Better Value: Verrado's Sophisticated Style or Estrella's Family Amenities?

[Roger427]

Originally Posted by stevek64

My wife and I had the same exact experience at Estrella when we 1st saw it and knew we had to live there so we know how you feel.

Same thing happened to us in 2007 when we moved here. We researched it all on internet and when we came on our house hunting trip, once we saw Estrella we knew right away that is where we wanted to live. Haven't regretted it one minute. If you see it in person, I don't think you could choose another area.

[Montanama]

We're under contract! The inspection is tomorrow, and again I am thankful for CD forums and all the great info I have had access to here regarding...Termites!! Scorpions!!! and Sissoos!!!!! We are so much better prepared because of the willingness of everyone here to share their experiences and expertise.

We're hoping everything works out, but if not there are a whole lot of houses in Estrella, and just knowing that's where we want to be is a huge relief.

Estrella is so much bigger than we had pictured it, just looking at the maps on the real estate sites & google. I think the kids will have a great time exploring.

[mikeanajessse]

Originally Posted by Roger427

Same thing happened to us in 2007 when we moved here. We researched it all on internet and when we came on our house hunting trip, once we saw Estrella we knew right away that is where we wanted to live. Haven't regretted it one minute. If you see it in person, I don't think you could choose another area.

Exactly how we felt when we found Estrella to us there was nothing like it in the valley.Its like living in your own beautiful little town detached from the city, with your own schools,beautiful pools,lakes,golf course,parks,etc.Also your own shopping plaza with a bank,supermarket,bagel store,pharmacy,gas station with mini mart,Mcdonalds etc.Basically all your needs all wrapped up in one beautiful community.

[mikeanajessse]

Originally Posted by Montanama

We're under contract! The inspection is tomorrow, and again I am thankful for CD forums and all the great info I have had access to here regarding...Termites!! Scorpions!!! and Sissoos!!!!! We are so much better prepared because of the willingness of everyone here to share their experiences and expertise.

We're hoping everything works out, but if not there are a whole lot of houses in Estrella, and just knowing that's where we want to be is a huge relief.

Estrella is so much bigger than we had pictured it, just looking at the maps on the real estate sites & google. I think the kids will have a great time exploring.

Good luck to you and your family,you made the right choice!!!

[Me&Her]

Sounds sort of like my wife and I. We fell in love with the Goodyear area. We decided to look to purchase a house around the 200K mark. We looked mainly from south of I-10 and west from Estrella Parkway. We ended up buying a vacation home in Estrella Mountain. Although our likes could and probably be different from yours we bought in the Estrella Mtn area for following reasons:
1. We wanted to be close to nature (mountains) view and beauty,
2. We wanted to be "outside the city" so to speak. Nice drive down Cotton Ln.
3. Still close to great shopping areas in Goodyear,
4. Outstanding drive into area with lakes on the right and the parkway lined with Palms,
5. We found a house with a view fence and great view! and we looked a lot,
6. We found we weren't closed on on all sides ( wash directly behind us)
7. Really good pizzeria 5 min away,
8. CLose to stores, Safeway, MacDonalds, Starbucks,
9. Short drive to my favorite...."FRY'S" on Yuma LOL
10. Just no super busy city traffic and noise out there
11. Great area to jump on my Harley for a cruise
12. Community rec center is amazing !!
13. Estrella Mtn golf course

Just my 2 cents. Good luck!!

[Me&Her]

Originally Posted by grassfeeder

We just visited a couple weeks ago and we actually got the same feeling about Estrella. The older part, which is where you'd actually want to be for proximity to all the community amenities just seemed very dated and bland. We were drawn in by all the pretty on the internet as well, and while we did find the community amenities nice - the homes that also attracted us at the $250k price were all complete dumps. Total guts. Advanced digital photography certainly made these places look a lot better than they were. The newer section is really nice thats being built up but you're driving to everything in the community.

I was really impressed with Anthem. The proximity to 17 made it great for getting places quickly and there is a TON more in the immediate area. Very nice community.

We were also very impressed with the feel of Vistancia up in the N. Peoria area. Its more of a drive to get places, but it seems like there is legit intent on developing the area.

For what it's worth we just bought in EMR 2 year old home for under 210K. I agree with you some streets in the older part did not impress us. As far as driving to everything... that's why you need a Harley LOL

[Montanama]

We ended up buying at the low end of our price range, a smaller home than what I had originally thought was our minimum square footage, and....THE most cookie cutter floor plan in the most cookie-cutter section of the subdivision. Kind of funny considering how much I loved the more unique architectural styles in Verrado (and still do) and was so concerned that Estrella just wouldn't compare.

