Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

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coffeeblack
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by coffeeblack »

cbr shadow wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:03 pm My wife and I live in the Bay Area and have been aggressively saving for a while, with plans to hopefully early retire at some point. Below is some of our information:

- Both 37 years old
- (1) Child who is 6 months old, no siblings likely.
- Net worth around $1.4M, $700k of which is taxable investments or cash
- Income: $350k combined, roughly.
- Currently renting in Fremont, CA ($4,200/mth)
- Wife can work anywhere remotely, but needs access to a major airport
- Wife is the breadwinner, makes $220k roughly

Bay Area is too expensive for us to feel comfortable buying a house, although we do like it here a lot. The initial purchase price along with property taxes in CA would make early retirement much harder here.

What we like about our current area:
- Good culture (for us)
- outdoorsy stuff to do everywhere (cycling, triathlon groups)
- Nice weather although we would prefer a bit warmer and to have a pool.
- No mosquitos.
- Great schools

I've been looking for a "sweet spot" all around the US where we can find a place with medium cost of living, great schools, warm/hot weather and lots of sun (wife is affected by seasonal depression in gloomy chicago weather, which is where we're from originally).

I think Phoenix checks many of these boxes for us, in particular the "Foothills" area of south phoenix.
Upsides of that area:
- $550k can get you a very nice 2,200 sqft house with a pool and mountain views
- VERY low property taxes. In CA we would pay $1,200/mth in property taxes for a house we would find acceptable, compared to $350/mth in AZ
- Great school district (8/9 rating)
- Tons of sun
- Access to Phoenix downtown (for jobs, potentially)
- Access to international airport (Wife's job requires some travel)

The big downsides are probably:
- [OT comments removed by admin LadyGeek]
- Very hot summers (110 degrees) which of course is much hotter than we're used to in the Bay Area, and for much longer of a period. In Fremont we can get over 100 degrees but it cools a lot at night and only lasts maybe 2-3 weeks.

Any additional advice would be really appreciated. What are the upsides and downsides of living in this area (specifically Foothills area of south Phoenix)

Here's an example of the area and house type I'm picturing:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1750 ... 4893_zpid/
Just out of curiosity. Why not Vegas?
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HomerJ
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by HomerJ »

rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by rockstar »

HomerJ wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:17 pm
rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
Yeah. My backyard faces east and is shaded. Feels like 80s too.

I've been here since 2002, so I'm used to it. But it's not for everyone.

What they will have to worry about is valley fever. Both my significant other and my last dog before he past away, both had it. But we spend a lot of time outdoors.

I'm heading down to Mt. Lemmon for some camping to escape the heat coming to town.

What's most surprising is how much this town has grown.
IMD801
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by IMD801 »

rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:35 pm
Lots of culture here. But it's outdoor culture: hiking, camping, and backpacking.
Having lived in other places around the country I didn't find there to be much more than average outdoor "culture" in PHX.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Slacker »

Phoenix will also surprise you with a larger population of mosquitos than you would initially believe (at least in Mesa - never encountered mosquitos in the mountains of Arizona).
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by stoptothink »

rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:35 pm
IMD801 wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 6:52 pm Other than Phoenix being an objectively very hot, sprawling place, it's sort of hard to generalize. I lived in different areas of the Valley for several years and now live elsewhere. Some thoughts/opinions from my experiences there:

Good things: no ice to slip on, lots of sun, the Sonoran Desert can be beautiful, roads are in good shape mostly due to the weather, decent variety of areas/neighborhoods to choose from, some good Mexican establishments

Not good things: heat, tons of driving required, lots of A/C at home and in cars, not much culture overall, not many walkable areas, running out of water

Overall I think Phoenix would be a decent place to retire given the weather, reasonably good medical care, and moderately priced real estate

...

I like Tucson better. :happy
Lots of culture here. But it's outdoor culture: hiking, camping, and backpacking.
"Culture" means different things to different people. As another poster mentioned, people actually talk and socialize with their neighbors in AZ (one of the things I also noticed when moving from CA to AZ) - I consider that culture more than the availability of restaurants. I find that most of the places that are generally regarded as having a lot of "culture", I have no interest in living in.
rich126
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by rich126 »

Arizona is very weird in terms of people. I will try to avoid political issues. There is a lot of "don't tread on my turf, or don't tell me what to do". There are the old timers who grew up in a completely different time. There is a lot of people moving from a variety of states, and a lot of Hispanics.

