Anyone from AZ? Can you tell me about life there?

[Sue G in PA]

I've been feeling rather stuck in a rut lately. Dh as well. His job is getting more and more demanding and has never provided enough for our family. I grew up in MD until I left for college in Gettysburg, PA and then returned to MD for a while and now am back in PA. So, it's either been MD or southern PA. I want a change. I have family near Phoenix. Dh could pretty easily find a teaching job there, but the pay would be substantially less than he makes now. However, I suppose the standard of living is less? Can you tell me about the:

1. Weather

2. People

3. Cost of living

4. Housing prices

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.

 

Thanks!

[Georgiana Daniels]

Homeschool laws are definitely friendly out here in AZ. Not sure about Phoenix-specific questions, except to say it's hot Hot HOT! Some parts of the Valley are nicer than others. Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and Avondale are pretty nice. Not sure about the home prices--I *think* they are reasonable down there, unlike where we live which has priced working families out completely, even with the recession.

[Joanne]

I lived in AZ for 8 years before moving back to TX. Homeschool laws are easy, all you have to do is file one paper.

 

There are many homeschoolers and lots of homeschooling activities, options, styles, events.

 

The people? A mix. It struck me as it's own entity. A mix, leaning liberal, a wide diversity of ethnic and spiritual cultures. Native American, LDS, conservative Christian, pagan. I found people less intense than Florida and certainly the northeast but more uptight than North Carolina or Texas.

 

I lived in Chandler (near Phoenix).

 

Housing has changed since I've lived there (6 years ago now).

 

If you *do* move, I can put you in touch with homeschoolers I know already who can assist you. I loved living in AZ. Heat doesn't bother me, though, so that issue was a non issue except how it limited outdoor play for my then littles.

[3byzaz]

1. Weather - I am in southern AZ, but my brother and best friend live there. It is HOT there in the summer. I love the hot, though!! It is beautiful in the 'winter'!!

2. Phx seems to be well run - lots of freeways, more green than where I am. My friend has a lot of friends up there - seem to be lots of great people - pretty Christian if that matters.

3. The cost of living used to be a lot lower than the east...I am from NJ - it is still probably a lot cheaper, but not as much so.

4. Housing went up through the roof, but has come down some.

5. I like Mesa - and as the pp said Scottsdale and the North suburbs are really nice, but more costly. The south ones are filling up and are nice I notice as I drive through.

6. What laws--AZ is very homeschool friendly. I am always a little envious of how supportive Phx is to h.s'ers compared to my area - they have quite an active h.s'ing community. Phx seems to be pretty republican/conservative.

7. Did I mention that it is hot?? :lol: (It has been 90-94 the last few days) It took a lot to get used to it here - I really missed the green and ocean, but I like it now. Really hate the cold - so I love the heat, but a lot of people don't. And, it's very big!! I really like Phoenix, though - more than here. Oh, and my friend has a LOT of friends who have lost their job up there - and I don't know anyone here...not sure what that means??!

 

Good luck with your decision!

[Sue G in PA]

Joanne, Chandler is one of the places we were looking at. My family lives in Goodyear and a friend of mine just moved to Chandler where her dh is pastoring a church. So, you liked it in AZ? I'm quite fond of the Fall here in PA (leaves changing, falling, etc.) but not of snow. I like grass. I don't mind heat if I have AC to escape to or access to a pool or pond to cool off, kwim? I think i'd love the mild temps all year. It's the desert climate/scenery that might bother me having grown up around her where the seasons change quite dramatically.

[ConnieB]

I've been feeling rather stuck in a rut lately. Dh as well. His job is getting more and more demanding and has never provided enough for our family. I grew up in MD until I left for college in Gettysburg, PA and then returned to MD for a while and now am back in PA. So, it's either been MD or southern PA. I want a change. I have family near Phoenix. Dh could pretty easily find a teaching job there, but the pay would be substantially less than he makes now. However, I suppose the standard of living is less? Can you tell me about the:

1. Weather

2. People

3. Cost of living

4. Housing prices

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.

 

Thanks!

Weather.....extremely hot in the summer. Around here the news weather guy takes bets from the anchors about when we'll hit triple digits.....when it's a bad year that happens in May and doesn't stop until mid October....good years it waits until June, but still doesn't stop until October, lol. BUT.....we have NO SNOW in Phoenix. The last time it even pretended to snow was in the mid 90's one winter but not even enough to make a snowball. And.....from mid October to May or June (see above, lol), the weather is drop dead gorgeous. As you might guess from my comments, I hate the heat......but having grown up on the east coast I'll take it any month over snow. Every building has air conditioning so in the summer you go from your a/c house to your a/c car to the a/c building......but at least I can get out of my house! I remember way too many winters not being able to get outside until someone shoveled us out.

 

People: We are definitely more laidback here than east coast. And more casual. Going to the ballet tomorrow for opening night.....going to wear blue jeans and we will fit right in with 70% of the crowd....the other 30% dress up, so if you can't imagine going to the ballet in jeans, you're fine in your high heels. Think wild west, cowboy atmosphere.

 

Cost of living: Well, it's definitely cheaper than California. Unfortunately the folks in California (ok, we were one of them but that was 14 years ago) have discovered us and are moving here in droves. Before the recession they were bringing all that cashed out equity with them and raising our housing prices. We have crashed like many states in the recession. But....we have it all, we have houses under $100k and we have a lot of million dollar homes as well. In a good neighborhood, a decent sized house you can average $150-250k. Plenty on either end without having to live in questionable neighborhoods.

