Waaay OT: Who's from the Phoenix Area??

[Kansas Ed]

Reason I asked is that we are in the offer/counteroffer phase of a job change...which will require a move. So after looking online at Real estate around Goodyear and that western side of Phoenix-town, I see enormous amounts of listings which are bank or lender owned...so what's up? This area hit hard with unemployment, crime, or people who did the thing with variable interest rates and bad credit? What's the real story here? I don't see that kind of activity around the Wichita area yet, so this has me way suspicious. Any insights highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ed

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Some large retirementcommunities in Goodyear I believe. I personally like the area, but I only visit occassionally. I wonder if they still grow cotton out here like they used to for the tire people?

There are some really large housing developments out there in all of that flat space.

[C. Cash]

I spent my very young years near Phoenix...in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa/Apache Jct and also up in Flagstaff. That was the late 60's through 1981 and the area seemed anything but overcrowded. Lots or room to play and shoot. We lived in the middle of a corn field in Gilbert with only a couple of houses near us. When I go back to see my family I am extremely challenged to even recognize anything. It is so built up from what it once was it seems a totally different place from the one I knew. The driving is a nightmare around Phoenix, among the worst areas I've been in, and some seriously bad attitudes to go with it. Everyone seems to be in a hurry and as mad as Hornets, especially in the heat. I just left there again a few days ago and every time I leave I vow never to go back to Phoenix. Some people love the warmth and the hustle and bustle....not for me personally. I think a guy would do well to find a place whole lot more friendly and slower paced.

PS: yes...lots of people in trouble there with refinancing their houses at a higher reappraised price, and then taking the dough to buy bigger toys. Expensive toys and expensive houses are everywhere there and seem to be what drives much of the society there. My Dad works in the AZ real estate industry as a side job and has seen many folks ruin their lives in recent years.

[mescalero1]

Kansa Ed,
I am going to make some assumptions here so give me a break.
You are in Aerospace, right?
1) Goodyear is on the west part of town
2) During the latest boom, that is the direction the town has expanded.
3) Much farm land was gobbled up in that process.
4) That being the newest part of town, they have the most " funny " mortgages "
5) Interstate 10, which is what you would have to take for your commute: is an absolute nightmare.
6) The axiom here was "drive till you qualify", IE the further away from the city, the easier it was to qualify for a home loan.
7) The ammenities are not up to the norm , forcing you to drive some distance to obtain them.
If you are going to move here, buy a home more in the city, and not in the outlying areas, the commute here is HELLISH

[jnyork]

Listen to mescalero. I only have driven through Phoenix one time and will NEVER NEVER do it again for any reason.

Any chance you can get a job in a more pleasant uncrowded area?

[mescalero1]

Kansas Ed,
I forgot an important factor, I will submit myself for the proper beating by forum members at the appointed time.
Moving out there puts you precariously close to Palo Verde Nuclear Power Generating Station.

[Dastook]

It's all relative to what you are used to I guess. I am in Phoenix right now on business. I have to come here frequently. I split my time between a plant in downtown Phoenix and a plant in Tolleson which is just west of downtown Phoenix at the 101. I stay right next to the Cardinal stadium in Glendale and commute to the plants. I find the commute very pleasant compared to the other cities I work and drive in like Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Birmingham, Chicago and many others. I find it much more pleasant than where I live near Charlotte, NC. even. I have found the people to be very courteous and friendly. And let me tell you the climate is fantastic compared to the bugs and humidity I am used to in NC. There is still a lot of farming community in the area you are talking about. Dairies, cotton, corn and a lot of alfalfa acreage.

[J Miller]

I spent 40 years in Phoenix, leaving in January of 99. I was there again in '02 to visit. The change was incredible. I had no trouble driving around though. Much is still the same, it's just spread out.

Oh, I have a personal friend who lives in Glendale, AZ who worked as a boiler maker when they built the Palo Verde Nuke Plant. It is the least of your worries. That place is very over built.

Joe

[mescalero1]

Kansas Ed,
The Arizona Department of Transportation ( ADOT ) maintains a web site with traffic cameras on the major freeway choke points.
I suggest you log on during Phoenix rush hour and get a feel for what you will be looking at.

[Idiot]

It ain't Kansas, but it ain't Bagdad either. Some of the previous posters make the place sound very different than the place I know. It is, however, a big city and in every big city there are places where you shouldn't go and expect to be safe. If you're smart, you'll have no trouble here.

