Arizona the "new" Florida?

[Orchidflower]

A neighbor came over last night and in talking she said, "Everyone knows Arizona is becoming the 'new' Florida." Since I hadn't heard this, I tried to find anything on this statement on the internet but came up empty.
Has anyone on the board heard this at all? And from where?

 

[kumquat]

It must be the beaches.

 

[W2R]

I thought people were avoiding Arizona these days, due to the immigration issues and conflicts. But then what do I know?

 

[calmloki]

Naw - weird news stories. And Florida is still king in that regard - and I like weird!

 

[ls99]

Arizona getting de-populated.

Over the weekend lots of articles about undocumented aliens packing and bailing before Thursday's effective implementation of new immigration enforcement assistance to ICE by local law enforcement and sheriffs departments.

Much lament about how businesses are loosing these customers.

 

[Westernskies]

Arizona getting de-populated.

Over the weekend lots of articles about undocumented aliens packing and bailing before Thursday's effective implementation of new immigration enforcement assistance to ICE by local law enforcement and sheriffs departments.

Much lament about how businesses are loosing these customers.

Here's an analysis of the costs/savings in AZ from illegal immigration and the impact of the new law:

Arizona immigration law costs and savings

Draw your own conclusions.

 

[ls99]

Being a legal immigrant, getting drafted, who became a citizen AFTER serving 3 years in the US Army, I'm all for getting the illegals out at whatever cost.

Kinda sums up my sentiments.

 

[M Paquette]

Arizona getting de-populated.

Over the weekend lots of articles about undocumented aliens packing and bailing before Thursday's effective implementation of new immigration enforcement assistance to ICE by local law enforcement and sheriffs departments.

Much lament about how businesses are loosing these customers.

I heard from relatives in the Phoenix area that some areas are like ghost towns already. There are strip malls with no customers (check out Arrowhead Plaza), and shop owners planning on relocating out of state. Some of the lower rent apartment buildings are emptying out. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, particularly in terms of unemployment and state and local budgets.

I suppose the good news is that there'll be plenty of room for the snowbird set.

 

[Orchidflower]

I heard from relatives in the Phoenix area that some areas are like ghost towns already. There are strip malls with no customers (check out Arrowhead Plaza), and shop owners planning on relocating out of state. Some of the lower rent apartment buildings are emptying out. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, particularly in terms of unemployment and state and local budgets.

I suppose the good news is that there'll be plenty of room for the snowbird set.

If areas of Phoenix are becoming like "ghost towns" then maybe there were too many illegals there...ya think? Wonder what this law would do to Texas, Florida, California, Nevada and the rest of the States with a high illegal population?

 

[beowulf]

We spent the winter in the Phoenix area (and avoided one heck of a lot of snow at home). There are many areas that looked abandoned with lots of for sale signs and owned by bank notices. I don't think this had anything to do with immigration - just the fallout from the housing collapse there. You had people making $30K a year buying $300K houses and then taking money out of them when they hit $400K. You also had droves of speculators buying multiple houses in developments and then bailing out when they realized they couldn't flip them in a year. Those who got in about the end of 2004 did well through 2006, but by 2007 and 2008, the bottom started to fall out. There is a town called Maricopa that is like a ghost town - over 50% of the homes are now empty. We visited some developments where 10 out of 300 homes were built and vacant lots were everywhere.

If you like unrelenting heat in the Summer and beautiful Winters, there are many bargains to be had (in comparison to what they sold for a few years ago). Personally, I don't think things have hit bottom there yet. There is a second wave of foreclosures coming from people who didn't overextend themselves initially, but have now lost their jobs and and can't make their payments.

Same thing is happening in the Las Vegas area - very little to do with illegal aliens, lots to do with lax bank lending policies and a very poor job market.

 

[RonBoyd]

And from where?

From those that brought you, "60 is the new 40s."

 

[Orchidflower]

From those that brought you, "60 is the new 40s."

Hey, I LIKE those liars...

 

[Ronstar]

We were in Phoenix last week. Housing at a standstill (like most of the country) Lots of for sale/lease signs in commercial areas.

Very few people milling around, I took DW to a spa- she was the only customer there. Maybe due to heat and off-season.

Bars and movie theater were packed.

I don't know what Orchidflower's neighbor means by "Everyone knows Arizona is becoming the 'new' Florida." But I could see a rush of retirees buying up the depressed Az real estate.

 

[Orchidflower]

I have no idea what she meant either, which is why I asked this board.
Read yesterday that it will take 3 years for Arizona and Nevada real estate to turn around, but those two States are supposed to take off and by 2030 be boom States according to Mint.com.

 

[nphx]

I .. There are strip malls with no customers (check out Arrowhead Plaza), and shop owners planning on relocating out of state.

Isnt the "anchor store" at that mall RentA Center? With the "boots on the ground" here in Phoenix there are alot of ill concieved / ambitious retail strip malls vacant or struggling. Their decline is years old.

 

[flpanhandle]

They won't use turn signals in Arizona either.

 

[RonBoyd]

They won't use turn signals in Arizona either.

Or turn them off if they do.

 

[kumquat]

They won't use turn signals in Arizona either.

Is that US plated cars or just the Canadian ones. I thought the snowbirds practised up here to drive badly down there.