Trees (Phoenix, Gilbert, Surprise: houses, landscaping, neighborhood)

[rksrl]

Hi,
I would like to move west,maybe next year,maybe 09.
Phoenix at the moment is top of the short list.In your opinion which city,town, area wihin a 40 mile radius would suit my family best based on these three concerns.:
We need great public schools and a neighborhood where kids can meet and play with friends on the street safely.
We realize there is not as many trees in phoenix as eastern U.S. but would like to have trees around house and in the neighborhood.
Would like to come home from work to an area thats cooler and cools off faster in the evening than Phoenix in general.Maybe the west side of a hill,mountain so it would get shade late afternoon.
We would like to buy a house less than 350k,is all this unavailable?
Thanks in advance,
Rich.

[MaxPower123]

Try North-Central Phoenix, houses might be too expensive though, maybe around $500k.

[silverbear]

I agree that NCP would be a good choice, but I also agree that it would be hard to buy much more than a toolshed there for $350K. Arcadia and McCormick Ranch also come to mind. Both have abundant mature trees, but the same price issues would exist there. The challenge is that home prices are generally lowest in the outer suburbs, but those are newly developed areas with desert landscaping and few mature trees.

[rksrl]

Thanks,house price is not the most important consideration,sometimes its best to just pay up for quality.What zip code is North-Central Phoenix?

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by rksrl

Thanks,house price is not the most important consideration,sometimes its best to just pay up for quality.What zip code is North-Central Phoenix?

It does not have its own distinct zip code but instead occupies portions of 85020, 85016, 85013, 85021, and 85014. When searching with these zip codes, also try to make sure that you are seaching within the Madison School District. That should land you in the most desirable areas.

[MaxPower123]

I love the Arcadia neighborhood (too bad I can't afford a house there) but don't they have a roof rat problem? Or had?

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by MaxPower123

I love the Arcadia neighborhood (too bad I can't afford a house there) but don't they have a roof rat problem? Or had?

Yes, but I don't think it's severe enough to be a reason to avoid the area. Cleaning up fallen citrus, trimming trees, and trapping, if needed, can keep the problem under control.

[jco]

Originally Posted by MaxPower123

Try North-Central Phoenix, houses might be too expensive though, maybe around $500k.

This was my first thought, too. North Central Avenue is the only street in Phoenix that I've driven down and felt as if I was in another city (with trees). It's very expensive to live in that area, though.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by rksrl

Hi,
I would like to move west,maybe next year,maybe 09.
Phoenix at the moment is top of the short list.In your opinion which city,town, area wihin a 40 mile radius would suit my family best based on these three concerns.:
We need great public schools and a neighborhood where kids can meet and play with friends on the street safely.
We realize there is not as many trees in phoenix as eastern U.S. but would like to have trees around house and in the neighborhood.
Would like to come home from work to an area thats cooler and cools off faster in the evening than Phoenix in general.Maybe the west side of a hill,mountain so it would get shade late afternoon.
We would like to buy a house less than 350k,is all this unavailable?
Thanks in advance,
Rich.

I would say that you can get that in Surprise but you will need to wait for the trees to grow up. Our home and neighborhood will have trees in the yard. I chose two Oak trees. Remeber though that this is a new area and an oak tree takes a lot of time to grow. My parents have lived in surprise for 4 and a half years and there trees are still young. The places with established trees are older areas. From what I hear the schools are good in Surprise, and they are building more of them to make up for the growth that has taken place within the past 6 years. Nearly all of the schools in Surprise are newer.

I don't have any information on other areas. The White Tank Mountains are just west of Surprise. Also lots of kids

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by rksrl

Hi,
I would like to move west,maybe next year,maybe 09.
Phoenix at the moment is top of the short list.In your opinion which city,town, area wihin a 40 mile radius would suit my family best based on these three concerns.:
We need great public schools and a neighborhood where kids can meet and play with friends on the street safely.
We realize there is not as many trees in phoenix as eastern U.S. but would like to have trees around house and in the neighborhood.
Would like to come home from work to an area thats cooler and cools off faster in the evening than Phoenix in general.Maybe the west side of a hill,mountain so it would get shade late afternoon.
We would like to buy a house less than 350k,is all this unavailable?
Thanks in advance,
Rich.

The Gilbert area in the zip codes of 85234, 85286, 85233 are areas that have mature trees and meet your other criteria. Some communities like Val Vista Lakes require a certain number of trees. It is a mature area so the trees already exist. They also require grass, with no desert landscape allowed.

In the summer it doesn't cool down like you would like it to. But the heat is easy to get accustomed to because it's dry.

Bill