chiavet

This is two fold, We might be moving out to Phoenix area due to job. Have been looking via internet at homes. What are good areas to consider, what side of town? Would like a little bit of land with home. Job will be in Tempe. Will also be looking for a club. Not sure if there are requirements for membership in club websites we have viewed. This is not a definite move but are trying to find out as much as possible about the area and the clubs incase it does happen. Any help is appreciated.

blacksedan87

Well - for starters, there is a very active Corvette lifestyle here in the Valley of the Sun! I don't know if you have seen this post - and really I'm sure that there are a number of changes that have occurred in it of which I am not aware. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1555431347-post1.html

This should give you some indication of what there is to do and see that is Corvette oriented.

I know of a club that has been formed by splintering off of one of the established clubs I have listed. Feel free to either call me or PM me for information on that club. I don't have the info with me today, but I have it at the shop and I would be happy to share it with you.

Summer is kind of the slow season for Corvettes in Arizona - exactly the opposite of what occurs in the rest of the country. For example, the forecast for this Thursday calls for 112, not exactly what you'd call ideal for cruising in your Vette! But once summer is but a distant memory, the rest of the year is Corvette paradise!

I wish you the best of luck with your decision - I moved from Chicago almost 20 years ago, and I will say that it was one of the best decisions that I ever made.

Randy

lowflyer1

I'm fairly new to Corvettes, but "old" to Phoenix, and Arizona in general.

My wife and I moved to Phoenix in 1981. We keep asking ourselves where else we might like to live but there is no 1 spot that is any better.

Sure it's hot here in the summer, but the past couple of years have been fabulous the other 8-9 months. Most people don't realize that there is another side to Arizona, in that the northern and eastern parts of the state are mountainous, with elevations in the 5000-7500 feet. This makes for cool weather, both summer and winter. Also, lots of cool, twisty mountain roads to explore.

We joined up with a very fun group, the Unofficial Corvette Club. The "unofficial" part deals with a breakaway some of the members had with a larger "official" club a few years back. The UOCC has no dues, no requirements and no officials. There is a simple attitude, enjoy your car and the people you might meet along the way. Their motto is "if you're not having fun, it's not our fault".

So far, we've gone on several local drive events, a pot-luck dinner and a 3 day cruise along the Coast Hwy in California.

Look us up on the web at www.uocc.org

Ken Edney
Chandler, AZ

drivinfast

Make sure you inquire around and move to a "good side of town"

Phoenix, kidnapping Capital of USA

lowflyer1

Interesting point, that almost never makes the news... the "kidnapping capital of the USA" is almost all caused by illegal immigration. The "Coyotes" who smuggle the illegals here then demand more money for them before they will release them, which is kidnapping.

In the local news, the police are busting about 3-5 "drop houses" full of illegals every week, often with 15-40 people in each house!

That, among other reasons, is why the state passed the law (SB1070) which is a matter of such interest nationwide. If our law stands up in court, I think you will see a lot of other states pass similar legislation.

Feel free to "flame on".

BTW, there is a "good side" to town, but I've found that to be true in just about every place I've ever lived.

Ken

pkincy

A good place to look for housing is South, East or North of Tempe.

South is Ahwatukee, East is Chandler and Mesa, and North is Scottsdale.

The good news is that all housing in the area is on sale given the drop in home values. So you will have built in equity in a few years.

Enjoy.

I live in far North Scottsdale up where their are more critters than people, but there are many many nice areas anywhere you go from Tempe but West.

Perry

roscoe118

Prepare for HEAT!!! Get a house with a pool! Had a co-worker move from Boston to Phoenix several years ago. When I asked how he liked living in Phoenix, he said "not to bad, if you don't mind living ON THE FACE OF THE SUN"...

J/K I have no room to joke living here in Texas!

Good Luck with the move

Tintin

You do not say where you are coming from but if you have a desire to live in the lowest crime and nicest area then you have only one choice and it is Scottsdale north of Shea. Paradise Valley is also pretty nice but can be a bit pricey, it is north of Lincoln and west of Scottsdale Road. There are some nice pockets near downtown Scottsdale as well, I have a friend who is selling a very nice modern house that is about 5000 square feet for only $1.6 million, down about a million from the peak. What price range are you thinking? You can get a super house for under $500K as well in the north area east of the 101 and north of Shea. Send me a pm if you want and I will fire you a response wth my phone number and we can talk about it. I am a computer guy by the way and not a realtor..

lilitaly11

Funny, I was just coming to post similar things.

Does anyone recommend some really nice townhomes in a good area. I have no idea where to even begin (Phoenix, Scotts, Glen, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler)

I am 26 and want a younger living area to meet people but also a nice safe part of town relative to sporting events and night life.

Sorry for stealing thread just figured it would be easiest.

Tintin

Once again, how much money have you got to spend and have you got a familly? If not, I would rent a place first until you get a feel for the area. Most of the nightlife for people your age is in either downtown Scottsdale or Tempe, although Tempe is almost exclusively ASU students.. Once again, pop me a pm and I will give you my number if you want to discuss it.

hotwheels57

I've lived and worked all over the state since '57. I'm qualified to speak about AZ. I've lived in central Phoenix, west valley, east valley, southeast valley and northern AZ.

