For those experienced Arizonans or those living in AZ the longest... (Scottsdale: home, neighborhood)

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

????

You asked how to get more house for your money, right? There's no secret to it. Less desirable areas have lower housing prices. Areas with poor schools, higher crime, or further distance from employers and attractions are less desirable and are often less costly. Decide what you can live with to find your sweet spot, housing-wise.

He's right. It's a balancing act. No one answer fits every person.

[jerseyexpat]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

????

You asked how to get more house for your money, right? There's no secret to it. Less desirable areas have lower housing prices. Areas with poor schools, higher crime, or further distance from employers and attractions are less desirable and are often less costly. Decide what you can live with to find your sweet spot, housing-wise.

basically your suggesting I up my range in price...

I have to admit an $80k condo, with $900 yearly property tax, and $90 monthly HOA is attractive to someone from the East Coast.

a $100k condo with no garage in NJ has a $3,000 yearly property tax, $100+ HOA...even if you are rich most east coast people looking to go out west would see the bargain in the $80k condo.

[jerseyexpat]

But as I stated I am willing to put in the research...

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by jerseyexpat

basically your suggesting I up my range in price...

I never said that at all. You just need to be willing to compromise on location, amenities and overall desirability in some way to get everything you want with your budget. You won't get a nice newer house in a safe neighborhood, convenient to Central Phoenix, with good schools on a large lot for $200k.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by jerseyexpat

So this would be what I should be asking:

I want a safe neighborhood,
progressive thinking people,
not afraid of diversity,
not afraid of children,
safe for kids to play in,
and a place where spending $200K can get me home with more than 5,000 sq ft lot even IF I would have to build my own.
preferably a place with low property taxes.

disclaimer: HOA not necessarily a deal breaker.

where would you recommend?

Avondale. Specifically, Coldwater Springs. That one you mentioned above, Tres Rios, would be OK too. I don't know about progressive thinking people. My guess is that people there like most of the city are busy raising families or trying to enjoy retirement and are just not all that into that sort of thing. Property taxes are about the same where ever you decide on, somewhere between 3/4 and 1% of the price per year. Insurance is about 1/2 of what property taxes are. The killer is summer electric bills.

If you want a little more of a sure thing in terms of long term neighborhood stability, school quality etc, then look a little west in Goodyear - specifically Canyon Trails. I think you can still get a place for under 200K there.

[WSPHXPELON]

Originally Posted by jerseyexpat

So this would be what I should be asking:

I want a safe neighborhood,
progressive thinking people,
not afraid of diversity,
not afraid of children,
safe for kids to play in,
and a place where spending $200K can get me home with more than 5,000 sq ft lot even IF I would have to build my own.
preferably a place with low property taxes.

disclaimer: HOA not necessarily a deal breaker.

where would you recommend?

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

????

You asked how to get more house for your money, right? There's no secret to it. Less desirable areas have lower housing prices. Areas with poor schools, higher crime, or further distance from employers and attractions are less desirable and are often less costly. Decide what you can live with to find your sweet spot, housing-wise.

^^That post hits the nail right on the head. If your cap is going to be $200k, then you need to decide what sacrafices you are willing to make to get more "house for your money".

Taking that into consideration, I took a quick look on the MLS at what is currently available, and if it were me, these are the properties I would be interested in looking at (by only considering properties that are currently listed in the MLS at this exact moment):

1254 S 14th Ave ($104950) (Prop tax $496/year)
903 W Pima St ($112700) (Prop tax $602/year)
2033 W Adams St ($99900) (Prop tax $529/year)

Those homes were built in 2003, 2006, and 2001, do not have HOA's and are either close to Central Phoenix or are in Central Phoenix depending on your definition. However, like LocoAZNative had pointed out upthread, this type of of property is not in a "good area". IMO these areas are not "dangerous" either, but the sacrifice you would be making in a RE purchase like this is you would be living in a lower-income area. FYI Idk where you are from in Jersey, but these areas would be nothing like a lower income area in Newark, Trenton or Camden.

Again, this is just what I would do if in your situation. I would prefer to live in a less ritzy area and be able to buy a newer built home very inexpensively while providing me with an easy commute; as opposed to living in a classier area but having to deal with HOA extortion and long commutes.

So I guess when price is an issue, you just have to pick you poison. I gave you what I would do, I guess you just need to sit down and decide what sacrifices you would be willing to make.

