Moving to Arizona Pros and Cons

Hey everyone, welcome back! I’m Lindsay, with the Wise Move AZ Team at RealtyONE Group.  If you want to stay up to date on all things Anthem and Real Estate then you need to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!  Pro Tip:  You’re also going to want to hit that little bell icon while you’re there, so that you’re the first to know when our new videos are posted every single Thursday!

As your Anthem, Arizona REALTOR® there’s nothing I love more than showing off our community and state to folks considering a move.  If you’ve been considering a move to Arizona then stick around as I take a look at some pros and cons of moving to the Grand Canyon State!

At the end of this post I’ll also give you exclusive access to our guide “Moving to Arizona? 10 Reasons to Choose Anthem!”.  Because, well, it’s pretty cool up here!

Before I start I want to give a little disclaimer.  Arizona is HUGE!  You can go from Sonoran Desert at one end of the state to Alpine Tundra on the other.  So, painting the whole state with the same brush of pros and cons is a little unfair.  From Yuma to Page, each city, town, and community has it’s own things that make them unique and wonderful places to live.

So for the purposes of this video, let’s focus on Phoenix and the surrounding areas.  Deal?

Pros:

1. The Weather: The weather in the Phoenix area is awesome! The coolest month of the year is December, with an average low of 45°F, while the hottest month of the year is July with an average high of 106°F.  On average we have 299 days of Sunshine per year.  Did you know that the average for the United States is 26” of snow per year?!  Yeah, our average here in Phoenix is ummm…. ZERO! If you want more information on weather, I did an entire video on the weather in Anthem, so feel free to check that out here.
2. Taxes: Depending on where you live this can be a MAJOR pro for relocating to Arizona.  In fact, according to Kiplinger, Arizona is the ‘Most Tax-Friendly State’.  The new $10,000 cap on deductions for taxes paid has definitely incentivized folks to consider a move to sunny Arizona.  In many larger cities throughout the United States people have previously relied on being able to deduct all of the taxes they paid.  The Greater Phoenix Area is located in Maricopa County. In Maricopa County, the property tax rate is 0.802% of the Home’s Assessed Value, while the National Average is 1.211% of the Home’s Assessed Value.  On a $250,000 home, the difference between Maricopa County and the National Average is over $1,000 in annual property taxes.  So, maybe you’re thinking enough with the stats, Lindsay!  What does this mean for me?  At the simplest level,  many people in Arizona are not impacted by the new $10,000 cap at all.
3. Home Prices: Again, depending on where you currently live, this alone could seal the deal for you on relocating to Arizona.  According to Business Insider, the median listing price of a home in Arizona in 2018 was $285,000, which worked out to $154 per square foot.  While in Washington, DC the median listing price was nearly $599,000, at $554 per square foot.  In California the median listing price was $544,000 which was $320 per square foot.  Click here to view this article, so that you can compare where you currently live to Arizona!  What does this all mean?!?  It means that depending on where you currently live you could get a larger house for less money in Arizona…HELLO!  Couple that with the weather, and the taxes…it’s a no-brainer.
4. Job Opportunities: The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has done and continues to do A LOT of work to attract new business to the Phoenix Area, and it’s working! They have removed red tape, lowered taxes, and offered competitive incentive programs that improve businesses bottom lines. The median age in the greater Phoenix Area is 36, which makes it the 6^th youngest metro area in the United States, which is definitely attractive to major corporations.  On November 1, Voya Financial announced it’s Arizona expansion, which will bring more than 1,000 jobs to the Phoenix Area.  That’s just one example!   Lots of people think Arizona is just a place to retire and that’s simply not true!  Although it is a pretty awesome place to retire!

I could go on forever with the pros of living in Arizona, but I think that’s a pretty good start. Whether you’re sick of the cold weather, giving all your money to Uncle Sam, or you’re looking for exciting new career opportunities you should definitely consider Arizona.

But wait, it can’t be all Sunshine & Swimming Pools in Arizona, right?  There have got to be some cons…

Cons:

1. Look but don’t touch: The desert is absolutely beautiful.  That being said we often say that everything in the desert is usually ‘prickly or poisonous’.  Okay, that’s not true of EVERYTHING, but it’s a good rule to live by if you’re relocating to Arizona!
2. A Bigger House: We always like to tell people that are relocating from colder climates that they may need to invest in a bigger house, or at least a house with an extra bedroom.  Why?  Well, because friends and family absolutely LOVE to visit you when you live in paradise! Is this a blessing or a curse?  We’ll let you decide!
3. Swimming Skills are a MUST: Remember those 100+ degree temperatures I mentioned earlier. Well the best way to beat the heat is in the pool.  So, you’re definitely going to need to know how to swim… or at least float.  Bonus points if you can keep your drink afloat at the same time!
4. A Jam-Packed Schedule: It’s true, we are SO busy here in Arizona! Whether you’re a hiker, mountain biker, golfer, wine taster, bunco player, pickleball guru, swimmer, walker, tennis player, gym rat, cyclist, knitter, reader, crochet master, gardener, sun worshipper, party animal, shopper, gamer, painter, sports lover, foodie, boater, water-skier, you name it, it might just feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done.

So, there you have it!  I hope this video has shed some light on the pros and cons of moving to Arizona!  Ready to start searching for your Arizona dream home?  Click here!

As promised, if you would like your free copy of our guide ‘Moving to Arizona?  10 Reasons to Choose Anthem!’, simply click here!

See YOU next Thursday!