Contemplating a move to AZ

quikturbo

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Funny enough I'm posting this on one or our coldest days of the year, which is somewhat of a catalyst to getting more serious about it lol.

My wifes best friend is in Mesa and they've been trying to get us out there for years. When we go there every year and we hit up the lake on his boat, hike, etc.. I question sticking around in IL. We've been of the mindset, if it's meant to happen the opportunity will present itself.

Well, I'm a remote sales guy so I can move, but I'd have to wait for an opening in another territory, and now there is one there soooo, I'm starting to think that is the "sign". Sadly because I am remote/home office'd they likely won't cover my moving costs so there would be , selling my house here, moving, buying new home , etc. all on me.

The other main issue is Family, my wife being Italian is very close with her family/Mom/Grandmother, so I fear while she said she would move if it was right, will she really. My family is smaller and while I'm not as close to them as she is with her's my mom is getting older and that would make me think through a bit more on leaving her, mamma's boy I guess :)

Lastly, my daughters are 8 & 11, and at those ages I'm a bit more reluctant to pull them out and put them into a new school, even though they make friends quickly, it still tugs at my heart a bit on doing that to them.

I'm so sick of the weather, taxes, etc.. here that I think it would be good for my well being to make the change, or it could add unneeded stress lol.

Anyways, just doing a bit of thinking outloud and seeing if anyone else has moved away from family, moved kids, etc.. and after having done that share the things you thought would be problems that weren't, and problems you never thought of.

Chris
 

bimmer4life

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We moved to Arizona and lived in phoenix/Scottsdale area for 5 years. We finally moved back when we had our first child. So that we could be closer to family when they were younger. I absolutely would move back in a heart beat. And wife is starting to agree. My kids are around the same age. Although they are young and have a solid friend base. And the first couple months would be rough. They are young enough to forgive you. I feel if I wait till near high school years. Then there will be a lot more resentment. So if I was you I would go go go go go :jg:
 

quikturbo

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thanks for the reply that is truly helpful and I think you're right, it's those jr high/high school years I'm really concerned about, now it would be a pull the bandaid off and it get's better. With our parents retired they can visit any time and my wife can get cheap flights back any time she wants.
My buddy has the boat, I have the muscle car, I can pick up some 4 wheelers and I think we're covered :bigok:
 

bimmer4life

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btw, how expensive was the moving process? was it from a house to another house?


It was not bad I have to go back and look. It was house to house. But we did all the work ourselves. Which means we boxed it all up and moved it and drove the huge truck. You can move fairly cheap if your willing to do the labor. Or if you don't want to do the heavy lifting then hire a local team once you get there. The charge is fairly cheap per/hr. I don't recall paying more then $1500 total to move 3 bedroom house. That is everything included gas/truck rental/hotel stays/food etc. If you hire movers that is where it will cost you a pretty penny.
 

SleeperLS

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Tough call throwing the kids in the equation. But, I don't regret leaving Illinois one bit. Biggest hassle was packing and physically moving two days...it really wasn't that bad either. Felt good to donate all of my unused shit. If we moved from Albuquerque area, it wouldn't be back to Illinois. I am in the same family situation you are in as far as closeness with my family and my wife's family being tight. It is something that you get used to or not, for us it wasn't a problem. Vacations were kind of tied into visiting family though

I would just know the area you are moving to. The southwest is pretty awesome IMO. If you like outdoors as far as hiking, skiing, camping then it is great. There are some great locations a day drive away. Fishing drops off, but hunting can still be good. Weather is very dry, but much more desirable than Illinois IMO. Mexican food is really good. Automobile hobbies are all year round depending on the location.

Have you explored the Mesa area a good bit and enjoy it? If you and your family does, then it is with a shot
 

Mike K

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My in laws live there and we're out there pretty often. They live in Goodyear. I love it. I used to think the southwest desert topography was the worst in the US. It just seemed ugly. Now it's probably my favorite behind southern California and Colorado. It is absolutely beautiful.

My in-law's house backs up to the open desert and it's breathtaking the vastness of it all. You can't get a real grasp on scale. Housing is cheap for newer structures and I believe the taxes are pretty cheap as well.

