Midwesterner moving to Phoenix Metro (Mesa, Chandler: transplants, HOA, car insurance)

[SusanIllinois]

Hello Everyone,
My husband and I have visited the Phoenix area several times and are considering moving there in a couple of years when I retire. I was hoping to get some input from midwestern transplants who have already settled there:

Considering the hot humid summers and cold icy winters here, we aren't too worried about the hot summers-did you adjust OK?

We want to live in a suburban area that is peaceful and safe, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a 3 bedroom/2 bath ranch-any suggestions on where we might want to consider? My husband works from home and will fly once a month for his job, so we are not locked into a specific area.

Were there any costs that surprised you? I know housing taxes will be a nice relief compared to Illinois, but what about electric, water, car insurance...?

And finally, do you feel at home? I've been told there are areas of Phoenix where people from other parts of the US tend to gravitate to. If so, where do people from middle America tend to move?

Thanks in advance for your comments. We plan a trip to Arizona in April to start scouting around!

[43north87west]

Chicago's weather is garbage. Summer is way too short and too variable. You won't miss the "green" of Chicago that lasts 4 months either.

Phoenix isn't the Midwest South like Fort Myers or Naples. There are probably neighborhood clusters, but I doubt they are highly organized that way. People are much more polite here than around Chicago. By multiples. This might be difficult to get used to. It's a lot different than Chicago (I realize how much different because I have an office in the Chicago suburbs and I get to experience it regularly).

You don't say what your budget is, so it's hard to figure out what an arm and a leg means. Generally speaking, you will get (a lot) more for your money here than in the Chicago area. Your taxes will likely be a lot less, and in some cases (i.e. Crook County) they will be so much less you don't even think you have them. However, factor in HOA costs, which will likely be part of your monthly overhead. There are still some variables in there.

There is no way to compare things like car insurance because it varies so greatly by ZIP code. You could move to a high rated area and end up paying more, or vice versa.

[AZgarden]

The older you get here, the more the heat gets to you, in my opinion. For 16 years I have put up with it and am done. I do miss the trees, the green, and the 4 seasons alot, But having to dread the onset of summer, every year, is just too much. It's very different from Chicago area. Grew up there and was really really impressed when I got here. But now it has gotten boring, and I love to garden so 6 months of the year being inside does not sit well with me. What I hate the most is when the nights don't cool off and you run your AC constantly. In Chicago, we could open the windows at night (usually) and it was cool enough with just a fan.

Phoenix is growing by leaps and bounds and everywhere you look there are houses being built, new stores going in. Shopping is a dream ! And most everyone is friendly, as well as being from some where else ! Very few natives really.

I live (d) in Chandler and it's a great city. Be sure to take in the downtown area which is doing alot of things lately to make it better. Chandler has great schools too, if you need them. Good luck to you !

[Minntoaz]

No I'll never adjust to the hot summers. I'm from Minnesota though so a little bit cooler than Illinois. I'd suggest Chandler or Gilbert as those are the closest in scenery to the Midwest you'll find. Costs are all around low, plain and simple. Though car insurance is definitely higher.

If I was a retiree I'd for sure do six months in Phoenix but I could not do full year. November to April is prime in Phoenix.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

The older you get here, the more the heat gets to you, in my opinion. For 16 years I have put up with it and am done. I do miss the trees, the green, and the 4 seasons alot, But having to dread the onset of summer, every year, is just too much. It's very different from Chicago area. Grew up there and was really really impressed when I got here. But now it has gotten boring, and I love to garden so 6 months of the year being inside does not sit well with me. What I hate the most is when the nights don't cool off and you run your AC constantly. In Chicago, we could open the windows at night (usually) and it was cool enough with just a fan.

Phoenix is growing by leaps and bounds and everywhere you look there are houses being built, new stores going in. Shopping is a dream ! And most everyone is friendly, as well as being from some where else ! Very few natives really.

I live (d) in Chandler and it's a great city. Be sure to take in the downtown area which is doing alot of things lately to make it better. Chandler has great schools too, if you need them. Good luck to you !

Why on earth would you spend 6 months a year indoors here? Even in the dead of summer I go out early or take night and evening walks. When it's 90-100 for the high the evenings are perfect! And in the dead of summer we're in the pool a lot. I'm at 14 summers now and I don't dred them at all, I just adjust when and what I do. And how are you bored? One of the great things about Phoenix is how fast it's growing and changing, new stuff is opening constantly.