The part I often find strange is while people can be a bit rough, at the same time you get more "thank you", "your welcome" than I ever heard back east (Maryland in my case). For example we had to go to the courthouse in Surprise for something (non-criminal/non-traffic) and the place was pretty much empty at 1045AM. I can't imagine ever seeing that back east. Also everyone working there was very polite and nice. When my GF had a question on a separate topic, one of the officers there quickly wrote down a number that she should call.

I can also recall going to the DMV, or MVA or whatever your state calls it (motor vehicles) in Scottsdale and there were actually seats (pre-covid) for people and most working there were polite. I can tell you that even the "express" offices in Maryland weren't like that and forget going to the main facility.

Driving is definitely difficult because of many older folks driving, out of towners, and party goers. Speed limits are seldom enforced. I have a long commute now (40+ miles each way) but when the traffic is moving, I'm often going 80 and at times people are still going past me. I think the carpool lane enforcement is minimal at best.

As mentioned before I've lived both higher end (McCormick/Gainey Ranch area) and lower end (Surprise) and both can have pros and cons. I wouldn't call it a cheap place to live unless you go way, way, out of town unless you are comparing it to CA/NY.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

I'm pretty familiar with ahwatukee in its early history. Friends bought a new house there in the 90's and we stayed there for a week or so. I also work for a company based in Chandler, so have been there for a week at a time annually.

Some random thoughts that stuck with me.

Back then, builders overbuilt and then kept building. After 3 years, my friends decided to move to New Hampshire and sold their house. They took a huge bath on it. The new, identical houses were listed for way less than they initially paid. I don't expect this is going on now, but it could certainly restart because.....

Intel is building a huge new, ginormous fab. This is going to be good because if you're in that business, you'll be able to get a job. (Intel, Motorola and Microchip are already in the area). Bad because you're likely going to see more sprawl and overbuilding, so I would predict that prices are going to rise a big, then tank, like they did in the 90's.

I'm a New Englander, so if I want to pull leaves from the base of my shrubs, I reach in and pull leaves out. Do that in Phoenix and you're likely going to the hospital, bit by something. Hiking and biking on trails is great, but be very aware of rattlesnakes. Hike with high boots to protect yourself, not sneakers or low top boots. Don't ride a bike off trail or you're going to get thorns puncturing a tire. (did that, had that happen). Don't walk anywhere near where there might be a Jumping Cactus. (wife did that, I pulled the thorns out with pliers). And it is hot. I've been there only in the fall (October) and spring (April and May) where it was (to me) unbearably hot. I can't even imagine being there in August.

And smog. Just to put that out there.
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IMD801
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by IMD801 »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:01 am
"Culture" means different things to different people. As another poster mentioned, people actually talk and socialize with their neighbors in AZ (one of the things I also noticed when moving from CA to AZ) - I consider that culture more than the availability of restaurants. I find that most of the places that are generally regarded as having a lot of "culture", I have no interest in living in.
That's quite a generalization. I have found several neighborhoods within the PHX metro area, including where my parents now live, to be the complete opposite. I also have family in CA who live in neighborhoods with plenty of socializing. These are anecdotes. The reality is probably that people in AZ are not much different than people anywhere else.

Agree that old drivers there are an issue; not sure if AZ still does this, but licenses used to be good for 30 years or something. :oops:
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by IMO »

IMD801 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 11:20 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:01 am
"Culture" means different things to different people. As another poster mentioned, people actually talk and socialize with their neighbors in AZ (one of the things I also noticed when moving from CA to AZ) - I consider that culture more than the availability of restaurants. I find that most of the places that are generally regarded as having a lot of "culture", I have no interest in living in.
That's quite a generalization. I have found several neighborhoods within the PHX metro area, including where my parents now live, to be the complete opposite. I also have family in CA who live in neighborhoods with plenty of socializing. These are anecdotes. The reality is probably that people in AZ are not much different than people anywhere else.

