Hi Maggi,
I have completed all my training in the US with the intention of going back home and converting although at the moment I am also trying to get my greencard, while working as a flight instructor building hours. I am currently at Phoenix East Aviation in Florida and I really do have no complaints to my training I found that I could work as fast or as slow as I wanted and if I had any problems there was always someone willing to help. They also run a tutoring program which can save you a lot on ground training. The planes are gradually being updated and they have a very nice fleet of 172's, majority of which have GPS. The weather is generally pretty good with the exceptions of the afternoon thunderstorms in the summer, but these are generally predictable and you can work around them.
If you do get a greencard this is a good time to start training, at the school I am at there have so far been 15 people hired in the last 6 months. Hiring appears to be on the up and from the rumours shows no signs of slowing down. The school can also organise for a loan if you have a greencard although I would check out the details before you come over.
If you have any questions please feel free to email or I will try and watch the post.