Our Retirement Community Visit, Phoenix-Phase III (Sun City: live in, club, vs.)

[cmw0829]

Hi befriend,


Agree with you on SC/SCW - was too big, spread out and just didn't resonate for us as well. Have you looked at Sun City Grand? Don't know what your budget is and, although the houses are between 12 and 19 years old, the lots are on average larger than newer communities. Gene felt that there was more "green" at SCF - I agree with that. We're close to shopping (though depending on where you are in the community, it will add driving time to get to the main roads) and the eastern areas.


Just suggesting it might be worth a look if you haven't so far. Lots of homes for sale right now.


Good luck with your search.

[gbpakrfan]

Just a plug for Sun City Anthem Merrill Ranch. We're about 45 minutes south of Mesa, so shopping is a bit limited unless you go to San Tan Valley, Casa Grande or Queen Creek, which we do once a week. But we do have a great Safeway right outside our entrance...close enough to walk or take the golf cart.

We have a fantastic golf course that I have only managed to tear up slightly with divots, as well as great clubhouse/gym.

By the way, we're getting a new Packer golf cart this week. I wanted it to be delivered in time for the Super Bowl, but now that the Packers won't be playing, that's not as important. Wait 'til next year (again).

[VikingFan]

My wife and I visited Trilogy at Vistancia a couple weeks ago and were blown away. We are still in early stages of looking but that one leads the pack. We also liked Pebblecreek and Festival.

[shoppingjeanie]

gbpakrfan: Yes, Sun City Anthem Merrill Ranch is on our list. We'll look for your Packer Golf Cart! That is one of his dreams as well to have a Packer Golf cart! We actually had Las Vegas Booked for the Super Bowl (Been going since our last win) Cancelled it literally right after the atrocious playoff loss and added more time to this PHX trip. *sigh* Yes, Have to say next year yet again.

Checking out Johnson Ranch the SC Anthem day. We are so torn about if we should go less expensive now and do shorter (2-3 month) snow birding so can upgrade quite a bit more in a few or so years to permanent AZ. Or going a bit higher now and hoping that will work for the long haul and maybe going permanent AZ sooner. It has been such a long process of looking we just kind of want to get it done. We may have to rent next year to really spend time to be sure right place. We have a cat and is so hard to find places that will rent. My sister lives in Sedona so I have been to AZ quite a few times and she adds advice often. They moved there in the early 80's. She would like to see me there sooner than later. That's another advantage to Festival. A bit closer to her.

There truly is almost too many to choose from. In a way, most are very similar but then again quite diverse. A fun, good problem to have I guess.

Vikingfan <what? lol. Trilogy does look beautiful indeed. Just out of my budget if we are snow birding.

[cekkk]

Originally Posted by cekkk

I hope the OP finds what they're looking for and enjoy a new setting. But Boy, it's hot in the Valley. Often. For months.



So's an oven!

My DW has been cold since we moved to this secluded mountain paradise 17 years ago. She's not skinny, but low body fat at about 100#. So, having promised her if she'd give me a year or two here back in '99, we'd move to a warmer clime, I owe it to her to bite the bullet and head to AZ. My bad. We had two daughters and their families in the Phoenix area for several years, and we snow birded there a few years. And had our share of visits in the summer months. It is the reciprocal of Barrow, AK, weather-wise.

Oops! Just looked at the weather there. It's 35F. It was 29 here this morning. And Sunday we had a touch of snow. After the sleet. Which followed the hail.

So we're going to look seriously at areas outside of, but close to Tucson. It's a bit cooler by about 4 degrees F, and it's smaller. Larger than I'd like, but less than a third the size of metro Phoenix.

And we are definite that the over 55 communities are not for us. I wish they were, it would make the hunt far easier.

UPDATE
We're in SoCal! And now she's cold at 65!

[Riggo44]

Whatever happened with GeneR? Hasn't posted in over 5 months. Hope all is well. He indicated he was going into the realty side of 55+ and was going to publish. Would enjoy an update on Festival and his pursuits.

[GeneR]

I’ll try to post another update without disclosing some personal facts which apparently got me in trouble with moderators here.

We love Festival. When I drive out of Surprise and head west on Sun Valley Parkway I breath a sigh of relief. No traffic, no stop lights, no strip malls. I should also mention in Festival it is much QUIETER than in Surprise (Sun City Grand), Sun City West, Sun City and Pebble Creek. I love seeing the F-35s from Luke but in these communities as they frequently pass over you have to stop conversation because of the amplitude. Not so in Festival. We occasionally hear them but they are thousands of feet higher and they don’t interfere with conversation.

The longer we’re here the happier we are that we chose to live “way out there” as residents in the other communities describe it. It takes us a whole 15 minutes to get to all the shopping we need. Wow...I’ve often wondered if it was a street lined with strip malls and stop lights would the same people who think it’s “way out there” would even notice the difference?

Lovin’ life in the desert and daily give thanks we made the choice we did.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by cekkk

UPDATE
We're in SoCal! And now she's cold at 65!

Where in SoCal did you land?

[GeneR]

Has anyone seen data on what percentage of the population in a 55+ community uses the facilities such as pools, gyms, pickle ball courts, etc? If so could you source it for me? I’m writing a blog on that topic and have been unable to find any data.

[Jkgourmet]

I can find a little info sort of related to your search:

The study found that fewer than 10 percent of Sun City residents use the golf courses. It said Del Webb overestimated the draw of golf in a city that offers innumerable amenities and activities. It further states that "Del Webb’s motivation was not the availability of tee times for all residents, but lot premiums on the golf courses that had a mega million dollar yield to the developer." Source https://www.reviewjournal.com/life/r...ld-save-money/

Interesting article https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/...design/403723/