Why Arizona?

Whether considering an investment in Phoenix real estate or the ideal place to retire or escape from winter, here are just some of the reasons why the Valley of the Sun makes so much sense:

• Arizona is a very tax-friendly state to Canadians.
• Phoenix is now the fifth largest city in the country and just continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Between 1990 and 2005, Phoenix's population grew by 47.7 percent.
• Did you know that Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport is rated the fifth busiest airport in the world?
• Single-family homes located in Phoenix are going for thousands of dollars less than the median American single-family home.
• Phoenix is a premier destination, with more than 300 sun-filled days a year and an average temperature of 73 degrees.
• It's a golfers' paradise. There are more than 250 golf courses in the Phoenix area that are open 365 days a year!
• Arizona is great for people with arthritis because of the dry climate.
• In January 2000, after a year-long, in-depth study of management efficiency by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Phoenix was the only city among the nation's 35 largest urban centers to earn an overall grade of "A." Phoenix also was named the "Best Run City in the World" in 1993 by the Carl Bertelsmann Foundation and has earned numerous other awards for efficient government operations.
• The greater Phoenix area is a $50 billion marketplace driven by technology. World-leading companies such as Intel, Avnet, Motorola, AlliedSignal, Honeywell and Boeing Company have chosen Phoenix for their corporate and regional headquarters.
• Industry giants such as STMicroelectronics, American Express, Phelps Dodge, Sumitomo Sitix, Prudential, Charles Schwab and the Mayo Clinic have major operations in Phoenix.