What to Think About Before Getting a House in Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, Arizona, combines city life mixed with beautiful scenery. You can get the busy city motif heading to downtown Phoenix, but you’ll enjoy the natural elements. Many people decide to move to the area because of the casinos, spas, and hot temperatures. Here are some things to think about before buying a home in Mesa or Phoenix with a realtor.
Schools/Parks
Quality real estate in Queen Creek and Phoenix may have been the main reason you’re moving to Phoenix, but you might consider better educational opportunities for your children. Your kids would benefit from going to Choice Academies. They focus on building a solid foundation with the basics to help your child apply this knowledge to other things.
The grade level goes from K-12. While they have stellar academic prowess, they also help kids develop leadership skills, good citizenship, and critical thinking. They work with parents to create a course that would work more in the student’s interests.
It’s part of one of the top-notch school districts in the state because students have a reading proficiency of 79% and math proficiency of 78%. It’s no wonder why many kids go off to college after high school.
Paradise Valley Unified School District offers stellar programs from kindergarten to high school. The learning environments can help your kids begin to nurture their learning abilities. One of the unique features of Paradise Valley High School is allowing students to specialize in disciplines.
They have the Center for Research in Engineering, Science, and Technology (CREST), a four-year STEM and CTE program to help your child focus on bioscience, computer science, and engineering. It’s an exclusive program that allows just 50 students to gain admission.
It can help them create a college application that stands as they take the ideal steps toward a collegiate career. Parents will buy a home in Phoenix to get their children into the school district.
South Mountain Park and Preserve have a beautiful look and wildlife to help you get in touch with Mother Nature. Hiking and biking are ideal here on this land of over 16,000 acres. Get an incredible view from Dobbins Lookout to help you get that panoramic view of the valley.
The adventurous atmosphere makes it a solid place for tourists to enjoy themselves outside the city attractions.
A place your kids would love is Moon Valley Park. The playground, jungle gym, and basketball courts give your kids an outlet to burn off their youthful energy. There are various bird species to look at to see what Arizona has to offer.
Maybe you want to hit the track for a few miles. Just bring some mosquito repellent because it can get muggy here.
Safety/Police
Safety here can get a bit tricky. Of course, all big cities have areas that can be a bit shaky. If you’re concerned about safety, it may be best to move out of the downtown area. Try North Phoenix or elsewhere to get more of a suburban feel yet still be close to the main attractions. One of the things that makes Phoenix such a hot spot is people moving in from both the West and East Coasts.
The Phoenix metro area sees a lot of action because of the universities, the technology, and transportation jobs, and it’s become one of the desired places in Arizona. The mix of urban and suburban makes people want to come here.
However, it can get expensive to live here. Also, keep in mind some landscaping areas have more of a rural feel. It’s not uncommon to see scorpion infestations because of the humid climate.
The Phoenix Police Department has over 2,800 officers serving the area. Phoenix has the fifth-highest population among cities in the U.S., which means the police presence is very active. The Patrol Division has seven precincts:
- Desert Horizon
- Black Mountain
- Cactus Park
- Mountain View
- Central City
- Maryvale-Estrella Mountain
- South Mountain
Crime Rates
Unfortunately, Phoenix has recently seen an uptick in violent crimes in specific parts of the city. However, mass shootings in the U.S. have become more commonplace in 2022. Cops also need to be on their Ps and Qs because Phoenix has one of the highest rates of violence toward police officers.
There’s a police staff shortage, but the hired staff (active duty and civilians) continue to show resilience no matter the odds.
Be alert because assault and burglary tend to remain supreme here, especially when getting closer to downtown Phoenix.
The southern part of the Phoenix metro area tends to be much safer if you still want to live in that city atmosphere. Phoenix is a large city, which means you can expect some unfavorable activity (not uncommon in other big cities in the U.S.)
Real Estate Trends in Phoenix
Despite all of the recent activity in Phoenix, property values rose 27% in 2022. The median home price is $460,000. If you want to move out of the city into a quality home for your family, don’t be surprised to pay $700,000+ using a realtor in Phoenix.
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