dang sure you pay your income taxes...which are just about as high as the state income taxes!
Roads are always closed and traffic is alway congested from construction, yet every year we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on repair for tires, rims and suspension systems on cars from the darned potholes.
Allstate actually had the nerve to quote me over $2000/6 months for car insurance for 2 vehicles that were 10+ years old ( and no...they weren't caddys..lol) Geico and Progressive weren't much cheaper and honestly, if it weren't for my husband being in the military....we wouldn't be able to afford insurance.
There are tons of abandoned houses they won't tear down and lots of closed schools, but there's a gas station and liquor store on every other corner.
Cable and water rates seem to be increasing exponentially! 4 years ago, my water bill was about $10/month and came every 3 months, now that it comes monthly it is about $30/month....did they start putting gold pieces in the water or something? Why did it increase so rapidly? And I'm so sick of Comcast I don't know what to do, but I can't get the Dish because of this 100+year old tree in my backyard.
I love having a basement, but in this climate, it's probably not the greatest thing. We have lots of precipitation year round. Rain in the spring, summer and fall.... sleet, hail and snow in the fall, winter and spring. Needless to say it's damp in the basement, even when it's dry...so mold grows and it is a BIG problem with older homes in the city. Not to mention the sewage backups when Detroit water pipes burst because they're sooooo old. Or flooding occurs from the weather, but homeowners insurance doesn't cover it, you'd have to take out flood insurance, even though basement flooding is a common occurence here.
Then there's the fire hydrants....which many don't work...so for the fire stations that are still open, when they arrive on the scene, they can't put the fire out because the hydrant isn't delivering any water!
Michigan is a state that is full of compulsive gamblers. It wasn't enough to play lottery once 5 days a week, with big pots on Saturdays, but they had to start a midday and evening lottery 7 days AND put 3 casinos in the city of Detroit.....but you can't put a mall here? In my family alone, there were/are 5 people that play at least $20 a day in lottery. I've never been interested, thank goodness, because I would really be in the poor house.
Summer starts really good about the middle to end of June....but ends about the middle to end of August. September cools off greatly and it sometimes snows by or before Halloween. From October to April comes the snow. I used to hear the saying that "April showers bring May flowers", but I have said for at least a decade that May showers bring June flowers. It is cold for at least 8 months of the year from mid-September to mid-May. I look at the gray skies....and the gloom sets in. I despise the cold so I only leave the house when I have to. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed snow...and I can tell you I have an asthma attack every time I shovel it now. Summer peaks it head out for 2-3 months and decides to go into hiding. Seasonal affective disorder (I'm sure lots are undiagnosed) could be a common thing here for those that don't like the cold (like my family) because I see gray for so long....I have no desire to be outside in "fresh" air (if you call smog filled....especially the stinky Delray gas...air.)
I could go on and on, but I realize I have made this too long as it is.....I don't want to bore you all....
But I had to add my 2 cents!!! It's nice to know I'm not the only one trying to go there!
#1 on the list of Foreclosures in the nation
#1 on the list of highest unemployment rate
#1 on the list of fattest cities
#50 on the list of only 50 cities ranked as best place to live
Sorry, I knew something important about my decision to leave was going to be forgotten with all of my babbling!
Hello, I moved from Orlando to Phoenix in July of '07. The heat was bad but just like the cold you stay indoors at the high points of the day. I liked Phoenix for the first 3 months, after the honeymoon phase was over I was ready to go back to FL. There is not any one thing that I do not like here, it's just that there is not anything to do after you have seen what is out here. I am here for a year and will move back to FL in July. I miss the culture of FL. I know that you are not moving from FL and I don't know how Detroit is so it might be different for you. I live in Desert Ridge by the Mayo Clinic Hospital and it is nice and new.Scottsdale has plenty of shopping, that's it and the people are fake, money oriented, bad drivers. Schools are bad, no grass, nose bleeds from the dry air, no rain, no lakes or oceans. I hate to be a downer but I miss home. You will have to let us know how you like it if you decide to move.
#1 on the list of Foreclosures in the nation
#1 on the list of highest unemployment rate
#1 on the list of fattest cities
#50 on the list of only 50 cities ranked as best place to live
Sorry, I knew something important about my decision to leave was going to be forgotten with all of my babbling!