Agree that old drivers there are an issue; not sure if AZ still does this, but licenses used to be good for 30 years or something. :oops:
That seems like quite a generalization! :sharebeer

Having grown up in CA, the joke my spouse and I have whenever a new neighbor moves into our neighborhood and they drive into their garage, quickly close the garage and never make an effort to try to meet any of the neighbors, barely make eye contact, we say, "must be from California." :D There definitely has been a change over time in CA and probably many other places where you no longer see kids just going outside on their own, meeting up with other kids and playing in the neighborhoods anymore.

When at our 2nd home in AZ (large planned development), we often comment to each other, "wow, it's nice to see kids just being able to ride their bikes to the community center on their own." That is sadly gone in the places of CA I'm actively familiar with, but I don't think that's just a CA thing.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Clever_Username »

Phoenix is, quite possibly, the greatest city on the planet. If I move when I retire, it's going to be to Phoenix. Two professional football teams that I love watching (my cost of living in retirement will probably go up as I'll have to get season tickets to each) and the ability to play golf 365 days a year. There are other great aspects of the city, too, mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but I'm surprised I haven't seen either of those mentioned.
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IMD801
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by IMD801 »

I wish the older driver problem in AZ was just a generalization.

https://tripnet.org/reports/news-releas ... -or-older/
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Carefreeap »

I moved to the greater PHX area in August of 2003 from the coastal Bay Area. Nothing like ripping the bandaid off! :shock:

We lived in the northern limit of Maricopa County. Elevation is about 2,500' and it did make a difference especially at night. I would joke that when it was a blistering 115 down in PHX we were at a cool and breezy 105. :wink:

Surprisingly the body can adapt quickly. As others have said you modify your behavior. If you're a hiker like me you hit the trail at 6am and are out by 9am. We enjoyed the six years we lived there. The Sonoran desert is beautiful. We had another move to make (overseas) but kept the house. We are now back in our coastal Bay Area house but recently converted the AZ house to a second home.

Politics are different in the NE Valley. Diversity was really an issue. But there are trade-offs for everything.

The one thing that I will warn you about is don't move to PHX to save money. Do it because you love AZ. Almost all of my friends wound up having a second home somewhere else; Flag, Prescott, White Mtns. That means all that money you "saved" on your initial purchase gets reinvested in other real estate with double utility bills, taxes, maintenance et cetera. My work around was that at the time we had two rental properties at the San Diego beaches. I made sure those leases came up for lease July 1. :beer
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by tj »

IMD801 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 11:20 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:01 am
"Culture" means different things to different people. As another poster mentioned, people actually talk and socialize with their neighbors in AZ (one of the things I also noticed when moving from CA to AZ) - I consider that culture more than the availability of restaurants. I find that most of the places that are generally regarded as having a lot of "culture", I have no interest in living in.
That's quite a generalization. I have found several neighborhoods within the PHX metro area, including where my parents now live, to be the complete opposite. I also have family in CA who live in neighborhoods with plenty of socializing. These are anecdotes. The reality is probably that people in AZ are not much different than people anywhere else.

Agree that old drivers there are an issue; not sure if AZ still does this, but licenses used to be good for 30 years or something. :oops:
If you aren't going for Real ID, your license is good until age 65.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Marmot »

And oh yea, ditch the dark shirts. Only new people wear them in the summer (a joke, but you get it).
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by stan1 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:46 am Intel is building a huge new, ginormous fab. This is going to be good because if you're in that business, you'll be able to get a job. (Intel, Motorola and Microchip are already in the area). Bad because you're likely going to see more sprawl and overbuilding, so I would predict that prices are going to rise a big, then tank, like they did in the 90's.
Also Taiwan Semiconductor (top holding in VWO) is building a $12-35B facility at I-17/303 junction on over 1000 acres (depending upon sources). Guessing that will spur more development all along 303 over to Sun City/Surprise.

Even in retirement a growing economy with people who feel optimistic about the future is a strong asset. Much better to be around people who are generally happy than not.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by SonoranCoffee »

