ARIZONA???

[jyoutz]

Scruffy, I'm from Arizona (native), but I'm not from the city nor the desert part. I live in the white mountains in rural NE AZ. But I can probably answer your questions, so go ahead.

 

[scruffy]

Ah-hah! A Native no less! That is getting to be rare in any state with the current mobility of our population!
1. Is there reasonable habitation within a 20 to 40 mile arc of Scottsdale on the northeast quadrent?
2. General cost of living in Arizona, i.e. monthly rental range, utilities, groceries (somewhat of an idea - not holding anyone to specifics), etc. (reference to family of 3, but considering household pets (2 dogs, currently 4 cockatiels).
3. Proximity of mountanous region to area mentioned in 1.
4. Idea of traffic conditions, if one can stay in the above mentioned northeast quadrant. (Don't need a repeat of post in Country Boy in City Traffic)
5. Country n.e. of Scottsdale, is it desert?, mountainous?, populated with juniper trees? sagebrush/cactus?
6. (silly question next) Ghost towns/settlements, historical areas, etc. (out of the city)
7. Suggestions for places to visit? Look for housing (rural)?
8. Winter weather? (have real good idea of summer - hot!)
Thanks! Don't worry if you can't answer all, just looking for all the info I can dredge up to assist in making a decision.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I lived Glendale and worked in Phoenix in '97 and '98. If you can provide a major intersection near where you plan to work and a desired drive time for commuting maybe I can help. Scotsdale is pricey but if you are on the northern or western side commutes from Glendale, Phoenix or rural areas are not that bad. The neat thing about the area is that you are never more than a couple of hours from the mountains, ghost towns, mines etc. Plan on buying a 4wd for weekend fun trips!

 

[gordon]

Scruffy something similar happened to my dad on a job. He was supposed to wear a tie as well. Needless to say he hated a neck choker so he never wore one. One day the vice president of the company and him got into it about the tie issue. Saying it wasn't good that he didn't adhere to the dress code being that he was project manager, he wasn't setting a good example for the engineers and superintendents under him.----His reply--- I bring in the jobs way under cost right well a tie would only slow me down having to always move it out of the way of the blueprints and if you don't like it there are enough construction companies that would hire me in a second without a tie with my job record.

This is the outcome of above----ties weren't in the dress code anymore for jobsite personell just at the home office. Dad was sure happy with the outcome but boy he sure could be a hard head at times. But he only had to wear a tie a couple of times a year when he had to go to the main office, something even he could tolerate.
Gordon

 

[scruffy]

Ken, I've received the impression (strongly) that Scottsdale is 'pricey'. That's OK, I don't/won't/and will not live in 'town' anyway. The area is in the northeastern part of Scottsdale, and from the description I got, is right across the street from Old Town Scottsdale. That is all I have on location at this time. This may not come to fruition after all, as they want to low-ball the salary. I have said if they meet the minimum requirements that I have put forth, then we can talk turkey. They have placed a cap on the salary @15G below my minimum...not counting benefits. So far, they are going through their head office to shoot for a one time exemption to meet my demands. Nice to be wanted so! Actually, they contacted me, knowing the range I would accept, so it's up to them to make the next move... I kinda hope so, as the company is ok, the area is ok, and my wife is all FOR IT! She loves the desert.

Gordon, I can well understand. I don't mind wearing a tie, WHEN I have to. But as any of the Information Technology folks know, you may spend a good portion of your time just pounding on a keyboard, interfacing with various folks, or just have a backside and elbows visible while the rest of you is stuck in a cabinet, or under somedesk or something tracing a cable to a wall outlet that has been buried behind a workstation partition. Meetings? I don't mind, BUT, personally, I think they should be outlawed! Nasty things.

