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For many people that visit Phoenix, they start to dream of living there. Some people just become frequent fliers and spend all their vacations in the area. Others make the leap and decide to move to the area. Moving to a brand new area is a hard thing to do. Those that want to be prepared for this new part of their life should go beyond thinking about the fun activities to do when they vacation and concentrate on what it is like to live in that area.
Phoenix is not like another area. For those that move into the area, they may find themselves having a slightly hard time adjusting. One of the major adjustments that need to be made is to the Mountain Standard Time. Phoenix does not use daylight savings time and this is completely different than other areas in the United States.
With every great thing about Phoenix, there is something else to watch for. Sitting in the warmth of the Phoenix sun and watching beautiful sunsets every night is a great way to end the day. The heat is great for some people who cannot stand the cold. However, there are dangerous animals to pay attention to like rattlesnakes, coyotes, and even scorpions.
Something to think about is most people who live in Phoenix started somewhere else. Few people have been born and raised in the area. A lot of people tend to move to Phoenix to start a career or to retire. With this in mind, Phoenix has a great assortment of diversity. Their restaurants and business tailor their services to accommodate many different people.
Surprisingly, the cost of living in Phoenix is only a little over four percent more than the national average. The biggest complaint is the fact many of the jobs in the area pay slightly below average. As the job market grows the need for larger businesses and better wages has increased.
Related: Best Neighborhoods in Phoenix for Families
More than ten years ago the job market took a quick downturn. From this point, the job market has started to grow again. Some new companies are moving into the area in recent years. Much of the businesses in the area are focused on tourism and starting to incorporate technology.
Residents do not pay high property taxes and it can be easier to make a real estate purchase. There is an Arizona state income tax to be paid, so do not put that saved money towards frivolous purchases. The prices of homes in the area are still below the average cost for comparable cities. Making it a good time to invest since market prices are still rising.
Some large cities are impossible to drive in. Many large cities use the public transportation system as their main mode of transport. In Phoenix, residents need to have a vehicle. There are some public transportation systems in place. However, they focus heavily on tourist areas. Making it nearly impossible for residents to use this transportation as their daily commute to work.
Even though it can be difficult to travel by public transportation it is easy to drive in Phoenix. Once a resident is used to the traffic getting around is easy. Phoenix is set up with a grid system for their roads. Making it much easier to learn the streets and how to drive from location to location.
A common occurrence is an influx of traffic during the winter. Most areas see increased tourism during the summer when people have time off. Phoenix sees more traffic during the winter because of snowbirds. These snowbirds are people, who are usually retired, who live in warmer climates during the winter to avoid the cold or snow that they are getting back home.
A lot of people tend to travel to Phoenix in the winter. Winter weather versus summer weather in Phoenix is two different ballgames. In the summer temperatures commonly get more than one hundred degrees. People tend to say the dry heat helps people to tolerate this heat. It can be better for many people, but it is still very hot in Phoenix.
Those that dislike feeling hot when traveling from home to work or the store will not enjoy Phoenix summers. Spending time outdoors in the summer can be dangerous if the person is not staying hydrated and paying attention to how much sun exposure their skin is getting. Like any area, people have to plan for the weather.
Something new for people to experience are haboobs and monsoons. Haboobs are dust storms that are common in the area. Monsoons are the summer storms that can come out of nowhere. Even though this can sound off-putting once a person has lived in the area for a while they tend to get used to the unpredictability of these storms.
The weather tends to be hot and unbearable for only a few months and is overall enjoyable for the rest of the year. With the exception of the monsoons that may happen during the summer, there is very little rainfall in Phoenix. Making it difficult to grow much of a lawn. Most people embrace their desert landscape and welcome the fact they do not need an umbrella.
Something that almost all residents have in common is a love for the great outdoors. Phoenix has a landscape that is unlike any other. The desert is a thing of beauty and makes for a great hiking experience. There are plenty of trails to choose from. Plus there are many parks that have their recreation centers to help residents avoid getting overheated.
Living in Phoenix can take some adjustment. This desert town has little rain, allows residents to buy property cheap, and pay little in the way of real estate taxes. It’s warm days more than make-up for the lack of public transport so long as residents have their vehicle. Overall, many people move to Phoenix after spending countless vacations in the area.
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