Anyone here live in Arizona?

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
House prices are INSANE! People who bought hoses a year or two ago are marking them up at least $100K and trying to sell them, without even doing any real work, just slapping on some paint. We are being picky and doing our homework but even the realtors are amazed at the prices and say when it crashes people will be left holding the bag.

So far we like the area but we haven't been around a lot, being here less than a week. We sold our house in Maine for $420k and that same house out here would be double that and then some. I've seen doublewide trailers listed for $400k here...
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
You probably got a better price for your house in Maine than a year earlier. You may find your best option is to find a place you like to rent and wait for the market to get more sane. Here in suburban Boston things are out of control, too: prices are up at least 10% in the past year.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
Where'd you end up? The wife and I nosed around there. We liked Prescott Valley and Chino Valley up the 89. Prescott itself seemed pretty crowded.
Prescott seems crowded?? It's like 2 city blocks.
 

turbodan62

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Location
Orange, CA
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI, Rabit TDI
It looks like we’re moving out in March of 2021 to the Prescott area. Anyone on this site live out there?
[/QUOTE
i live in Prescott, A z moved from califu in july 2020 and i love it . it did get hot last year, a few weeks 95 + but not the norm i am told . I live in Diamond Valley , Az 86301 call me Dan @ 714-906-0439
 

turbodan62

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Location
Orange, CA
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI, Rabit TDI
House prices are INSANE! People who bought hoses a year or two ago are marking them up at least $100K and trying to sell them, without even doing any real work, just slapping on some paint. We are being picky and doing our homework but even the realtors are amazed at the prices and say when it crashes people will be left holding the bag.

So far we like the area but we haven't been around a lot, being here less than a week. We sold our house in Maine for $420k and that same house out here would be double that and then some. I've seen doublewide trailers listed for $400k here...
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Don't know what's happening in other parts of the country but in the twin cities housing is crazy right now. We know some people trying to relocate and finally, after missing out on MANY houses, came to town for the first day a house was on the market. Walked in the door and offered $30k over asking price. They weren't even close enough to be asked to participate in the bidding process.

Other houses have had double digit offers before they even "officially" went on the market.

This has been a relatively moderate housing price market compared to other's in the country but it looks like that is going to change. I know that the people I know in the real-estate world believe this particular bubble is very close to bursting. Interesting that the groups who directly and indirectly benefit from these situations are being allowed to create it so shortly after the government bail-outs the last time around.
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
Our realtor said that while she also thinks the bubble will end, it won't end soon here due to too many Californians coming in with too much money. We placed an offer on a house locally and offered $45k OVER the asking price and didn't get the house. To say it's crazy is an understatement. We've been looking at least a house a day and are looking at another today, but we're not willing to pick any house just because we might get it, we're not letting someone else dictate where we live. There are lots of people listing houses and some we're looking at aren't even on the market yet (we have a GREAT realtor), but so far nothing has panned out. Some people are listing their houses just because they can get much higher prices for them. They have another avenue they can employ until the market settles back down to a more manageable level. We don't want to buy a house and be upside down in equity when the bubble bursts, and some houses are marked up $100-$200K over what they sold for just 2 years ago, just because of the market. It makes it tough but I have confidence we'll find something and we are not pressed for time right now.
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
I'm really glad you don't have to rush. Definitely a bad time to be on the buying side of the equation. If we were ready to move MUCH farther out it would be very tempting to sell in the current conditions.

Not sure what conditions are currently chasing the CA folks out (I can think of plenty of possibilities). I remember during other CA cycles when they ruined the Seattle housing market, Denver, Portland, ...

Best of luck. Hope you find something that is a great fit for you.

I may be contacting you in the future when we go out to check out the area and may want your realtor contact if you are ready to share it at that time.
 

Johhny04

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Markham, Ontario
TDI
2003 Jetta TDi
You guys want to see crazy housing market movements, come up to Ontario, Canada. Everything in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has been going up and up like crazy.
 

KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
I'm an old fashioned guy. If you list a place at x I kinda feel that if someone offers you that you take it, not tell him you're waiting for more. I guess if I were selling now, which I might soon be, I'd list it well over what I think it's worth in this market or as "accepting offers" or something like that, may be "accepting offers over x". Not throw a price out there to see what happens.
 

turbodieseldyke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Free Mustache Rides
TDI
98 jetta
It's tempting to think this is just a bubble, but trillions of new money have been created out of thin air and dumped into the economy the last couple years, thus inflating the price of everything. Also remember, when the bubble popped 12 years ago, the banks holding all those worthless mortgages were bailed out, and were therefore not forced to sell them at whatever price the market would bear.

"It's an exclusive club, and you ain't in it."
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
I'm an old fashioned guy. If you list a place at x I kinda feel that if someone offers you that you take it, not tell him you're waiting for more. I guess if I were selling now, which I might soon be, I'd list it well over what I think it's worth in this market or as "accepting offers" or something like that, may be "accepting offers over x". Not throw a price out there to see what happens.
I am the same way, but ethics means little when money is involved.

We put an offer in on another house and offered more, with a contingency of raising the offer automatically if others came in, but the price was such that we couldn't go a lot more. The sellers said they are going to wait to see what else comes in before making their decision. I understand it's their house, but they bought it 6 months ago for $65k less than they are offered now. We are also offering to give them time to move since they are transferring jobs and need more time before the house their buying in that location is ready. I doubt we could do any more to make the offer more attractive. I guess we'll see.

