Morning & Afternoon Traffic Question

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by intmd8r

You know, that's SUCH a good point and I forgot all about that since I don't commute anymore.

Driving into the sun here SUCKS - it's so intense and traffic gets SO much worse. I always noticed traffic was better on the few cloudy days.

How true! The sun is blinding to the point where you practically have to get dark tint for your car in order to avoid the glare. But alas, dark tint was outlawed here sometime in the '80s ... so you can't have any privacy and protection in your vehicle from the annoying sun thanks to Big Brother!

I think you're right that traffic seems better on cloudy or rainy days. Drivers are generally more aware & attentive during inclement conditions. They're not really slower, just more willing to pay attention to the traffic & conditions.

[lyzzard]

Chandler wouldn't be a bad area for you to look into. You could take the 101 almost straight to where you work. Ahwatukee (Ah-wa-took-ee) is a little more west of Chandler. Your commute wouldn't be very long from Chandler, and just a bit more from Ahwatukee, and it would be a more north/south drive so not as much sun in the eyes. There are also homes in your price range around Chandler (not as many in Ahwatukee). Just make sure you see them in person first

[Valley Native]

I think this might have been posted somewhere in this forum previously ... but avoiding "rush hour" here is nearly impossible, unless you drive late at night. Rush hour is more than just one hour because the morning rush hour is from 5 AM to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 7 PM. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 MPH, even when the speed limit says 55 MPH ... except in the sections where photo radar cameras are found. At speed camera locations, you can can be entertained by watching the many brake lights appear at once (giving new meaning to the phrase "a thousand points of light"), and suddenly see the average speed drop from 85 to about 50 MPH in a matter of seconds.

[azdr0710]

USCG....

out here, the rush hour starts earlier than back east....especially in the summer, when outdoor workers like to get going early, the streets and freeways are packed by 6:15-6:30am and stay that way for a couple hours....eve rush hour definitely gets going by 3pm.....

your one-hour commute each way actually seems generous of you....working in S Scotts, you should be able to find a place, as said before, in Tempe, Chandler, even the E Baseline area (not that bad an area), and get to work in well under an hour....honestly, you shouldn't have to have a one-hour each way commute, even out here....

your $130K price range is a little low....you'll need to find a helpful, willing realtor who can help you with foreclosure houses and other non-traditional options for finding houses...

if possible, come out here early and really scour the areas you are interested in....lucky buyers are finding short sales here for less than $100K, but it requires patience and a willing bank (which takes time)....

the advice to not buy in the west is very good...that sunrise/sunset thing is a good point....and you shouldn't have to go that far to find a $130K place....

[TransporterG]

Plenty of good places in South Tempe or N. Chandler. Good rents, which you might want to try before buying anything. Chandler, Ocotillo area is also very nice, very safe with a lot of good rental apartments and access to 101 and clean access to amenities. A friend just found a nice place there, surprisingly cheap and nice. Save your money in big way for now, and rent for awhile in a good area. No need to rush it and live in an investor-owned community in the now-cheap areas on the West Side.