The most popular spots to live now seem to be in the far west valley metro Phoenix communities of Goodyear, Buckeye, El Mirage, Tolleson, Avondale, Peoria, etc. There's lots of newer housing developments out there. But that's a long/slow commute to Tempe even with the much improved interstate freeway system in metro Phoenix.

The next most popular spot is in the very far southeast valley...Queen Creek and San Tan Valley (which might be eventually incorporated). That area is part of both Maricopa County and Pinal County. The housing out there is plentiful and less expensive, but there are a lot of repossessed homes/foreclosures which blight the neighborhoods. A good time for ready buyers, for sure. But your potential for property values to appreciate may take several years. It's also a long commute to Tempe. I lived out there for sixteen years and commuted daily into metro Phoenix. It took 1.5 to 2.0 hours one way depending on time of day and traffic congestion.

Another popular area is in Casa Grande and the town of Maricopa, both in Pinal County. They're south of the metro Phoenix area by several miles. The connecting highway is I-10, which is the primary interstate highway corridor into metro Phoenix communities for commuters and interstate commercial traffic. Again, housing is readily available now and less expensive. It is a commute into Tempe for your new job.

Tempe by the way is land locked by surrounding communities. It cannot get physically larger than it is now. It can increase in population density.

The metro Phoenix area is comprised of multiple cities and multiple counties now. You don't know when you leave one city/county and enter another. Many cities have their own municipal airports, but the only major metro area airport is in Phoenix and a smaller hub airport in the far east valley.

Definitely do your research through every available resource for both pro/con. The economy has hit AZ harder than most states. Because AZ depends almost entirely on construction/real estate (sales tax) for income, it will take AZ longer to recover from the recession. There are some big employers in metro Phoenix...INTEL, MOTOROLA, USAA and AMERICAN EXPRESS are a few. But like most states, small businesses provide the most jobs and job opportunities are sorely lacking right now.

"Dry heat" is only part of the climate to consider. It is a big adjustment for most people. You hibernate from the heat. You cannot live here w/o air conditioning in the summer months. Summer monsoon season (high heat/humidity, severe dust storms and torrential rain/wind) can dampen a lot of the weekend activities unless you stay inside, which most do in the metro Phoenix area.

Winter months are why most people think AZ is the place to live. While other states are hibernating in the winter, AZ is just beginning to offer the outside amenities that attracts visitors. Within 2-3 hours of metro Phoenix, you can be in the cooler mountains (snow activities), or tubing on a river, or on man made lakes/reservoirs (boating/fishing). There's lots of recreational areas for hiking, camping, sightseeing, etc. Metro Phoenix has Phoenix International Raceway for NASCAR and Firebird International Raceway for NHRA. There are multiple tribes in the metro Phoenix area which operate the casinos.

We're still amidst one of the longest running droughts in recorded history despite record rain/snow from last winter. Most of the metro Phoenix drinking water comes from the Central AZ Project via the Colorado River. We share that with agriculture and other states along the way. CA and NV want more of it. The remainder of AZ communities use ground water which can't be replenished as quickly as it's used.

Aside from the normal congestion of 6.5+ million people (most of whom live in metro Phoenix communities), there's crime, corruption, illegal immigration, pollution, and now severe budget crunches for the state, counties and cities. That effects education, health care and public safety. The state sales tax had to be temporarily increased to reduce further cut backs in those services we expect. Some metro Phoenix cities are also increasing sales tax. Our politics here have never been worse at the Maricopa County (metro Phoenix) and state level. No one gets along with each other so little gets accomplished with each legislative session. Our legislature is currently Republican controlled with a Republican governor and they can't even get along with each other. That effects every citizen in the state.

If you live within Maricopa County (all of metro Phoenix communities) or commute for employment into Maricopa County from another county, state statutes require emissions testing. FYI, there is no grace period to obtain vehicle registration or operators license. You are considered a resident once you buy a home, or begin a job, or have children enrolled in school, or obtain any AZ licenses/permits for CCW, fishing, or vote, etc.

If, heaven forbid you are laid off from your potential new job, AZ ranks lowest in the country for unemployment benefits. And unfortunately, unemployment has been higher in AZ than most other states because AZ is so dependent on the construction industry, primarily housing.

Keep an open mind that no place is perfect. Just some things to consider...

lowflyer1

Very well said Hotwheels.

You covered a lot of topics, and gave a lot of good advice.

It all goes back to a comment I made earlier... there is no ONE place that's perfect. Phoenix goes from being the "Valley of the Sun" to the Surface of the sun in the summer, which is why most people escape to other areas in the summer.

One of the good things is that you can drive just a couple of hours north or east and be up in the mountains where it's normally about 15-20 degrees cooler during the day and even cooler at night. Heck, we even have a decent snow skiing season, for those into that sport.