 

Good neighborhoods....well, the strange thing about Phoenix and the surrounding valley is that it's not rated by town.....there are great parts of Phoenix and not so great parts. Scottsdale and Fountain Hills are probably the "rich" part of town, but Scottsdale most definitely has some scary neighborhoods also (FH not as much, but I'm sure they are there). Mesa and Tempe are probably the moderate having more good neighborhoods than either great/bad. Tempe is a university town, so depending on what your DH teaches, that may be a good choice.

 

The Valley is big.....without commute traffic it can still take you two hours to go from the far west to the far east side. So you will definitely want to know where he's going to work before you start choosing a town to live in. My DH works 17 miles from home and most days it takes him 30 minutes to get home.....but they did such a poor planning job for freeways that one accident that closes a lane or two, and there are no real alternate routes except city streets.

 

Homeschooling in the Phoenix Valley is wonderful. The laws are easy.....within 30 days after you begin homeschooling in Arizona you must file a single page document "Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool" that you can download off the Superintendent of Schools website, have it notarized and provide a certified copy of the child's birth certificate. Ok, you're done. You don't have to do this again. There is no testing. There is no reporting. There is no portfolio requirement. No one will come to check if you are doing what you're supposed to (the law does specify that you must provide instruction in math, reading, social studies, science). There are no requirements of the parent doing the teaching (not even a high school diploma is required). The Superintendent's office is "happy to help" if you have any questions or need help. (Ok, but I don't know anyone who has taken them up on the offer, lol).

 

There are LOADS of support groups all around the valley, there are many co-op groups. In fact, I've often joked that so long as you were willing to drive to all the different groups, you wouldn't have to teach your kids anything, the co-ops could do it all. My kids take Logic and Latin and have done theatre as well. We'll probably do co-op for high school science simply because I can't afford all the lab equipment we would want available. There are homeschool athletic groups. There are homeschool PE co-ops. You name it, there is likely a co-op somewhere. Not just in academics either.....there is a lady who coordinate fine arts field trips to live theatre, opera, ballet, symphony......not just one or two a year, but probably 50 or more each year. There are craft/art opportunities (we've done ceramics/pottery from a hs mom who brings it all to you, her company is Van Go, lol), there are hs dance and gymnastic classes, the Science Center has developed homeschool classes (that regularly sell out) based on the requests of hs moms....they invite us to their educator conferences. There are literally hundreds of museums in the area...all allow us to go on field trips with the school rates and many have courses specifically from our requests, and most are willing to work with you to create a specific course to match what we're studying (the Art Museum has been fantastic about putting together a tour of the era/artist we want). I could go on and on about how homeschool friendly the Valley has become (it wasn't always this way, but I think I can honestly say that there are very very few businesses that don't recognize our value now).

 

Now....other things......your DH should definitely have a job commitment before moving here. The public school system laid off a large percentage of their teachers last summer.....and just this week there was a request on the ballot to extend a funding source that is set to expire in May....and it failed. That means that next year there is going to be even less money and the prediction is that another large chunk of teachers are going to go. The University level however is building a new huge campus and if he teaches at that level it might be easier to find a job when that opens (phased opening starting in 2010).

 

Ok, you get the idea. Sorry if this is runon and doesn't make as much sense as it should.....I've got a splitting headache/sinus and instead of proof reading, I'm going to go to bed, lol.

 

If you want more specifics, or if something doesn't make sense, PM me. We have one of those field trips I mentioned (the lady doing the fine arts) tomorrow, so I may not be back here until tomorrow night.

[JenneinCA]

Hi

 

I moved from AZ to CA about a year ago due to job issues. We lived in Gilbert for 8 years. My parents and sister still live there and I have many friends there too.

 

1. Weather

 

Hot, hotter and beastly incredibly hot.

The biggest thing this changes for us was park days. There are none. It is too hot to be outside at the park for 8 months a year. There is no way I can describe how isolating the the weather is. People go from one indoor location to another indoor location. It makes it very hard to meet new people and have your kids meet new people too.

 

2. People

 

They are very nice. I knew a mix of LDS folks, very conservative folks, more liberal folks and everything in between. The other big thing to know is that the population changes between about Thanksgiving and May when the "Winter Visitors" arrive from the colder parts of the US and come to AZ. They tend to be older, drive slower, and be more conservative.

 

3. Cost of living

 

It is better than some places and worse than others. It is much cheaper than CA. I don't know what the current prices are.

 

4. Housing prices

 

Again better than some, worse than others. Check realtor.com or someplace like that .

 

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix

 

I lived in Gilbert. I would have been happy in Mesa or Tempe or Chandler too.

 

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?

 

Very homeschool friendly. Fill out one form once (per child) and you are done. No tests. No portfolios. No supervision. Just you teaching your child as you see fit.

 

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.

 

The job market is very very soft. Please make absolutely sure you have a job before you commit. ASU is in Tempe and is a HUGE school. They were not hiring last time my dad looked into it. He teaches forensic photography at the community college. They have plenty of qualified applicants. There are several community colleges, they are of mixed quality. They were NOT hiring either. Actually due to falling enrollment they were canceling classes and letting teachers go. No one else could teach my dad's classes so he got to stay even though he did not have seniority.

 

I don't know what the job situation is at the k-12 level. Please double check that he would have a job before you move. I would hate for you to get moved and then find out you didn't have a job after all.

 

I hope that helps a little. You can ask more questions if you come up with them.

[Ravin]

I highly advise against moving here at 6 mo. pregnant at the start of summer.

