Phoenix Buyers Only Want Cheapest Homes (Mesa, Glendale: flat fee, rental, insurance)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

The best neighbors I ever had were in a "dicey" neighborhood in the suburbs of Detroit - we had no problems with crime, city services or hillbilly neighbors.

When we moved into N. Scottsdale - in a neighborhood of $400k+ homes, well, that was my first experience of watching from an upstairs bedroom as someone looted my car, waking up to see the neighbor's Escalade sitting on blocks instead of chrome rims, having grumpy neighbors who picked fights with each other and us...

We actually watched a fistfight in the street in front of our home when one of the neighbor's foo-foo dogs attacked another neighbor's foo-foo dog.

A few months earlier, another dog fight resulted in one neighbor pulling a gun on another neighbor. Not in Detroit... In N. Scottsdale.

Money can't buy class or manners or a "crime free" environment. If good neighbors are important to you, knock on the door next to any house you're thinking of bidding on, and say "Hi". You'll know from the reception you get if it's a neighborhood worth investing in.

Your post made me think of my MIL's old house in Maryvale. She is an elderly woman and can't get around that well. The hood was pretty bad with a chop shop down the street and gunfire at night etc. The houses there are probably in the 40s now. But her Hispanic, mostly illegal neighbors cut her grass, took out her trash bins, and checked on her - without being asked and without asking to be paid.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by SloCoChef

I was so happy to be doing this - but reading this negative thread is so disheartening - wondering if I should re-think and move myself right back to California - It's sucky to read how trashy the view is of people in 100K homes - I can't help the fact that homes in the 270's are now barely over a 100k - and I certainly would never judge anyone for buying a home at anytime in history - before during nor after the bubble burst - Suddenly I am very uncomfortable about my decision to live here..... yuck.

You need to keep in mind that this is only an anonymous internet forum. That doesn't bring out the best in some people. Take everything you read here with a grain of salt - the extreme positives and negatives. There are strong opinions on this topic, and way more than a little snobbery and hyperbole added to the mix.

Some of the negative members here are probably negative in other areas of their life, as well. Pessimism is not the same as being realistic. If you want to buy a home, then good for you. I say...DO IT!

[dsmovingfromaustin]

We liked certain houses and subdivisions. If we could buy our desired home for 100K in these communities, we would do so. But the communities we are interested in carry a price tag of around 400K or more. I don't know why we or anyone else should be criticized for desiring this. I also don't think people should be criticized for sharing their personal experiences. Individual experiences will vary and it's unfair to criticize someone because they had a negative experience living in a less expensive community. It doesn't make someone pessimistic nor does it mean they are negative in other areas of their life. They may just be honest and wanting to share their experience. Our family has lived in all types of subdivisions. We didn't have a positive experience living in a cheap community. Most of the neighbors were really nice but their children was a different story. We had multiple car thefts. People drove through our community in a dangerous way which was unsafe to children. There were home break-ins. People would not walk outside on their street beyond a certain time. After that experience, our family was very selective about where we lived and that strategy has been successful for us. But I suppose I will now be criticized because I have a different opinion than others.

[mistygrl092]

Originally Posted by dsmovingfromaustin

We liked certain houses and subdivisions. If we could buy our desired home for 100K in these communities, we would do so. But the communities we are interested in carry a price tag of around 400K or more. I don't know why we or anyone else should be criticized for desiring this. I also don't think people should be criticized for sharing their personal experiences. Individual experiences will vary and it's unfair to criticize someone because they had a negative experience living in a less expensive community. It doesn't make someone pessimistic nor does it mean they are negative in other areas of their life. They may just be honest and wanting to share their experience. Our family has lived in all types of subdivisions. We didn't have a positive experience living in a cheap community. Most of the neighbors were really nice but their children was a different story. We had multiple car thefts. People drove through our community in a dangerous way which was unsafe to children. There were home break-ins. People would not walk outside on their street beyond a certain time. After that experience, our family was very selective about where we lived and that strategy has been successful for us. But I suppose I will now be criticized because I have a different opinion than others.

For the most part, I do agree with you. And I for sure do agree with you that it should be ok to share one's personal experiences.

