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More to your own concerns, some of the bad things that have happened other than growth include staggering rate increases for water in the city of Goodyear over the years. They are not done and have plans for about another 50% increase in the next couple years. The typical bill will be well over $100 with the sewer fees (which cost more than water). Also, the HOA can raise the fees 15% per year and used to do that. I expect it these sharp increases to begin again now that the recession is over and they are opening another residents' center. Another negative - crime. It was non-existent for years. Now, make sure you close your garage door and lock your car each night.
You will probably come to love monsoon storms and look forward to the rain if you don't already. Forget about it. You can't buy a storm in Estrella (yesterday was a MAJOR exception). The usual thing out here is to get two-three drops on your newly washed car and sit in front of the TV seeing how it poured all over the valley. It's maddening.
On the positive, for the last few years, the community gatherings like the fireworks and Easter and all that were suspended. They are back. And the new fountain is a big improvement over the old one.
The honeymoon probably is not going to wear off over any of this. The only thing that does get to you is having to go down the hill for little things like screws and nails where the gas costs 5 times what the item does. Or being robbed by Safeway prices when you know its a lot cheaper a couple miles away but you just don't want to hassle with that.
Oh yes, I've already experienced multiple times the experience of needing a $1 screw from Ace Hardware and having to drive 30 min round trip to get the screw.
But any angst disappears when I cross MC-85 and start going up the hill, at least for now. As mentioned earlier, most of the stores we needed back in Wyoming were two hours away in Idaho Falls, and driving 20 minutes now to get to a store feels like nothing, and we don't have to worry about mountain passes, nor ice/snow on the road.
We've been here for 8 years now. I don't think it's gotten any worse than back then. I am about ready to leave due the heat though. I just can't take the summers. But that's not a reflection on EMR; just the desert SW in general.
Doesn't the City of Goodyear base water rates on usage in first 3 months of the year?
The sewer rates are based on usage in those months. Actually it is the billing periods. So the bills you get in Jan. Feb and March determine how much you pay for sewer. Sewer is far more expensive than water and you have to be careful in those months or you will be socked the rest of the year. Leave a hose running and it could cost you a hundred bucks or more in increased sewer charges. You can appeal but all they will reduce your consumption to is the average of 80 gallons per person per day.
We've only been there a little over a year, and part-time at that. But I, like OP, tend to sound like a salesperson for the development when I get to talking about it. We have never regretted our decision to choose Estrella. It is one of the most comfortable, certain things I've done in my life--really not overstating.
When I visit Scottsdale, which is primarily what we knew of the Phoenix area before buying (all of our visits before that had been hotel stays in Phoenix or Scottsdale, with all or most activities centered on Oldtown), I think for a moment maybe we should have tried harder to find something that would work closer in. It sure would be nice to be within walking distance of all those shops and restaurants. Then I remember the process we went through to get from Scottsdale all the way out to BFE and Estrella. Not only could we not have bought as nice a house/yard in Scottsdale for twice the price we paid in Estrella, we simply could not replicate the feel of the development--its natural surroundings as well as the quiet, tidy neighborhoods themselves.
So for a moment sometimes I do feel the distance that we chose. I look at those gorgeous condos next to Fashion Square and I think maybe I should be saving my pennies, lol. But then we drive home, start up the hill, and any momentary doubt melts away. I'm home every time. It's our spot.
Cookie cutter? You bet. Not in all sections, but in ours all houses are boring, plain, and the same. Nice, tidy, but not interesting. That was the compromise. We bought a smaller, plainer house than we had intended or could have afforded and are happy as clams because it's in Estrella. Now that we know how much we love it, someday we'll buy or build a little bigger, more stylish house to better accomodate family and friends.
We continue to look around--it's just my nature and I'm a real estate junkie. We have not seen anything else that even tempted us in terms of the development itself (there was one house that we seriously considered a few months ago in Verrado--the one thing I didn't get was a larger house with more architectural appeal) but even as much as I was tempted by the house, and as much as we appreciate Verrado, we like Estrella better for several reasons.
Our kids had a great time at the Starpointe center with the water slides this summer. It's well-kept and clean. The vendor situation there is tough--I don't know how anyone will be able to stay in business there but it's so nice when there's a functioning cafe available. Our kids also enjoy riding their bikes to different destinations in the neighborhood and I love feeling that they are about as safe here as they'd be anywhere. They can head over to the park and play volleyball, tennis, pickle-ball...
We find the golf course more welcoming that some others, and that can be important when golfing with kids (or with a very bad golfer like myself). It's a beautiful course.
One disappointment has been the decreased use of the lakes. When we bought, residents were allowed to use paddle boards and all the boats on the lakes even though the water is reclaimed. At this point, paddle boards are disallowed by the health department and kayaks may soon follow. My daughter loves to paddle board so that's a bummer. I do fear that the yacht club will not remain open, but that's not based on anything information, just my own worry. I hope it stays open. We look forward to sailing around the lake for fun.
