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I am looking at buying in the Maricopa area. The prices are great, my wife and I would be semi retired (good incomes but still want to work). I found the article a great read but have a couple of questions:
1. Would now be the time to buy? Even if it falls another 10% it wouldn't be a tragic loss if we had to sell at that level
i think so, closing on my place 4/30. My rent is equal to my mortgage. I don't think prices can get much lower, since they are priced close to what it would cost to build new.
buy when everyone is selling, and sell when everyone is buying.
2. Some great deals from builders. Would it be better to go for a REO or short sale or even foreclosure?
depends. at the time i signed my contract the lowest price foreclosure was $10k less than the new build. I went new to get the 10 year warranty, my selection of options and some personal reasons i won't bore you with.
Keep in mind when you buy a foreclosure that someone lived there, couldn't afford their house and probably the maintenance either. Then they got kicked out, and i know that some people would do some of the most disgusting destructive things you could imagine when they got thrown out. Many people felt they weren't at fault, or they were entitled to something they weren't so they would urinate, defecate, destroy or sabotage the house for the next owner.
3. What are the property taxes on a 3000 square foot home that sells for 225K?
i would guess $1300-$1500 a year. if you have the address you can use the pinal county assessors site to see the tax information about that house.
4. Are HOA's expensive there?
the lakes at rancho el dorado charges $52 a month
5. Is traffic really that bad? An hour to go 20 miles seems excessive
i live in the very first development now, i can be standing in the chandler mall in 25 minutes. the morning commute into phoenix from the 347/10 interchange might be rough, but i don't know. it takes me 20 minutes to get to work where chandler blvd meets the I-10 during morning rush.
If there is an accident on 347 it does get rough. But since the road has been resurfaced its been very nice.
Any other information would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank You.
see my maricopa thread here, and i'll be shameless and ask for rep points if you like it
Did you read the article? Maricopa is an isolated ghost town with nothing but a Fry's for entertainment. Don't base your destination on price alone. Speaking of price, when that $225k home drops to $125k we'll be reading about you in the follow up article. Don't do it!
Read the article. If you already read it, read it again. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/re...hp&oref=slogin
when was the last time you were in maricopa? believe everything you read on the internet?
i can't help it if the writer would rather hang out with teenagers in a grocery store instead of going to teakwoods or raceway for live music, the arena sports bar to take in a game, shoot some dart or play pool, or maybe native new yorker or brooklyn brothers for a beer and to BS with the locals.
If he wasn't into bars maybe he could have went fishing in pacana park, drive 5 minutes south to harrah's casino and restaurants or go to one of the 2 gyms. Could have went to the sushi bar and tried something new, played a round of golf at the duke or maybe even invite some of the 25,000+ people living here to his house to sit in their over sized back yard, next to a fire pit, checking out the stars and socializing.
But instead of all that this writer wanted to hang out with some kids in a grocery store. perhaps some day soon we'll get to see this writer being interviewed by Chris Hanson on Dateline NBC
when was the last time you were in maricopa? believe everything you read on the internet?
i can't help it if the writer would rather hang out with teenagers in a grocery store instead of going to teakwoods or raceway for live music, the arena sports bar to take in a game, shoot some dart or play pool, or maybe native new yorker or brooklyn brothers for a beer and to BS with the locals.
If he wasn't into bars maybe he could have went fishing in pacana park, drive 5 minutes south to harrah's casino and restaurants or go to one of the 2 gyms. Could have went to the sushi bar and tried something new, played a round of golf at the duke or maybe even invite some of the 25,000+ people living here to his house to sit in their over sized back yard, next to a fire pit, checking out the stars and socializing.
But instead of all that this writer wanted to hang out with some kids in a grocery store. perhaps some day soon we'll get to see this writer being interviewed by Chris Hanson on Dateline NBC
What is all this crap about Chris Hansen? You are insulting the messenger and ignoring the message. Is he wrong? Are all the houses really occupied, no foreclosures, no brown grass, great schools, amazing infrustructure, well planned roads and highways, abundent activities for young and old, no price crash? Maybe you can enlighten us with your profound wisdom regarding the red hot Maricopa Real estate market.
Basically while everyone on this thread has been trashing the people interviewed the point is Maricopa is a fastly deteriorating market. There a dozens of other places to live besides Maricopa. I will cofess I've never been to Maricopa but virtually no one else has either besides those who decided that a cheap house was more important than living in a well developed community.
Last edited by markas214; 04-12-2008 at 08:30 PM..
when was the last time you were in maricopa? believe everything you read on the internet?
i can't help it if the writer would rather hang out with teenagers in a grocery store instead of going to teakwoods or raceway for live music, the arena sports bar to take in a game, shoot some dart or play pool, or maybe native new yorker or brooklyn brothers for a beer and to BS with the locals.
If he wasn't into bars maybe he could have went fishing in pacana park, drive 5 minutes south to harrah's casino and restaurants or go to one of the 2 gyms. Could have went to the sushi bar and tried something new, played a round of golf at the duke or maybe even invite some of the 25,000+ people living here to his house to sit in their over sized back yard, next to a fire pit, checking out the stars and socializing.
But instead of all that this writer wanted to hang out with some kids in a grocery store. perhaps some day soon we'll get to see this writer being interviewed by Chris Hanson on Dateline NBC
Your post makes me laugh!! I'm counting down the days till we move OUT of maricopa!
So, the only thing to do in Maricopa is hang out in restaurants, right??
What's there to do for my 5 and 11 year olds? Nothing.....
You just named of all of the places in Maricopa.
Thank god we chose to rent first instead of buying.
Another thing that makes me laugh, is your oversized lot part. Your kidding right? I drove thru the lakes yesterday and couldn't believe how close the new meritage homes are. The can't be bigger than 5,000.