Goodyear is on the west side of the Valley. Both the West side and the East side of the Valley (70 miles apart with nothing but city in-between) aggressively built during the real estate boom. People from all over the country wanted to live here and parts of the Valley took turns as the fastest growing city in the United States during the boom. It would not have boomed if it were not an attractive place to live. Because it was a desirable place to live many many people bought houses whether they could afford them or not. Many could not, and now the houses belong to the bank. That's why you see many houses in foreclosure or repos. It housing slump appears bigger here because it is - because the city is bigger than most - there are more than 70,000 houses on the market in the Valley.

It is a great time to buy a house in the Valley. In all likelihood you can now buy a $300,000 house for half or one-third that price.

As far as Goodyear is concerned; it is a far west city in the Valley, almost out of town. It will be a long time before it is built up like some of the other cities in the Valley. I wouldn't want to live there because it has all of the things that I don't like, a lot of people, and it doesn't have a lot of the conveniences of a city to offset it. Also, the west side of the Valley is the industrial side and has a lot of industrial areas along with an Air Force base with a lot of screaming fighter jets flying around. I much prefer the east side, which is mostly clean industry and retail. It is also closer to the Superstition mountains, the lakes, and places in the desert where I like to go. But that is just a preference, nothing more.

Remember, the Valley is hot six months out of the year. For three months the temperature hovers around 100 degrees and for the other three its well over a 100 degrees - often over 110 and sometimes 117 or more. The winters are very mild, like summers in most other places. There is not a lot of humidity and no tornadoes. If you don't like heat and dry weather, stay in Kansas - the heat cannot be described, it must be felt. You cannot go outside in the summer to do anything. Even touching your door handle will burn you. Think of three months of snowbound - no outside - in reverse.

I don't know where you're coming from, but again, this is a big city and parts of it - and some of these parts are the size of a small city - are violent and dangerous, but the majority of the Valley is okay. However, this ain't a "quaint" place with picket fences of the days of old - if you pick a fight here, you'll get one, and if you're not careful, you'll get shot.

Oh, and for a big city, a mega-city, the traffic moves very well. And don't sweat the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, unless someone blows it up, you're safe. Besides, we'll see plants like this all over the country in the next few years.

For more info, email me and I'll give you my phone number and you can call and ask all the questions you want. Moving is a big thing and I'll help with your decision as much as I can.

[Kansas Ed]

Thanks for all the good information. Yes, we are both in aerospace. Won't know more until they have a firm offer on the table, but we needed more information in order to make a well informed decision. I've been looking at some of the realestate in the area, and trying to get a grasp on what is going on there. While my job in Wichita is fairly stable, my wifes is on shaky ground with the current economic downturn. Since she makes the primary wage in our family...I follow her...

Idiot, I may take you up on that offer...thanks.

Thanks,
Ed

[Idiot]

Idiot, I may take you up on that offer...thanks.Ed

Glad to help. I look forward to hearing from you.

[mescalero1]

I retired from AEROSPACE here, so I may be able to give you some pointers, PM me if you need my home phone.

[Grizz]

I have to add that the driving in Phoenix is nowhere as much fun as driving around Tijuana. They have to use the metric system in Mexico because of how close together they keep their cars.

Phoenix is orderly, the streets mostly intersect at right angles, and sometimes street level traffic moves better than the highways, which were designed by some kind of committee running a stupidity competition.

Definately call Idiot for details, I can vouch that he's anything BUT.

Funny water (I don't mean 'funny water', I mean that it's funny that water...) wasn't mentioned as an issue. I'd be pretty interested in knowing where it comes from and how it gets to your faucet. You can live about fifteen minutes without a good supply of it. All of the places I shot and hiked when I was a kid (I don't mean I shot the places, I mean the places where we went shooting), are completely paved over, but I hear there's still plenty of shooting opportunities in some parts.

Have fun with the move if you make it, Arizona is a very beautiful state, plan on seeing all of it.

Me, I couldn't live there, but I have family that haven't fried on the pavement yet. Somehow.

Grizz

[mescalero1]

Water comes from the lakes Idiot mentioned on the east side & from the Colorado river, via the Central Arizona Project; a canal from the Colorado all the way to Phoenix, and some well systems.