 

[jyoutz]

Well scruffy, as I said, I'm not from the urban area or desert country but I'll try to answer your questions. Scottsdale is an affluent area so most housing is rather pricy. But parts of Scottsdale and adjoining Phoenix are not too expensive, but this is all suburban living. North of there about 45 minutes is New River, a rural area in the desert mnt. foothills. Lots of horses, tractors, ect.. there. You would have to commute on I-17. Phoenix-Scottsdale are smack in the Sonoran desert so that's what the county is like. North of there heading into Prescott, Verde Valley, its more juniper/chapparal/high plains type of country. Of course north of that (3 hours N of PHX) you climb up the Mogollon Rim to the Colorado Plateau (Flagstaff area). Or 2 hours NE is Payson - a cool mountain area and 1.5 hour further still to the white mountains). This is God's county. Ponderosa pine forests, mountains, Grand Canyon, cold weather and lots of snow. But getting back to the PHX-Scottsdale area-winter weather is not bad at all (60's day, 40's night), rain during Pacific frontal storms. Spring and fall are not bad and summer is unbearable -BUT you will be spending as much time as possible in the cool mnts. around Flagstaff or the White Mnts. where I live (that's the AZ tradition -most desert residents have cabins or 2nd homes in the high country-or for the less affluent,a tent or camper). Most land in AZ is government owned so outdoor recreation like hunting, fishing, camping are real popular. Personally, I am a mountain man and not real enamored of the desert or the city but to each his own. AZ is a land of great contrasts: a highly urban population living in PHX or Tucson areas with the rest of the state wide-open, rural with no major cities. Flagstaff is the 4th largest metro area (after PHX, Tucson, Yuma) and has only about 75,000 population. Topography, as I mentioned is extremely diverse. Most people don't realize that AZ is only about 1/3 Sonoran desert, about 1/3 rocky mountain forest or woodland, and about 1/3 high plains, mnt. foothills or chaparral vegetation. I would highly recommend that you visit Scottsdale and look at rural housing in the New River/Black Canyon City (I-17 corridor), or Payson highway (AZ 87)areas. Other rural areas are Buckeye (lots of farming) but that's west of PHX and I'm not sure about the commute. As to traffic, well you'll have to judge for yourself. I live in the mnts. in an area of 10,000 population so my judgement is not very good. It's all nasty city driving as far as I'm concerned. A traffic tie-up to me is an elk herd on the HWY. I know that I didn't answer all of your questions, but it's a start. Let me know if you need any more info.

 

[jyoutz]

Scruffy, just realized that I didn't address at all your questions about cost of living. Well, I'm not really up on those things in the area that you're considering. I would however say that housing would be the highest expense. Due to a lack of private land, land and housing is high but it seems like other costs: taxes, utilities, retail, groceries, ect are very reasonable, comparatively speaking. Housing costs (PHX metro area): well nothing exists less than $100K, median price about $150K. Lots of housing in the $200K+ price in the Scottsdale area. Of course many rural areas can be less than this.

 

[glennmac]

Scruffy,

As I'm sure you know, if its important, Phoenix is a pro sports and college sports town (ASU).

Tactically, I think you should get a firm offer before you negotiate salary. If the business guys who need you don't like you after the intereviews, it is all moot anyway. If they do want you, they will pressure the HR staff people on your behalf.

Glenn

 

[scruffy]

Glenn, got the feedback from four sources (3 within the company in question - HR Manager, headman in Salt Lake, and his boss in Chicago) they definately want me, and are running it through the Corporate powers to be for an exemption to pay the salary range that I gave. The fourth source (a headhunter) has told them that I would NOT accept anything lower than the stated range initially given them. I've told them flat out that it would have to fall in that range, with moving expenses, signing bonus, and their offered 10% annual cash bonus, 401k, med. ins, etc. They sure didn't back off. I have several others in the works, two serious, but they are 9 month to 12 month contracts, with the potential for going permanent. I am willing to settle for a lower figure on the permanent job than what I can garner on the contracts, which typically I can pull 2X or more money out of, but have to pay my own medical etc, which eats up the money in a hurry.

 

[glennmac]

OK, you're further along in the process than I realized. I've moved my principal residence 20 times in my life. It is never easy, but gets harder as you get older. I know you've considered the impact on your kids.

I don't know what the real estate market is like where you live now, but another thing you can ask for is for them to have a relocation firm handle the sale of your current house. The way it works is that the relo firm gets appraisals on your house. They then try to sell it for you. If it doesn't sell within 60 days, the relo firm buys the house for the average of the appraisals. Even if the employer doesn't use relo firms, you can also ask them to pay all the expenses and fees of selling and/or buying your homes (including the real estate commissions). Those expenses can easily be a lot more than the moving van expense, which is what some companies limit their relo coverage to.

I also hope you have a good accountant to get all the tax deductions for which you are eligible as an independent contractor, which you will be giving up.

Glenn