I, too, have lived in different types of communities. In my last place of residence (where the houses were cheap as I couldn't afford anything else), well, I got out just in the nick of time. Today in that neighborhood there are drive-by shootings and it's become quite scary. I used to love to go down to the river by myself and today I would no longer be able to do that myself. I'm just grateful I got out when I did.

Generally speaking, I think it's true that you get what you pay for. Of course, this is no hard and fast rule. I have a horrible neighbor now in what was a very peaceful neighborhood, and you cannot always control who moves in. And this person supposedly has money but very little in the way of morals. Sometimes a person gets lucky in a lower cost neighborhood, sometimes a person gets unlucky in a higher cost neighborhood. Too bad you cannot pick your neighbors.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by mistygrl092

Too bad you cannot pick your neighbors.

Actually, you CAN kinda pick your neighbors - knock on the door and say "Hi, I'm thinking about buying the house next door... is there anything I should know?"...

If they talk to you through the door... that's one answer. If they invite you in, hand you a bottle of water, and tell you the history of the house, that's another answer.

It's simple, cheap & effective.

As for this ...

"People drove through our community in a dangerous way which was unsafe to children."...

They do that in my neighborhood too... the worst offender is the "trustifarian" who lives on the top of the mountain in a very expensive house - on his little "boy-racer" motorcycle.

[Bondurant]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Your post made me think of my MIL's old house in Maryvale. She is an elderly woman and can't get around that well. The hood was pretty bad with a chop shop down the street and gunfire at night etc. The houses there are probably in the 40s now. But her Hispanic, mostly illegal neighbors cut her grass, took out her trash bins, and checked on her - without being asked and without asking to be paid.

This does not surprise me much. I think, in general, poorer folks are nicer and more eager to help because they have a sense of what its like to be in need. Most of the people in the "bad" areas will generally be good hardworking folks and only living in said area because it's what they can afford. If I was to buy a home it would be in one of these areas because it's what I could afford. I am not a criminal and would not harm anyone. I suspect most people in said neighborhood would be in my boat.

[AZ bound]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

If you're worried about bad neighbors, cats & roosters, you could use that $1500+ and buy yourself thirty really nice BB guns (with frickin' LASER BEAMS!)- enlist the help of a few neighbors who are also p.o'ed by the "lawlessness" & use your (well-equipped) "army" to take back the neighborhood...

M16 6mm Single-shot BB Gun with Laser LED & 800 Pellets | eBay

It seems as though you have some good alternatives, but I'd be leery of buying a pellet gun from someone who calls themself "imahustla", and has zero sales

Originally Posted by Kimballette

Some of the negative members here are probably negative in other areas of their life, as well. Pessimism is not the same as being realistic. If you want to buy a home, then good for you. I say...DO IT!

Pessimism can become realism, in hindsight.
Many members here with strong opinions, come with an air of credibility, like Captain Bill.

[mistygrl092]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

Actually, you CAN kinda pick your neighbors - knock on the door and say "Hi, I'm thinking about buying the house next door... is there anything I should know?"...

If they talk to you through the door... that's one answer. If they invite you in, hand you a bottle of water, and tell you the history of the house, that's another answer.

It's simple, cheap & effective.

Great idea, however, I have had neighbors that just "pop over" (i.e. a bit on the too friendly side) so I'm not sure that your method is fool proof.

The one thing we can't control, even if we do it your way, is who moves in after the fact. If a problem neighbor, then we're faced with the situation of trying to fix things (which may or may not work and may even makes matters work), ignoring the problem situation, or moving. I'd say a lot of the time, in my experience, it's backfired. The one time it did work was when the police were finally involved and put the neighbors in their place.

Anyway, I think I am getting a little off topic here so back to the topic. I imagine as prices go down we will see that Phoenix buyers do not only want the cheapest houses.

[Captain Bill]

Since the house prices are so cheap, just buy the whole block and create a little gated compound to move all your relatives in.

But then maybe your relatives aren't such good neighborhoods.

Well, back to the drawing board.

[mistygrl092]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

Since the house prices are so cheap, just buy the whole block and create a little gated compound to move all your relatives in.

But then maybe your relatives aren't such good neighborhoods.

Well, back to the drawing board.

LOL, yeah, that would work.