As someone who lives in the area you are looking forward to move to Ahwatukee/Foothills area for 15years, I can tell you I absolutely love it here and won't be moving anywhere anytime soon. I have two kids in Kyrene School district and one kid is in the gifted program and both are doing well. Also for school, look into the test scores on each school in the district and reviews from parents etc to get an idea.
If you like the outdoor, there are endless trails to choose from in south mountain to hike or bike. I feel lucky to live in an area where I can just walk from my house and hike regularly even in summer. Others mentioned in the post about the AZ heat in summer and I can tell you the same.. you'll get used to it but warning the first couple of summers was hard for me then I learned to live with it and adjusted. The good thing is you can drive 2 hours from Phoenix and it's 20 degrees cooler. If you want to get an ideal, I suggest you get hotel/airbnb in the area and visit in winter and summer before you make a decision.
location is also great, it's about 20min to downtown Phoenix/Tempe, 20min to airport.
Last edited by SonoranCoffee on Fri May 14, 2021 8:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
rich126
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by rich126 »

stan1 wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 4:10 pm
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:46 am Intel is building a huge new, ginormous fab. This is going to be good because if you're in that business, you'll be able to get a job. (Intel, Motorola and Microchip are already in the area). Bad because you're likely going to see more sprawl and overbuilding, so I would predict that prices are going to rise a big, then tank, like they did in the 90's.
Also Taiwan Semiconductor (top holding in VWO) is building a $12-35B facility at I-17/303 junction on over 1000 acres (depending upon sources). Guessing that will spur more development all along 303 over to Sun City/Surprise.

Even in retirement a growing economy with people who feel optimistic about the future is a strong asset. Much better to be around people who are generally happy than not.
Is there really anything left of Motorola? The large facilities near Hayden and McDowell were sold to GD nearly 20 years ago, I think around 2002 or 2003. I seriously doubt they have any chip.semiconductor building in AZ or anywhere anymore.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by devopscoder »

People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by rich126 »

devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
They do start early. Also wear hats and usually long sleeves and long pants to avoid sun burn and skin cancer. Drink lots of water. I used to play golf midday in the summer because it was cheap and courses were pretty empty. At tines 114 or so. I am no athlete. Drank plenty of water, gatorade, used plenty of sunscreen and wore a hat. Did my best to stay in the shade. Once home I would jump into tge pool to gently cool down. Although pool temp was in the 90s.

I once spent a few weeks in Bahrain where it is AZ like heat but very humid because it is surrounded by the Persian Gulf. That was brutal. Just walking across a parking lot I would get drenched in sweat and have to hit the bathroom and wipe down.

The people that usually have issues are tourists that get up early and go hiking with only a small bottle of water and don't realize how quickly it heats up and quickly you can get dehydrated.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by ram »

devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
When I worked in the western Asia desert (summer 130 F, dry) my work hours were 730 to 330. Late lunch at 330. Siesta 4 to 7 pm.
Out and active 8 pm to midnite. Shops and restaurants are open till midnite in summer
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by 22twain »

devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do?
Are you exploring landscaperFIRE or rooferFIRE? :twisted:
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by HueyLD »

devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
Many of them start at the crack of dawn which could be before 5:30 a.m. and finish before 12 noon. The local codes have to allow outdoor workers to start very early even though their work can definitely wake you up earlier than you want. But it is understood.

The intensity of the sun can add 10 - 20 degrees to how human bodies feel about the temperature. That’s why desert rats are very tough for a reason.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by littlebird »

HueyLD wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 11:19 am
devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
Many of them start at the crack of dawn which could be before 5:30 a.m. and finish before 12 noon. The local codes have to allow outdoor workers to start very early even though their work can definitely wake you up earlier than you want. But it is understood.

The intensity of the sun can add 10 - 20 degrees to how human bodies feel about the temperature. That’s why desert rats are very tough for a reason.
My experience in the far western suburbs of Phoenix is that in summer they start work at ~7:30 and quit ~ 2:30. Peak temperature in summer usually occurs ~ 4:30.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by CardinalRule »

rich126 wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:12 pm
stan1 wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 4:10 pm
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 10:46 am Intel is building a huge new, ginormous fab. This is going to be good because if you're in that business, you'll be able to get a job. (Intel, Motorola and Microchip are already in the area). Bad because you're likely going to see more sprawl and overbuilding, so I would predict that prices are going to rise a big, then tank, like they did in the 90's.
Also Taiwan Semiconductor (top holding in VWO) is building a $12-35B facility at I-17/303 junction on over 1000 acres (depending upon sources). Guessing that will spur more development all along 303 over to Sun City/Surprise.

