We have a few households full of relatives in AZ, every one of them hate it there but are stuck for various reasons (military, pensions, child custody). All also plan to move to SD to retire.
You may think you can tolerate the heat, but you really need to visit Phoenix in late summer to experience it for yourself, if you haven’t already. You know how it feels when you get in your car after it’s been sitting for hours on a hot San Diego (90+) day. That’s exactly how it feels walking out of a building in Phoenix. No big deal if you’re just visiting, but imagine all those parking lot walks during all the errands you run as part of everyday life. It sucks the energy right out of you.
If it was just me, I wouldn’t put an AZ move completely out of the question, but I would never consider subjecting my kids to that (or myself to my kids as they go stir crazy indoors).
I do like the desert landscaping. As long as everything is neat and tidy, a dozen different shades of brown can look pretty good.