I would also agree with renting for a year to give yourself a chance to find an area you want to buy into. The way things are going at the moment, it's unlikely that we're going to see any serious increase in housing prices within the next year or two (if ever). It's definitely a buyer's market.

Besides, at 26 years old, what has he got to lose?

Ken Edney
Chandler, AZ

lilitaly11

Thanks for the info guys sorry about lack of info on my end.

It will be me and my wife with no kids. We owned from 05-09 and wont go down that road for a while as with my wifes job we will move every 1-2 years. So we are looking for a nice upscale 3 - 4 bedroom townhome 2000k + sq ft with that resort atmosphere (nice big pool and gym, ect.)

As fas as the heat goes were in SoFL so we know what hot is although its 2 different feelings. For the most part I am not worried about that.

Main concern is a nice place in a good safe area. Then being close to baseball field, basketball areana and just nice bars, food ect. Here in West Palm I can get everywhere within an hour and within 20 min basically everything you can think of, only thing an hour is Marlins and Hockey areana.

Thanks

chiavet

Thanks for all the information especially hotwheels and lowflyer. You brought some information to light that we hadn't known about or considered. We are not taking this potential move lightly. We both have lived in the midwest most our lives with side moves to CA & TX. We enjoy our lives here and what we have and have not decided if we really want to make this type of change with retirement not that far off.

Anyway, again thanks for all the information, we have alot of info and alot to consider.

lilitaly11

Here in FL there is no state tax, is there any in AZ? If so how much as how does that work exactly?


Thanks

Tintin

There is a state income tax that is about 4.5%. There are , however hardly any property taxes at all and water is basically free. My property taxes are way less than $2000/yr and the water bill is always less than $100- When I lived in Cal my property taxes would have risen to about $15K right now and it cost a good friend of mine $1,600 to fill his pool. Same as mine and mine was $24-.. big difference. Absurdly cheap electricity too.. If you are in West Palm then you will have zero desire to live in any of the cities mentioned by Hotwheels. They are like Hallendale...

usiikent

Chandler is a great place to live. Close enough to Tempe for work and play but far enough away you can relax. We have a few house in Chandler and they always rent fast. Sorry nothing open now.

If you want more land move further south in Chandler.

Chandler is akin to a more spread out Scottsdale. We have great resturants, large mall, quaint downtown, subdivision, and larger horse lots.

Rush hour to Tempe is up the 101 or 10 and last from about 7:30 to 8:30, but I've not timed it in a few months, as most of my work is from home.

Send me a pm when your in town, we'll show you around.

hotwheels57

Start your research here on state tax rates...

http://www.azdor.gov/About/FAQs/MovingtoAZ.aspx

Keep in mind that counties and cities have their own systems.

As I said this state depends almost entirely on sales tax as revenue. That's great when the economy is good. But home sales, tourism, construction, car sales and all business sales are down. No income means no services. Cities share in the sales tax generated. The cities shares are down, so cities may have to increase their sales tax. The state had to temporarily increase the state sales tax rate. And note that that wasn't done by the legislators, it was overwhelmingly approved by special election.

This is a critical time in AZ with school districts having to lay off teachers/custodians and combine or close school districts. Some cities have had to lay off police and fire personnel, close or curtail hours of libraries and pools and other city services. The state has already closed down numerous state highway rest areas and state parks. There is a hiring freeze at all levels. The three state universities increased the cost of tuition due to reduced funding. AZ is also under federal court ruling requirements to fund segments of education and health. AZ unemployment was at 9.6% in May 2010.

It took almost a year for our Republican controlled legislature to come up with a plan to reduce the fiscal year 2010 budget. And that was after we were well into the fiscal year of 2010. Nobody could agree on how to do it. They took from every source of income they could find including "rainy day funds", public parks endowments and severely slashing budgets of every state agency. The governor called the legislature back to session so many times to fix the budget there wasn't even a traditional legislative break. Other legislation was ignored while the budget was debated. They were opposed to the temporary sales tax which the Republican governor proposed. FYI, that increase will barely generate enough income to keep services at current levels. More anticipated budget cuts could reduce services to 2004 (or earlier) levels. The state cannot spend more money than it takes per the state constitution.

The 2011 fiscal year starts July 1 with the revenue shortfalls at least as bleak as 2010.

http://www.ospb.state.az.us/document...mmaryFINAL.pdf

lilitaly11

I think we are pretty comfortable to say we want to find a place to rent in Scottsdale. With that said does anyone know of nice townhomes with that resort feel with nice big pool and resort living. Looking for community of younger professionals.

Couple random questions, is there a Wachovia, Bank of America and Suntrust in Phoenix area?

Thanks for all the help guys, look forward to some meets out there in our new home.

lilitaly11

Townhome search has hit a big wall now looking at homes. Is the Glendale area nice? We like SCottsdale but are having trouble finding places. Most the nice place are very far north Scottsdale. After looking at the Glendale website it looks like they have a nice downtown and a couple night life locations as well as baseball, hockey, and football. So would Glendale would a nice area to live or north in Peoria?

Thanks againl