Anyway, hopefully you find your happy place but this opinion seems very based on ones personal choices to not explore more then anything about Phoenix itself.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Minntoaz

No I'll never adjust to the hot summers. I'm from Minnesota though so a little bit cooler than Illinois. I'd suggest Chandler or Gilbert as those are the closest in scenery to the Midwest you'll find. Costs are all around low, plain and simple. Though car insurance is definitely higher.

If I was a retiree I'd for sure do six months in Phoenix but I could not do full year. November to April is prime in Phoenix.

Of course, anyone rich enough to do so should follow perfect weather but most of us don't have the funds to do so. If I could swing a cabin in flagstaff that would be awesome for both summer and winter trips. But overall Phoenix weather is fine you just have to adapt as I'm sure you do for Minnesota winters.

[AZgarden]

Originally Posted by locolife

Why on earth would you spend 6 months a year indoors here? Even in the dead of summer I go out early or take night and evening walks. When it's 90-100 for the high the evenings are perfect! And in the dead of summer we're in the pool a lot. I'm at 14 summers now and I don't dred them at all, I just adjust when and what I do. And how are you bored? One of the great things about Phoenix is how fast it's growing and changing, new stuff is opening constantly.

Anyway, hopefully you find your happy place but this opinion seems very based on ones personal choices to not explore more then anything about Phoenix itself.

I DID say I like to garden and for 6 months, during the day, I cannot do it. Early AMs and late evenings are fine for a WALK. Not great for my hobbies. I am not bored. I do believe the landscape here is boring. I do not have a pool.

I bought a house in Prescott. Thanks for your opinion. This is mine.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

I DID say I like to garden and for 6 months, during the day, I cannot do it. Early AMs and late evenings are fine for a WALK. Not great for my hobbies. I am not bored. I do believe the landscape here is boring. I do not have a pool.

I bought a house in Prescott. Thanks for your opinion. This is mine.

Yeah, I saw the gardening part, 6 months still doesn't make much sense, why wouldn't you be able to garden in May or Oct? I go apple picking every September/October and every May we are at the various farms here picking all kinds of fruits and veggies, it seems like gardening works fine here for far more then 6 months.

Plus I'll say compared to where I grew up in the North getting 6 months of gardening in would have been tough, 5 months or so was a good year. And it's not that you can't garden year-round here, it's just not as convenient and you have to switch what you're growing. Up North you actually cannot garden year-round outdoors, no option at all unless you build an indoor space for it.

I wasn't trying to irritate you and I'm glad you found a good spot for you in Prescott with a less boring to you landscape, the geographic and climate diversity in Arizona is one of my favorite qualities about the state. If you don't like where you're at, drive a few hours to something radically different.

My point was really geared towards the OP and what seems to me a very odd statement that somehow a lot of us spend 6 months a year indoors. This couldn't be further from the truth for me and literally crowds of others I see on the trails every weekend. I'm outdoors every single week of every month here. When I lived in a cold/snowy city I hibernated much more then I do here.

[BigEinAz]

I'm partial to NE Mesa, since I built a house there last year. LasSendas and Mountain Bridge are beautiful resort-style living communities. Reasonable HOAs, Usery Mountain Park is a few minutes away, Saguaro Lake is 15 minutes, Canyon Lake is 30 minutes, Payson is a little over an hour, and you're 30 minutes from Sky Harbor or Mesa Gateway airports. We're about 500 feet higher in elevation than Sky Harbor so the views are incredible and it's pin-drop quiet at night. I can see 30 miles to the SW from my view deck and sunsets and city lights are to die for. Next time you visit, have a sunset dinner on the patio at Bogey's at LasSendas golf course and you'll see what I mean.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BigEinAz

I'm partial to NE Mesa, since I built a house there last year. LasSendas and Mountain Bridge are beautiful resort-style living communities. Reasonable HOAs, Usery Mountain Park is a few minutes away, Saguaro Lake is 15 minutes, Canyon Lake is 30 minutes, Payson is a little over an hour, and you're 30 minutes from Sky Harbor or Mesa Gateway airports. We're about 500 feet higher in elevation than Sky Harbor so the views are incredible and it's pin-drop quiet at night. I can see 30 miles to the SW from my view deck and sunsets and city lights are to die for. Next time you visit, have a sunset dinner on the patio at Bogey's at LasSendas golf course and you'll see what I mean.

And you've got great mountain bike trails literally connected to your neighborhood at Hawes Mountain plus super easy access to the salt and verde rivers for kayaking, tubing, etc... And just up the road is Four Peaks and Butcher Jones plus 4x4 riding. Not a bad spot for an outdoorsy person.