TSMC's Fab 21 in north Phoenix is one of the most significant semiconductor investments in U.S. history — and it's bringing thousands of engineers to the Phoenix metro. If you're relocating for TSMC, the neighborhoods that make sense for you are substantially different from those that work for Intel employees …

I've helped a lot of engineers make the move from the Bay Area to Scottsdale. They almost always ask the same questions — and make the same assumptions that turn out to be wrong. Here's the unfiltered version: what actually changes, what stays the same, and what trips people up.

If you just got an offer letter from Intel, TSMC, or Microchip Technology in the Phoenix metro -- congratulations, and welcome to one of the most consequential real estate decisions you'll make. The semiconductor boom in Arizona is real, the relocation packages are generous, and the housing market here is …