When we contacted the lender since we need to have a loan for part of it, she said we could borrow a lot more than we could pay back, which is scary. And this was not some fly-by-night outfit with a shady record, it's a well established bank. Needless to say, we're smarter than that.
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Have you looked into lots/building? Is that option just as ridiculously overpriced?
 

jhax

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Location
Golden, CO
TDI
96 Passat B4V, ALH engine out of a 2002 Jetta, some IE Rods and ASV Pistons. Nothing drivable yet though
Best of luck to you guys. I remember when Prescott was a sleepy place with not much to do. We got extremely fortunate with our first home purchase in Denver no less. The family, who had already paid the house off and parents had moved in with kids due to health complications, had put the house on the market. We noticed it and thought it was too much, then... it didn't sell. Price was lowered $25k so we decided to take a look (the day before Christmas Eve) while we were touring the house, our realtor had said that the sellers had multiple offers from investors the previous weekend, but wanted the house to go to a family instead. Needless to say that was our sign and we happily took it. There may be a few decent people left. My question is, all of these people moving out of these areas and selling their homes, where are they going? Oklahoma? Kansas? Nebraska?
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
Some are selling just because they can make $100k on their home and can live with relatives in the meantime. Others are going to rent until the market crashes, and no one I've met thinks this is a long term trend. The problem is the Californians moving into the area to escape their state, and some still drive back and forth for work! They are similar with the Mass and NY people coming to Maine with their suitcases of cash. We bought a camp on Moosehead Lake so we'd have a place to return when we retire in 10 years, to do the snowbird thing between Maine and Florida. People in the area said there is nothing for sale anymore and they are getting knocks on the door with people offering to buy their places.

We have a line on a house the realtor knows about that isn't on the market, we're looking at it Thursday and they gave us a price to consider, which they said is $30k less than they'd list it for. It's a little out of our price range but we have some flexibility. It'd better be a damned nice house for the money though.

We lost out on the second house we in which we made an offer, it was more money so we could only offer $30k over the price, but it wasn't enough. It was a nice house too.
 

DonL

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Location
Kingman, Arizona
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI wagon (BEW)
A warning about living and driving in Arizona; Because of the very low humidity, the blinker fluid tends to dry out very quickly. You will observe this is true by the number of people, including police, who never use their turn signals. I have had good luck by using a full synthetic blinker fluid. Do not settle for synthetic blend. Kalecoauto makes the best full synthetic, in my opinion. Find it here https://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/May06/blinker_fluid.shtml The blinker fluid reservoir is behind the headlight on the driver's side. Be sure to recycle the used blinker fluid.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
A warning about living and driving in Arizona; Because of the very low humidity, the blinker fluid tends to dry out very quickly. You will observe this is true by the number of people, including police, who never use their turn signals. I have had good luck by using a full synthetic blinker fluid. Do not settle for synthetic blend. Kalecoauto makes the best full synthetic, in my opinion. Find it here https://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/May06/blinker_fluid.shtml The blinker fluid reservoir is behind the headlight on the driver's side. Be sure to recycle the used blinker fluid.
In my 9 years of observing Arizona drivers, there is a very distinct pattern: AZ drivers are some of the best of any of 30+ states I've visited. But come Snowbird season, holy chit! Watch out!!!! They're total psychos. 3 out of stater's tried to murder me and my wife towing a trailer last weekend. Repeatedly. I was almost ready to just pull over, turn on the hazards, and wait out the psychos. Oh, and the absolute worst offenders are from cars with 'empty state' plates, i.e. states with hardly any people. Guess they don't get much practice driving around other people and using signals, etc...
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Glad to hear you have a line on a possible house. Hope it ends up working out for you!

Crossed fingers and positive vibes out to the cosmos for you.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
lived in prescott for nearly forty years. glad i dont anymore.

what you're experiencing there is nothing new. been going on since as long as i can remember. the only thing that has changed is the quantities of people and money that are showing up these days (no offense to you personally). my parents and daughter still live there and i'm back & forth just about every weekend. if the lack of masks wasn't so terrifying, i'd say lets GTG. there is one VW guy who is not nessicarily a TDI guru, but good with the newer cars: European Motor & Body.

anyhoo... good luck with your house hunt and maybe i'll see you and your B4 around sometime
:)
 

DslG8r

Active member
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 mk7
I live in Tucson, but try to go to Prescott once a year. Beautiful LITTLE town!
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
It's tempting to think this is just a bubble, but trillions of new money have been created out of thin air and dumped into the economy the last couple years, thus inflating the price of everything. Also remember, when the bubble popped 12 years ago, the banks holding all those worthless mortgages were bailed out, and were therefore not forced to sell them at whatever price the market would bear.

"It's an exclusive club, and you ain't in it."
Yes...to the tune of 5-7 trillion if what we're getting is the truth. Despite what people keep claiming, it's bubble territory and at some point it won't be anymore when it pops. Housing pretty much everywhere is over the top and building materials too.

People only want to admit that it's a bubble in hindsight when you can no longer deny it.

Steve A
 
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