And Forbes just ranked Detroit the "Most Miserable City" in the US.
I knew I wasn't crazy about the lack of litter in Phoenix!
You had a great point about Detroit fire hydrants. Very true.
(If you get a chance you should check out the DETROIT board on here. But, be prepared, even the discussion board is much deader than Phoenix's. Check out my thread on gentrification if you want )
Hello, I moved from Orlando to Phoenix in July of '07. The heat was bad but just like the cold you stay indoors at the high points of the day. I liked Phoenix for the first 3 months, after the honeymoon phase was over I was ready to go back to FL. There is not any one thing that I do not like here, it's just that there is not anything to do after you have seen what is out here. I am here for a year and will move back to FL in July. I miss the culture of FL. I know that you are not moving from FL and I don't know how Detroit is so it might be different for you. I live in Desert Ridge by the Mayo Clinic Hospital and it is nice and new.Scottsdale has plenty of shopping, that's it and the people are fake, money oriented, bad drivers. Schools are bad, no grass, nose bleeds from the dry air, no rain, no lakes or oceans. I hate to be a downer but I miss home. You will have to let us know how you like it if you decide to move.
I will!
I do love Florida, but I don't do well in humidity, so it would KILL me in the summer. Plus I love sunshine. I know people say I will get sick of it, but i am willing to bet that I won't.
I'm not looking for nightlife, if I want that I can drive to Vegas or fly to Chicago or NY. We're at a more laid-back time in life.
When you say "culture" can you give me some examples? I've seen other people comment on a lack of culture in Phoenix and it sort of disturbs me, since i can't really UNDERSTAND what is meant by it. I found the people of Phoenix and it's burbs to be...well "Friendly without being sugary-sweet" which reminds me of MI and I liked it. My husband and i are pretty outgoing, like-able people, so I doubt we will have trouble making friends. Is that what you mean?
I personally don't need to live by water or go to amusement parks, but it seems like lots of people miss those things in AZ.
You know...I am going to open a new thread on the subject of culture in Phoenix to get more opinions...(If you want to add to the culture discussion, please go there...thanks!)
I want to try to keep this thread Detroit/Phoenix centered.
Just to make sure Phoenix is what I am looking for...let's compare a couple more things to Detroit...
Would THIS be considered "normal" neighborhood behavior in Phoenix?
Because in Detroit, people see this every day in many, many areas. And these houses USED to be SO beautiful. I drive by this stuff all week long on the way to work. It doesn't even phase me anymore, which is sad. This is one of the most "tame" videos as nobody really gets hurts. Note the small child on the porch.
And, here is an example of a Detroit political rally for the Mayor: Is this how they do it in Phoenix?? (At :35, that is Mayor's Kwame Kilpatrick's mom, who happens to be a Congresswoman. No, really. In the green dress. Seriously, she's a congresswoman. I swear.)
As you may know, Detroit is a mess and has so many political scandals going with the Mayor it is hard to fit them all in a 30 minute news broadcast. How does Phoenix compare? Do your politicians have lots of sex scandals and accusations of Mayors murdering strippers?
In fact, if you want to see something interesting, go to youtube.com and search DETROIT GHETTO. You can spend all day watching clips. Then search PHOENIX GHETTO. Please let me know if you find any!!
No, my home is not in the city of Detroit. I live in a border city (Harper Woods) which was great, not so much anymore. Although there are still great pockets of the city. My city also borders Grosse Pointe Woods which still is a great city for the most part. Where I live we get (& pay for in taxes) Grosse Pointe Schools, & we were fortunate enough to buy a house that was in the better part of the divided school district. So, this home would appeal a lot more to a family with elem age children in which we hope is our saving grace to come away with a few bucks.
No disrespect taken! Believe me, we all know Detroit put all of its eggs in one basket - the auto industry. They are trying to diversify now, but too little too late. When you hear the Gov talk you'd think we were on the doorstep of the new silicon valley, or the new leaders in alternative energy! These things may be on the way, but I'd like to live in a place where I can prosper a bit now, not 20 years from now when I retire!
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This is a loooooong message....sorry!
(At :35, that is Mayor's Kwame Kilpatrick's mom, who happens to be a Congresswoman. No, really. In the green dress. Seriously, she's a congresswoman. I swear.)