 

Let me be clear. The winter here is certainly mild. Calling summers here mild temps is...kind of like calling a Chicago winter mild. It's not mild. It's harsh, miserable, grinding heat. Of course, pools and A/C are available for escape.

 

Homeschooling is easy and there are many, many options. My DD is enrolled as a part-time PS student by attending Eagleridge, a one-day-a-week enrichment program run by the Mesa Unified School District (but open to all Maricopa County residents). There is another such program in the Kyrene school district.

 

Thanks to the housing crisis, houses can be had here cheap. Everything from forclosures to desperate builders guarantee it's a buyer's market now.

 

There are a lot of good neighborhoods; I recommend if you're coming out to be near family that you at least be vaguely near them. If they live in Peoria, you probably don't want to move to Chandler; it's a substantial drive across the metro area. The only thing that's held back Valley Metro Sprawl is that it's hemmed in on some sides by reservations. We live in Tempe, near ASU, and I've lived in Chandler and have friends in Mesa and Gilbert, so I'm definitely partial to the East Valley. There are good areas in Phoenix proper, too, though, especially on the North side of the city.

 

Public transport is a work in progress, but the new train line is very convenient to a lot of downtown Phoenix. The buses are decent in Phoenix and Tempe; so-so in Scottsdale and Mesa, and very sketchy in Chandler.

[Denise in Florida]

Can't help much with current information.

 

But here is my 2 cents. My husband and I grew up in AZ and then lived in New Mexico for 17 years, we are now in Florida and would give anything to get back to the southwest. You might have the opposite feel. I would rather the heat of Arizona over the humidity of Florida any day.:001_smile:

 

I loved the adventure of moving when we left New Mexico first for Missouri then Illinois now Florida. Would not have missed these experiences for the world, but now I want to go home and I don't when or if that will happen.

 

Arizona has more to offer than just the valley. Try some of the smaller mountain towns, the air is clear and the nights get cool.

 

Good luck, I hope you have awesome adventures.

[Denise in Florida]

Just curious, where do you guys (above posters) live in Arizona. I grew up in Bisbee (before the mines closed) and then Globe.

[Danestress]

and until his parents moved, we visited there a lot.

 

I know people will tell you, "It's hot." But really, until you experience it, you have no idea how hot and how relentlessly hot, week after week after week. You go outside at 5:00 a.m. and are hit by a wall of heat. We spent a couple of months there over a summer, and I really couldn't bear it. Even being from a hot, humid state (NC), it was insufferable to me. There were no kids outside playing anywhere and it felt like everyone just lived inside their houses - and not just for a few extra hot days here and there. It was like that everyday all summer. I think it would be a hard place to have young children for that reason. Yes, they had a pool, but the pool water was so miserably warm and the pool deck was blistering. Ugh.

 

On the other hand, as an East coast girl, I could not get over how beautiful it was to drive around Arizona. Phoenix itself wasn't my favorite - it felt like one big strip mall. But the state beyond is just so different from anything I had ever seen and so beautiful. Even the "boring" parts (driving through miles of dessert) were strangely beautiful. I really enjoyed traveling around the state.

 

I also liked the people. They seemed very friendly. My MIL and FIL loved living there.

[3byzaz]

Agreeing with the pp...maybe check out Tucson, Oro Valley, Prescott??

[CathyCDK]

I live in Goodyear, and we like the Southwest valley, about 20 miles west of Phoenix. There isn't as much shopping, mall, cultural places, but there aren't as many people either! And it's much cheaper that other parts of the valley. If you can buy a house here, now is the time! The housing market crashed, and it's flooded with foreclosures and short sales.

 

We've been here for almost 10 years. One thing we've noticed, and don't like, is that hardly anyone is from here, and most people aren't staying long. It seems that there is little personal investment in community because there is very little heritage here.

 

 

You will find many choices in homeschool support groups where ever you chose to live. Check out www.afhe.org for a list of support groups.

 

Also, if you check out www.bestplaces.net to compare a couple dozen demographics from zip code to zip code. You can see cost of living figures, political and religious make up, crime, climate, ecomonic data and more.

 

I wish you the best!

 

Cathy

[BakersDozen]

We've lived in Flagstaff, Mesa and now Prescott. We adjusted to the heat and learned to work around it (meaning our park days began at 7:00am and were over by 9:00). I loved having a pool but the winters I never got used to simply because I couldn't reconcile summer weather in December. Even now when I drive down from Prescott I love leaving the Valley and getting back to changing seasons and cool nights. What I love most about AZ is that in just a few hours you can be in an entirely different type of country. For example, I can be in high desert yet in 1hr15min be in the pines of Flagstaff or blistering in the Phoenix heat. There is a lot to do as far as field trips and cool historic sites. And you can't beat the hs laws!

[Devotional Soul]

I loved living in Sedona's Oak Creek canyon. When it got too hot, I'd go to Flagstaff.

[Sue G in PA]

Well, thanks so much for all the replies! Seems that you either love the heat or hate the heat. My uncle said the heat was not as bad as on the east coast b/c there was no humidity. I don't like the heat and I love being outside with the kids. I suppose I could get used to that, though. I'll check out the neighborhoods you all suggested. Dh has been job hunting and sees opening for special ed. teachers near Phoenix (he has taught special ed before and enjoyed it). Salaries are low so I was wondering if salaries jived with the housing prices and cost of living. KWIM? I'm tired of living one step above poverty. Seems though that from Oct. - May the weather is beautiful. I could handle that! And, I'd prefer heat over snow...can't stand snow. Brrrr.... Anyway, thanks for all the info!

