Need advice from Phoenix area technology professionals

[Kevin Brown]

>> I certainly wouldn't live in some South Phoenix neighborhoods, but I 
>> don't think the crime rate is very bad in Az. I live in the extreme 
>> East Valley (30+ miles east of Phoenix).  It has it's pros and cons.  
>> It's quiet, I have a huge yard and a lot of privacy.  The downside is 
>> that it's an hour ride to work in the morning.  People in Queen Creek 
>> currently have an issue with traffic bottle necks in the morning.  
>> http://maps.google.com in hybrid mode is great to gauge population 
>> density in whatever area you're thinking of living.
> 
> I live in one of those "South Phoenix" neighborhoods.  Aside from how 
> obsolete that bad rap is, it's a pretty good place to live.  
> Particularly if you want to commute to downtown.  There has been a lot 
> of home building in the last five years, and the houses are occupied.  
> So you won't find any bargains.
> 
> One of the major areas of home building is WAY south and east, just over 
> the Pinal County line, that is even farther than J D Austin.  Prices are 
> around $200k for a modest 2 Br. home.  Apparently speculators have been 
> driving up the prices throughout the Valley (read "Valley of the Sun") 
> the last few years, until recently, but now it is very much a buyer's 
> market.  My Niece is trying to sell one of those houses in Pinal County 
> and there are nine For Sale/Rent signs on her block!  But the commute is 
> 15 miles of way-under capacity country roads until you get to where 
> there will be a freeway in, maybe, five years.  And the freeways are 
> bogged down during commute hours.  This was all covered Sun. & Mon. in 
> the Arizona Republic newspaper.  If you can work at home, you may just 
> do well.

I hope the 202 extension actually does get built.  Guess I need to spend 
more time finding out when the various hearings are on it to make sure 
my voice is heard over those of the idiots (who seem to be a minority) 
of Ahwahtukee residents that don't want Pecos turned into the 202 around 
South Mountain.  Their reasons range from the idiotic (e.g. "I don't 
want my view blocked") to the stupid ("I don't want trucks going by on 
it").  Completely ignoring the fact that the I-10 is no longer able to 
handle the flow of traffic that is trying to get from the SE to the West 
Valley.