The Wife and I are Thinking About Moving to Arizona

[ozro]

I live in Northern Arizona, but 12 years ago I lived in Tempe for 2 years. You know it's hot, but if you have been living in Vegas, it shouldn't be a problem. I haven't spent much time there in the last 12 years, but Tempe and the rest of the valley is ok as far as city life goes. (Yeah there are parts of the city you don't really want to go, but all cities have that) I have spent a little time in Las Vegas, not much, but a little. In my opinion, you will be happy moving from Vegas to Tempe.

 

[Dekster]

I'm a regional VP where I work and my territory covers Las Vegas, where we currently live, as well as southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. When we moved out here 13 years ago for this position we chose Las Vegas due to the lower cost of living, lack of state income tax, less traffic and also because my brother was a detective here with Metro. We've enjoyed our time here, but we're kind of over Vegas now. My son is out of college and we no longer need this house. Plus, this house was built in the mid-90s and the AC and air handler are original, so they're 30 years old and we're already on borrowed time. Replacing those will probably run about $15,000 and it would be nice if that could be the next owner's problem to deal with. We already had to spend $17,000 last year completely remodeling the master bathroom due to a leaking pipe.

I really like Tempe in the Phoenix area. My company has a large admin office there I can work at just a five minute drive from downtown Tempe or ten minutes by light rail. I could even walk if I wanted when it's not too hot out. There are a lot of really nice condos right in the thick of it and so much is in walking distance with the university nearby that we would hardly need to drive. Anyone in the Phoenix area? Do you like it there? We'd probably only be there for a few years. Ultimately, we want to move back east, somewhere in the south, and buy an old Greek Revival, Italianate, or Colonial style home and restore it.

Some friends lived in Phoenix area for years. They loved it. Only reason they moved back east was related to the husband's promotion. Their only ever complaint was about the dust was impossible to keep out of the house. I guess from the decomposing sands.

 

[MayorQuimby]

Totally not answering your question but rather an unsolicited piece of advice: If I were you, I would use a part of my savings to fund my offspring's college education. I am assuming that you are white; and these days, younger white people need all the help they can get, to get a chance at life. So, don't worry only about your retirement, think about your son's future and try your best to give him a boost. Another benefit: Now that you are funding his education, you can have more influence on what degree/academic path he should choose. I would use this opportunity to convince him to take something really useful, something that will help him find employment once he graduates. Sometimes younger people don't know what they want out of life. If they are freshly out of high school, they really are just big children who lack the judgment for what's really good for them, and this is where you can step in to really help guide them on the right path.

Just my two cents, sorry if I come across as meddlesome. Just really wanting to help.

 

[g5000]

Back in the 90s when I lived in Virginia, an elderly friend moved to Phoenix because of his arthritis.

He came back six months later because of the smog in Phoenix.

I don't know if that's improved since then.

 

[Robert W]

Hottest place on earth. I couldnt do it but people love it. Good luck. I would expect people to take the AC replacement cost off their house offer for your current home though. Maybe you'll get lucky.

I am a former very long time Real Estate Broker and only fools do not ask the seller permission for the buyer to get a complete home investigation inspection. Normally the seller agrees to pay the cost of repairs.

 

[Rambunctious]

Tempe is nice and its also near the University with great restaurants and shopping...

 

[Robert W]

Some friends lived in Phoenix area for years. They loved it. Only reason they moved back east was related to the husband's promotion. Their only ever complaint was about the dust was impossible to keep out of the house. I guess from the decomposing sands.

My grandson for instance, an A student in high school went to a university in CA where he graduated as an expert in computer programming. He is just 27 and earns a whopping $500,000 per year per my daughter. He purchased from his parents the home he grew up in and rents it to others now. He moved out of the SF Bay Area to Denver and now owns two Tesla cars. He travels globally.

 

[Unkotare]

My grandson for instance, an A student in high school went to a university in CA where he graduated as an expert in computer programming. He is just 27 and earns a whopping $500,000 per year per my daughter. He purchased from his parents the home he grew up in and rents it to others now. He moved out of the SF Bay Area to Denver and now owns two Tesla cars. He travels globally.

As opposed to intergalactically, or to the center of the earth?

 

[Robert W]

As opposed to intergalactically, or to the center of the earth?

What he did with his parents' home is he poured maybe $300,000 into remodeling it. He now works for Facebook and posts there. And his posts are timed to be eliminated in 24 hours.

Here is one of his posts at Facebook.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Totally not answering your question but rather an unsolicited piece of advice: If I were you, I would use a part of my savings to fund my offspring's college education.

I wouldn't do that. College is an expensive joke. Half of college grads will get a job that doesn't even require a college degree, but 100% of the ones without mommy and daddy paying for it, or hard-to-get scholarships, will graduate with massive debt and no real way to pay it off. By the time his kids are in college, a 4 year degree will be more than a house. **** that. I got a 4 year degree from a university. I have NEVER had a job that required a college degree. Even after college. But lo and behold, I bought a new car with cash AND paid off my house with a check LONG before my college-educated friends did who got college degree required jobs. Why? Because I got tired of the crap jobs I was getting with my 4 year degree, and went BACK to a 2 year tech college and got a degree in aviation maintenance. THAT'S when my career took off. I didn't stay working as a mechanic, but I did stay in transportation. I did keep my FAA license for my A&P and also my pilots license. Always work I can fall back on if needed. Everyone I went to school with that I know has car payments and a mortgage if they even own a home. I owned 3 cars and 2 motorcycles and two bass boats outright by the time I was 32, with one car and both motorcycles being new bought with cash, and paid off my 30 year mortgage 23 years early, SAVING over $125,000 in interest, at the age of 38. All of this having NEVER used my college degree. I have never, in my entire life, had a car payment. If I couldn't write a check to buy the vehicle outright, I didn't buy it at all. New or used. I won't even mention the boats I own outright, no boat payments, either. Nice Ranger with a 150.

