Looking for input on buying in area around 35th ave (Between Greenway and Bell) (Peoria: low income)

[SPD82]

Hi All, new user/1st post here.

I'm in the process of buying a house we love near 35th Ave and Paradise (1/2 way between Bell Rd and Greenway in the Rancho Encanto hood). My family and I are in love with the house, I can see retiring there, but I'm uncertain about the area. I grew up in Peoria, but have been living in San Diego the last 14 years and have moved back for work and to buy a home and been renting the last year in Peoria.

I'm unfamiliar with this area. It's certainly older, which we are not used to, but the immediate area seems nice even some pretty newly built homes around the corner. It's the surrounding areas and schools that concern me. What drew us to the area is the large lots (almost 1/2 acre in town), no HOA, and neighborhood is well kept.

Would this be considered a good/safe place to raise kids? Once old enough, they are slated to go to Greenway High which I like, but the elementary schools around have concerning reviews (We are zoned for Ironwood Elementary but certainly don't want our kids there), we are thinking about Mirage. One will be starting 1st Grade, the other will enter kindergarten next year. We have drove through the area many times day and night and it seems pretty quiet, but a lot of the nearby neighborhoods seem pretty low income and I'm wondering how this areas is trending.

Any input at all about this area would help, thank you!

[kitshipp]

It isn't the best area, but it certainly isn't the worst. You will find that it gets a little more rough closer to the I-17. Many homes in the 19th Avenue area are section 8 which is not far from you. As far as schools, they aren't the best but since Arizona has open enrollment, you aren't necessarily forced to go into those schools. How long have you been searching for a home? It's definitely slim pickings in the under $300k market. If you have been searching for a while and haven't found anything else you like, I say go for it.

[SPD82]

Originally Posted by kitshipp

It isn't the best area, but it certainly isn't the worst. You will find that it gets a little more rough closer to the I-17. Many homes in the 19th Avenue area are section 8 which is not far from you. As far as schools, they aren't the best but since Arizona has open enrollment, you aren't necessarily forced to go into those schools. How long have you been searching for a home? It's definitely slim pickings in the under $300k market. If you have been searching for a while and haven't found anything else you like, I say go for it.

We have been looking for the last few months and only found one other home we were even interested in and it was already pending sale when we looked at it. It was a nicer area near 101 at 43rd Ave. We were looking in the $350k range and yeah not a lot in the range if you want a decent sized lot and no HOA. We are tied to the west side for family and both work near downtown. so along the I-17 corridor make sense to us because we are sick of driving into the sun on Grand Ave.

[kitshipp]

Originally Posted by SPD82

We have been looking for the last few months and only found one other home we were even interested in and it was already pending sale when we looked at it. It was a nicer area near 101 at 43rd Ave. We were looking in the $350k range and yeah not a lot in the range if you want a decent sized lot and no HOA. We are tied to the west side for family and both work near downtown. so along the I-17 corridor make sense to us because we are sick of driving into the sun on Grand Ave.

Ah yes, if no HOA is important to you then that makes it tough. Most of the newer homes have an HOA and are on smaller lots. If you want to be on the west side with a decent commute to downtown, the location makes sense.