[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

Don't know how I missed this thread!

A few questions about the area.

I know it gets hot there. I survived Austin this year with 50 days above 100. I assume summer is similar.

Yep, porbably not that far off, but less humidity. We have kinda wacky weather from June through September (our "monsoon" season), but the summer heat is manageable (good A/C in the car and home is a must). This time of year is great though. Haven't had the A/C or heat on for the last month and a half.

How is the economy in Phoenix right now? Housing market? I should have cash to put into a new home. Are there bargains to be found? Is the market soft?

There are smoking deals on homes right now. Most are in the form of bank-owned/REO. We just had a client in N. Scottsdale with a 5,600 sf. 5BR/5.5BA custom home including guest house on 1.5 acres that they "needed to sell." It was originally listed at $1.8M, then they came down to $1.3M, THEN the owner tried a short sale at $900K, and NOW it's a REO at $695K!
As I am sure you know, this was one of the epicenters of the whole housing bubble, so there are a lot of people here who couldn't get out of their current homes to buy once prices started to fall, so they just walked away.

How is traffic? The job would be located between the airport and ASU. I assume I would live in Tempe or some other Southern area. Any recommendations. I do not want a long commute. Would prefer to be within a 20 mile radius so I could commute on my bicycle - at least a few days a week.

Traffic really depends on what part of the valley you are in, but it is still much better here anywhere, compared to what I came from (Seattle). As 356 mentioned, Arcadia is a good area, and is mostly older, established neighborhoods.

I am used to living in older homes. Newest on ever owned was built in '57. Are there any good areas that are similar in style and structure?

Arcadia, Biltmore, Paradise Valley, South Scottsdale, etc. all have older homes in decent neighborhoods. A lot of them here are block construction, so they are very efficient and quiet. It all depends on what your budget is.

I have a 3YO son. Are there fun things to do there for kids? How are the schools? Will I be forced to use private schools for a good education?

Tons of fun stuff for the kiddies.
Schools here are hit and miss. Personally, I would try to keep them in the Unified Districts, if not going private. Of which, the Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Deer Valley, and Peoria Unifieds usually shine above the others. Of those, the Paradise Valley District is the one closest to the area you have in mind, and is one of (if not THE) best overall. To qualify, I think you would have to reside North of McDowell Rd, between 44th St and Pima Rd.

How are the roads? I am blessed with fantastic roads 30 minutes outside of Austin. No traffic and lots of curves? Are there similar roads in the mountains?

In the valley, the roads are pretty boring an flat. Getting around/Navigation is a breeze though. The whole valley is laid out like a grid, and it takes very little time to get your bearings.
However, once you get out of the valley there are some fantastic roads/routes which lead to some great destinations. East on Route 88 for Tortilla Flat, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, Roosevelt Dam, Tonto Nat'l. Monument, etc. Head South to check out Tucson, Coronado Nat'l. Forrest, Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns, etc. Head North for Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Page/Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Lake Havasu, Monument Valley, etc.

Also, as mentioned earlier SoCal and Vegas are only 5-6 hours away. So is the Sea of Cortez (Rocky Point) if you are feeling adventurous.

How is the PCA? Active? Good track season?

Never been active in the PCA, but I did notice that there aren't as many older Porsches here compared to the NW area. Of course, that is one of the biggest Porsche communities I've ever seen (just visit the regional NW board here to see what I mean). Still, there are plenty of Pelicans here, including a bunch I haven't even met yet.

How easy is it to get track/DE time? Of course, this job will take a lot of time but I need to play.

With PIR, and the 3 tracks at Firebird you should be fine.