"do i really want to live here?"
the wife and i have been talking lately about where we would move to if the chance came up!
We are getting real sick of the cost to live in the sunny state of California, so i bring this up to you all!... where do you live? and why do you prefer to stay?
we are taking into acct. that we need to be in a business comunity for my wife would still like to work for a bit, and i can still do fiberglass work!
any help would be deeply appreciated!
thanks, Todd and juzz and savanah!
I live in Mesa Arizona. The heat radiates off all the concrete like a super oven, there are no trees, we are smog infested, hours away from any of the "big" lakes, noone speaks English, traffic is horrible, gas is expensive, and most of the people that I run into love to live here. Did I mention the heat? Go figure.
You forgot to mention the scorpions.... gotta love those scorpions if you live in Mesa.....
Well, I just left Temecula exactly one week ago. With the exception of my time in the Navy, I have lived in either Mission Viejo or Temecula my entire life. The wife and I have just purchased a home in Queen Creek, Az. It is 25 miles SE of Downtown Phoenix. While it is a bit warm (107 today), other then that it is a very nice place to live. Imagine a master planned community (Power Ranch) with a golf course (if you play) surrounded by ranches and farm land. It is a bit slower here, but a very pleasant change. So far I have met neighbors from Cerritos, Torrey Pines, Scripps Ranch, Irvine and Glendora. The wife and I missed the boat on a home purchase in SoCal before all heck broke loose with the housing market. Everyone I met from SoCal have owned there, cashed out and came out here and paid cash for their new and in most cases bigger homes. I can realistically be in downtown Phoenix in 30 minutes. It is 2 1/2 hours to Blythe if you are towing the boat, I am not sure about Parker, I would estimate 3 hours. Lake Powell is about 5 hours from what I hear. There several lakes out here, some are great some are ok from what I hear as well. While we do already miss SoCal, it is only 5 hours away, 7 by U-haul. If you are really serious about leaving SoCal and want a serious change in pace, I would consider Queen Creek
I moved south of Bullhead City and love it. Mohave county has a pop of 114k and that is fine for me. Lots of glass work around LHC and this area with all the boat builders and repair work. Lots of new construction going, river 2 min, lake mohave 20 min, mead 1 hr, look across river and see:yuk: calif. Lower car ins, property taxes, homeowners insurance, gas prices. and we got a Wal-mart supercenter!!!!
I was borned and raised in Huntington Beach then moved to Las Vegas for 10 years and now I am back in HB. I loved both, but only because I am a boater. If you dont do the things in the desert like MC riding, boating, etc I doubt people, in general, would like the deserts like Phoenix and LV. Just my opinion. It gets really hot in the summer and cold as hell in the winter. Windy too.
I cant be happier here in HB. But, that is cuz I have family here too. If you cant deal with traffic and crazy house prices, then you will love it here. If not, you will undoubtedtly hate it.
I have lived in SoCal for about the last 20 years, Costa Mesa, Balboa Island, Newport Beach and Mission Viejo. My wife and kids cashed out and moved out to Anthem AZ almost a year ago. Now Mission Viejo is one of the best places to live, IMHO, but Anthem is very nice, especially if you have young kids.
Anthem is ~14 miles north of Phoenix on I-17. It is a master planned community with 2 golf courses, small fishing lakes, huge park, sports park, skate park, outdoor roller hockey rink, etc. We have our own indoor 3 story rock climbing wall, and our own private water park with 2 good sized slides. It is about 10 minutes from Lake Pleasent, about 3 hours from Havasu, Parker area, 4 Hours to Vegas area.
I was afraid of the heat, but so far it has been beautiful, the evenings are awesome. It has been up to 110, but it is generally about 5 degrees cooler than down in town.
As far as price, we sold a 1700 sq ft condo in Mission Viejo and bought a 3400 sqft house (single story) for $100K LESS.
Check it out...
http://www.delwebb.com/anthemarizona/
The heats not that bad once your blood thins water. So many people from Cali here that its starting to be just like Cali. Hell I cant even strap my glock on without some one pointing me out in a crowd. Thats why we used to have less crime here. Now every one who has moved here has changed it.
toddnjuzz, I moved from Venice California To Mesa Arzona in 1989 and this is one of the nicest cities I have ever been in. I would never of own a house with a lake behind it in Cali. I'de still be paying 1500 for a shack with crack heads waiting till I left to raid the pad.
Its not cheapper here its just Hot. People have change in the last 5 years.
My neighbors are awesome. I could go away for days and not worry about the pad. We are tight.
Your nieghbor hood is what you make it. People know that here. Great family values. It took me some getting used to when my neighbors waive at me with a smile. Yea all four fingers and a thumb.
I still miss the Beach but the many lakes around Phoenix makes up for that. GOOD LUCK on your decision
Some Kind Of Monster, I'm bilingualI speak spangalish
Floored I remeber that boat at Suguaro & Bartlett. Still got the Olds in it? It was fast.
We live in mission viejo and love it, but I work in irvine and it is a short drive, wife works in cypress a bit longer. I am glad we bought our house 6 years ago because I could never afford the prices they are going for now. I just had a drive by apprisal and it came back at 560.000.00 1500 sqft 4 bdrm, We cannot afford to move up here so thats why we bought the condo in havasu. As far as traffic you cant even get on the freeway on a weekend and ite bumper to bumper. I dont think I could live at the river full time I like going to visit and boat but full time would burn me out. Any of the places that are just starting to develop, give it time they will be overcrowded as well imo. When its time to retire I could see us getting out of so cal but who knows, all family is here
The wife and I are in the same situation.
Born and raised in SoCal, we celebrate our 30th Anniv this week and are ready to go to AZ. She does not want the river area for permanent, just vacation times.
We'll probably leave here with $300k, so keep the IDEAS / LOCATIONS coming. Both Anthem and Queen Creek sound like good choices.
No habla espanol.
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