For Tina Garrity, the decision to relocate from Chicago to Paradise Valley, Ariz., in the early months of the pandemic was an easy one. 

Ms. Garrity, 57, who has a management consulting business, has been visiting the Phoenix area for decades to see family. In March 2019, she bought a roughly 6,400-square-foot home for $1.85 million in Paradise Valley to stay in a few times a year. But when the pandemic hit, she began working remotely and decided to make it her primary residence.

In contrast to her two-bedroom Chicago rental with no outdoor space, Ms. Garrity’s Paradise Valley property spans just over an acre with a guesthouse, tennis court and putting green.