Even in retirement a growing economy with people who feel optimistic about the future is a strong asset. Much better to be around people who are generally happy than not.
Is there really anything left of Motorola? The large facilities near Hayden and McDowell were sold to GD nearly 20 years ago, I think around 2002 or 2003. I seriously doubt they have any chip.semiconductor building in AZ or anywhere anymore.
Not in Arizona and not in semiconductors. Really sad what happened to one of America's great technology titans. At one point, many years ago, Motorola was Arizona's largest private employer with huge chip and defense electronics operations in the state. ON Semiconductor, which was spun off from Motorola's semiconductor unit, is still headquartered in Phoenix, although there isn't any chip manufacturing done by ON in the state, as far as I know. Another Motorola semiconductor descendent, NXP, has a wafer fab in Chandler.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by VanGogh »

devopscoder wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 pm People mention that the summer sun is brutal in AZ. What do landscapers & roofers do? Suck it up and still work? Work early in the morning and quit by noon?
I’m currently in Far North Scottsdale. We recently replaced our roof. I was amazed the guys who did the physical work could labor all day long in 100 degree plus temperatures. They ate lunch outside in the shade and snacked on bags of flaming hot Cheetos.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Bobby206 »

I love the Phoenix area. Have spent a lot of time there throughout the year. Yes, the summer is hotter than heck but those winters are a thing of beauty! Go visit relatives in Cali in the summer. Economy seems well diversified too. Good luck!
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by CardinalRule »

HomerJ wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:17 pm
rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
HomerJ - hope you are still feeling OK. Looks like you will be experiencing your first blast of real summer heat this week. :wink:
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Sandtrap »

OP:
Have you also looked at the homes in Anthem?

j :D
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Sam_957 »

South mountain is good for trail running and mountain biking and that house is by some of the less traveled trails. It’s in a bit of an isolated spot though. There seem to be a fair amount of jobs in Chandler and Tempe nearby. High tech, auto, intel, education etc.

Check out north scottsdale as well, lots of jobs around there and good road biking and mtb. There are other foothill communities in every direction if you’re remote or can tolerate high speed stop and go commuting (I can’t).
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Pacific »

Please go to Phoenix on Monday June 14 or Friday June 18 and get back to us.

There is a reason they call it the Valley of the Sun.

There is a reason that I changed its name to the Surface of the Sun.
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HueyLD
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by HueyLD »

Pacific wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:09 am Please go to Phoenix on Monday June 14 or Friday June 18 and get back to us.

There is a reason they call it the Valley of the Sun.

There is a reason that I changed its name to the Surface of the Sun.
Weather such as that (115 - 120 for the high for an extended period of time) is the best news for cool SoCal coastal area tourism. Their streets and hotels will be full of cars with Arizona lic. plates.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by CardinalRule »

HueyLD wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:03 am
Pacific wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:09 am Please go to Phoenix on Monday June 14 or Friday June 18 and get back to us.

There is a reason they call it the Valley of the Sun.

There is a reason that I changed its name to the Surface of the Sun.
Weather such as that (115 - 120 for the high for an extended period of time) is the best news for cool SoCal coastal area tourism. Their streets and hotels will be full of cars with Arizona lic. plates.
The annual invasion of the "Zonies," particularly in San Diego. :moneybag
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HomerJ
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by HomerJ »

CardinalRule wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 2:43 pm
HomerJ wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:17 pm
rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
HomerJ - hope you are still feeling OK. Looks like you will be experiencing your first blast of real summer heat this week. :wink:
Okay, now this has been a hot week....

100 in Phoenix (as long as you are in shade or the sun has gone down) is nothing. Feels fine.

But 115-117 this week, hoo-boy... Even the breeze feels like a oven. You can still sit outside with your feet in the pool at night though... But yeah, this is pretty hot... Staying inside all day for sure...

I think one should just subtract 15 degrees for the "dry heat".

100 in Phoenix feels like 85 anywhere else.

117 feels like 102. And 102 is pretty hot everywhere else, so 117 is pretty hot here.
"The best tools available to us are shovels, not scalpels. Don't get carried away." - vanBogle59
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pezblanco
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by pezblanco »

HomerJ wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:32 pm
CardinalRule wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 2:43 pm
HomerJ wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:17 pm
rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
HomerJ - hope you are still feeling OK. Looks like you will be experiencing your first blast of real summer heat this week. :wink:
Okay, now this has been a hot week....

