Visiting AZ

[mustangsally]

My family and I are planning a trip to the Phoenix area after Christmas. We're interested in moving to the Greater Phoenix area, and need some ideas.
We'll be there 2 days.

1. What are some decent things to do (shopping for the wife, for example).
2. Where are the newer home communities found (I heard Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek).
3. General recommendations/travel plans/sightseeing/eating/itineraries, etc.

Thanks for any input.

[UA_who]

There's quite a bit to do.
Shopping:
Arizona Mills Mall
Fashion Square
Keirland Commons (upscale, very cool shopping)

Most other things involve the outdoors this time of year
Golf (there are literally 150+ different 18-hole courses in the valley)
Hiking - Camelback mountain, Squaw Peak, White Tanks, South Mountain (all desert mountains right in town, moderate hikes, day trips. Just park your car and walk)

There's always the downtown activities too: Suns games, theatre, concerts, etc.
Plenty of those always going on.

There are tons of new home locations - 60,000+ new homes last year alone
All around the fringes of the valley, anywhere you look.
Gilbert and Chandler are more established and are getting more expensive.
Queen Creek is getting pretty far away from downtown Phoenix (if you have to commute) but will give you a good deal for the amount of house
Goodyear/Avondale, Peoria, North Phoenix, Anthem - all of these are growing fast and will have alot to choose from.

If you give me a little more info on what kind of stuff you're looking for I'd love to help. I really like the valley and would enjoy helping you find what you're looking for.

[mustangsally]

There's quite a bit to do.
Shopping:
Arizona Mills Mall
Fashion Square
Keirland Commons (upscale, very cool shopping)

Most other things involve the outdoors this time of year
Golf (there are literally 150+ different 18-hole courses in the valley)
Hiking - Camelback mountain, Squaw Peak, White Tanks, South Mountain (all desert mountains right in town, moderate hikes, day trips. Just park your car and walk)

There's always the downtown activities too: Suns games, theatre, concerts, etc.
Plenty of those always going on.

There are tons of new home locations - 60,000+ new homes last year alone
All around the fringes of the valley, anywhere you look.
Gilbert and Chandler are more established and are getting more expensive.
Queen Creek is getting pretty far away from downtown Phoenix (if you have to commute) but will give you a good deal for the amount of house
Goodyear/Avondale, Peoria, North Phoenix, Anthem - all of these are growing fast and will have alot to choose from.

If you give me a little more info on what kind of stuff you're looking for I'd love to help. I really like the valley and would enjoy helping you find what you're looking for.

Basically, were there for 2 days. Want to get (and give) a good overall impression of the Greater Phoenix area. My parents are still living in NYS, and want out of the cold. SOCAL is too expensive for them to move to at this stage. The wife and I would also be looking for a place. The wife likes the idea of a master planned community, where there are shops and stores, etc. within a general area of new build homes *are you a realtor?* I was initially thinking Gilbert and Queen Creek.

I'd like to get a glimpse of Scottsdale as well. I hear there's a Ruth's Criss steakhouse there. Never had that before. Also heard Scottsdale is nice, but rather expensive. What's there worth seeing?

Anyway, the whole shopping thing is for the ladies, to get a flavor of the more 'cosmopolitan' aspects, I guess.

Like I said, overall, I just want a solid general feel for the area (especially nice neighborhoods w/homes under $400,000... all in 2 days!

Thanks for any help.

[Khaleal]

My wife is a realtor and may be able to show you a couple of houses if you like. PM me if you want her phone number.

[UA_who]

Ruth Cris's steakhouse is very cool. Just be ready to spend some cash.
If you want a less expensive "cowboy" experience, try the Rustler's Roost at the Point South Mountain resort. Good atmosphere. Singing cowboys. the works.

Also, take a look at this pdf file from the Maricopa Assoc. of Gov't

MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES (http://www.geocities.com/ua_who/index_files/med_hh_val_trp0013600.pdf)

This data is 5 or 6 years old, so you can probably double the prices shown to get to what they are now, but this shows you where to look.

[Jake]

I will be heading to Phoenix later this week. I'll be living/working in the Tempe area part-time, shuttling between Arizona and Minnesota a month or two at a time. I've searched Rent.com, Apartments.com, and RentNet.com for an apartment and have found a few possibilities, but when I then go to ApartmentRatings.com they appear to be disasters. I'm looking for an apartment in a safe area (mainly for the Charger), somewhat close to Tempe, relatively infestation free, and reasonably priced. I would like a short-term lease, as I may purchase a condo/townhome if things work out. I used to travel to Tempe quite often for work, but that was over a decade ago. I really enjoyed my trips there and liked the area. If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

PS I apologize for hijacking this thread...