I personally prefer southwest area (Rhodes Ranch, mountain edge) for SFH it got hit hard during recession but it bounce back and its one of the good neighborhood and strong rent growth.

I'm seeing a pretty similar pattern - ~800 for a 1BR.More specifically, I'm seeing a baseline of $1/sq ft, less when you go south/west, more when you go north/east.  

Some of our clients want all appliances and in stainless steel, mostly in Seattle and surrounding areas.We have other clients that want all appliances except the fridge and white in color, mostly south and southwest of Olympia

& "Rents advanced across all Columbus submarkets, with suburban areas within the Jack Nicklaus Freeway loop topping the list: Greater Hilltop (average rent up 8.0% to $812), Clintonville (7.5%, $901), Upper Arlington (6.8%, $1,120) and Southwest (5.3%, $678).

It is hard to deny the appeal of 0% income tax and the overall quality of schools and infrastructure that is being put in place in Southwest Washington. 

I would like to point out that NC real estate is quite high right now, but just over the border in Southwest Virginia can be incredibly affordable by comparison.

I live in a rural area in southwest georgia, both properties are outside the city limits.

Even in the midst of a historical 19-year drought in the Southwest, Arizona uses less water now than it did 62 years ago.That may sound too good to be true, but it isn't: As the state's population has exploded, its water consumption has remained steady and even fallen.""

You have some nice desert landscapes pieces, which are perfectly appropriate given your location, so keep with that theme and maybe compliment with some decorations that have a closely related secondary theme (southwest Native American art, cowboy, western movie etc).

How about we divert the Columbia river from Washington/Oregon to the southwest instead of them just allowing it to flow into the ocean?