100 in Phoenix (as long as you are in shade or the sun has gone down) is nothing. Feels fine.

But 115-117 this week, hoo-boy... Even the breeze feels like a oven. You can still sit outside with your feet in the pool at night though... But yeah, this is pretty hot... Staying inside all day for sure...

I think one should just subtract 15 degrees for the "dry heat".

100 in Phoenix feels like 85 anywhere else.

117 feels like 102. And 102 is pretty hot everywhere else, so 117 is pretty hot here.
The dewpoint currently in Phoenix is 49F. That is not particularly dry. What you will observe is that as the monsoon progresses that average dewpoint will continue to rise. Is not uncommon to have dewpoints in high 70's in Phoenix during the monsoon i.e. similar to the summer dewpoints in Miami. The "dry heat" doesn't really exist in the desert southwest during July/August/First part of September .... but that being said, the monsoon will help to cool things down so that will help.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Lee_WSP »

HomerJ wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:32 pm
CardinalRule wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 2:43 pm
HomerJ wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 8:17 pm
rockstar wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:17 pm So I just walked to get my mail. It's 2p and 97 degrees.
So it's now 6 pm and 98 degrees in Queen Creek.

I was sitting by my pool, cold drink in my hand, in the shade, and it's delightful.

I'm serious... So weird... feels like 80 in the shade, and it's very nice... Thought I'd come in and respond to your post. :)

It will be even better when the sun sets.

98 here is NOTHING like 98 was in Kansas.

But the CA OP may not like it since he's coming from perfection already... :)
HomerJ - hope you are still feeling OK. Looks like you will be experiencing your first blast of real summer heat this week. :wink:
Okay, now this has been a hot week....

100 in Phoenix (as long as you are in shade or the sun has gone down) is nothing. Feels fine.

But 115-117 this week, hoo-boy... Even the breeze feels like a oven. You can still sit outside with your feet in the pool at night though... But yeah, this is pretty hot... Staying inside all day for sure...

I think one should just subtract 15 degrees for the "dry heat".

100 in Phoenix feels like 85 anywhere else.

117 feels like 102. And 102 is pretty hot everywhere else, so 117 is pretty hot here.
100 in the shade is not bad, but that’s mostly because the lows that day were in the 70’s and most of the day stayed in the 90’s.

When the lows are in the 90’s is when the true summer arrives. It also won’t leave until October. September if you’re extremely generous.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by kramer »

That is a good point about whether the OP really likes the weather in Fremont as opposed to just thinking it's OK. I lived in Fremont before. I didn't like the cold nights all year around and especially in the summer when I wanted the day's warm temps to last longer. And I really didn't like the cold winter nights. All winter I wanted it to be warmer during the day. I looked forward to warm summer days and it was my favorite season. I used to HATE jogging in the winter unless I could do it right at midday. If the OP is not having those sorts of feelings, maybe Phoenix will not be for them.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by heyyou »

The Dusty Chaps were a band in Phoenix in the 1970's. The chorus of their song "Heatstroke" was "It's a hundred and ten in Gila Bend, in Buckeye its a hundred and two. Summer is here and I just can't find......a way to stop loving you."

To return to financial advice, moving to a new city, expecting to buy real estate soon, based only on internet research, is not recommended.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by nigel_ht »

Lee_WSP wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:33 pm
HomerJ wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:28 pm
Lee_WSP wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:03 pm I think the biggest thing people don't realize is that the city no longer cools off at night. While probably true in 1970/80 (I wasn't here back then), all the concrete and blacktop holds the heat in for hours. This phenomenon is worse in some parts of the city and is severely mitigated by the presence of trees, grass, pool, etc.
Maybe that's part of it. I live in a golf community in the suburbs (similar to what the OP is looking for), fairly far outside the city, away from concrete and blacktop. Nights cool off pretty well here.

I've read just having a pool in the backyard drops the temperature 10 degrees in the surrounding area. And, of course, you can actually get IN the pool if you really want to cool off.
I don't know about ten degrees, unless it's a huge pool. But one thing might be that being next to a bunch of people with pools is going to simulate being next to a lake or small body of water.