In fact, my degree COST me jobs. I went to job interviews and in the middle of the interview the interviewer says, "You have way more education than what is needed for this job. I don't think you're a good fit." Now keep in mind, it was a decent paying job not far from my house, which is hard to find where I live out in the boonies. Nope, wouldn't give me a second look, because of my college degree. Now why they couldn't have made that decision BEFORE calling me in for an interview, I'll never know.

The Jobs and Degrees Underemployed College Graduates Have

More than half of U.S. college graduates started out with jobs that don’t require a college degree. A blog post explores how underemployment affects careers and income.

www.stlouisfed.org

Go to a trade school or something. Very little or no debt and a very good job waiting for you at graduation. Employers GO TO tech colleges and sign agreements with students about job guarantees upon graduation. Some of these, especially in things like electrical, welding and HVAC, can be 6 figures out of trade school. 6 figures and no debt upon graduation, sounds like a winner to me. If you dare to be a truck driver, there are trucking companies (not any I would recommend but they do exist) that will PAY FOR YOU to go to CDL driving school, if you sign an agreement to work for them when you graduate. It's not the best way to get into truck driving, but it's an option. And one that won't cost you anything.

 

[g5000]

I'm a regional VP where I work and my territory covers Las Vegas, where we currently live, as well as southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. When we moved out here 13 years ago for this position we chose Las Vegas due to the lower cost of living, lack of state income tax, less traffic and also because my brother was a detective here with Metro. We've enjoyed our time here, but we're kind of over Vegas now. My son is out of college and we no longer need this house. Plus, this house was built in the mid-90s and the AC and air handler are original, so they're 30 years old and we're already on borrowed time. Replacing those will probably run about $15,000 and it would be nice if that could be the next owner's problem to deal with. We already had to spend $17,000 last year completely remodeling the master bathroom due to a leaking pipe.

I really like Tempe in the Phoenix area. My company has a large admin office there I can work at just a five minute drive from downtown Tempe or ten minutes by light rail. I could even walk if I wanted when it's not too hot out. There are a lot of really nice condos right in the thick of it and so much is in walking distance with the university nearby that we would hardly need to drive. Anyone in the Phoenix area? Do you like it there? We'd probably only be there for a few years. Ultimately, we want to move back east, somewhere in the south, and buy an old Greek Revival, Italianate, or Colonial style home and restore it.

Phoenix is running out of water. The Colorado River is down to a trickle.

 

[Quasar44]

Even miserable me ..loves Phoenix

This City was promised to me 3500 years ago

I will never ever leave this city

 

[Quasar44]

City of wonderful white and Mexican peoples

Not a thug or Jew for miles

 

[Zincwarrior]

I'm a regional VP where I work and my territory covers Las Vegas, where we currently live, as well as southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. When we moved out here 13 years ago for this position we chose Las Vegas due to the lower cost of living, lack of state income tax, less traffic and also because my brother was a detective here with Metro. We've enjoyed our time here, but we're kind of over Vegas now. My son is out of college and we no longer need this house. Plus, this house was built in the mid-90s and the AC and air handler are original, so they're 30 years old and we're already on borrowed time. Replacing those will probably run about $15,000 and it would be nice if that could be the next owner's problem to deal with. We already had to spend $17,000 last year completely remodeling the master bathroom due to a leaking pipe.

I really like Tempe in the Phoenix area. My company has a large admin office there I can work at just a five minute drive from downtown Tempe or ten minutes by light rail. I could even walk if I wanted when it's not too hot out. There are a lot of really nice condos right in the thick of it and so much is in walking distance with the university nearby that we would hardly need to drive. Anyone in the Phoenix area? Do you like it there? We'd probably only be there for a few years. Ultimately, we want to move back east, somewhere in the south, and buy an old Greek Revival, Italianate, or Colonial style home and restore it.

Its really hot there.

 

[mudwhistle]

Well they are pretty similar but yeah I guess he would be used to "the oven" in Summer.

AZ is great in the Winter. Really pretty.

 

[MarathonMike]

AZ is great in the Winter. Really pretty.

The more North you go, the more trees and water you see. Seven or eight months out of the year it's great, four or five months are friggin hot.

 

[HikerGuy83]

I live in Northern Arizona, but 12 years ago I lived in Tempe for 2 years. You know it's hot, but if you have been living in Vegas, it shouldn't be a problem. I haven't spent much time there in the last 12 years, but Tempe and the rest of the valley is ok as far as city life goes. (Yeah there are parts of the city you don't really want to go, but all cities have that) I have spent a little time in Las Vegas, not much, but a little. In my opinion, you will be happy moving from Vegas to Tempe.

Mesa Rocks !!!!

Tempe is a left-wing, 15 minute loving city.