[jerseyexpat]

What are your thoughts on Goodyear, AZ, this area seems to have more homes in the $200k range and only about 20k people and closer to central phoenix?

Is Goodyear a good area for a young family with small kids, or a senior citizen oriented place?

Is it too far away from Scottsdale?

Is Goodyear more of a suburban, smalltown area where ethnic diversity isn't accepted so much compared to bigger places such as Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe, with what seems to be a thriving tech industry in these towns?

In Goodyear seems to be less ethnic diversity. I actually want to AVOID ETHNIC POCKETS,

but I am worried about sticking out TOO much. GRANTED, ethnic diversity is spread out for the most part in AZ, but from what the numbers suggest can't help but think that I haven't left NEW JERSEY behind. My intention is to leave NEW JERSEY and the EAST COAST mentality behind forever. Don't want to fall into the ethnic pocket trap either.

And it's important that if I have kids I would want to send them to public school, but depending how good it is then Private school.

Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe seem to have ethnic diversity in the thousands where as in Goodyear ethnic diversity numbers in the hundreds.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by jerseyexpat

What are your thoughts on Goodyear, AZ, this area seems to have more homes in the $200k range and only about 20k people and closer to central phoenix?

Is Goodyear a good area for a young family with small kids, or a senior citizen oriented place?

Is it too far away from Scottsdale?

Is Goodyear more of a suburban, smalltown area where ethnic diversity isn't accepted so much compared to bigger places such as Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe, with what seems to be a thriving tech industry in these towns?

In Goodyear seems to be less ethnic diversity. I actually want to AVOID ETHNIC POCKETS,

but I am worried about sticking out TOO much. GRANTED, ethnic diversity is spread out for the most part in AZ, but from what the numbers suggest can't help but think that I haven't left NEW JERSEY behind. My intention is to leave NEW JERSEY and the EAST COAST mentality behind forever. Don't want to fall into the ethnic pocket trap either.

And it's important that if I have kids I would want to send them to public school, but depending how good it is then Private school.

Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe seem to have ethnic diversity in the thousands where as in Goodyear ethnic diversity numbers in the hundreds.

I live in Goodyear. It is the newest of the valley cities and the best in the west valley IMO. It is a safe, very new, well run city. It s the west valley version of Chandler, but is maybe 20 years behind that city in terms of build out. There are three school districts serving Goodyear. North of I10 is Litchfield, south is agua fria, and then there is Estrella which is a master planned community off by itself that has Liberty. It's more complicated than this but it is the school, not the District, that really matter here. The best schools (in terms of test scores, graduation rates, etc) are in the Litchfield district and at Estrella, but there really is nothing wrong with the ones in the rest of Goodyear either. They are all new and safe with involved parents. There are a couple charters and church schools too. I would not hesitate to enroll my kids in any of the Goodyear schools. If you like HS football, Desert Edge is becoming a powerhouse.

Goodyear has a small area in the older part east of Litchfield and south of I10 that is more lower middle class and more Hispanic than the rest of the city. Otherwise it is all new and middle class. The best homes are north of I10 and the highest incomes/custom homes/millionaires are at Estrella (though estrella also has more modest homes). I told you in an earlier post to check out development called Canyon Trails. I'll say it again. Look at Estrella.com, too. Estrella has a setup and setting that is pretty unique in the Phoenix metro. There are some homes under 200K here.

As for diversity, Goodyear is the same as any other part of Phoenix - its all here and all mixed together. There will be black, white, and Asian faces in every restaurant in town. You will see people of all races and colors living in integrated neighborhoods. Like the rest of Phoenix, it is all about income. Western cities do not have this obsession with race and ethnicity that you have in the east. We are much less focused on that, IMO. Goodyear also tends to have a somewhat higher diversity mix because of Luke AFB. You see A LOT of interracial couples and kids around here.

Is it close to Scottsdale? No. Getting to Scottsdale will take you an hour. Why would that matter? I have been to Scottsdale but one or two times in the last ten years.

[WSPHXPELON]

I am going to go ahead and agree with everything Ponderosa just said.

[LocoAZnative]

I have to say the OP is really needy and needs to actually do some research not just throw every absurd question out there. You seem so fixated on race and as other have said the west isn't so hungup on race as the so called diverse east is. Look at google maps and you will see how far apart the cities are and they are also just one continuous city.