Don't Move to Phoenix Until You Hear This... (The Ugly Side)

The population of Phoenix grew by 4% between 2020 and 2023, making it one of the fastest growing urban areas across the United States. You'd assume this growth means that everyone that lives here loves it, but the truth is, not everyone does. So before you pack up and make the decision to move, I want to share with you some of the less talked about, and yes, unpleasant things about living in the Phoenix area. Yet with all of this in mind, you might still wonder, why is everyone still moving here? Now, because of this growth, many feel that we are now also suffering from overcrowding, which is transforming the city. In fact, longtime locals often reminisce about a time when roads were less congested and neighborhoods were not exploding with new construction. Many residents also feel that their commute time is longer than it used to be, traffic is much worse, public spaces are now crowded, and they are losing the open, more relaxed atmosphere that Phoenix once was. And for many, this overcrowding can feel somewhat overwhelming, especially with what seems to be constant road construction to improve our infrastructure so that it can handle all the people that are moving here. Public amenities are also being expanded just to keep up, but that means we are living in a construction zone, which can make it really challenging to get around and a mess at times. Now, when it comes to our traffic, you are also going to hear people talk about how crazy and aggressive drivers are on our roads, and that they have seen more red light runners here than they have ever seen before. Now, me just being honest, I don't see it this way. I do hear everyone talk about it, but I don't see this on a daily basis. But because people talk about it often, I wanted to bring it up here. From what I can gather specifically about this topic, it is really going to depend on where you're coming from. Now, I grew up in Southern California, where if you were not doing 85 miles an hour plus on the freeway, you were probably going to get run over. That is, as long as you weren't sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. So I personally don't see the Phoenix area having a lot of traffic, or do I see that everyone here is a super fast driver? But it has changed since we moved here back in 2001. Now, as Phoenix's population continued to grow, the city has had to expand outward, which is that urban sprawl that you'll often hear people talk about. And this is one of the main reasons why when you live here, you are going to need a car, which is something that people coming from bigger cities are just not used to. Now, yes, we do have public transportation, but we do not have the subways and train systems like many really big cities. And this is something that many long-term residents really don't want to see happen in Phoenix. So for now, just know you are going to need a car to get around. Now, when people originally think about moving to the Phoenix area, they are often surprised when they learn just how big the Phoenix metro area actually is, and how many suburbs there are. But just because it's big doesn't mean that you can build more just anywhere. In fact, many of our cities have no more land to develop, which is exactly why the expansion has had to go farther out where there's more land. Now, while this does address the housing issue, it can create some other challenges, mainly the need for a car for everything. Now, our urban sprawl, overcrowding, and influx of new residents have all contributed to one of Phoenix's most pressing issues, and that is skyrocketing home prices. Now, this began back in 2020, as it did all across the US. But with Phoenix being one of the number one places people were moving to, that spike in home prices happened pretty fast. We saw our demand spike while inventory stayed historically low, not to mention the historically low interest rates, which made prices go through the roof. Now, this has been really shocking because Phoenix was always known as an affordable city, but that has all changed. The home prices have also been a contributing factor to that urban sprawl because the homes that are in those cities that are a little farther out can be a little more affordable. And for some, this has been a great option because those homes are also brand new. Now, my one caveat to buyers that get really starry-eyed when they look at new construction is to make sure you do your research when it comes to where you'll be living and where you'll be working so that that drive will be acceptable to you. Now, when it comes to your overall commute, something that I see as a positive here in Phoenix is that we have multiple different employment corridors, and that opens up a lot of different housing options for you so that you don't have to drive for hours to get to work. This is unlike some other cities where if you move to the kind of outskirts of town, everyone always works in one location, so that drive can be quite long. That is not how things happen here in Phoenix. However, it will come down to where you work and where you want to live. But the good news is, is that you've got options. But none of this removes the fact that the cost of living here in the Phoenix area has gone up drastically. And not just for housing. Currently, the overall cost of living is 3% higher in the Phoenix area than the national average, with housing being a bulk of that. But groceries are 4% higher than the national average. When I saw this when we were traveling one time, it really hit home how much more expensive things are here than some other places. Now, something that people really do not like when they live in Phoenix is the summer heat. This is