[Help] - Opinions on area of Chandler where my parents are moving. (Phoenix: sale, rental)

[kghorbani]

Hi Everyone,

I live in Orange County, CA and my parents moved from Houston to AZ about 6 years ago and ended up most recently for 3 years in Chander (Ray Rd & McQueen). They have been raising the rent for a while and it's now at $1300 a month so with the ability to finally buy a house they started looking.

They wanted to get closer to freeway (101) because the commute was pretty long to work for my dad to near downtown phoenix and my mom works at Warner and Priest. They found a good house in their price range (under 215,000) right near the Chandler Fashion Center (Basically off of McClintock between Chandler & 202).

The neighborhood and house looks good for the price and her realtor said based on the market in that area we should basically pay ask price which they did since most houses are getting multiple offers etc.

Looking at the comps the realtor sent, there was a spike in pricing in the past 3 months or so from what sold then to what is selling there now. Average $ SQFT from before 2016 were basically around $165 but the last few houses were around $175. Based on all of this I had a few questions of the experts in the city.

1. Do the summer months usually kick up the prices or is that just a market trend?
2. How is that area in terms of Chandler?
3. This house has grass in the backyard with a sprinkler system. Is that just an added hassle? Old location was the desert look. Does grass raise the price for a house in AZ since so many are desert styles?
4. Is this part of Chandler and location a good place for their house to maintain or raise in value?
5. If things changed and they had to move to Cali for their grand children, is this area of single family homes a good rental area?

Thank you in advance.

[goolsbyjazz]

I will try to answer your questions as best I can. I used to live in the area you mentioned.

1. The increase is due to the current market trends. I have watched rents and housing prices gradually increase over the past few years. That is a desireable location because of the close proximity to the highways (101, 202,10 and 60), the mall and the Intel plant. The schools also are good.

2.See my answer to #1.
3. Not sure grass raises the value much, if any. It will be more expensive than a simple desert landscape. Many people hire a local lawn service.
4. Barring another major economic collapse I'd say homes in that area will hold their value.
5. Yes it is a good rental area. Homes don't stay vacant for long there.

[KurtAZ]

I used to live in that area as well about 10 years ago. Nice little neighborhood...a bit older homes. goolsbyjazz is spot on. Pricing in the area are not an anomaly...Chandler is very popular right now.

[ajonesaz]

This is always the most expensive time of the year. People are getting their tax returns and kids are getting out of school. If your parents can wait, they might get a better deal in September after school has started. But the area is really good.

[kghorbani]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

I will try to answer your questions as best I can. I used to live in the area you mentioned.

1. The increase is due to the current market trends. I have watched rents and housing prices gradually increase over the past few years. That is a desireable location because of the close proximity to the highways (101, 202,10 and 60), the mall and the Intel plant. The schools also are good.

2.See my answer to #1.
3. Not sure grass raises the value much, if any. It will be more expensive than a simple desert landscape. Many people hire a local lawn service.
4. Barring another major economic collapse I'd say homes in that area will hold their value.
5. Yes it is a good rental area. Homes don't stay vacant for long there.

Thank you for the detailed information. I think it makes me feel a little better about paying a bit more for he house from the end of last year and since it's on par with what is on sale or sold this past month in that area. In terms of the lawn, it does have a sprinkler system which is nice, but I guess they would have to just mow it from time to time.

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

I used to live in that area as well about 10 years ago. Nice little neighborhood...a bit older homes. goolsbyjazz is spot on. Pricing in the area are not an anomaly...Chandler is very popular right now.

Thank you very much for your opinions!

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

This is always the most expensive time of the year. People are getting their tax returns and kids are getting out of school. If your parents can wait, they might get a better deal in September after school has started. But the area is really good.

Yeah I figured the summer was definitely going to be a hotter time in terms of sales, but my parents had to be out of their rental by Sept 1 and they started looking now just in case. They didn't intend on finding something so quickly. Based on my mom's price point and what she was seeing around Chandler and Awutukee this hit the most bullet points of needs. She was afraid of it getting scooped up since the past few years when she did look for something, everyone was over paying and bidding was crazy. Also the houses in that area were all listing for more than this one and didn't meet any of her needs and weren't as upgraded.

[Java Jolt]

I used to live by the Chandler Fashion Mall near Chandler Boulevard and the 101, it was a very nice family-friendly neighborhood with good schools nearby.

Your parents picked a great area to live.

I can't say for certain if homes with grass lawns are more expensive than non-grass lawns, I think a lot of it depends on the house itself and the location.

I can say for certain that grass and shadetrees add a cooling effect and make being outdoors much more pleasant especially in the hotter times of year.

[Rico Valencia]

Chandler is overrated in my opinion. Chandler is flat, dusty and its economy is heavily reliant on Intel. Intel just announced 500 layoffs in Chandler which will be bad news for home values and the overall economy. If Intel announces further layoffs in the future, which I suspect, it will have a devestating impact on the region.

I would recommend your parents look at Scottsdale or areas of north Phoenix like Desert Ridge, Norterra, Arrowhead or even Anthem where home values should appreciate a lot faster than Chandler/Gilbert. Hope that helps

[Marv101]

Is Chandler a nice city in which to retire? Chandler and south Tempe were recommended to me in another thread I started as nice areas in which to live as well, and I was wondering how those cities rate for retirement purposes since I'll be visiting later this week.

Thanks!

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by Rico Valencia

Chandler is overrated in my opinion. Chandler is flat, dusty and its economy is heavily reliant on Intel. Intel just announced 500 layoffs in Chandler which will be bad news for home values and the overall economy. If Intel announces further layoffs in the future, which I suspect, it will have a devestating impact on the region.

I would recommend your parents look at Scottsdale or areas of north Phoenix like Desert Ridge, Norterra, Arrowhead or even Anthem where home values should appreciate a lot faster than Chandler/Gilbert. Hope that helps

That area of Chandler has diversified a great deal. It has some of the highest paying jobs in the metro. There will be little to no affect on the economy there because of Intel layoffs. Intel has been laying off for close to a decade now.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by Marv101

Is Chandler a nice city in which to retire? Chandler and south Tempe were recommended to me in another thread I started as nice areas in which to live as well, and I was wondering how those cities rate for retirement purposes since I'll be visiting later this week.

Thanks!

There are a few retirees in Chandler, but be aware that your property taxes may be a bit higher than surrounding areas. We vote for and pass bonds to fund our schools when the state won't, which translates into marginally higher property taxes. If you want retirement communities though, Sun Lakes is just South of Chandler...South Tempe is nice as well.