Phoenix: More than a Place to Buy – It’s a Place to LIVE

It’s mid-February and the majority of the nation is freezing, setting all-time records for cold … a blanket of snow literally smothers the East Coast. Reruns of MTV’s The Jersey Shore are the last remembrances of sunnier days, while scraping ice off the windshield before departing the driveway is a far too common necessity for inhabitants of such geographically challenged regions
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Joe Phoenix pulls his convertible Chrysler Sebring into a space just outside Starbucks, orders some coffee, and sits outside to enjoy his paper serenaded by the pleasant chirping of birds. He flicks a few crumbs of his blueberry muffin to a cactus wren and then offers up a chuckle at the images strewn across USA Today’s full color weather page. He takes comfort in the fact that the very spot he is sitting, once again, is clearly the nation’s warmest and most comfortable.

Fifteen hundred miles away, Mr. Scraping-His-Windshield Guy mutters something about Al Gore’s global warming power-point and some ideas about where he can “stuff” his image advancing clicker. No offense to Mr. Gore, but few in this gentleman’s ‘digging his car from a snow bank’ predicament offer much consideration for what, at that moment, appears to be ethereal thought.

Yes. Phoenix is a remarkable place indeed. It is where you work, it is a place to set your foundation, and it is the ideal backdrop for a memorable, enjoyable life. Lately, there have been a lot of headlines regarding the housing market, many of which allude to Phoenix’s being in a grand state of flux. Let them have their headlines, anything to break a story. Truth be told, what goes down must go up.

In the meantime, one of the essentials in life is the proverbial ‘roof over your head.’ As was pointed out earlier, not every location (almost none whatsoever) offers the limitless opportunities and dreamlike climate one discovers right here in Phoenix, Arizona. Of those that do, you would be hard pressed to find housing at such an approachable price point.
Phoenix is not only livable- it is considered among the most desirable vacation destinations in the world. The City is a diverse cultural melting-pot forged from the confluence of indigenous tribes, cowboy history, mineral mining, Mexican tradition, and the Western migration of European and African settlers.

Residents of the Valley of the Sun are treated to endless entertainment venues, competitive professional sports, eclectic cuisine, incomparable shopping, casino fun, and historical sites dotting the resplendent desert landscape. Home buyers who are considering Phoenix permanently should take comfort in its long-standing reputation for being among the nation’s fastest growing regions.

Despite the sluggish economy, Phoenix’s diverse industry coupled with its remarkable natural wonders remains attractive for many looking for a new and comfortable start. The homes reflect the traditions of its settlers, most of which ventured from disparate locations and countries before calling the area home. If you are looking to purchase a home, or even considering it, you will not be disappointed in the aesthetic choices that vary from block to block and zip code to zip code. Traditional adobe, contemporary, Victorian, Santa-Fe, and ranch-style options are found at rates commensurate with nearly any budget.

Beyond that which is available in the Valley, short road-trips (many of which are no more than an hour or so out of town) provide magnificent scenery and memorable escapes for those who enjoy the open road and the occasional change-of-pace adventure. Follow the 89A through Wickenburg, Prescott, Jerome, and on through the red-rocks of Sedona to Flagstaff. Another day, try the Beeline Highway for a journey to Payson or Pine Top. Keep in mind, there’s also the Apache Trail, Tucson, Tombstone, myriad lakes ripe for boating and fishing, and even the breathtaking Grand Canyon - all within a half-day’s jaunt.

Don’t let market naysayers and prognosticators of panic derail your express to happiness in a new, local home. In Phoenix, the American Dream is still very much in-tact, as well as the open countryside and wild frontier. If you have a chance, call your buddy who’s fiddling with his lock ‘de-icer’ and spreading salt on his sidewalk. Tell him it’s a great time to go house hunting in Phoenix.

I’ll be flicking some muffin bits to a cactus wren.