Hey people,I currently live in Califonia but the economy is really bad. gas prices are high, home values are decreasing enormously, and the job market is at it’s worst! When an economy is like this the crime rate goes up.. I believe..

well…My main concern is not the homes. or the gas.. rather the jobs!! And the crime rate… I’m not doing so good here in California, so how is Phoenix, Arizona to live there, as far as jobs and is it a nice safe place to live in??Thanks!! please let me know as much info as you can…

I have the chance to move to Phoenix. My only concern is that it will be hard for me to find employment. Although I am trained in many fields, administrative, loans, property management. I am extremely scared that I will not be able to find a job due to the current economy. If anyone can shed some light that would be great.

Here’s my life in a nutshell. I have moved every couple of years or so until 2005. My husband had (HAD) a great job since 2002 and we kept moving closer to work. 3.5 weeks ago he was downsized.

Well, in 2006 we started paying mortgage, not rent. We bought outright from the owners as we didn’t want a 30 year mortgage on the house. We pay the same amount as we were paying for rent, but on a 10 year note. I have 7 years left and this house is ours.

I love my house. It needs some upgrading from the 70s, but it’s a sweet 5 bed 3 bath 2 car garage ranch style. I’m in town, but still have a nice front and back yard that’s not too big or too small. Loads of cabinets and closets as well.

Now, my problem. My husband was just offered a position in Arizona. I live in Central Texas. I don’t want to move;
1 away from my house and loose it
2 away from my family
3 someplace I’ve never been and start all over.

I told him that he needs to go, but he doesn’t want to leave me alone. I told him that in this economy, you have to jump on anything that comes your way (he’s 55, by the way-I’m 43). I told him that if he goes out there and I stay here, we will always have this house as our permanent home. If he goes, I could rent out two of the bedrooms, I have a meally job as a waitress, and he could send his check here to pay bills.

I know I have it figured out finacially, but not emotionally. We’ve all been poor before, so we all know what it takes to survive. I love my hubby dearly, but I would rather love him from a distance than be together on the streets.

Am I being too pragmatic? His monetary worth to any company is about 75K, but he wants more to live in two seperate places. I don’t know what the cost of living is in Phoenix, but it’s pretty cheap where I live. All three of our children are grown and gone and having enough financial stress of their own to help us.

Ok, so my questions to you arel
1 should he take the job and move away from me?
2 should I dump the house and move with him?
3 should he keep looking for another job closer to home? (DFW area)

Also, if I take on tenants, how much should I charge? They would have a bedroom and a bath of their own plus living, dining kitchen use. I pay 00 a month just on the house and utilities. If I did take on tenants, I would only want to ask for a flat rent fee. We turned off the house phone and only have basic cable and the internet is only in our office that would be off limits to anyone, but both rooms have phone access so if they had a computer, they could access it on their own.

Am I overthinking my future? Tell me what you think. My head is spinning with "what if"s.

There are people who think that the economy will be so bad that houses that cost 0K now could be had for maybe even K in 3-5 years. Do you think that’s a possibility?

Need a liitle advice from you all. I have two small children, work part time, studying for my real estate exam. I know the economy isn’t great for real estate so I signed up to get my bachelors with University of Phoenix. Should I invest 50,000 on college or should I just stay with real estate? My husband works and goes to college too.

For the people who push for immigration laws, How could more and more vacant apartments, and more foreclosed homes in America be a good thing? The rent and mortgages were being paid. And I seriously doubt CHAD will move into the neighborhoods the Hispanics live in.

Illegal immigrants fleeing apartments in Arizona

Arizona’s employer-sanctions law is driving illegal immigrants to leave the state, as intended.

The departures were first felt at stores and businesses that cater to such immigrants. Sales suddenly dropped.

Now, apartment complexes, especially those with affordable rents in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations, are feeling the effects. Individuals and entire families are moving, leaving behind empty apartments that can’t be filled.

Some renters are handing over their keys and breaking leases because they’ve lost their jobs due to the sanctions law and can’t pay the rent. Others are simply skipping out in the middle of the night.

"Most folks aren’t even telling us; they are just leaving," said Estela Bojorquez, manager of the Villa de Sonora apartments in west Phoenix, which is trying to fill 59 vacant apartments out of a total of 156. Bojorquez attributes half of the vacancies to illegal immigrants moving out of the state because of the sanctions law. Job losses because of a slowdown in the economy – especially in housing construction, which employs many immigrants – also are contributing to the departures.

There is a brand new home for sale in my area (Phoenix, Az) and it costs 100 thousand. Considering how the economy is, about how much would be needed as a down payment for that house?

I have been doing some research on the various residential real estate firms out there pertaining to starting my career as a real estate agent. I’m looking at the Chandler, AZ area; near Phoenix and some of the firms i’ve noticed there are Keller Williams, Remax, Coldwell Banker, and Realty Executives. I really know that area well and enjoy it there. KW seems to have a solid program for new agents but what about the others, does one have a better repuatation than another in terms of helping new agents getting started? How about the pay structure? Do any firms offer group benefit plans? Which is best/worst for "office" fees? As a new agent, given the current state of the economy, what number of sales can a new realtor expect in their first year or what can they expect to "take-home" in their first year on average?

Also, I’m thinking of eventually getting my broker’s license after 2-3 years and say for example I start out with Coldwell Banker but end up franchising as a part of Remax, is this normal? Once I would start my own franchise, I assume i’m the only realtor there until I hire others and build it up? Do the franchiser’s assist in building the new franchise with staff support/agents? On average, how much capital does it take to start your own franchise?

I’ve got plenty of questions and any and ALL of your input is greatly appreciated!!

Need a liitle advice from you all. I have two small children, work part time, studying for my real estate exam. I know the economy isn’t great for real estate so I signed up to get my bachelors with University of Phoenix. Should I invest 50,000 on college or should I just stay with real estate? My husband works and goes to college too.

Does anybody know the house rental demand in Phoenix, AZ? I’m moving from NJ to AZ. I’m traveling in Feb to try to find a rental house so I can have it set when I move in March.Or if I find a good deal rent earlier since I travel monthly to Phx. I contacted diff realtors and all are pressuring me that they can’t show me rentals unless I’m renting in 14 day because the rentals don’t last. My family is in Phx and they say due to the economy is a renters market. I’ve been checking in Craiglist for a month already and you can see the same houses over and over. Please advice. Is there any Realtor out there that can help me? I’ll be in Phx on Feb 9th.