Thinking of moving to AZ

[jalacart]

I would imagine that if you are planning on going to the Phoenix area you should have no shortage of work in this market. Even better if you can take some clients with you who are willing to switch your region. If you don't have any such clients .. well I hope you have some savings to get you through the "beating the bushes" period.

If you can't make it in this market, though, you should probably find something else to do.

Good luck.

I have other ventures, also am a RE agent and some clients I think I could bring with me. Financially it isn’t a problem. If I could get 3-5 a week I would be happy.

 

[Alsie35]

I have been to AZ serveral times. I like that it is located 5-7 hours from many places like Vegas, San Diego/ocean etc. But my main question relates to appraising in AZ I can get opinions from various websites on AZ itself lol.

I don't know how long you've been appraising and how many clients you have. Established clients that like your work will be willing to switch your region if they do business in AZ. (I am in the process of moving from CA to TX in a few months myself so I've done my research in this regard with my own clients).

OTOH, if you are a youngster with not that much time "in service", it may be worth your while to get a staff job in AZ and spend some time learning your new market area before going out on your own. Appraisal firms and departments are desperate right now. (I started getting solicitations from TX as soon as I waived into TX and got my license there. Can't blame them, but ... haven't been an office slave in decades and will never be one again ... )

Either way, good luck. I can't imagine living in Washington State. Politics aside, I HATE cold weather and rain with a white hot passion. Can't wait to be bathing in the South Texas HEAT once again.

 

[glenn walker]

Phoenix Metro-is a big Population center and appraisers are busy and most work for AMCs
so you would have business--Like I stated in a previous post I am not a fan of the Phoenix or its metro area. It has grown and been flooded with people looking for cheaper housing and there is a reason for it being cheap and its the Heat and dust storms and congested freeways. I cannot imagine going from Washington State to Phoenix I would assume your body will be in shock for the first two years since the weather conditions are so different and uncheck any Washington State -ideologies and political leanings because -Phoenix Metro Areas are typically gross polluter types and its a right to work State which is translated to low paying jobs. Just make sure you visit for at least 30 days during the hottest part of summer-and if you haven't had a heat stroke, you like staying indoors and you can tolerate the people then it may be a good place to live. As far as crime many areas and cities in Phoenix metro have high crime rates so check out that and if you have children check out megans list of the neighborhood you are interested in moving into. One positive is Arizona is a permit-less carry or Constitutional Carry state. No permit is required to carry a concealed firearm if a person is 21 years of age or over. To open carry a person must be at least 18 years old. Arizona still maintains a "Shall Issue" policy for reciprocity purposes. it's good to have guns in Arizona where I live only Criminals are allowed to use and carry guns : )

 

[Chandler]

AZ is an easy market to appraise in, and no it's not just for broke people. It's mostly newer homogeneous housing, huge growth and lots of opportunity for real estate investing too if that is your thing. I don't know about the above post ("most work for AMC's"), the last AMC report I did was 9 years ago and it was one for that entire year.

 

[alebrewer]

Lots of 'glass half empty' sentiment from some folks. I think AZ is beautiful. LOVE Scottsdale. Yep - it's hot, but very cool place. Love Flagstaff as well, but completely different vibe than Phoenix area. Sky Harbor isn't too bad as far as large airports go either.

 

[glenn walker]

Scotts da

Lots of 'glass half empty' sentiment from some folks. I think AZ is beautiful. LOVE Scottsdale. Yep - it's hot, but very cool place. Love Flagstaff as well, but completely different vibe than Phoenix area. Sky Harbor isn't too bad as far as large airports go either.

Well Arizona desert like Nevada desert and lower California deserts are half full half empty places because year round living can be very difficult for some. Many wealthy people in Los Angeles - Beverly Hills areas also own homes in Scottsdale Arizona which is their wealthy enclave and many fly back out here in summer and live out here. The working class in Phoenix and Nevada metro are wiped out with heat for many months and I always tell people you visit either place when its at its hottest. Other areas are full glass type communities and if-you have money there is almost no place as good as SO CA when it comes to weather and San Diego has some of the best weather in the Country but its expensive to live there. So there ya have it -its almost all about COST -if you don't have money you live in deserts and if you have money you may have a second home in Scottsdale and a primary on SO CA Coast. Son - whats a good reason to go to Phoenix Metro ? Its cheap : ) LMAO

 

[Chandler]

Scotts da

Well Arizona desert like Nevada desert and lower California deserts are half full half empty places because year round living can be very difficult for some. Many wealthy people in Los Angeles - Beverly Hills areas also own homes in Scottsdale Arizona which is their wealthy enclave and many fly back out here in summer and live out here. The working class in Phoenix and Nevada metro are wiped out with heat for many months and I always tell people you visit either place when its at its hottest. Other areas are full glass type communities and if-you have money there is almost no place as good as SO CA when it comes to weather and San Diego has some of the best weather in the Country but its expensive to live there. So there ya have it -its almost all about COST -if you don't have money you live in deserts and if you have money you may have a second home in Scottsdale and a primary on SO CA Coast. Son - whats a good reason to go to Phoenix Metro ? Its cheap : ) LMAO

Your last sentence is really true of Rancho Cucamonga The houses in my area are $850K to $1.3M. while there are people here with second homes (neighbor of mine is an out of market MLB player for example), that's not the norm in most areas. The Canadians snapped up dirt cheap properties way on the fringes of town, but many of them are selling and realizing profits. Now those $107,000 junky stucco boxes from 2009 in San Tan Valley are $325,0000 junky stucco boxes and the snowbirds are largely staying away while investment firms swoop in. Rents in these areas have gone from $1,200 a couple years ago to well over $2,000 today and whenever I put one of my rentals on the market, I get at least 5 prospects immediately. It's still cheap compared to much of LA and OC, but not so cheap relative to the IE any longer.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I like anything that has the character of the West and not the politics. My cousin moved to Yuma and never looked back from Colorado. Her sister just moved into NE AZ. They had starved out of Colorado long enough. Ordinary people cannot make a living in Colorado anymore. It's the playground of rich Californians.

 

[Alsie35]

I like anything that has the character of the West and not the politics. *SNIP*.

There is a tragedy in that sentence that strike those of us "of a certain age" - because in the 1970s The West was a SOLID conservative stronghold... Jimmy Carter only won by the skin of his teeth because everyone knew that, late in the morning, California would go to Jerry Ford, as it indeed did, in 1976.

 

[Chandler]

There is a tragedy in that sentence that strike those of us "of a certain age" - because in the 1970s The West was a SOLID conservative stronghold... Jimmy Carter only won by the skin of his teeth because everyone knew that, late in the morning, California would go to Jerry Ford, as it indeed did, in 1976.

Conservatives weren't so wacky in the 1970's. Now it's a clown show of conspiracy theorists