Thinking of buying in Maricopa (Phoenix, Chandler: real estate, HOA, crime)

[gooch1962]

My husband and I live in Vancouver Canada, are in our late 40's and looking to buy a winter home in the Maricopa area and are looking for advise on what areas of Maricopa are the nicest to live in. The price of newer houses with pools are what is attracting us to this area and we don't have to deal with the commute and are looking to come down for about 4-5 months in the winter to do some golfing and lay by the pool. We live currently by a railroad track so are fairly used to them. Any advise for which subdivisions would be best, looking at the Alterra but have read different posts about being to close to the reserve and mosquitos, is it really that bad, and what about crime in different areas, our house would sit empty for 7 months. Thanks for any input.

[Synergy38]

You don't want to do the commute so you're living in Maricopa?? I'm not even sure if there are golf courses in that area.

Someone more educated should be able to help you more though.. I personally haven't been there but I have heard it's REALLY far out and there isn't much there but it is growing fast.

[bloglover]

A house is not a bargain at any price if you don't like the area. Have you actually been to Arizona to look at the various areas? Since real estate prices are suffering in all areas, I would recommend Chandler or Gilbert or even Queen Creek rather than Maricopa.

[Master Shake]

From what you stated in your post, it sounds like you have already done some homework on Maricopa. Good for you, if this is the case! Have you also been out to actually visit Maricopa?

The various subdivisions are not all that different from one another, aside from what amenities they offer. Since you will be getting a house with it's own pool, you don't need to worry about having a community pool. Usually, not having a community pool/splash pad will tend to offer slightly lower HOA rates -- but not always. Maricopa Meadows is a pretty nice subdivision also (not too large, not too small). It does not have a pool or community house, but it does have lots of grass areas and walking trails.

I believe there are two golf courses in Maricopa. One is in the middle of the Rancho El Dorado development, and the other is just outside town. All of Maricopa is surrounded by Indian reservations, and the mosquitoes are nothing compared to areas with high humidity. As for leaving your house unattended for a long period of time, you should consider a monitored alarm system (~$35 per month) and also consider basic landscape, pest & pool maintenance (~$50 per month).

Also, shopping options are still limited in Maricopa. There are no big box type stores, but you can easily get many of the essentials that make up daily life. Everything else would be a 30+ minute drive out of Maricopa (either up towards Chandler/Phoenix, or towards Casa Grande).

Good Luck!