Avondale, Glendale, Sun City West, Buckeye, etc. (Phoenix: apartments, rentals)

[HeartsnAK]

Those of you who live there, what are these areas outside of Phoenix like? I'm curious about cost of housing, quality of life, cultural diversity, crime, etc. If you could live in any of these areas, which would it be and why? If you would avoid any of these areas, which one and why? Also thoughts on areas within 10 miles of Avondale, Buckeye, etc. Looking for truth re: the good, the bad and the ugly.

[HeartsnAK]

Sorry I posted this in the wrong place Mods! I had no idea. I am trying to find out info on several locations in the US where my husband may be going to school. AZ & NC are the top to choice but there are others and I will be posting them in the same fashion in my attempt to make an informed decision. Please let me know if it is not o.k. to do that. I think City-Data is awesome. I used it to move from Alaska a while back and now need help again!

Anyway, western Phoenix, folks - any information would be very appreciated! I'm not interested in debates, just facts and personal, nice opinions!

Thanks!

[sablebaby]

Don't worry about it. We like to keep threads in the right place so you will get the best results!

All the cities you have mentioned are just extensions of Phoenix. If you've never been here, it's good to know that Phx and all the surrounding areas are just one big suburb. You won't even realize when you pass from one to the next unless you notice a small sign on the side of the street saying "welcome to x city!" Otherwise it's all the same.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by HeartsnAK

Sorry I posted this in the wrong place Mods! I had no idea. I am trying to find out info on several locations in the US where my husband may be going to school. AZ & NC are the top to choice but there are others and I will be posting them in the same fashion in my attempt to make an informed decision. Please let me know if it is not o.k. to do that. I think City-Data is awesome. I used it to move from Alaska a while back and now need help again!

Anyway, western Phoenix, folks - any information would be very appreciated! I'm not interested in debates, just facts and personal, nice opinions!

Thanks!

It doesn't look like you've posted it in the wrong place at all. Since you'll be also searching in NC, I'd write a bit of a different post and maybe ask a few different questions. BUT CD does allow two similar posts before it's considered cross posting. And yea, I love CD, too. Kind of a CD addict here. Good luck to you.

LOL Sable, sorry~I didn't realize you were here.

[HeartsnAK]

Oh I see... Thank you! So much to learn!

Regarding Phoenix - my husband has been there but I have not. One of the schools he is looking at is in Avondale. We prefer to live out of town but need to be able to commute within 30 minutes and want a safe place to live. Since he will be in school we will need lower cost housing (500-850/month range). Can that be done there?

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by HeartsnAK

Oh I see... Thank you! So much to learn!

Regarding Phoenix - my husband has been there but I have not. One of the schools he is looking at is in Avondale. We prefer to live out of town but need to be able to commute within 30 minutes and want a safe place to live. Since he will be in school we will need lower cost housing (500-850/month range). Can that be done there?

Are you looking for apartments in that range, or homes? You can surely find an apt, but not sure where as I'm not too knowledgeable about Avondale. Homes for rent, not too sure if there are any in that range. I know a few years ago you could find homes for rent for $800, in outlying areas, but I would have to bet that the rents have gone up as it's been said in the news that they were going up. There are a few RE agents here that may be able to help with prices if you are asking about homes for rent.

[HeartsnAK]

Yes, for rent - sorry. We don't know how long we would be there so don't want to buy at first. We would prefer a house but an apartment or townhouse would do, if that is all we could find. It really doesn't matter as long as the price is right, is in a good neighborhood and is within commuting distance of Avondale.

[Jammie]

Rent.com: Search Results

While you're waiting for some first hand info from a realtor, you can check this site out. Also, apartmentguide or apartments.com or move.com and others often have good info on apartment rentals. I believe that move.com could help you with locating houses.

[sablebaby]

I just checked out craigslist.org and found a bunch of apts and homes for rent in your range! Beware though there are some that are no where near avondale so look at those carefully (they will list every city so it will come up).

phoenix craigslist > apts/housing for rent: search for "avondale"

[HeartsnAK]

Thanks so much to both of you! I have checked out the websites you recommended and there are, indeed, places in our price range. I think we need to look further out, actually, so am going to concentrate on areas 10 to 20 miles west of Avondale. Hmmm..will that put us in the desert? I really do need to learn more about Arizona topography....