[BikeBookBread]

Well, thanks so much for all the replies! Seems that you either love the heat or hate the heat. My uncle said the heat was not as bad as on the east coast b/c there was no humidity. I don't like the heat and I love being outside with the kids. I suppose I could get used to that, though. I'll check out the neighborhoods you all suggested. Dh has been job hunting and sees opening for special ed. teachers near Phoenix (he has taught special ed before and enjoyed it). Salaries are low so I was wondering if salaries jived with the housing prices and cost of living. KWIM? I'm tired of living one step above poverty. Seems though that from Oct. - May the weather is beautiful. I could handle that! And, I'd prefer heat over snow...can't stand snow. Brrrr.... Anyway, thanks for all the info!

 

I'm surprised that not one person actually gave a heat NUMBER. How about 120 in July? Yep. I can't tell you how hot it is. No one can tell me that a lack of humidity makes a difference at that point. Just so you understand just how hot HOT is.

 

I think what bothers me the most about the desert is the unwavering sunshine. I know that sounds strange, but day after day after day after day after day of the exact same thing is a downer - not just days at a time but weeks and months without rain. It's my own little desert twist on Seasonal Affective Disorder. Until the rains come......

 

We live in the "monsoon" area....no one mentioned that either. It's not quite as prominent in Phoenix as it is towards the border, but from June to September is the "monsoon" season. Mornings are hot and yes HUMID. In comes a storm and whoooosh it rains SO HARD that you can't go outside. I've attached a picture that was taken September 5, towards end of the season. Trees fall over from high winds, roads can get washed away. The lightning is unreal.

 

And what about critters? Black widows, tarantulas (more cool than dangerous, but BIIIIG AND HAIRY), brown recluse spiders, the very dangerous BARK SCORPION, poisonous centipedes, termites :eek:.

 

And this part is serious: Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of the U.S. IN fact, a co-worker of my husband's was up in Phoenix in a completely "safe" part of town three months ago pumping gas. She was carjacked. THANKFULLY no harm came to her, but can you imagine? Honestly, most of the kidnappings are drug-related, but there are innocent bystanders involved at times, too. Some of them are for ransom, others for retaliation. "TORTURE HOMES" have been found -- I will NOT go into it. My dh has been privy to some of the h*llish behavior...you DON'T want to know. The major reason for this is the proximity to the border and the drug cartels and crime gangs coming over to do their deeds -- PLEASE NO COMMENTS THAT I'M BEING UNKIND TO ILLEGALS OR IMMIGRANTS...THESE ARE FACTS, and I'm not talking about people seeking work in the US, one way or another. Military members are FORBIDDEN now to travel to Mexico across the border via car. It is SO DANGEROUS... this is a relatively new development, maybe four months old.

 

Our brand new, nice, typical suburban development regularly has border patrol helicopters circling at night searching with their big searchlights for illegals coming across the desert. There are home invasions constantly. Our neighbor's brother is a longtime police officer in our city. He said you "can't buy safety here" -- no neighborhood is immune. At least once a month you hear a story about a van flipping on the freeway and multiple deaths...10, 15 people at a time is NOT uncommon...and it's not the lead story on the news, either. You also hear of people dying in the desert from lack of water trying to cross this place -- and it's illegal to leave water for them (talk about in-humane and immoral).

 

So while the world sees this area only as the west coast retirement destination and cheap golf capital of the US, I can HARDLY WAIT to get out of here. I'm not bitter, but I've never been more fearful in a place in my life. When my dh is on a business trip, I hardly sleep.

 

Please, I don't want to be a downer, but I did want to present the "other" side. I know you said you can't stand snow -- but did you know that North Dakota is BEGGING for labor and while the winters are brutal, it is the safest state in the Union? Google Bismarck jobs...

[Kalypso]

I live in the Tucson area and am a transplant from IL. We have been here for 12 years, and the first 5 years were hard for me. There really isn't a change of seasons - I missed that. There is a spring and a hot summer. It isn't quite as hot here as it is in the Phoenix area. It seems like it is about 5-10 degrees cooler.

 

 

I have really begun to appreciate the desert and have no desire to leave here. I love the monsoons in the summer, and I LOVE the endless sunny days unlike the previous poster. I hate the critters but have learned to live with them. (This is not always easy because we have 3 acres of desert and many rattlesnakes.) For me, one of the the huge benefits is not having to buy all the winter gear every year. You can learn to live in the desert and like it. :)

[DesertDweller]

I'm surprised that not one person actually gave a heat NUMBER. How about 120 in July? Yep. I can't tell you how hot it is. No one can tell me that a lack of humidity makes a difference at that point. Just so you understand just how hot HOT is.

 

Well, it rarely hits 120 degrees, but we hit 110+ quite frequently. Think 114. When Monsoon season starts the humidity goes up and the temps tend to go down a bit, but it's little relief because the humidity with 100 degree weather is yuck! Basically, plan to stay indoors in the summer or plan indoor activities. We treat summer like some people treat winter. Get a good movie, some snacks, close the blinds and crank down the air.

 

I think what bothers me the most about the desert is the unwavering sunshine. I know that sounds strange, but day after day after day after day after day of the exact same thing is a downer - not just days at a time but weeks and months without rain. It's my own little desert twist on Seasonal Affective Disorder. Until the rains come......

 

I have to agree with this. I never thought I'd get tired of blue sky and sunshine, but yes, we can go months without rain. Even a cloudy day is appreciated. When it does rain, we get very excited. We usually run outside and stand in it. You'll see others do the same, especially the kids. I always enjoyed the scene from the movie Australia when the rainy season started and they all ran out to the street dancing and jumping. That's close to how we feel when it rains here. And, it doesn't last long. Seldom do we get a day of rain, maybe ten minutes. More if we're lucky.

