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I am posting here today, at the recommendation of a respected business associate, in the hopes of procuring as much information as possible. I realize that some of these questions and points of inquiry may well have been answered on other threads, however as I hope to consolidate information here for my own utility, I ask for your forgiveness for any redundancy.
My fiance and I are in the midst of a relocation. However, this situation has come at a challenging time for us. She was set to begin her final year of post graduate education in December in Connecticut, and now, due to my work related relocation from Boston, she must halt her existing plans and restructure her forthcoming agenda. In addition, our family is very close. My fiance's parents, her two sisters, and the husband of one of her sister's, will all be relocating with us. Needless to say, this complicates our process.
For me, this is not a personally challenging event. I have moved many times, all over the country, and have traveled extensively. Many times I have moved "site unseen" (buying a home and relocating without first having visited the area or seen the home). This is the nature of my professional pursuits. However, for my fiance and her family, this is a daunting challenge, as they have lived in only one place in the states since immigrating from Italy decades ago. Thus, finding a balance with the right information in hand, and corresponding data adequately analyzed, is proving to be a challenge. Here is our situation;
I can work from just about anywhere in the Greater Phoenix area given the nature of my work, however my fiance has more challenges ahead of her. She is transferring from her current employer in New Haven, Connecticut to a hospital in Phoenix - St. Joseph's. However, the only school in the area which offers her the opportunity to piggy back on her existing degrees in the applicable field of study is Central Arizona at its campus in Apache Junction. We had been looking at houses in Suprise, AZ - however believe that the distance between Apache Junction and Surprise, given the traffic problems in Phoenix, would simply prove too much. Thus, now, we are searching for a new target area to live.
Here are our objectives;
We have a housing budget for ourselves of about 350K. We would be paying cash, and my fiance insists on a pool and central air conditioning. We need no less than three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, as well as some privacy (we don't want to be able to hand a tomato to our neighbors through our kitchen window). It must be a single family home, no less than 2500 square feet, and high ceilings are required (I am quite tall).
Furthermore, the area must also offer similar homes (less the pool, and less the minimum square footage) for around 200K so that her sister and sister's fiance, as well as her parents and other sister, can also afford homes. Also, for all of us, a school district that at least meets expectations is a necessity.
Beyond those things, we are reasonably flexible, and open to new ideas and concepts.
Given the financial data we have already compiled, we have seen two areas specifically which spark some interest with us; San Tan Valley, Arizona and Queen Creek, Arizona. However, we know nothing of those two communities. The houses look nice, the taxes are attractive to us (compared to the northeast), cost of living weighed against our incomes is acceptable, and the school systems appear to meet expectations. We would love some further insight from locals about these communities.
Also, we like the statistics attributed to Chandler, Arizona as well, however fear that my fiance's parents and sisters would be priced out of that area. As we are all planning on paying cash, there is little flexibility rolled into a mortgage. Thus, price points are firm.
The houses in San Tan Valley, within our budget, are mind boggling compared to the Northeast. The dollar goes so much further in Arizona that is almost feels like a joke. So that is exciting. However, we see that San Tan Valley is an "unincorporated area", and we wonder how that affects the community. Also, as it is a "bedroom community" we wonder what else is there besides houses. Grocery stores? Restaurants? Hospitals? Churches? Etc etc etc.
Thus, any insight which you could provide would be most helpful. We would love to hear about San Tan Valley, as well as Queen Creek, but would also be willing to listen to any recommendations you may have, and I am happy to answer any questions you may wish to ask. I will provide as much info as is needed to help us in this process.
Also, one last thing, we cannot visit before we relocate. I have been to Phoenix on a couple of occasions, and that is enough for us. Between our work schedules, her parents needs, and her sisters being enrolled in college this summer, a visit simply is impossible. Also, for matters of a personal nature, renting is not an option either. We must buy a home, site unseen.
Good call on not choosing Surprise as that's like 70 miles from Apache Junction. OP the Phoenix area is HUGE and SPREAD OUT. We are not compacted like the Northeast. The only real problem you guys are going to have is the travel distance to and from. San Tan Valley and Queen Creek are on the fringes of the valley faaaar removed from a lot of action in the metro area. The drive from those two areas to St Joseph's Hospital is like 40/50 miles which will take you about an hour 1/2 or longer in traffic. With your budget you guys can easily afford something closer in like something in Chandler or Gilbert near the 60 or the 202 would be more ideal.
But the sister, etc. won't find anything in Chandler or Gilbert for less than $200K.
The idea of buying one house sight unseen in a unknown area is hard enough. But THREE? for THREE different families with different needs????
Personally, I'd suggest that your girlfriend and her family consider staying put until she completes school. Then, maybe, have her and the family join you.