Your post makes me laugh!! I'm counting down the days till we move OUT of maricopa!
So, the only thing to do in Maricopa is hang out in restaurants, right??
What's there to do for my 5 and 11 year olds? Nothing.....
You just named of all of the places in Maricopa.
Thank god we chose to rent first instead of buying.
Another thing that makes me laugh, is your oversized lot part. Your kidding right? I drove thru the lakes yesterday and couldn't believe how close the new meritage homes are. The can't be bigger than 5,000.
i don't have kids, or an interest in having them, so i really don't know what there is for them or even what would be needed for them. I can only assume the tudor time that is under construction, the abundance of open space, city and HOA maintained parks would be good for parents and kids..
as far as a lot size? look for the comparables in other sections of phoenix and see what you think of lot sizes. I've seen a fair share of houses in chandler that have no usable yard space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by markas214
What is all this crap about Chris Hansen? You are insulting the messenger and ignoring the message. Is he wrong? Are all the houses really occupied, no foreclosures, no brown grass, great schools, amazing infrastructure, well planned roads and highways, abundant activities for young and old, no price crash? Maybe you can enlighten us with your profound wisdom regarding the red hot Maricopa Real estate market.
Last i heard Az schools ranked 50th in the nation. Are there good schools here in az? The real estate here is in the toity, along with the rest of the metro area. Has maricopa been hit harder than other areas? yes, it has. I think too many people moved here for the cheaper houses, as opposed to moving to an area because they like it. A lot of people lived well beyond their means to be here, or thought they were going to be the next real estate millionaire when it was way too late. now we are weeding them all out, and getting the city filled with people who will actually make money on a home purchase and people who seek out an area like maricopa.
Well planned roads? i think so, my commute to chandler takes just as much time from maricopa as it did when i lived in chandler. go figure.
There are areas that need improvement, just like any other growing area. there are a few intersections that are absolute hell. if there is an accident on 347 it could delay you by hours, but anyone that has seen a map could have deducted that before moving here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by markas214
I will cofess I've never been to Maricopa but virtually no one else has either besides those who decided that a cheap house was more important than living in a well developed community.
I'm not here as much for a cheap house as i am for a quiet community that has all the luxuries of a major city 20 minutes away. I think its absolutely insane to pay MORE for a house surrounded by crime, gridlock, noise, pollution, traffic with no open spaces. I grew up in a small town, and this place has the feeling of a small town. I'll take that over going back to a city with 200,000 more people any day.
For those that want to be away from what you consider a "well developed community" maricopa is a wise choice. Its not for everyone, if you can't stand not being 3 seconds from your 12 word coffee drink at starbucks stay in town. you want some open space, peace, quiet, and to know your car is still in the driveway choose maricopa.
and honestly, you don't think its a little odd that the reporter chose to spend their time hanging out with teenie boppers in a grocery store as opposed to actually checking out some local places?
and honestly, you don't think its a little odd that the reporter chose to spend their time hanging out with teenie boppers in a grocery store as opposed to actually checking out some local places?
Yep I thought that was weird. It's pretty pathetic if you can't chill in your house or your backyard with your partner, family or friends but have to troll the grocery store picking up on teenage girls, there must be something wrong with you. That article did nothing for me. I found no value in it whatsoever.
Yep I thought that was weird. It's pretty pathetic if you can't chill in your house or your backyard with your partner, family or friends but have to troll the grocery store picking up on teenage girls, there must be something wrong with you. That article did nothing for me. I found no value in it whatsoever.
I am not sure if any of this is worth addressing. The Hansen nonsense from another poster certainly is not worth responding to.
Of course, an even slightly careful reading of the article reveals that the reporter is female. It is called the byline. I doubt that Samantha was looking for a date at Fry's. And she did go to at least one of Maricopa's fine dining establishments, and mentions this in the very first paragraph.
Writing style preferences vary. But you did a heck of a job, Sammie.
As for moving to Maricopa questions on this thread, I can only reiterate the advice of re-reading this article. I suppose that if you can buy Daryl's old house for 50 grand, you can use any spare money to buy season tickets to the D-Backs and/or the Herberger. Commuting to entertainment and culture. Of course, it might be safest to not mention your purchase price to other folks who are 150 grand or more underwater.
To me, the article is illustrative of the lack of appreciation for growth trends and the economic winds that blow here in the Phoenix metro area. The same article could have been written about Ahwatukee in the first couple years after I moved there. In fact, Maricopa has a lot more than we had in that downturn. Interest rates were at 15%, the economy was in the tank, and you couldn't give away your house. Our "Frys" was an AlphaBeta and our one nearby restaurant was the Rustlers' Roost (the old multicolored one before they rebuilt and added the "e"). Gilbert looked like the town that would shrivel and die back in 1990 when the Islands was in bankruptcy, the areas' developers were under indictment , and as tumbleweeds collected around the realty signs on the empty, foreclosed properties. Charles Keating was jailed and John McCain under investigation for allegedly bilking California investors on a pipe dream in the desert that is now the burgeoning community of Estrella. History shows us that it is simply a matter of time. The present misery is only a snapshot of historical note. Like it not, believe it or not, we are headed for 10 million. Maricopa will grow and prosper and be a "close in" address some day just like all the "Maricopas" before it.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 04-13-2008 at 08:48 AM..
Of course, an even slightly careful reading of the article reveals that the reporter is female. It is called the byline. I doubt that Samantha was looking for a date at Fry's. And she did go to at least one of Maricopa's fine dining establishments, and mentions this in the very first paragraph.
.
Thanks for the enlightenment.... but I never said I thought the writer was a man. You must think outside the box for that one. However, I still think it is pathetic to spend most of your time hanging out at Fry's grocery store.
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