 

We live in the "monsoon" area....no one mentioned that either. It's not quite as prominent in Phoenix as it is towards the border, but from June to September is the "monsoon" season. Mornings are hot and yes HUMID. In comes a storm and whoooosh it rains SO HARD that you can't go outside. I've attached a picture that was taken September 5, towards end of the season. Trees fall over from high winds, roads can get washed away. The lightning is unreal.

 

And what about critters? Black widows, tarantulas (more cool than dangerous, but BIIIIG AND HAIRY), brown recluse spiders, the very dangerous BARK SCORPION, poisonous centipedes, termites :eek:.

 

I think there's less bugs here than most places, but ants seem to be everywhere. We've been fortunate not to have a scorpian problem. We do however have lots of geckos. The cats think they make great toys and love to bring them in the house. :tongue_smilie:

 

And this part is serious: Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of the U.S. IN fact, a co-worker of my husband's was up in Phoenix in a completely "safe" part of town three months ago pumping gas. She was carjacked. THANKFULLY no harm came to her, but can you imagine? Honestly, most of the kidnappings are drug-related, but there are innocent bystanders involved at times, too. Some of them are for ransom, others for retaliation. "TORTURE HOMES" have been found -- I will NOT go into it. My dh has been privy to some of the h*llish behavior...you DON'T want to know. The major reason for this is the proximity to the border and the drug cartels and crime gangs coming over to do their deeds -- PLEASE NO COMMENTS THAT I'M BEING UNKIND TO ILLEGALS OR IMMIGRANTS...THESE ARE FACTS, and I'm not talking about people seeking work in the US, one way or another. Military members are FORBIDDEN now to travel to Mexico across the border via car. It is SO DANGEROUS... this is a relatively new development, maybe four months old.

 

Our brand new, nice, typical suburban development regularly has border patrol helicopters circling at night searching with their big searchlights for illegals coming across the desert. There are home invasions constantly. Our neighbor's brother is a longtime police officer in our city. He said you "can't buy safety here" -- no neighborhood is immune. At least once a month you hear a story about a van flipping on the freeway and multiple deaths...10, 15 people at a time is NOT uncommon...and it's not the lead story on the news, either. You also hear of people dying in the desert from lack of water trying to cross this place -- and it's illegal to leave water for them (talk about in-humane and immoral).

 

This is a border state, and even in Phoenix, it has an impact on the crime. You can go to the Arizona Republic online to read the daily news here. It's probably worse than many places, but it is a city of almost 3 million? My dh has to be out very early in the morning and in some bad areas. He has a concealed weapons permit, and yes, he has had to pull his gun on a couple occasions.

 

So while the world sees this area only as the west coast retirement destination and cheap golf capital of the US, I can HARDLY WAIT to get out of here. I'm not bitter, but I've never been more fearful in a place in my life. When my dh is on a business trip, I hardly sleep.

 

Please, I don't want to be a downer, but I did want to present the "other" side. I know you said you can't stand snow -- but did you know that North Dakota is BEGGING for labor and while the winters are brutal, it is the safest state in the Union? Google Bismarck jobs...

 

We've been here ten years, and for several years my dh really wanted to move. It is quite a change. Some negatives are definitely the heat, traffic, prices are a bit higher here, almost no rain...

 

On a positive note, I know the economy here is better than in many places. Things that have closed down here have been replaced by other businesses in many cases. The state is beautiful. It's a big city, so you have access to museums, malls, restaurants, colleges, etc.

 

Homeschooling is very easy. There are many support groups and co-ops.

 

I'm not sure the cost of living is cheaper though than where you are. I think there is a place on the internet that you can compare different places. You may want to give that a look. I know housing has come back down, but you still have to pay to live in a decent neighborhood or move farther out. If you move farther out of the city, then you have the commute to work, which can be horrendous in some parts of the city.

 

Anyway, I love it here. Hubby not so much, but here we are.

Eileen

[asta]

110, 114, 120.

 

They are numbers that are hard to conceptualize if you haven't lived in them for several months/years.

 

I would strongly suggest finding a dry sauna (the kind w/o the steam) and sitting in one for 15-20 minutes to see how you handle it mentally. And then do it again and again.

 

It sounds odd, but unless you've grown up with extreme heat, it really isn't something that most people can just "get used to".

 

Traffic? Crime? People (unfortunately) get used to. Extreme heat and cold, not so much.

 

 

a

[Guest xcorvelle]

1. Weather

2. People

3. Cost of living

4. Housing prices

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.

 

Thanks!

 

Weather: I've lived here my whole life (Phoenix) so I don't know anything else, but yes, it is hot!!! in the summer. There are no seasons.....basically just "hot" and "not hot". The good thing is that you can drive less than 2 hours north of the valley and see the leaves change. Everything is air conditioned so yes, it sucks not being able to stay outside for long, but there are a lot of indoor activities.

 

Try to get a house with a garage (or at least covered parking).....it will still be hot when you get in the car but not so hot that you are burning your hands on the steering wheel, or your leg with the metal (or even plastic) part of the seatbelt buckle. :glare:

 

Cost of living: Not super low, but not sky high either. Grocery prices seem to be dropping like a rock lately which is nice. Lots of retail/grocery competition in the valley keeps prices relatively low.

 

Housing prices: The market has crashed here bigtime like others have said. Prices in a lot of areas are half of what they were 4 years ago.

