Estrella Builders (Avondale, Goodyear: HOA fees, homes, landscaping) - Phoenix area - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

Hap1719 · 10-17-2013, 01:22 AM

For those of you that live in Estrella Im looking for opinions/information on 2 builders there. William Ryan and TW Lewis. What things good/bad have you heard about these builders in Estrella. Thanks

patrick85395 · 10-17-2013, 08:54 AM

TW Lewis builds a better, nicer home that is highly sought after. With that said, TW Lewis was recently merged with David Weekly Homes. In Estrella, you'll have two choices Old TW Lewis, Old Old TW Lewis, and new TW Lewis by David Weekly.

Here's my opinion:

OLD TW LEWIS: The best of TW Lewis Homes were those built during the boom circa 2004 - 2011. The have the best exterior elevations, interior details and they just look and feel nice. Open floor plans, 10' beamed ceilings, arched hallways, good sight lines, large turret foyers, etc.

OLD OLD TW LEWIS: Nice, large open floor plans. Elevations aren't quite as nice as the OLD TW LEWIS. Many have oak cabinets (barf).

TW LEWIS BY DAVID WEEKLY: Large open flooplans, more energy efficient, don't have the interior or exterior detail of the OLD TW LEWIS HOMES. They no longer do the turret entries nor do they have the arched hallways. Weekly took away some of the magic associated with TW Lewis and raised the prices.

Drive thru Portales (Estrella Pkwy and just north of McDowell) you'll see both Old TW Lewis and Weekly homes. . .or look in Floriana (Litchfield and Virginia) for others prior to the weekly take over.

Weekly will build in Estrella next year, I think. I don't expect it to be as nice as Estrella's Old TW Lewis homes.

Roger427 · 10-17-2013, 06:55 PM

That's easy, TW Lewis. Don't know about Ryan. The TWL homes are nice and in nicer areas. Lots are good size. Homes are nice floor plan w/ some basement homes. Only issue is some are in gated community. I'm not a fan of them but maybe you are. TWL has 2x6 construction. Quality mechanicals, pleasant architecture, good floorplans, quality finishes usually although those are subject to owner choices. They are the better of the builders. Comparable would be Amberwood. Better would be the customs like Jada.

Hap1719 · 10-18-2013, 12:33 AM

Appreciate the replies. They are both opening up new sections by the golf course they say by the end of the year they will have models. RYAN has built in Estrella before I think. They dont even have price points yet but I was just trying to get a read on them from people already there in case there were any issues that they were having with people that have already purchased from them. I live out of state and am coming in at the end/beginning of the year.

patrick85395 · 10-18-2013, 08:39 AM

If you need to work for a living, then you may not want to work in Estrella. When I rented there for a year, it took me 20 minutes to get down the hill to the freeway. You didn't mention your price range, but if you like TW Lewis homes, I suggest that you find a nice resale in Goodyear because they're a better value than new and many of the homes (at least those in my neighborhood) already have pools and the landscaping and done. Here are three examples in my subdivision:
[sorry, you can't post active RE links]
This particular subdivision (Floriana) is in Central Goodyear, close to EVERYTHING and lower HOA fees.

These are examples of what I was calling the OLD TW Lewis. TW Lewis built a wide, deep home on wide deep lots, on wide streets. Also, look in Verrado (verrado.com) and Portales in Goodyear (high HOA but no amenities)

If these are above your price point, look at Ashton-Woods in Estrella, Verrado (my personal favorite), and goodyear for resales. You'll need an agent to help you find the resale stuff.

patrick85395 · 10-18-2013, 11:49 AM

I made a typo, but for some reason I can't edit my old post: If you need to work for a living, then you may not want to LIVE in Estrella. When I rented there for a year, it took me 20 minutes to get down the hill to the freeway. You didn't mention your price range, but if you like TW Lewis homes, I suggest that you find a nice resale in Goodyear because they're a better value than new and many of the homes (at least those in my neighborhood) already have pools and the landscaping is done. Here are three examples in my subdivision:

[sorry, you can't post active RE links]
This particular subdivision (Floriana) is in Central Goodyear, close to EVERYTHING and lower HOA fees.

These are examples of what I was calling the OLD TW Lewis. TW Lewis built a wide, deep home on wide deep lots, on wide streets. Also, look in Verrado (verrado.com) and Portales (located at Estrella Pkwy and Monte Vista just north of I-10) in Goodyear (high HOA and no amenities). In Portales, you can see the difference between the TWL-built and those build when David Weekley stepped in. Don't get me wrong, the DW homes have nice floorplan and elevations, but TWL-built is just better.

If these are above your price point, look at Ashton-Woods resales in Estrella, Verrado and goodyear (also in Portales) for resales. You may need an agent to help you find the resale stuff.

stevek64 · 10-18-2013, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrick85395

If you need to work for a living, then you may not want to LIVE in Estrella. When I rented there for a year, it took me 20 minutes to get down the hill to the freeway.

Also depends if one is working somewhere close/fairly close to Estrella in Goodyear, Avondale, etc.

Did you take Cotton Lane or Estrella Parkway down to I-10? 20 minutes to I-10 sounds long to me based on our experience but of course it all depends on what time you left in the morning. Getting from I-10 to Estrella in the late afternoon/rush hour has been without much traffic in our experience.

fwiw. I don't want to take away from the OP's original question on builders in Estrella but thought it was worth mentioning.

patrick85395 · 10-18-2013, 10:11 PM

I would leave at 4 am and have tried all of the three exits from the community. I lived at that back end of estrella in the taylor morrison homes. .Estrella is nice, but remote. I always hated the drive up and down the hill.

stevek64 · 10-18-2013, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrick85395

I would leave at 4 am and have tried all of the three exits from the community. I lived at that back end of estrella in the taylor morrison homes. .Estrella is nice, but remote. I always hated the drive up and down the hill.

Wow.....that's an early start!