Moving to AZ - research thread

People share the same sentiments with Phoenix. With that said I think most people are referring Tucson or Phoenix proper.

I wouldn't want to live in Tucson proper, but some of the surrounding areas like others have mentioned are nice: Oro Valley, Marana (my mom lives here), Saddlebrook, Oracle.

There's parts of Phoenix I wouldn't want to live in for the same reasons.

Keep in mind how huge Phoenix Metro really is. You can drive 1hr in either direction and still be within whats considered Phoenix. Maricopa County is the 4th largest by population and 1 or 2 by area (last I checked).

One last thing to understand is that, generally speaking, people from Tucson dislike Phoenix and visa versa. Not to imply that anyone here has been unreasonable with thier info, but there's a rivalry between the two cities that goes way back. Think; ASU v UofA as to Yankees - Red Sox.

No dig on the Old Pueblo, I have plenty of friends and coworkers there.

Lastly, vehicle emissions. AZ only requires them in Maricopa and Pima Counties. Any where else is the state is currently exempt.

 

what is a crazy sovereign citizen nut?

 

As a Wyomingite I find it comical that an hour away is considered "middle of nowhere."

 

that’s what the boss says brother , so that’s what we must calculate, lol

 

I'm a big fan of Oracle, Az. Kind of artsy. 4500' elevation. About 25 minutes from major stores in Oro Valley. Maybe hits a 100* a few times a year. Usually 10-12* cooler than Tucson. So close to 20* cooler than Phoenix area. Snows about the same. Lots of oak trees, trails, hills, and a whole different vibe than Tucson.
Can be a bitch if you work downtown Tucson or in the city proper.
Semi -decent places from the mid $300's (although slim pickens) to well over a million for the real nice stuff.

 

As others have said, midtown Tucson can be pretty crappy. There are pockets of nice, but..... The homeless, drug addict situation is pretty bad. And seems to be getting worse. With it comes the crime. It's pretty bad per capita. Tucson is a fairly low wage city. And some areas reflect that. I work smack dab right in one of the worst parts of the city. Gun shots, helicopters, sirens, police chases are a nearly nightly occurrence. Nothing good happens around railyards!
Sounds like you're looking for something farther away however. Oro Valley, Catalina Foothills, Casa Adobes, Marana, Sahuarita, Green Valley, Oracle, Vail, Sonoita, Elgin, Oracle, are all pretty decent to very, very nice.

 

I agree, I grew up in Marana and spent a lot of time in Oro Valley. I also have a soft spot for Mt. Lemon, Sabino Canyon and all the outdoor activities in the area.

 

Take it to PMs guys. It's bound to go political and doesn't help the OP to argue here.

 

Alright, I think this one should work to my drawn-by-crayon area: https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sa...gionId":"f02de66b7fX1-CR6uyk4m3devoe_1bhhku"}

Toasty has been here, but BoatHauler never wants to visit. On that note, I need to set up a garage day at my house in the AZ Meet & Greets thread now that there's an end in sight for the heat.

 

Yeah! I have a tranny cooler collecting dust in my garage

 

I think @AT x AT is eyeballing that upgrade as well

 

I’ll check that out , I don’t have to commute anywhere

 

thanks for the suggestions, I’ll check out those places , and ya I don’t want any of that bs you mentioned , not interested in that especially for the type of coin being talked about

 

We can do a 2 for 1 install!

 

this please ^

 

If my wife had her way, we'd already be living there.

 

Weather in oracle looks promising, a tad warmer than Prescott

I’ll check that out , not sure how far away from stuff though, but I’ll look into it

 

Under 30min into Oro Valley which should have everything you need.

 

I’ll scope it out

man that oro valley monthly temps look good

what’s the story there , super pricey ? Or not decent sized lots ?

or is that the crap area some are taking about

 

There’s a Ritz Carlton, if that gives you context. And BoatHauler lives there.

 

i see, a quick googley search says average income is 135 ish and ave home sale is 500-600 ish

not sure how entirely accurate that kinda stuff is

 

Gilbert and Chandler have so many soccer mom karens who love their HOA, I dont even bother looking for the good parts of it.

 

I’m HOA-less But yes. There are a lot of suburbia bullshit pockets in both.

 

I'll be checking some of these areas out, although I'm about 15 years behind you on relocating
Thanks for the thread.

 

An HOA is not a deal killer for me, I have one here, it depends on the bylaws of course and the cost

 

Oh yeah, Prescott and some of its surrounding areas (Williamson Valley especially) are terrific places to live. And yeah the heat and intensity of the sun hits different up higher for sure. You can get sunburned really quick at elevation. Learned that the hard way when I first moved to Prescott lol

 

Home Depot, Wallymart, Target, PetSmart, and a whole crap load of restaurant chains, etc, are about 25 minutes away in Oro Valley.. One big grocery store, and some chain restaurants a bit closer in Catalina. Catalina and Oro Valley are the closest towns.
A few local non-chain restaurants and cool market in Oracle itself.