We did view some homes that had much more cute factor, and more square footage, well within our maximum range of $250k+. But this one felt right to us and was very clean and bright, and reasonably close to the lakes & everything else that the kids can walk or ride bikes.

Of course I can't stop looking at every new listing that comes up, and there are some really good ones out there right now. The nice thing, as I said above, about Estrella is that there's a lot to choose from!

We are very excited to get back to our new home, and I just want to say again how much I appreciate everyone's friendliness and willingness to share their enthusiasm for the Estrella community. With so many people so happy to be there, I feel it will be pretty easy to make connections when we get there!

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Montanama

We ended up buying at the low end of our price range, a smaller home than what I had originally thought was our minimum square footage, and....THE most cookie cutter floor plan in the most cookie-cutter section of the subdivision. Kind of funny considering how much I loved the more unique architectural styles in Verrado (and still do) and was so concerned that Estrella just wouldn't compare.

We did view some homes that had much more cute factor, and more square footage, well within our maximum range of $250k+. But this one felt right to us and was very clean and bright, and reasonably close to the lakes & everything else that the kids can walk or ride bikes.

Of course I can't stop looking at every new listing that comes up, and there are some really good ones out there right now. The nice thing, as I said above, about Estrella is that there's a lot to choose from!

We are very excited to get back to our new home, and I just want to say again how much I appreciate everyone's friendliness and willingness to share their enthusiasm for the Estrella community. With so many people so happy to be there, I feel it will be pretty easy to make connections when we get there!

I know how you feel about finding "that" house.....you just know it's right when you see it. And location location location still rules the day.

We love to find houses in great locations within a community......in the case of estrella, close to the lake/ short walking distance to the amenities that have a great floor-plan/location that have lots of potential if one is willing to put in some time, imagination, and money...sometimes more than planned...hehehe.

Hope your closing goes/went well. What time of the year do you plan to live out here in estrella?

[Montanama]

For now we'll be making short visits year round with longer stays in the winter months. Eventually I'd like to be there 7-8 months of the year. I can do June July August & September in Montana, and I don't mind the snow (we don't get a lot here) during the holidays. But otherwise I need some heat.

I know the little personalization projects here & there add up to big $$. But it's nice in that regard to have a smaller house. I found a great cabinet re facing site online that will save me a bunch--I think ripping out the kitchen to customize it would definitely be overkill for the house value, but I was considering it! Now I know I can greatly improve the look with some new cabinet doors and of course a little granite & it'll be very nice.

Other than that though it's a really nice, well-kept house, and the current owners have done a lot of freshening up in the short time they've had it.

I will spend most of my time in that back yard, so all my $$$ will be landscaping and outdoor furniture, I'm sure. I need to find out who does the stucco finish on the inside of the block walls & what's all involved with that process. I will have to adjust to checking with an HOA on everything, too!

We're excited to get to work furnishing the house exactly as we picture a vacation villa, and boy that is adding up quickly too! All the things we acquire over time, usually, we are needing to purchase at one fell swoop--dishes, cookware, towels, bed linens...beds!

Oh heck. All I really need is a blender, some flip flops, and a chaise lounge. And a bathing suit. Of course. What do I look like, one of those wild, hedonistic Canadians?! LOL

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Montanama

For now we'll be making short visits year round with longer stays in the winter months. Eventually I'd like to be there 7-8 months of the year. I can do June July August & September in Montana, and I don't mind the snow (we don't get a lot here) during the holidays. But otherwise I need some heat.

I know the little personalization projects here & there add up to big $$. But it's nice in that regard to have a smaller house. I found a great cabinet re facing site online that will save me a bunch--I think ripping out the kitchen to customize it would definitely be overkill for the house value, but I was considering it! Now I know I can greatly improve the look with some new cabinet doors and of course a little granite & it'll be very nice.

Other than that though it's a really nice, well-kept house, and the current owners have done a lot of freshening up in the short time they've had it.

I will spend most of my time in that back yard, so all my $$$ will be landscaping and outdoor furniture, I'm sure. I need to find out who does the stucco finish on the inside of the block walls & what's all involved with that process. I will have to adjust to checking with an HOA on everything, too!

We're excited to get to work furnishing the house exactly as we picture a vacation villa, and boy that is adding up quickly too! All the things we acquire over time, usually, we are needing to purchase at one fell swoop--dishes, cookware, towels, bed linens...beds!

Oh heck. All I really need is a blender, some flip flops, and a chaise lounge. And a bathing suit. Of course. What do I look like, one of those wild, hedonistic Canadians?! LOL

Sounds great!

hehehe.....yeah, but I bet you will be a very happy hedonistic Canadian-like Montana native at that when you're hear!