Homeowners fees? Is there any nice places were they dont have HOA? (Phoenix: house, subdivisions)

[Captain Bill]

I don't want to take this off topic, but there were two posts with Superfunds mentioned so I thought I would post some information for people to research.

Here is a list of the AZ ADEQ Superfund Sites

The Goodyear Airport South and North Superfund Sites are on the NPL (National Priority List)

The National Priority List is the U.S. EPA's list of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified for possible long-term remedial response under Superfund. Inclusion of a site on the list is based primarily on the score the site receives under the Hazard Ranking System. Money from Superfund can be used for cleanup only at sites that are on the NPL.

The City of Goodyear's drinking water source is supplied 100% by groundwater. The city has production wells, storage facilities, and pressure booster stations located strategically throughout the city. The underground aquifer from which the city receives its water is called the West Salt Valley Sub-Basin. The aquifer's depth ranges from 100 to 1,000 feet from the surface. The City has a storage capacity of 15.9 million gallons of water. Learn more about our watershed: U.S. EPA's Surf Your Watershed.

Does this mean the Goodyear drinking water is not safe? There is plenty of information to read in all these links to make one's own determination.

There are Superfunds in Goodyear, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert and Mesa. The Arizona Real Estate Buyers Guide that every buyer has to sign acknowledging receipt of, has the following section:

Superfund Sites

There are numerous sites in Arizona where the soil and groundwater have been contaminated by improper disposal of contaminants. To check if a property is in an area designated by the ADEQ as requiring cleanup, see www.adeq.state.az.us/environ/waste/sps/phx.html for available maps to view. The EPA also has information on Federal sites at www.epa.gov/superfund/spanish/index.htm (Spanish).

These advisories are not meant to be alarmist, but rather, to provide information so buyers can do research if the have concerns.

[Ritchie_az]

Captain Bill,
Thanks for posting the information. I know that it has been posted a few times before, but it is good to see it again. There are too many over-generalized posts going around, which spreads misinformation and half-truths.
I live in Goodyear. The water is fine to drink, I do not have a water filtration system. Is it the best tasting? No. But it's far from the worst tap water I've had, too.
The city sends us a report of the water once a year. Everything meets or exceed government standards. The water seems to be well managed (at least south of the I-10... Liberty water could be a whole different story, I'm not sure).
The Superfunds sites near the airport (what was a Navy base) is a concern, but not a major concern. It is closely monitored and being cleaned up (which is a long process). Here's a somewhat recent update:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/s...x/pganfact.pdf

I would hope the over-generalized posts will stop, especially since the facts have been posted here. I encourage anyone who has a concern to do a little research and not place much stock in broad statements.

[dougstech]

Gloom and doom...go away. Your advice is completely wrong. If home prices are falling, that means it is a GREAT time to buy because you can get something great for little. Prices will always go back up. Bad time to sell is now, but the OP wants to buy!

[tdparmel]

There are some areas in Scottsdale in the 85260 zip code, near Shea Blvd, where there are no HOA fees. I am currently looking in this zipcode. The homes were built in the mid-1980s they are very nice.

[wuds]

Originally Posted by observer53

Gloom and doom strikes again. If the OP wants to buy, and plans on staying a while, your posting on every single inquiry thread that no one should buy now is pretty pointless, somewhat off topic, and generally tiresome.

Perhaps Enica should have a sticky?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by nicoleeee

Thanks AZjoe seems if they have Hoa too. Any other ideas?

Again, having an HOA is not entirely a bad thing, and the fees vary a great deal, they can be worth the money. If you are limiting yourself to NO HOA, in that part of the Valley, I suspect you will not find what you want, and will take a lot of very nice areas out of the mix. Most of the construction in those areas are newer subdivisions (post 1990s) so they will have HOAs.

[twiggy]

HOA's are not that bad, really, unless you are planning on painting your house purple and pink you shouldn't mind that much having one. Ask the residents in the areas of interest if the HOA there is extremely active or passive, most are passive and you never know they are there except when you leave your trash can out.
I would look into the home you want first, then deal with the HOA.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by twiggy

HOA's are not that bad, really, unless you are planning on painting your house purple and pink you shouldn't mind that much having one. Ask the residents in the areas of interest if the HOA there is extremely active or passive, most are passive and you never know they are there except when you leave your trash can out.
I would look into the home you want first, then deal with the HOA.

Agreed. Finding the home you love, at a cost you can afford, is way more important than whether it has an HOA or not, given the number of them that are passive and not very costly.

[MotleyCrew]

To the OP. Find a good realtor to help you look. I know there is a small pocket of homes in Peoria/Surprise that do not have HOA's. Sorry I can't recall the subdivision, but the homes are nice and the area is decent. You would be so close to the bottom and to not buy a home waiting for that flash point on the horizon is foolish. You may miss the home and lot in the area you deam of. I feel that when things start to turn it will be a feeding frenzy again for a while with many offers on a single home. I would rather shop now and avoid the crowds. Good luck to you.

[AZJoeD]

Originally Posted by nicoleeee

Thanks AZjoe seems if they have Hoa too. Any other ideas?

I just did a quick count on homes from I-10 north to Bell Rd, and the 101 west to 303 and came up with 240+ homes with no HOA. Prices range from $32K to $795K. One of these should work for you.