The downside is the heat. It is hot in the summer and we're not talking a workable hot. This is oppressive heat where you walk out to your car to get something with the same haste to get back inside that you do when it's 0 degrees outside in Chicago. If Chicagoans live indoors in the winter, Arizonians live indoors in the summer, doing outdoor activities in the morning or evening when the temperature drops. In that sense, it's sometimes tough because unlike Chicago in the winter where you look outside and you don't want to be out there anyhow, Arizona is beautiful on those 115 degree days which makes you all the more frustrated that you're inside.

That said, the uncomfortable months are fewer than they are in Chicago and it's still beautiful in the winter. 71 today in Phoenix. How can you beat that?
 

quikturbo

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It was not bad I have to go back and look. It was house to house. But we did all the work ourselves. Which means we boxed it all up and moved it and drove the huge truck. You can move fairly cheap if your willing to do the labor. Or if you don't want to do the heavy lifting then hire a local team once you get there. The charge is fairly cheap per/hr. I don't recall paying more then $1500 total to move 3 bedroom house. That is everything included gas/truck rental/hotel stays/food etc. If you hire movers that is where it will cost you a pretty penny.

Agreed on the movers, I'd probably do most of it myself with maybe a family member or 2 thankfully we have very close friends there that could help and recruit help too :)

As for knowing the area, our friends have been there for 10yrs and we'd likely find a place near them in Mesa, the Villages of Eastbridge area, so close to Mesa airport which is expanding a great deal and not that much further from Phoenix airport. I forget the lake that we go to but it's only about 45min away.
5hr drive to San Diego too :) So many positives. We love hiking Superstition and some of the other places there with them. I really do love being outside and my daughters are "fish" so a pool would be a nice sell point to them lol.

MikeK, I was of the same mind, at first I didn't care for the backdrop but it's really grown on me! You also make a good point on the summer months and not going outside, but at least you can sit outside by the pool/patio at night.

Last couple of times we were there we did the Grand Canyon, and this past year Tombstone which was really cool. There really are a ton of amazing places to experience out there.
 

quikturbo

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every winter someone starts a thread like this.....lemme say this...It's boring out there....there isnt really options for roadtrips to entertaining areas....

better towns are

San Diego
Orlando
Houston

I appreciate all responses. I think boring is subjective so one thing is boring to one, and to another enjoyment. The road trips we took to tombstone and Grand Canyon to me were awesome, same goes for driving to the Coast, then I could have some real roads for the Mustang :)
 

bimmer4life

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I appreciate all responses. I think boring is subjective so one thing is boring to one, and to another enjoyment. The road trips we took to tombstone and Grand Canyon to me were awesome, same goes for driving to the Coast, then I could have some real roads for the Mustang :)


We used to go to flagstaff during summer months to hike during the day. You want to cool off drive an hour or so north. When your hiking flagstaff its 20-30 degrees cooler. Oh and its decent skiing with in a close drive as well. But you are also so close to CO and Big Bear in CA.
 

bimmer4life

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$1,500 to move?? How?

It cost me about $4,500 each way to California and back when we relocated. Moving out there, the uhaul and car trailer cost $2,550 alone... This was for a 2 bedroom house.


We had no car trailer. And this was probably 12 years ago. So maybe uhaul rates have changed? I know the Uhaul was around 1000-1200. And then everything else. It was definitely under 2k at the time.
 

OffshoreDrilling

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tl;dr most of your post or response.

do it if you have a job lined up, and especially if you have a support system there (family/friends)

if you are under 50 and single, you've got plenty of chances to fuck up and get back on your feet financially and otherwise.

you can always move back
you can always find another job
 

Sprayin

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every winter someone starts a thread like this.....lemme say this...It's boring out there....there isnt really options for roadtrips to entertaining areas....

better towns are

San Diego
Orlando
Houston
:rofl: are you serious? Vegas is 3 hours. Mexico is 3 hours. San Diego is 3 hours. LA is 5-6 hours. Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Havasu.

There are good boating areas, good braap and other snow things close - up in the mountains.

What is there close to Chicago? Corn? I take 10x the road trips now than I ever did living there.

The biggest take away from AZ is how hot it gets in the summer. It's brutal. If you can take the 3-4 straight months of over 100, it's well worth it.

Also, in the East Valley, there are far better towns than Mesa. Scottsdale is nice, but it's too expensive for what you get - just because it's Scottsdale. I'd recommend Gilbert for any town in the East.
 
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