We do notice a little bit of the kind of decay you see as developments age and hope that things are kept up. A large palo verde that shaded part of our back yard was taken down along the sidewalk/street and hasn't been replaced. Another down the street came down in the storm last weekend. Does the HOA replace these periodically? I don't know that yet. I would assume there is a particular time of year that they go through and replace trees on a schedule. Many stones are loose/missing at the entrance obelisk walk. Do they repair these things periodically? If not, deferred maintenance items will gradually take the shine off the place. I hope they'll be kept up.
I find there is a sense of community and pride among everyone I talk to in Estrella. Not an "everybody knows everybody" type of community, but more of a "we share a secret" kind of community. A pride and even joy in where we live. Everyone I have talked to that lives here loves it. There's always something going on at the residents' center, and so many groups available for those who like to join. Ponderosa is the only one I "know" who doesn't, and I understand that is because he liked a smaller development, less built-out and bustling. But I also notice he hasn't moved out yet, so I assume there isn't something around the valley he'd like much better in spite of the changes to Estrella over the years, so that's a compliment of a sort as well.
Working on a DIY home improvement project makes me feel the distance in a way I hadn't before (since we don't have a commute). Ugh. Another trip to Ace or Home Depot or worse yet some specialty plumbing place in Phoenix....Estrella is SO far from everything some days!! But again, as soon as I start up the hill it's worth it to me. Every single time. Everything is a trade off, and Estrella's slight removal from things is a small price to pay for what we're getting.
We enjoy being close to the spring training fields, and pretty close to the stadium in Glendale. As far as shopping and entertainment in Scottsdale or Phoenix, it's really never going to be an every day thing (even if we DID live there), so the occasional extra half hour drive has never been a big deal at all. Plus as everyone knows, we are so much closer to the beach over here in the west valley .
We have had only good experiences in dealing with the city of Goodyear itself, and we're proud to say we live there. Even though no one has ever heard of it.
Sorry. I didn't mean to get started again. We love it.
We've only been there a little over a year, and part-time at that. But I, like OP, tend to sound like a salesperson for the development when I get to talking about it. We have never regretted our decision to choose Estrella. It is one of the most comfortable, certain things I've done in my life--really not overstating.
When I visit Scottsdale, which is primarily what we knew of the Phoenix area before buying (all of our visits before that had been hotel stays in Phoenix or Scottsdale, with all or most activities centered on Oldtown), I think for a moment maybe we should have tried harder to find something that would work closer in. It sure would be nice to be within walking distance of all those shops and restaurants. Then I remember the process we went through to get from Scottsdale all the way out to BFE and Estrella. Not only could we not have bought as nice a house/yard in Scottsdale for twice the price we paid in Estrella, we simply could not replicate the feel of the development--its natural surroundings as well as the quiet, tidy neighborhoods themselves.
So for a moment sometimes I do feel the distance that we chose. I look at those gorgeous condos next to Fashion Square and I think maybe I should be saving my pennies, lol. But then we drive home, start up the hill, and any momentary doubt melts away. I'm home every time. It's our spot.
Cookie cutter? You bet. Not in all sections, but in ours all houses are boring, plain, and the same. Nice, tidy, but not interesting. That was the compromise. We bought a smaller, plainer house than we had intended or could have afforded and are happy as clams because it's in Estrella. Now that we know how much we love it, someday we'll buy or build a little bigger, more stylish house to better accomodate family and friends.
We continue to look around--it's just my nature and I'm a real estate junkie. We have not seen anything else that even tempted us in terms of the development itself (there was one house that we seriously considered a few months ago in Verrado--the one thing I didn't get was a larger house with more architectural appeal) but even as much as I was tempted by the house, and as much as we appreciate Verrado, we like Estrella better for several reasons.
Our kids had a great time at the Starpointe center with the water slides this summer. It's well-kept and clean. The vendor situation there is tough--I don't know how anyone will be able to stay in business there but it's so nice when there's a functioning cafe available. Our kids also enjoy riding their bikes to different destinations in the neighborhood and I love feeling that they are about as safe here as they'd be anywhere. They can head over to the park and play volleyball, tennis, pickle-ball...
We find the golf course more welcoming that some others, and that can be important when golfing with kids (or with a very bad golfer like myself). It's a beautiful course.
One disappointment has been the decreased use of the lakes. When we bought, residents were allowed to use paddle boards and all the boats on the lakes even though the water is reclaimed. At this point, paddle boards are disallowed by the health department and kayaks may soon follow. My daughter loves to paddle board so that's a bummer. I do fear that the yacht club will not remain open, but that's not based on anything information, just my own worry. I hope it stays open. We look forward to sailing around the lake for fun.
