So confused- If you were moving to AZ, where would YOU go? (Phoenix: rent, homeowners association)

[chicagocarol]

Good luck on your interview! Been searching abit online about Prescott Valley, not sure if we could swing it there... time will tell. We do want to downsize, but will still want 3 bedrooms, two car garage, pool, fenced yard... but smaller than the large home we have now with all the cathedral ceilings etc. I have been thinking about Prescott Valley abit more because I am concerned that the heat might be too hard on my hubby in the west or east valley areas. (health issues) We both realize our lifestyle will change when we move too.

[jco]

Originally Posted by chicagocarol

I had thought we were zeroed in on Gilbert, but now, as I look around the Interent & this forum, I am getting so confused! A friend that lives in Sun City West recommends it, Sun City Grand, and Surprise. Says our $$$ will go further there? We are retiring, ( in our early 60's)need the 'basics' close-by, maybe a mall within driving distance occassionally,a good hospital is a must. Here's our starter list... what am I missing? Where would you go?
Must haves: 3 bedrooms, 2 car garage, 2 baths, lg. kitchen/family room area,pool, easy outside upkeep (desert landscaping?) fenced yard, price range: $250,000- $325,000 tops. Thank you for your input. Carol

You'll get a lot more than a 3/2 for that price in Sun City or Surprise. There's little crime out here, lots of stores, Arrowhead mall in 20-25 minutes, and a new Surprise mall breaking ground this year. I would think this is your first choice!

[sun queen]

Originally Posted by chicagocarol

I had thought we were zeroed in on Gilbert, but now, as I look around the Interent & this forum, I am getting so confused! A friend that lives in Sun City West recommends it, Sun City Grand, and Surprise. Says our $$$ will go further there? We are retiring, ( in our early 60's)need the 'basics' close-by, maybe a mall within driving distance occassionally,a good hospital is a must. Here's our starter list... what am I missing? Where would you go?
Must haves: 3 bedrooms, 2 car garage, 2 baths, lg. kitchen/family room area,pool, easy outside upkeep (desert landscaping?) fenced yard, price range: $250,000- $325,000 tops. Thank you for your input. Carol

I personally do not like the west valley. The nicer areas are just too far out. Driving into the airport or most entertainment events is going to be time consuminig and traffic heavy. However u can get more bang for your buck. One thing to keep in mind though is resale value. I like the east valley. Gilbert is a nice area, but it is certainly not the first area I would choose because it's a little far and u have some minor traffic issues and I can't think of a close by good health facility. I would look at Tempe. Housing is more expensive though. I don't know what u can find in your price range. The best health facility is the Mayo. They are located in North Scottsdale/Phoenix. U know if u have found the house u want in Gilbert and u basically like the area...it maybe just the place for u. I would certainly live in Gilbert over Sun City or Suprise. Good luck

[chicagocarol]

Thank you for your help and suggestions.It seems the more I look into different communties in the west and east valley, the more confused I become. [b]Sunqueen[B Yes, I am aware of Mayo there... my husband had surgery at Mayo in Rochester, Mn. and also had hip surgery at the Scottsdale hospital when he fell while on vacation there a number of years ago. A good hospital is extremely important to us. We won't be looking for the same type of home we have now-which is in the 'upscale side'..we are looking for a home that we will stay in for the rest of our lives (hopefully) We want to downsize in so many ways. maintenance has become a major issue for us now, because of my husband's health. We have to pay to have things done that were taken for granted that we would do, just two years ago. So far Gilbert appears to be the place, but we can go anywhere and are not limited, other than with the things I mentioned here and in my prior posts. Can anyone tell me please, would it take longer to get to the airport in Phoenix from the east valley or the west valley? Thank you again.

[jorgitoz]

Originally Posted by chicagocarol

I didn't mean that the way it came out... I meant that as a community that has it's own ammenities, eg: rec centers, senior communties with a community pool, things like that. This is not what we want, we are searching for more of a traditional neighborhood that is not restricted by age groups,etc. We enjoy having neighbors of all ages, love the mix of young & older where we are now. Are those type of communities rare in the Sun City, Sun City West, Sun City Grande areas? We would also like our own pool,etc. not a community pool. Are HOA's prevalent in AZ as well? Thank you for your response.