How often will she be working at St Josephs and at what times? If she only works a couple of long shifts a week traveling during off-peak hours then living that far from her work might be doable, but if she is going to be commuting almost every day or during rush hour then Queen Creek and San Tan Valley will probably be too far away.
I am thinking maybe Gilbert could work better as well as some parts of Mesa (the east side will have better schools and newer homes with higher ceilings)
Phoenix and AJ are really far apart and depending the times of day she would be commuting, the drive would take a really, really long time. San Tan Valley and Queen Creek are both on the outskirts of town, and coming from the Northeast, I think you would find the amenities sorely lacking even if you could buy a palace out there with a 350k budget. Anyway, based on the need to be proximate to Apache Junction and Phoenix, I would personally rule those places out.
Gilbert or Chandler would be good. You can get a house for around 200k in there and the schools are good. North Mesa might be another good fit. Red Mountain school district is supposedly good. It's kind of far from Phoenix, but you could use the 202 to bounce between there and Apache Junction, which I think is less trafficky than the 60. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
However, Gilbert and Chandler both offer a good quality of life with parks and good downtown areas with restaurants, theaters and other urban-esque amenities. Mesa is lackluster in that area, but still a good place to raise a family. Houses are also less expensive.
But the sister, etc. won't find anything in Chandler or Gilbert for less than $200K.
The idea of buying one house sight unseen in a unknown area is hard enough. But THREE? for THREE different families with different needs????
Personally, I'd suggest that your girlfriend and her family consider staying put until she completes school. Then, maybe, have her and the family join you.
Allow me to clarify in a bit further detail. We (my fiance and I) will be buying "site unseen". Once we are there, and local, we will then seek out homes for the rest of the family. The issue is that they will want to be close to us. "Close" as they define it is within a few blocks. Therefore, the area must be accommodating to the ranges in our budgets.
Phoenix and AJ are really far apart and depending the times of day she would be commuting, the drive would take a really, really long time. San Tan Valley and Queen Creek are both on the outskirts of town, and coming from the Northeast, I think you would find the amenities sorely lacking even if you could buy a palace out there with a 350k budget. Anyway, based on the need to be proximate to Apache Junction and Phoenix, I would personally rule those places out.
Gilbert or Chandler would be good. You can get a house for around 200k in there and the schools are good. North Mesa might be another good fit. Red Mountain school district is supposedly good. It's kind of far from Phoenix, but you could use the 202 to bounce between there and Apache Junction, which I think is less trafficky than the 60. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
However, Gilbert and Chandler both offer a good quality of life with parks and good downtown areas with restaurants, theaters and other urban-esque amenities. Mesa is lackluster in that area, but still a good place to raise a family. Houses are also less expensive.
Thank you for this information. I will look into it. I read a recent article about deteriorating conditions and finances at the Gilbert school system. Is this accurate? I suppose I could be confusing areas as I am certainly not a local, but in my notes here I see "deteriorating schools - Gilbert. Budget issues."
I don't have kids so don't pay too close attention, but there is a thread on this website about Gilbert schools' recent issues. Gilbert School District Implosion Worsens
I'm not sure that any Arizona schools are really that wonderful. The districts are among the most poorly funded in the nation and all the retirees mean that tax overrides are frequently shot down.
My co-worker lives in Queen Creek. Takes him about 45 min- 1 hour to commute to South Tempe. To get into PHX I imagine the commute from QC might be about 1-1.5 hours if it's busy. If she doesn't mind that every day then go for it. Just something to consider.
San Tan Valley and Queen Creek offer a much bigger "bang for your buck" than most of the rest of the SE Valley. You could all easily buy brand new homes there that would meet your standards. That said, it is a little farther to travel. Not a bad drive to Apache Junction, but quite a hike to St Joseph's. Is there any chance that your fiancee can get a job at a hospital in the SE Valley once you move?
I actually just helped a couple from Ohio buy a home in Johnson Ranch. They were worried about some of the same things as you are, such as amenities and drive time. However, once they saw the difference in what they could buy between Mesa/Gilbert/Chandler and San Tan/Queen Creek, it was no longer an issue for them. There are plenty of grocery stores, and even a decent size "mall" in Queen Creek that has stores such as Target, Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. You wouldn't have to go far unless you wanted more variety, and San Tan Mall is on the border of Chandler/Gilbert which is fairly close.
As far as restaurants, there are lot of small restaurants and fast food in the area. For fine dining you would want to venture a little farther in to the Valley.
I have seen plenty of churches, and I know there is a Banner Hospital out there also. I really can't comment on the schools in the area, as I just don't know. That is something you would have to research.
If you wanted to look into Mesa/Gilbert/Chandler I would need more specific information on what your fiancee's sisters criteria is for their homes. How many beds/bath/square footage do they need for $200,000? It would take some work to find a place in those areas that work for everybody, but it is probably doable.
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