Recent Retiree Relocating (Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale: real estate, foreclosures, condo)

[pecantart]

Hi all,

I'm new the boards and I am a recent retiree and I'm thinking about relocating to the Phoenix, AZ area.

So far I'm interested in the following areas:
-Scottsdale (although I heard it's snooty, is that true)
-Casa Grande
-Maricopa (but why are the homes so cheap and are there really bad areas)
-Chandler
-Gilbert
-Phoenix Proper (Is there anything wrong with the city itself)

And are any of these towns in the flood zones, ie more affected than other towns by the monsoons.

Can anyone give any feedback on these specific areas.

Thank you
Pecan Tart

[ivanabacowboy]

I come from Cleveland, Ohio. We had far more snooty people there than I have met in Scottsdale. So take the stereotype of Scottsdale with a grain of salt. It is a lovely city.

The only parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale I am really familiar with is the northeast areas. It is a very nice neighborhood. That's where I live. ;-)

What type of lifestyle are you looking for? The northern Phoenix/northern Scottsdale areas are lovely, and the name of the game is amenities and convenience. Golf courses, resorts, shopping, restaurants. If you want to be active in these type of activities or want convenient access to just about anything you can imagine, then this area would definitely be a place to consider.

Another nice area I think is farther north Scottsdale-the areas around Troon. That is maybe 4 miles north and 4 miles east of where I am, so not out in the "boonies".

Casa Grande and Maricopa are a bit further out from town which is why prices are lower.

To my knowledge, all parts of town could be affected from a heavy rain.

I am not overly familiar with Chandler or Gilbert, but I understand they are very nice family-oriented communities.

[silverbear]

Since you won't have to worry about commuting to work, you can focus on being close to the types of activities and lifestyle that you seek in your retirement.

To answer some of your questions:

I don't think Scottsdale is necessarily snooty, although I do find the northern part too sprawlish and nouveau riche for my taste. That's a matter of personal preference, though. Many people prefer north Scottsdale. It does have great mountain scenery and access to hiking trails.

Maricopa home prices are so low because 1) it's far removed from the rest of the metro area (the old "drive 'til you qualify" mentality) 2) it has seen a lot of foreclosures during the current real estate downturn.

Phoenix has many attractive neighborhoods within city limits. Also, many areas with Scottsdale addresses are actually located within Phoenix.

To narrow your list down more, I think you have to think about what you want to be near: hiking, golf, museums, theater, etc. You also have to think about the type of community you want to live in. Do you want to live near other retirees, or do you prefer an age-diverse community? Do you need access to public transportation, or will you be able to drive everywhere?

All these questions need to be considered before anyone can really recommend one community over the other.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by pecantart

Hi all,

I'm new the boards and I am a recent retiree and I'm thinking about relocating to the Phoenix, AZ area.

So far I'm interested in the following areas:
-Scottsdale (although I heard it's snooty, is that true)
-Casa Grande
-Maricopa (but why are the homes so cheap and are there really bad areas)
-Chandler
-Gilbert
-Phoenix Proper (Is there anything wrong with the city itself)

And are any of these towns in the flood zones, ie more affected than other towns by the monsoons.

Can anyone give any feedback on these specific areas.

Thank you
Pecan Tart

Much depends on what your intentions on as you retire. And much depends on your housing budget. If you're looking for the lowest cost areas you may look at Maricopa, Queen Creek, or Casa Grande. They are further out with not much around them and that's partially why they're cheaper. As a retiree I would want to be closer to the activites that I would participate in, and also very close to good hospitals.

If you want to be in a large retirement community, there is Sun City, Sun City West, (55+ communities) on the north west side of Phoenix. There is Sun Lakes, a 40+ community in Chandler. There are others around also.

If you don't want to be in a retirement community, then on the east side there is Chandler, Gilbert, which are excellent cities. Then there is Gold Canyon which is also a great retirement community further out highway 60.

If you like to be around all ages where there is tennis, swimming, hand ball, work out and cardio rooms, plus a social activities club for over age 50 members, then Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert could fit your needs. There you can find homes on and off the water front, and in gated and non-gated communities; in a wide price range from 200k to 1.4mil. There are also condo's available under 200k if you want a small 2 bedroom unit about 1000sf, and don't want to do yard work.

That community is in north central Gilbert near highway 60, and is close to two new state of the art hospitals, and many doctors offices.

Scottsdale is the more expensive area and it has a prestige address. There are many nice areas in Scottsdale for most price ranges.

My personal feeling is that inner city living is more for the younger group that work in the city and want to be close to night life activities. Housing will be more expensive than in the suburbs like Chandler and Gilbert.

The entire valley is affected the same by monsoons.

The tax records will tell you if a particular property is in a flood zone. They are scattered throughout the valley. Your realtor can pull that record for you on any house that is of interest to you.

Queen Creek is in a area that has fissures. Those are cracks in the ground due to the water beneath subsiding. They can occur at any time, any where in that area. It is something that you must be aware of if considering QC.

You can google fissures in Queen Creek and obtain more information.

[pecantart]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate the replies and I see I have a lot to think about.

I'll be tuning in a lot more.

Thanks
Pecan Tart

[JDish2000]

Do you want to retire in a big city (PHX area is big!)?

or

Do you prefer a slower pace small town feel?

Big City = Most of the Phoenix Metro area.

Small Town = Wickenburg, Casa Grande, Florence, Coolidge, Green Valley.

[imtaya2]

I live in the West Valley. lots of Adult communities here - Pebble Creek Resort, Sundance, etc...

[jim53]

Saw this thread and have the same sort of questions. My wife , daughter , and myself are moving from Maryland to the Phoenix area in about three years(when I retire). I worked for the feds so my retirement is steady!THANK GOODNESS!!We have several questions:

1. Think probably that the Gilbert area right now is the best in terms of housing and location. We like to be close to shoppoing, good restaurants, and good schools. Are we correct?
2. Also thought about Peoria, Glendale, Goodyear, Vistancia, and Chandler. Any thoughts?

3. Any thoghts on the following builders:
William Lyon
Taylor Morrison
Shea Homes.

4. Any builders or developments to stay away from? We have seen Queen Creek and Maricopa and agree they are too far out.

Thanks.

[altus2006]

Originally Posted by jim53

4. Any builders or developments to stay away from? We have seen Queen Creek and Maricopa and agree they are too far out.

Thanks.

I have some thoughts, but prefer not to post them. My suggestion is for you to search for builders by name and then type in such things as lawsuits, cracked houses, soil problems, foundation problems, etc.

It takes a lot of digging, but eventually you will see some builders that should be eliminated from your list.

You can also look at the site for the Register of Contractors in Arizona to get started by viewing the number of complaints filed against specific builders.

There is also a lot of information on this forum describing builders that are either in bankruptcy or close to it so that you can get a clearer picture of what is going on in the Phoenix market.

Since you have so much time to search, you will come to Arizona a lot smarter. I think it is helpful to not come here totally unprepared.

altus2006

[MotleyCrew]

I think you might find a bad blog on many of the builders you listed, some more than others and maybe a few with a really good reputations. They all used crews that had little or no experience during the boom. Lately, the crews are down to bones but they should all have green cards and some skills. You can always hire a licensed home inspector to watch your construction for you. Good hunting.