Sun city is mostly an adult community. If you're only looking for more house for your money you'll find the further away you get from downtown Phoenix the cheaper it gets (for the most part). So for the west you're looking at Sun City, Surprise, Goodyear, and Avondale. On the north Peoria, cave creek, carefree and anthem. On the East valley you can look into east mesa, apache Junction, and Queen Creek. Casa Grande could be an option but it is further south from the city. HOA's are common on newer subdivisions. Some HOA's are great some are not so be sure to look into that when searching for a home.

[Great Joy]

Originally Posted by chicagocarol

Can anyone tell me please, would it take longer to get to the airport in Phoenix from the east valley or the west valley? Thank you again.

Hi chicagocarol!

Please know your question of east vs west valley is too general because it can take the same time from either valley to the airport depending upon which roads you take. I recommend using google maps and choosing the "directions" feature to give you an idea of how many miles and commute time it will take to get to the airport from specific neighborhoods you're considering. Have a nice night.

[jorgitoz]

Originally Posted by Great Joy

Hi chicagocarol!

Please know your question of east vs west valley is too general because it can take the same time from either valley to the airport depending upon which roads you take. I recommend using google maps and choosing the "directions" feature to give you an idea of how many miles and commute time it will take to get to the airport from specific neighborhoods you're considering. Have a nice night.

You might also consider hours of the day. Afternoon Rush hour traffic is not as bad coming from the east valley, but morning rush hour traffic is just as bad.

[doeadeer]

Hey Carol...I have a friend who has been desperately trying to sell her house in Queen Creek. It's brand new 3 bedroom, really nice. This is a buyers market right now and she's only looking to sell it for what she owes on it. She just wants out.

Queen Creek is more "out there" than the other cities, but it is really pretty out there! If you want more info, let me know. I believe she only has the house listed on craigslist.com right now.

[chicagocarol]

Thanks again- now why didn't [i]I] think of uisng google or mapquest to get an idea of the time frame to the airport??? Doeadeer Unfortunately we are not quite ready to buy anywhere just yet. We haven't even put our home here up for sale yet, and at this point we aren't sure exactly where we want to go. It is a process, one step at a time... taking notes on communties at this point as we try to zero in on where we think we would like to end up.

[kat0801]

Hi,

I too am not a realtor, but I'll tell you that I was one years ago..

I moved here to be close to my children. I don't think the 55 & older developments are for you. Friends have moved here, and had considered
Sun City, but when they realized the price they would pay monthly for the
"honor" of living there,they quickly got out of the contract they had signed. Also, there's a reason why Surprise is
very cheap - they're out in the boonies and it takes almost a half hour (in bumper to bumper traffic) to get to the highway (101 or the 10). Also a not too desirable area called El Mirage is on their border.

I live in a city called 'Chandler'. It's a large city (200,000 people), but it's kept beautifully and run by the town officials very well.

I don't know if sports are important to you, but one of the reasons I like this
area so well is I'm 5 minutes from the major roads which takes me to the
baseball & basketball games downtown. (I'm there in 20 minutes). I'm at the airport in 15 minutes, and there is a wonderful hospital 5 minutes from my home.

The shopping here is fantastic. The Chandler mall -with all the stores in and around the outside of the mall plus the restaurants of all kinds - inexpensive and moderatly priced are wonderful.

Very important since you're retired is.....consider this........there is so much
industry in Chandler - (INTEL, MOTOROLA, MICROCHIP - just to name a few)
and they naturally pay a huge amount of tax, which
keeps Chandler residents taxes very low. My tax for a 3 br 2 bth home in a beautiful residental area
is $1100.00 per year (home is 13 yrs old)

Of course, in AZ, just as in Florida you have a
postage stamp for property!! It's just enough though when you're retired.

Personally, I would never live in Tucson. I know people who were born and raised there, and couldn't wait to move here to the Phoenix area.

Well, now that I sound like the Chamber of Commerce, you need to make your
own decision.

I'll close by suggesting that you go to the AARP site and see that Chandler
just made the top 5 places to live in America!!

Good luck - I know this is a scary and difficult decision to make. I had
to do it too 5 yrs ago.