 

Good Neighborhoods: There are good and bad neighborhoods everywhere. It can be a real drag to drive across the valley to go to work, so I would try to work somewhere at least sort of close to wherever your husband finds a job. Many parts of Gilbert, Chandler, North Phoenix, Scottsdale are nice....but there are bad areas everywhere.

 

Homeschool laws...yeah, one piece of paper. There are TONS of homeschool groups and activities everywhere like others have mentioned.

 

Anything else: About the critters. The closer you are to open desert, the more likely you are to encounter scorpions, coyotes etc. In other words if you live near a wash, any amount of open desert, or a very newly developed area, you will see these things on a regular basis. On the other hand, if you live in an older neighborhood (and by "older" I mean areas built out in the 1980's or earlier LOL) you will probably never see any desert critters in your house.....maybe lizzards, but those are harmless.

 

If it wasn't so dang hot here, Phoenix would be near perfect :001_smile:

 

Xylina

[catalinakel]

Well, thanks so much for all the replies! Seems that you either love the heat or hate the heat. My uncle said the heat was not as bad as on the east coast b/c there was no humidity. I don't like the heat and I love being outside with the kids. I suppose I could get used to that, though. I'll check out the neighborhoods you all suggested. Dh has been job hunting and sees opening for special ed. teachers near Phoenix (he has taught special ed before and enjoyed it). Salaries are low so I was wondering if salaries jived with the housing prices and cost of living. KWIM? I'm tired of living one step above poverty. Seems though that from Oct. - May the weather is beautiful. I could handle that! And, I'd prefer heat over snow...can't stand snow. Brrrr.... Anyway, thanks for all the info!

 

If you don't like the heat, and love being outside with the kids....you won't like the southwest. We are near Vegas, and being inside so much because of the heat is the main reason I can't wait to get out of here. It really is oppressive.

[Denise in Florida]

110, 114, 120.

 

They are numbers that are hard to conceptualize if you haven't lived in them for several months/years.

 

I would strongly suggest finding a dry sauna (the kind w/o the steam) and sitting in one for 15-20 minutes to see how you handle it mentally. And then do it again and again.

 

It sounds odd, but unless you've grown up with extreme heat, it really isn't something that most people can just "get used to".

 

Traffic? Crime? People (unfortunately) get used to. Extreme heat and cold, not so much.

 

 

a

 

:iagree:It really is a matter of what you grew up with. I can handle hot and dry, we didn't live in Phoenix, but most summer days were over 100 and I remember playing outside/riding horses all summer as a kid. We were in the high desert (over a mile high) so the air was thin and hot but nothing like 120. I don't think I would like Phoenix, too hot and too big.

 

I can not handle the humidity in Florida, I suffer all summer and feel like the air is so thick and moist that I can't breathe. Would trade for hot dry high desert any day. My family in Arizona refuse to come visit me in the summer. :lol:

[JenneinCA]

Even if *you* and *your family* can handle the heat and being outside, no one else is out there. We would go to the park at 8:30 in the morning and be the only people there. It was already too hot for everyone else and my kids didn't have other kids to play with.

 

We went to McDonald's and other fast food places often because they had indoor air conditioned play areas. I didn't like the food. I didn't like spending the money. But when it was the only place to run and play in the day time, you do what you have to do. My kids still miss the people in Arizona, but they don't want to move back. They like playing outside. They like having other kids to play with outside. They like play structures and slides. I do too.

[Catwoman]

This thread is very interesting to me, because we're wondering what it's like to live in Sedona, Arizona. I know the thread is about Phoenix, and I don't want to hijack it, but if anyone knows about the homeschooling environment in the Sedona area, please let me know!

 

Thank you!

 

Cat

[Renee in NC]

I googled Bismarck jobs and didn't find much - can you link me to something more specific?

[coralloyd]

1. Weather- Yikes! HOT! Tomorrows high will be 87 in November! Earlier this week it was in the 90's. It seems like the heat lasts longer and longer each year. However, it is not too long of a drive to the mountains, where I live ;).

 

2. People- Friendly, You can definately find a group you will fit into, many diff. races, religions,ect..

 

3. Cost of living- Not bad

 

4. Housing prices- Right now you can probably buy a very NICE home in the $200,000's

 

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix- We lived in Goodyear, Peoria, Glendale, & Litchfield Park. These are all good places to live.

 

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?- Very easy, just file a one page affidavit, that's all. No testing, teacher requirements, ect...

 

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.- If you really love the outdoors, I would really concider the heat factor and get a house with a POOL. This is why we moved to the mountains. Just about everything you do in Phoenix is indoors, most of the year. You do get "used" to the heat after a while though. Since we moved 4 years ago, we are not used to Phoenix weather anymore ( it is torcher everytime we go down there:tongue_smilie:).

Shopping is awesome in Phoenix, There is sooo much to choose from, and there are shopping centers everywhere!

Edited November 6, 2009 by coralloyd

[coralloyd]

This thread is very interesting to me, because we're wondering what it's like to live in Sedona, Arizona. I know the thread is about Phoenix, and I don't want to hijack it, but if anyone knows about the homeschooling environment in the Sedona area, please let me know!

 

Thank you!

 

Cat

 

Sedona is a lovely place, with beautiful scenery. It is VERY new age. If this doesn't bother you, then it would be a great place to live.

[catalinakel]

1. Weather- Yikes! HOT! Tomorrows high will be 87 in November! Earlier this week it was in the 90's. It seems like the heat lasts longer and longer each year. However, it is not too long of a drive to the mountains, where I live ;).