The golf course definitely helps. All that grass holds a lot of water. Having a lawn in the backyard is similar to a pool IMO. It stores less water, but the grass regulates the temperature, I think of it like sweating for plants.
What’s the cost impact to water from losing the Colorado river? While the majority of the direct impact will be to agriculture I’d assume that the infrastructure costs will also be partially borne by residential customers.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by SQRT »

Water is certainly expensive. My bill last month was over $700. But we have a large (1 acre) irrigated property. It’s a fabulous place, weather wise, from Nov-May. Most of my friends go back to Denver or Idaho for the summer.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by SQRT »

HomerJ wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:32 pm

I think one should just subtract 15 degrees for the "dry heat".

100 in Phoenix feels like 85 anywhere else.

117 feels like 102. And 102 is pretty hot everywhere else, so 117 is pretty hot here.
I agree with this. Many days when it’s 80-85 it actually feels a little cool in the shade. Winter weather in Phoenix is hard to beat. Summer? Not so much.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Slacker »

SQRT wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:13 am
HomerJ wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:32 pm

I think one should just subtract 15 degrees for the "dry heat".

100 in Phoenix feels like 85 anywhere else.

117 feels like 102. And 102 is pretty hot everywhere else, so 117 is pretty hot here.
I agree with this. Many days when it’s 80-85 it actually feels a little cool in the shade. Winter weather in Phoenix is hard to beat. Summer? Not so much.
I lived in the Phoenix area for several years.

I'll take a humid 90 degree day in NC (my current state) over those 115 degree days in Phoenix every time.

Winter was really nice in Phoenix and surprisingly it would get down to the 50s in early morning and late evening. The only times I wasn't wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by MDfan »

tfunk wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:40 pm My Mom lived in Phoenix for 25 years. I dreaded going over to visit in the summer from Southern California because of the heat.
For about 15 of those years, she spent the summer months up near Flagstaff.
You will be running the air conditioner every day from May to September.
I get a kick out of the "dry heat" comments.
Me too. Hot is hot. We were in Vegas a few years ago in July and it was like 108 during the day. It was like walking into an oven every time we went outside. Still something like 98 degrees and uncomfortable at 9:00 at night. Although, the humidity in the DC area where we live is no picnic, either.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by stoptothink »

MDfan wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:43 am
tfunk wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:40 pm My Mom lived in Phoenix for 25 years. I dreaded going over to visit in the summer from Southern California because of the heat.
For about 15 of those years, she spent the summer months up near Flagstaff.
You will be running the air conditioner every day from May to September.
I get a kick out of the "dry heat" comments.
Me too. Hot is hot. We were in Vegas a few years ago in July and it was like 108 during the day. It was like walking into an oven every time we went outside. Still something like 98 degrees and uncomfortable at 9:00 at night. Although, the humidity in the DC area where we live is no picnic, either.
People have such different responses to temperature and humidity. I lived in Mesa for 2yrs and then moved to Houston; to me 100 in Houston was significantly less comfortable than 115 in Mesa.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by nigel_ht »

Given the heat and my great desire for AC I'd give a lot of thought to backup power generation anywhere in that region. Also whether the continuing drought would have an impact on lifestyle...
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by Lee_WSP »

nigel_ht wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:00 am
Lee_WSP wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:33 pm
HomerJ wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:28 pm
Lee_WSP wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 2:03 pm I think the biggest thing people don't realize is that the city no longer cools off at night. While probably true in 1970/80 (I wasn't here back then), all the concrete and blacktop holds the heat in for hours. This phenomenon is worse in some parts of the city and is severely mitigated by the presence of trees, grass, pool, etc.
Maybe that's part of it. I live in a golf community in the suburbs (similar to what the OP is looking for), fairly far outside the city, away from concrete and blacktop. Nights cool off pretty well here.

I've read just having a pool in the backyard drops the temperature 10 degrees in the surrounding area. And, of course, you can actually get IN the pool if you really want to cool off.
I don't know about ten degrees, unless it's a huge pool. But one thing might be that being next to a bunch of people with pools is going to simulate being next to a lake or small body of water.

The golf course definitely helps. All that grass holds a lot of water. Having a lawn in the backyard is similar to a pool IMO. It stores less water, but the grass regulates the temperature, I think of it like sweating for plants.
What’s the cost impact to water from losing the Colorado river? While the majority of the direct impact will be to agriculture I’d assume that the infrastructure costs will also be partially borne by residential customers.
Since Arizona agreed to be put at the bottom once rationing kicks in, we can expect rationing and probably some sort of tiered price increase. We need water to survive, so I'd imagine it'd be some sort of tiered water usage rates for residential.