something that I am asked about by every single buyer that I talk to, and they'll say something like this. Is it really that hot there? And my answer is always yes. It is hot. It starts in about April, May, and it goes through October. Now, we don't always have 100-degree days in October, but we can see temperatures in the mid to high 90s and sometimes in the 100s in October. I tell people that we basically have reverse cabin fever here because just like in the winter when everyone stays inside because it's too cold, we typically stay inside in the summer because it's too hot. Now, with pools and misting systems, you can go outside during the summertime. And if you really, really need to get outside to do some exercise and you have to do it outside, make sure you do that in the morning. That is when you will see people out during the summertime is early in the morning. Regardless of if you go outside for exercise or just for pleasure during the summertime, be careful with the heat, especially if you're not used to it. And that phrase you hear all the time, it's a dry heat, that needs to be taken into account as well because dehydration can come on quickly and it can be a little scary. We see this every year when people come to visit. They wanna go out and enjoy a hike on one of our beautiful trails. They misjudge how dry it is and how much water they need. And then they have to be rescued off of the trail because they can't get to shade or more water. It happens every year. But here's the thing, with the hundreds of clients that I have helped move to the Phoenix area from the Midwest and the East Coast, whenever we talk about the summers, they all say the same thing. I will take these summers over the cold blowing snow and ice any day. Even those that come from the Pacific Northwest, they're grateful to deal with our heat rather than the rain. Just know that during the summertime, you will wanna take a couple trips just so that you can get a break from the heat. Now, something that has become a bigger problem here in the Phoenix area that you need to know about are higher crime rates, more homeless, and more drug use. Now, how much you see this or come in contact with it will depend on where you are. I can tell you, me personally, I do not see this on a daily basis, weekly basis, or even a monthly basis. But it is here. And just like anywhere else, there are areas where it is worse. But it is not something that is happening everywhere across the Phoenix metro area. Just make sure you do your homework and check the crime statistics. Now, your real estate agent will be able to help with this. We have a document called the Buyer Advisory. This is a document where you will have clickable links that can take you to all of this information, which it's all important to know prior to you making the decision on where to buy. Now, if you are a family moving here, you are going to want to know about our schools. And if you go to the interwebs, you will see that Arizona schools are ranked 49 out of 51, which will likely give you pause as a parent. I know that is how I would feel. And many don't like that our public schools are ranked this low. But here's what I can tell you as a parent with kids that are in schools here. First off, we are very lucky to have school choice. We as parents are able to pick the school that we feel is the right fit for our kids. Yes, there has to be space within the schools, but I only know of one school that was full and you had to live within the boundaries for your child to get into that school. And that was quite a few years ago. So I'm not sure that that is still the case. Second is that we have amazing charter and private schools here. So you have more options than just a public school. And then you have some public schools that are schools of choice. This means they don't have any boundaries. And the curriculum sometimes is different than what the other public schools are teaching, as well as the way they handle things within the school. So although that overall ranking does not look great, we do still have some amazing schools where kids are getting a great education. There are also some great options for those making the decision to homeschool their kids so that you can help your kids get the education that they need and that you want. Now, the one caveat to all of this is that if you have a child that has special needs, you will need to stay within your boundaries for your school. Now, one of the other topics that I am also asked about a lot is about all of our pests and critters. Now, we have quite a few and some that people didn't even know we had. Now, everyone knows about the snakes. Which, by the way, are my least favorite thing in the world. Then we have scorpions, tarantulas, bobcats, coyotes, javelinas, and a few mountain lions. And we also have a few deer that are up in North Scottsdale. Now, when people start asking me these questions, this is what I know. They want to live as far away from these things as possible and they want to know where that is. And through further investigation, I'll usually find out where they want to live. And then we can kind of start discussing that again. The reality is, is that if you're going to live closer into the city, you're probably not going to see these animals as often than if you live out a little farther away. But take it from somebody, like I said, that is petrified, so afraid of snakes, I can't believe I live in a state where they're so prevalent. You will learn to adapt and live around these creatures. Because if I can do it, anyone can do it. And after all of this, if you are still thinking about moving to Phoenix, then you need to watch this video. As always, I thank you for watching and I'll see you next time.