 

2. People- Friendly, You can definately find a group you will fit into, many diff. races, religions,ect..

 

3. Cost of living- Not bad

 

4. Housing prices- Right now you can probably buy a very NICE home in the $200,000's

 

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix- We lived in Goodyear, Peoria, Glendale, & Litchfield Park. These are all good places to live.

 

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?- Very easy, just file a one page affidavit, that's all. No testing, teacher requirements, ect...

 

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.- If you really love the outdoors, I would really concider the heat factor and get a house with a POOL. This is why we moved to the mountains. Just about everything you do in Phoenix is indoors, most of the year. You do get "used" to the heat after a while though. Since we moved 4 years ago, we are not used to Phoenix weather anymore ( it is torcher everytime we go down there:tongue_smilie:).

Shopping is awesome in Phoenix, There is sooo much to choose from, and there is shopping centers everywhere!

 

I've lived in Vegas five years and am not used to the weather. There is something diabolical about living in a place that is so obviously uninhabitable without airconditioning for so much of the year.....and, yes, do not move there with out free access to a swimming pool.

[BikeBookBread]

I googled Bismarck jobs and didn't find much - can you link me to something more specific?

 

Here's an article and linked video on this subject posted by one of the local news stations...my Dad (in Washington State) saw a blurb on CNN about two months ago about labor shortages in North Dakota. This article isn't specific, but it still sounds like there is need for workers!

 

I know that Minot AFB just added a new tanker wing, so more jobs were created up in Minot, about 90 minutes north of Bismarck. I loved Minot. It was quite small, but surprisingly cultured.

[ConnieB]

Just curious, where do you guys (above posters) live in Arizona. I grew up in Bisbee (before the mines closed) and then Globe.

 

We started out in Wickenburg, moved to Avondale, then to Anthem, now in downtown Phoenix and looking at houses in Tempe/Mesa/Chandler (mostly a pipe dream, but a girl can dream right?). Have relatives mostly in the far east valley (Apache Junction, Gilbert) and also in Scottsdale.

 

So pretty much everywhere in the Phoenix Valley, lol.

 

If I had my druthers we would live in Tucson (or south of) but DH's job doesn't go that far south.

[Guest janainaz]

I'm so tired of hearing that Arizona is hot! It is! :tongue_smilie: However, it has beautiful weather for a solid 8 months out of the year. No harsh winters, no sticky humidity! Great thunderstorms (especially on the east side of town) and amazing sunsets. You just have to find other stuff to do in the summer.

 

I live in Avondale (right next to Goodyear) and I have also lived in Glendale/Peoria areas (Northwest valley). There are so many nice areas here and the price of houses is great right now.

 

As far as homeschooling, it's very easy here. There are a lot of homeschool groups and activities (especially if you live on the east side of town). I know Chandler is very nice as well as Mesa and Queen Creek. There are nice areas all over.

 

I will say that I have had a hard time finding friendly neighbors. I'm originally from Oklahoma and I have not experienced people here that are super open to really getting to know each other. Maybe it's just our neighborhood. Others may have experienced something different.

 

There are a lot of things to like about Arizona. You can drive an hour and a half and be in Prescott. Sedona and Flagstaff are about 2 hours away (Sedona is amazing!). There are a lot of places you can go during the summer to escape the heat (little weekend trips).

 

I would love to live on the east coast someday. I feel like I was meant to be there. However, I also love the desert beauty! I think I would miss the amazing blue sky here and the sunsets. It's really not a bad place to live at all. Just my 2 cents!

[elw_miller]

1. Weather (in Tempe, AZ)

Do you like heat? I mean really, really hot dragon breathing in your face heat? It's only that hot between about May/June to September/October. Winter temps in Phoenix get down to the 50s and 60s.

2. People

I suppose you'll find the sort of people you'll expect to find. :) We found a good number of excellent people down in Tempe. We rented a house fairly close to the ASU campus.

3. Cost of living

About comparable in some ways at least to western PA. We bought water because we thought the tap water in Tempe tasted yucky, so that was an extra expense. Fuel for the car was about the same price but I drove around a lot more. Cooling a house can get very expensive.

4. Housing prices

To buy a house may still cost SCARY expensive in most of the Valley. We moved to PA from AZ 1 year ago, so I don't know whether or not the prices have dropped that much. We rented a nice 3 bedroom house for a little over $1000. That same modest house could probably have sold for over $300,000 while we were living there. One across the street from us was on the market for over $400,000, if I recall. I am SO glad we rented! Where we're renting now in PA is only slightly less than what we paid down in Tempe.

5. Good neighborhoods around Phoenix

Tempe, parts of Mesa, Chandler, Scotsdale, Ahwatukee (the area south of South Mountain). The zoo is at the northern edge of Tempe, if that's a draw for you. The Tempe library is also really good.

6. Homeschool laws..friendly or not?

Friendly to my knowledge. My eldest is 4 so I hadn't really researched the laws much, but I remember hearing that the state is pretty friendly in that regard.

7. Anything else you can think of that I should know before considering a move to AZ.

How important is the change of seasons to you? How much do you enjoy snow in your yard? Gardening takes some doing--will that bother you? If I think of anything else, I'll add it. It's late and my tired brain isn't thinking so well. :)

[elw_miller]

if you live in an older neighborhood (and by "older" I mean areas built out in the 1980's or earlier LOL) you will probably never see any desert critters in your house.....maybe lizzards, but those are harmless.

