Phoenix is currently one of the top real estate markets in 2021 going into 2022, but have you ever wondered if there are any reasons not to move to Phoenix? Being a real estate specialist, I get to learn and understand the ins and outs of cities around the Valley. Today, we’ll be covering 11 reasons why you may not choose to move to Phoenix!
I believe Phoenix has way more good than bad but there are a few things that you’ll want to know about when living or moving to Phoenix. To start it off, Phoenix has a lack of greenery. We are technically located in the Sonoran Desert and desert landscaping is the norm. There are a lot of cacti and desert natural plants, so you won’t be seeing a lush yard or a lush farm field full of grass. If you go north towards Flagstaff, you will see a bit more greenery than here in the valley, but that may be a reason not to move to Phoenix.
The number 10 reason not to move to Phoenix in the summer, because it is HOT! I mean like burn your skin off hot! Phoenix summer is like no other. I like to joke and say we have three seasons here, cool summer, warm summer, and hot summer. There is no way around the heat of the summer here, you must at least wear 50 spf. However, you do get more and more used to it as the blood in your body thins out. Depending on your preference of climate, that is the norm here.
A ninth reason to think about not living in Phoenix is that there are block walls in the backyard. The vast majorities of homes have backyards with brick walls. I came from the Midwest where everybody has chain link fences or some wood fences for more privacy. Some walls are regular old block gray concrete, or you have stucco on the wall which looks kind of nice. Either way, if it’s something you’re not used to, that’s what the vast majority of properties in Arizona have. Now, some properties have view fencing, like wrought iron if your property backs up to a water retention area or looking down towards the city or mountains. I would consider this detail minor but it’s something worth sharing!
The eighth reason not to move to Phoenix is because of the creepy crawlies. You probably know all about the rattlesnakes and scorpions and black widows and other creatures. It’s what Arizona is known for. Out of the 16 years, I’ve lived here, I’ve only seen three rattlesnakes and only 1 scorpion. They’re out there but it’s not very often where you cross their paths in everyday life. Having good pest control is a must to get rid of their food source. You’ll see some other wild creatures, such as javelinas and coyotes, and even have termites.
Here is an interesting one, Arizona has a lack of water filtration systems, and because of that, there is a lot of hard water in Arizona homes. My wife mentions that it’s bad for washing your hair. Normally, those systems would turn the water soft with less calcium but are found predominately in other parts of the country. The sixth reason you may not want to move to Phoenix is that a lot of communities look the same. Now we all know that exists everywhere in the country, but Phoenix is home to a lot of major home builders that buy large parcels of land. In those specific communities, builders will only give four or five different floor plans, but they build thousands of homes. If you want something custom, it’ll be more challenging to find in the Phoenix area. Most homes will have that brown earth tone exterior.
Continuing with the list, have you ever heard of valley fever? Valley fever sounds scary, but it only is a fungal infection that affects your lungs. If you’re in the backyard digging dirt or ever around a construction site, all the dust you breathe in causes valley fever. We’re surrounded 360 degrees by mountains and the dust likes to collect in the valley. If you ever have it, you may have to go on medication, but it is nothing severe to the body. Valley fever comes in as the fifth reason you may not want to move to Phoenix.
The 4th reason not to move to Phoenix is because of allergies. Now if you are coming from the Midwest or even the east coast, you may think because Phoenix is in a desert, you won’t have any problems with allergies. Now, I’m one of the lucky ones that don’t have any allergies, so I feel very lucky. Now, the main culprit for allergies in Arizona is the Palo Verde tree. It’s a green tree, as the name suggests, and the branches split off and eventually bloom. Their pollen floats around in the area and causes a ton of people to sneeze.
Now we are hitting the top 3 reasons you may not want to live in Phoenix. The third reason is Phoenix having a lack of seasons. If you are someone who likes having 4 seasons a year, this is not the place for you! We only really have two seasons here, cooler hot and hotter hot. The summer is so hot and you either must suck it up by being outside for a bit or run to the nearest indoor place. Our sports teams shut down between June and July, and during that time, that’s when families go on vacations with their families. The other nine months out of the year, you’ll find sports more popular with kids and professional teams. The second reason is because of the poor air quality. Believe it or not, Phoenix is surrounded by mountains, which causes air pollution to stay in the valley. There is smog and higher pollution advisory alerts. It’s usually pretty good in most parts of the year but compared to other cities, we end up lower on the scale.
The number one reason you may not want to live in Phoenix Arizona is the snowbird drivers! They come here a lot between November and April, and you’ll notice the difference. The roads have more traffic, and it is a little more difficult to book or reserve things. The driving sometimes can get a little hectic, one, because there are more vehicles on the road, and two, they don’t normally have the best reaction time. Even though they can be the worst, they do bring over $2 billion of revenue for the state. We couldn’t live without you, but please work on your driving.
These are the top 11 reasons not to live in the state of Arizona! We have so many people contacting us who are moving to the Scottsdale/Phoenix area, and we are so happy to make the transition easier for them. If you have any additional questions about all the things that come with living in Phoenix, Arizona, reach out to us at info@kellycookhomes.com