Buying in South Mountain (Phoenix, Queen Creek: foreclosure, crime, first time home buyer)

[calvingin]

Hello,

We are first time home buyers and and the homes in south mountain best meet our price range ($50-$60K). I know it is best to buy south of Baseline and certain areas should be avoided.

We are looking at a home in a subdivision called Villas Montanas on Darrow St in zip code 85141. Is this a good area to consider or avoid? Are there better choices in south mountain that would also be in our price range?

Thanks in advance!!!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by calvingin

Hello,

We are first time home buyers and and the homes in south mountain best meet our price range ($50-$60K). I know it is best to buy south of Baseline and certain areas should be avoided.

We are looking at a home in a subdivision called Villas Montanas on Darrow St in zip code 85141. Is this a good area to consider or avoid? Are there better choices in south mountain that would also be in our price range?

Thanks in advance!!!

85141 comes up as Picacho, AZ which is many miles away. I think you mean 85041. The street and that zip put it in the heart of one of the more crime-ridden and impoverished places in the metro area - sorry. Try Queen Creek. There is an outside chance you will find a fix-up foreclosure for that price. You are shopping at less than half an already depressed mean price. You can't expect much in the way of location for that.

[calvingin]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

85141 comes up as Picacho, AZ which is many miles away. I think you mean 85041. The street and that zip put it in the heart of one of the more crime-ridden and impoverished places in the metro area - sorry. Try Queen Creek. There is an outside chance you will find a fix-up foreclosure for that price. You are shopping at less than half an already depressed mean price. You can't expect much in the way of location for that.

Oops

Yes I meant 85041.
I know our options are very limited but are there ANY specific subdivisions in the south mountain that are worth considering because of the locations of our job? How about Fraktur Rd in Park Meadows in the same zip or is 85041 all bad?

[scratchNsniff]

I wouldn't say all of South Phoenix is bad, there are some nice areas, you just definitely should pay a visit to the hood first before you make a decision. Like most of Phoenix, one street could be bad news and the next street could be fine. And one person's "bad area" is another person's "I can tolerate it" because of the view or the neighbors are nice or the house is nice or whatever.

[madmmac]

Originally Posted by scratchNsniff

I wouldn't say all of South Phoenix is bad, there are some nice areas, you just definitely should pay a visit to the hood first before you make a decision. Like most of Phoenix, one street could be bad news and the next street could be fine. And one person's "bad area" is another person's "I can tolerate it" because of the view or the neighbors are nice or the house is nice or whatever.

I agree.

Darrow looks pretty safe. But, you may be very close to and/or looking at the main transmission powerlines. Those alone would put me off of any prospective home purchase.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by calvingin

Oops

Yes I meant 85041.
I know our options are very limited but are there ANY specific subdivisions in the south mountain that are worth considering because of the locations of our job? How about Fraktur Rd in Park Meadows in the same zip or is 85041 all bad?

Things are better west of 51st Avenue to about 83rd Ave north of Broadway. Lots of newer homes in there that were built in the boom and are now selling much cheaper in foreclosure. There are similar pockets in the general area, but I know of that one because I drove to work through those neighborhoods for years.

[scratchNsniff]

What about the subdivision that pushed out Manzanita Speedway? I visited somebody that lived there a few years ago (on a race night too!) and they seemed big and new and safe. But of course that was a few years ago...

[ibarrio]

Originally Posted by scratchNsniff

What about the subdivision that pushed out Manzanita Speedway? I visited somebody that lived there a few years ago (on a race night too!) and they seemed big and new and safe. But of course that was a few years ago...

No subdivision on the old raceway site. It is some sort of construction company that took over and there is a bunch of equipment stored on the land.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by calvingin

Oops

Yes I meant 85041.
I know our options are very limited but are there ANY specific subdivisions in the south mountain that are worth considering because of the locations of our job? How about Fraktur Rd in Park Meadows in the same zip or is 85041 all bad?

Here is one of the sites you can use to check out crime statistics.

[scratchNsniff]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

No subdivision on the old raceway site. It is some sort of construction company that took over and there is a bunch of equipment stored on the land.

Then I guess it was right next to it. From the Google overhead map I guess it is the neighborhood to the west of what used to be Manzanita? I just remember the house was really nice, new, and HUGE.