Moving from KS to AZ - need advice, opinion, etc. (Surprise: for sale, foreclosures)

[KStoAZ]

Hi!
My husband and I always wanted to move to AZ, and with the current house market, the prices are tempting. But we also hear about ghost towns, abandoned communities... How is it in there? Are people really leaving in masses?
We are looking at Maricopa and Florence, but not crossing out other cities.
I would appreciate any comments on the subject.

Thanks,
Anna

[Ponderosa]

AZ is gaining in population, not losing, in spite of recession. I don't know of any ghost towns and people are not leaving in masses that is for sure. There are some new communities that have a lot of empty houses, but overall houses have been moving quickly when they come on the market as foreclosures (cash investors get many of them). My observation is that there are far fewer empty houses and yard signs than a year or two ago.

But I don't live in Florence or Maricopa where things have been especially bad foreclosure-wise. There are some very attractive prices in those areas but every coin has two sides and the flip-side of those low prices is unstable communities of renters, long commutes, and some time before amenities get built. Towns like Surprise and Goodyear are a little more expensive (still a bargain by any measure, though) but offer prospective residents so much more in the way of proximity to the metro area, things to do, and places to shop and eat.

[Mouser]

Welcome to the forum Anna

My best advise is to visit sometime in June through August
for a week

Also in between posts on your thread try the C/D search
feature for the places of your interest it will give you
excellent material to compare with current posts.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by KStoAZ

Hi!
My husband and I always wanted to move to AZ, and with the current house market, the prices are tempting. But we also hear about ghost towns, abandoned communities... How is it in there? Are people really leaving in masses?

Where are you hearing these things?

[KStoAZ]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

AZ is gaining in population, not losing, in spite of recession. I don't know of any ghost towns and people are not leaving in masses that is for sure. There are some new communities that have a lot of empty houses, but overall houses have been moving quickly when they come on the market as foreclosures (cash investors get many of them). My observation is that there are far fewer empty houses and yard signs than a year or two ago.

But I don't live in Florence or Maricopa where things have been especially bad foreclosure-wise. There are some very attractive prices in those areas but every coin has two sides and the flip-side of those low prices is unstable communities of renters, long commutes, and some time before amenities get built. Towns like Surprise and Goodyear are a little more expensive (still a bargain by any measure, though) but offer prospective residents so much more in the way of proximity to the metro area, things to do, and places to shop and eat.

Thanks. I hope you are not a realtor trying to convince me What place would you recommend the most?

[KStoAZ]

Originally Posted by kdog

Where are you hearing these things?

We visited other forums and there is a lot of different opinions out there. I guess depends on where in AZ you live. We are looking at realtor sites and sometimes on the pics of the neighborhood you can see many for sale signs on the same street.

[KStoAZ]

Originally Posted by Mouser

Welcome to the forum Anna

My best advise is to visit sometime in June through August
for a week

Also in between posts on your thread try the C/D search
feature for the places of your interest it will give you
excellent material to compare with current posts.

Thanks! We can't wait to go there. We want to go in the hottest time to see if we can make it
I will try the C/D search feature.

[azdr0710]

if you can swing the higher price per sq. ft. for a place well within an urban area, I'd very highly recommend it....the fringes of the urban areas with those newer cookie-cutter subdivisions are where the most trouble is: many foreclosures and short sales...and Maricopa is just one of those urban-fringe areas....have not been in Florence for a bit and don't know if there are cookie-cutter subdivisions there, too.....

also, an appreciation rebound may take many years in almost any area....buy a house as a place to live, not an investment......

you may want to come out here for at least a couple weeks, stay in a short-term rental or one of these extended-stay style hotels (Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Motel 6 MainStay, and many other chains) and spend several days getting a feel for the various areas and choices....you will be overwhelmed!....very large urban area and many choices....new home builders offer incentives.....

I'd recommend springing for a few extra bucks and concentrating on a very stable, slightly older (ten years or more) neighborhood well within the built-up areas

[flynntastic]

I've been to Florence...remember seeing several large prisons there. I would maybe avoid the area for that reason?? On the other hand, I have a friend who lives there and he loves it.

Maricopa is a great little town that has a bad reputation. Yes, we were hard hit by the housing crisis. But that was because people who shouldn't have been given loans bought houses they couldn't afford. Or because hard working people lost their jobs. Same story all over the country.

The truth is, Maricopa is perfect for people who want a quiet lifestyle close to a large city. The average buyer in our area right now? Canadian retirees looking for an nice yet inexpensive house in a warm area. A ton of our neighbors are Canadian snowbirds.

There isn't a hospital here so take that into consideration (closest is about 30 miles away). Also, if you're a shopaholic, you'll need to drive about 30 minutes to get to the closest mall. If you're still in the age group that has to work, expect a long commute to work.

My husband and I really love it here. We love our neighbors, have built a really great support system through our church and are happy with our decision to buy here. I can take a walk here by myself and actually feel safe. And we got a super smokin' deal on a huge house. Can't beat that!