We do notice a little bit of the kind of decay you see as developments age and hope that things are kept up. A large palo verde that shaded part of our back yard was taken down along the sidewalk/street and hasn't been replaced. Another down the street came down in the storm last weekend. Does the HOA replace these periodically? I don't know that yet. I would assume there is a particular time of year that they go through and replace trees on a schedule. Many stones are loose/missing at the entrance obelisk walk. Do they repair these things periodically? If not, deferred maintenance items will gradually take the shine off the place. I hope they'll be kept up.
I find there is a sense of community and pride among everyone I talk to in Estrella. Not an "everybody knows everybody" type of community, but more of a "we share a secret" kind of community. A pride and even joy in where we live. Everyone I have talked to that lives here loves it. There's always something going on at the residents' center, and so many groups available for those who like to join. Ponderosa is the only one I "know" who doesn't, and I understand that is because he liked a smaller development, less built-out and bustling. But I also notice he hasn't moved out yet, so I assume there isn't something around the valley he'd like much better in spite of the changes to Estrella over the years, so that's a compliment of a sort as well.
Working on a DIY home improvement project makes me feel the distance in a way I hadn't before (since we don't have a commute). Ugh. Another trip to Ace or Home Depot or worse yet some specialty plumbing place in Phoenix....Estrella is SO far from everything some days!! But again, as soon as I start up the hill it's worth it to me. Every single time. Everything is a trade off, and Estrella's slight removal from things is a small price to pay for what we're getting.
We enjoy being close to the spring training fields, and pretty close to the stadium in Glendale. As far as shopping and entertainment in Scottsdale or Phoenix, it's really never going to be an every day thing (even if we DID live there), so the occasional extra half hour drive has never been a big deal at all. Plus as everyone knows, we are so much closer to the beach over here in the west valley .
We have had only good experiences in dealing with the city of Goodyear itself, and we're proud to say we live there. Even though no one has ever heard of it.
Sorry. I didn't mean to get started again. We love it.
Thank you very much for the detailed reply. It is good to see that I'm not alone in my nascent enthusiasm about the place. As stated earlier, the first time we drove down the parkway to the visitor information center and I saw the lakes, I was pretty much won over. I looked at Verrado the next day, and found a lot to like about it, but if I was moving to the desert, I wanted to have desert, and Verrado, while looking newer and fresher, didn't have that vibe.
In fact, I was so enthusiastic about living here that I started this thread to see if others were as exuberant as I was, because everything had worked out perfectly, and I began to wonder if there was nowhere to go but down. So far, the worst thing that has happened is that somebody or something pooped in the pool and I wasn't able to use it.
As for the cookie-cutter feel of some neighborhoods, I'm perfectly fine with that. I grew up with cookie-cutter suburbia and that seems to be what I like.
The isolation of living in Estrella really hasn't gotten to me yet, probably because it's relative. When you come from Wyoming, a state with something like 13 people in total, and you have to drive multiple hours through treacherous weather and terrain just to get to a Target or a Dillard's, driving 20 minutes to the shopping areas near I-10 feels like a bargain.
Agreed, we are not as far from conveniences as you are, but are used to having to drive quite a bit in Montana too. I'm about the same distance from Target in both places, maybe just a little farther in Estrella. But closer to the grocery store (and I agree with whoever noted, Safeway's prices are high, but that's true here in MT too.) Having the Safeway, Walgreen's, and a few restaurants right around the corner is a huge convenience. My girls like to ride their bikes to Starbucks, which they can't do here in Montana.
And we love the bagel shop.
Sorry. I really am still smitten, don't see it changing.
Last edited by Montanama; 07-21-2015 at 12:33 PM..
I guess what I like is that Estrella feels like a smaller, very nice town (not a small town in the negative sense of that term or in the everyone-knows-your-business sense; my neighbors are suitably courteous but keep to themselves, but people at the market or bagel shop are friendly and welcoming) within a small city (Goodyear) within a big metro. So I can have whichever I choose, whenever I choose, for the small price of an extra 10 minute, or 30-40 minute drive, depending on what I want.
I guess what I like is that Estrella feels like a smaller, very nice town (not a small town in the negative sense of that term or in the everyone-knows-your-business sense; my neighbors are suitably courteous but keep to themselves, but people at the market or bagel shop are friendly and welcoming) within a small city (Goodyear) within a big metro. So I can have whichever I choose, whenever I choose, for the small price of an extra 10 minute, or 30-40 minute drive, depending on what I want.
I really like Estrella Mountain Ranch when my wife and I looked and I see some houses for sale currently that I really like. We invested in a couple houses in 2011 in Maricopa to rent and then we liked it so much we decided to buy a winter house there for ourselves but we are still renting it out as well. The biggest problem with the houses in Maricopa is that there really aren't any that have the finishes and upgrades that some in Estrella Ranch have....which is why I'm still looking at some of the Estrella Mountain Ranch houses. I agree with what you said about Scottsdale that the convenience to everything would be great but I just hate to pay twice as much for half the house.
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