If the situation becomes dire, they're looking into pipelines to pump water in from the far east, apparently they looked into it before but found it too expensive. But you can't live without water so.....
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by MDfan »

stoptothink wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:52 am
MDfan wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:43 am
tfunk wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:40 pm My Mom lived in Phoenix for 25 years. I dreaded going over to visit in the summer from Southern California because of the heat.
For about 15 of those years, she spent the summer months up near Flagstaff.
You will be running the air conditioner every day from May to September.
I get a kick out of the "dry heat" comments.
Me too. Hot is hot. We were in Vegas a few years ago in July and it was like 108 during the day. It was like walking into an oven every time we went outside. Still something like 98 degrees and uncomfortable at 9:00 at night. Although, the humidity in the DC area where we live is no picnic, either.
People have such different responses to temperature and humidity. I lived in Mesa for 2yrs and then moved to Houston; to me 100 in Houston was significantly less comfortable than 115 in Mesa.
To me, they are both just as miserable.
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HueyLD
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by HueyLD »

Tier rates have been in place for a long time in Tucson area.

Currently, the rates are as follows:

0-7 CCF: $2.07/CCF
8-15 CCF: $3.82/CCF
16-30 CCF: $8.39/CCF
31+ CCF: $12.93/CCF

As you can see, going over 15 CCF can be very costly.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by IMO »

MDfan wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:41 am
stoptothink wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:52 am
MDfan wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:43 am
tfunk wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:40 pm My Mom lived in Phoenix for 25 years. I dreaded going over to visit in the summer from Southern California because of the heat.
For about 15 of those years, she spent the summer months up near Flagstaff.
You will be running the air conditioner every day from May to September.
I get a kick out of the "dry heat" comments.
Me too. Hot is hot. We were in Vegas a few years ago in July and it was like 108 during the day. It was like walking into an oven every time we went outside. Still something like 98 degrees and uncomfortable at 9:00 at night. Although, the humidity in the DC area where we live is no picnic, either.
People have such different responses to temperature and humidity. I lived in Mesa for 2yrs and then moved to Houston; to me 100 in Houston was significantly less comfortable than 115 in Mesa.
To me, they are both just as miserable.
When people talk about Phoenix and Vegas in the summers, there's no way of getting around the realistic aspect that it is damn hot. Yes it feels like an being in an oven. But then again, with other locations, even places where people note are "mild" winters, it seems like it's just a trade-off because in those locations in winter, it gets cold. Any temperatures that drop below 32 degrees is in essence the same thing as being in a freezer or starting the day off in a freezer. Doesn't even have to be someplace like Fargo, ND. Going outside in a freezer or going into an oven are both not comfortable. Some places even are worse, you get walking into a freezer in the winter and walking into a sauna (with bugs) in the summers. In any of those situations, the result is the same, one can effectively get shut in the home if one doesn't take part in activities that complement the weather. To me, kinda seems like DC puts one in the freezer for the winter and the sauna with bugs for the summer, that kinda sounds miserable also.

Based on transplants in Phoenix, it would seem many prefer dealing with the oven vs. dealing with the freezer and/or sauna.

tfunk, Obviously living in SoCal and visiting Phoenix/Vegas in the summers are hot. Should have visited your mom up in Flagstaff cause it's typically nicer than SoCal in the summers. When I lived in SoCal, we regularly enjoyed summer boating trips to Lake Havasu/Lake Martinez because the boating and conditions (very hot is best for being in the water all day) because SoCal has relatively pretty low quality wakeboarding lakes. Not many US places outside of SoCal (especially coastal) that can be beat for year round weather, except Hawaii in my opinion.
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Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

Post by SQRT »

Slacker wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:30 am

Winter was really nice in Phoenix and surprisingly it would get down to the 50s in early morning and late evening. The only times I wasn't wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
Yes, agree winter weather is fabulous. We have spent most of the winter months in the Phoenix area for the last decade. If can actually get pretty chilly at night as soon as the sun goes down. Frost is not unheard of. Always need a jacket or sweater if going out for dinner. Despite that most days are in the high 60’s or low 70’s and almost always sunny, I hardly ever put the top up on my convertible,
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