 

Depends on how much older. :) We lived in a neighborhood that had been built in Tempe in the 50s. Our house hadn't been updated since then either. We had FANTASTIC neighbors--very friendly, neighborhood block parties twice a year, etc. The critter neighbors, not so nice. We had pest control come every 3 months and we still had probably 12 scorpions get into the house. We had black widows in the backyard on 2 different occasions. And, under my planters in the backyard we discovered an army of cockroaches when we decided to move the planters. Ewww. My 80-year-old neighbor lady got stung by a scorpion that was in her sink. And our backyard neighbor also had a run-in with a scorpion in his house.

 

Thank goodness the lizards are cute! We also had lovebirds visit our feeders, and cute little hummingbirds had nests in our tree.

[ConnieB]

I'm so tired of hearing that Arizona is hot! It is! :tongue_smilie: However, it has beautiful weather for a solid 8 months out of the year. No harsh winters, no sticky humidity! Great thunderstorms (especially on the east side of town) and amazing sunsets. You just have to find other stuff to do in the summer.

 

I would disagree with your "beautiful weather for a solid 8 months".....and say more like 6 solid months. Which still beats snow or even the cold weather of the East Coast any day of the year, lol.

 

But, May 7, 2009 was the first triple digit (and the week before that it was high 90s) and it wasn't until mid October to that it started dipping into the 90's for a few days before going back over 100 and up and down until just two week ago that 80's have become the norm. That's six solid months of 100 degrees (with a absolute high this year of ......and in almost anyone's book that is HOT. The "average" for July 2009 was 109.5.

 

The east valley seems to get the storms more than central or west valley. I really miss the monsoon rains that would happen daily for weeks with exciting lightening displays.

 

But yes, the rest of the year it's gorgeous, and even in the "winter" in the late evening it's still only light jacket weather, if that. I never wear long sleeves it's simply too warm to ever need them (finally trashed them after about 5 years of never wearing them, lol). My "heavy" jacket is a thin denim, not even as thick as cheap jeans, lol. While I'm not a shorts wearer, there are quite a few people who wear shorts even through the winter months.....definitely still need them now since it's still in the 80's and 90s. But unlike the eastern states and even the midwest, 80s is very pleasant because there is no humidity to drag your down....the 90's are warm but still fine to being outside. To me the threshold for outdoor living is 100....once it's over that, I'm inside more than outside. Now, it's just the opposite.....in fact I'm sitting at the park right now on my laptop watching the kids' enjoy the climbing structure. When we were driving up the marquee said 87 degrees.

[DawnM]

Great thread. We too are *considering* a move to AZ. My parents are there and are getting older.

 

I would much rather move back to CA, but don't get me started!

 

Dawn

[Denisemomof4]

we have a beautiful home in Phoenix we are putting on the market. It was my dads and we just can't manage it this far away. It was lived in for 3 six month visits, has some furniture, is in like new condition, is GORGEOUS. If you are interested, let me know.

 

AZ has tons to do but I suspect you spend less time outside June - Aug. When we were there and it was 100 plus degrees out, we didn't need the airconditioning on. And my father had lung issues and he normally couldn't be hot! It was amazing!

 

The house has has a pool and sauna and is being sold at a steal right now. I hate to bring this up, but it's such a gorgeous home. We'd pay double the asking price here in NH for the same home.

[ConnieB]

This thread is very interesting to me, because we're wondering what it's like to live in Sedona, Arizona. I know the thread is about Phoenix, and I don't want to hijack it, but if anyone knows about the homeschooling environment in the Sedona area, please let me know!

 

Thank you!

 

Cat

 

The homeschool laws are the same for Sedona....so very easy to homeschool. It's a much smaller town so there aren't as many groups, but there are still many. There are more opportunities (art, museums, theatre, culture, etc) the nearer you are to major cities, and so Sedona has less to offer in that regard. The trade off is less crime and less crowds, less traffic. The two major homeschool conventions are in the Phoenix valley, so you'd have to travel for those....one in March, the larger one in July (and before someone asks the obvious, why would you have a convention in this crazy heat....it's cheaper to rent the convention center because no one else wants to come here, lol).

 

However, the summers which so many of us have complained about as being too hot in Phoenix are tolerable in Sedona (low 100s are the extremes, instead of 110-115 in Phoenix for weeks on end in July).....because Sedona is in the mountains and therefore much cooler. In fact, Sedona and Flagstaff are two places that many from the Phoenix valley flee to for cooler weekends during the summer. Life is good when you have friends "up there" to go visit once a month (or more), lol. In the winter there is snow....and it can get heavy at times, but those are the exceptions not the norm like it is on the East Coast. Obviously that means the winters are much colder, you'd definitely need jackets, lol.....but for those who really need the change of seasons, it's a great place to live. And gorgeous!

[Devotional Soul]

Sedona is so incredibly beautiful, and an awesome place to grow up! Even the trailer parks are nice, on the rivers with swimming holes and great blue herons flying by and fun trails to hike everywhere. Flagstaff is a 30-45 minute drive away, and there's homeschool groups there:

 

http://www.flagstaffhomeschool.org/

[Catwoman]

I haven't been online much for several days, but I wanted to check in and thank everyone for the info on what it's like to live in Sedona. Several friends have recommended it very highly, but they aren't homeschoolers, so their priorities aren't the same as ours. My biggest fear is that we will buy a house and then find that it's difficult for our 9yo son to make any friends.

 

The Flagstaff group could be a possibility for us, but it sounds like it would be a nasty drive in the winter, so I'm hoping there's a group (small is ok!) closer to Sedona.

 

Thanks again! :001_smile:

 

Cat