Thinking about relocating to Arizona? 

While we don’t have a beach, there are lots of other great reasons to move to Arizona! Here are just a few that come to mind:

Lower Taxes. According to a 2019 article from Kiplinger.com, Arizona is considered to be one of the top 10 most tax-friendly states while states such as Illinios, New York, and New Jersey are some of the top 10 least tax-friendly states.

Cost of Living is low. According to the Cost of Living Calculator on Payscale.com, “Phoenix’s housing expenses are 5% lower than the national average and the utility prices are 4% lower than the national average.” Cost of living could be calculated as high as almost 50% lower than areas such as San Francisco, California and New York, New York.

Lower cost of living means you can also get more for your money in Arizona as compared to states like California or New York. Even median home prices are significantly lower in Arizona. In an AZ Central article from 2019, the median home price is Phoenix was $273,000 while the median home price in San Francisco was $1.3M, $610,000 in Los Angeles, $522,000 in Seattle and $408,000 in Denver.

You can find a job! According to US News in 2019, Scottsdale, Arizona was ranked the number one place to find a job in the entire United States! Chandler, Arizona, another Valley city also made this list.

There is SO much to do! You don’t have to go far to find something fun to do when you live in the Phoenix Metro Area, but with Sky Harbor International Airport at your disposal, your options are endless! Whether you want to visit a museum, play a world class golf course, explore the outdoors or travel afar, you can easily do it all when you call Phoenix home.

Want to go to Las Vegas for the night? You can opt to hop on a quick flight or you can take a scenic, 4.5 hour drive past the Hoover Dam to get there. Want to go to the beach? No problem! A short four hour drive will get you to Puerto Penasco in Mexico, or you can drive six hours and arrive in sunny, Southern California. While mountains in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico are easily accessible from Phoenix by plane or car, you don’t even have to leave the state to find good snow skiing, hiking or mountain biking. A quick two or three hour car trip can have you exploring the mountains of Eastern or Northern Arizona in no time! And, don’t forget about one of the great wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, located right here in Arizona.

In addition to outdoor activities, we have a plethora of museums and attractions you can visit such as the Musical Instrument Museum, the Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum.

Sports fan? We’ve got you covered! The Phoenix metro area is home to the Arizona Cardinals (NFL), the Arizona Coyotes (NHL), the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) as well as the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB).

Speaking of baseball, if you are a fan, chances are, you can get your fill and maybe even cheer on your home team right here in the Valley of the Sun. Why? Spring Training, of course! Major League Baseball has only two “Spring Training” leagues, one played in Florida called the Grapefruit League, and the other, played right here in Arizona, called the Cactus League. Want to know more about the Cactus League and its history in Arizona, check out the blog post we wrote earlier in the year right here.

Now that you’ve seen more than a few good reasons why you should move to Arizona, here are some things we think you should know to make your relocation to Phoenix or Scottsdale easier: 

You don’t need an attorney as you would in New York or Chicago. Your REALTOR® can prepare documents for you and the title company can help manage the process. You can choose to hire a real estate attorney, but it is not required in Arizona.

The market is HOT! Many sellers are hesitant to sell to buyers that have not seen the property in person. This doesn’t mean it can’t happen though. Find a REALTOR® you trust to show you the property virtually and you don’t necessarily need to see it in person. If you can though, it’s always a good idea.

You’ll have room to roam. Like other large cities around the country, the Valley of the Sun is very spread out. The areas are all different. Talk with you REALTOR® about the amenities you want in an area such as a 55+ community, good schools, golf community, close to trails, close to family members already residing here, new build vs resale, multi-family vs single family, etc. They can help you find he perfect place.

If you are thinking of relocating to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Carefree, Cave Creek, Glendale, Peoria, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Fountain Hills or anywhere else in the Phoenix Metro area, email us at info@azarchitecture.com. We are happy to help you navigate the in’s and out’s of relocating. Think of us as your relocation specialists! Let us help you make the Valley of the Sun your new home.