goodyear neighbourhoods (Yuma, Sun City, Litchfield Park: HOA fees, crime, affordable houses)

[DebbieQ]

We are early retired, and considering a home in Palm Valley Phase 2.........just wondering if anyone knows what the average homeowner bracket is in this area. I.E. are they young families with small children, young professionals, empty nesters, etc. This is the floriana neighbourhood of 68 homes by TJ Lewis. We've done the adult community thing, and since we don't use any of the amenities, it seems pointless to pay the fees.

When one compares prices to other neighbourhoods, this one seems on the high side.......and I'm not quite sure why. Any feedback that any of you might have to offer would be greatly appreciated!!

We definitely want an upscale nice neighbourhood.......but we're not familiar enuff with Goodyear to know if this is the right place. We currently live in Sun City Grand, and checked out Pebble Creek....but can get a LOT more house for similar money in a "regular" neighbourhood......and avoid the larger HOA fees for amenities we don't use.
A big thanks to anyone who might be able to provide some info!!!

[military spouse]

TW Lewis builds beautiful homes. They have a new neighborhood off Estrella, nust N. of McDowell that is higher than some of the other neighborhoods in Palm Valley, but they are stunning homes. We live in Palm Valley Phase 5 and are very happy. We haven't seen any crime or heard of any in our area.

Some of our neighbors have kids, but many don't and many are retirees. We have one couple that lives in Canada, but spends time here during the winter. The only thing we don't like about the area is the weather and we can't change that!

Our friends moved here recently and they looked in the Villages at Litchfield Park which is a stunning neighborhood. If you go North of Litchfield and then turn Left (West) on Wigwam, you will see it on your right. Toll Bros. are building in there right now. Some of the existing homes (probably 1-2 years old) are bank-owned and are priced nicely. Our friends were looking at a variety of homes, but then settled on a bank-owned property in Palm Valley Phase 5 and got a tremendous deal.

It seems that this part of Goodyear commonly offers homes in the $300,000s, but can certainly get more pricey for the "nicer" neighborhoods. We have more retirees in our little section of Palm Valley because there were so many single-story homes built in our neighborhood.

[military spouse]

I also wanted to add that certain neighborhoods in Palm Valley just have a more expensive "feel" to them. A few are gated and on the golf course, which is a nice touch. I'm sure those command a higher price. I would definately look at sold comps very carefully.

[DebbieQ]

thanks so much! We are in Canada also...and trying to get a feel for the neighbourhood. We've golfed PV course several times, and noticed many families with small children living on the golf course....however, most of these homes were not single story. Which neighbourhood do you think is the nicest and most exclusive in PV?
thanks again!!

[Finger Laker]

I think part of the reason for palm valley carying a higher cost has to deal with the schools as well, especially at the elementary level

we have a lot of friends who live in various palm valley phases and most of them and their neighbors are young families

there are some nice areas south of the 10 - estrella mountain ranch is very nice, the new development at kings ranch should be nice (not sure what costs are now though) and the area around Yuma road stretching from estrella past cotton is starting to grow out around what will eventually become the city center

lots of good options in goodyear

[military spouse]

Originally Posted by DebbieQ

thanks so much! We are in Canada also...and trying to get a feel for the neighbourhood. We've golfed PV course several times, and noticed many families with small children living on the golf course....however, most of these homes were not single story. Which neighbourhood do you think is the nicest and most exclusive in PV?
thanks again!!

Palm Valley is rather funny in what is considered a neighborhood. It seems that every few streets that one drives past, there is a sign off the main road that designates the name of the neighborhood. For instance, I live in Palm Valley phase 5 and I live in Coquito Estates. I think it is a bit confusing, but Palm Valley is soooo large. When I'm out driving around, I will try to pay attention to some of the neighborhood signs. I would say the vast majority of Palm Valley is very nice and it simply depends on your price range. If you are looking at $300,000 or $400,000 or $500,000 will determine which section or neighborhood you are in. Also, there are some houses that aren't the largest square footage, but are very nice with better interior upgrades that may seem more expensive than a huge two-story with fewer interior upgrades.

I agree with Finger Laker that Estrella is quite nice. I would love to live there, but it would have added on to the commute for my husband. Also, Verrado is very nice. There are TONS of nice neighborhoods all over the valley.

[altus2006]

Originally Posted by DebbieQ

We've done the adult community thing, and since we don't use any of the amenities, it seems pointless to pay the fees.

We currently live in Sun City Grand, and checked out Pebble Creek....but can get a LOT more house for similar money in a "regular" neighbourhood......and avoid the larger HOA fees for amenities we don't use.

I just wanted to say that I have looked at the over 55 communities and have also found them to be way overpriced as compared to "normal" homes in non 55+ neighborhoods. We would also not be using the facilities that one is charged for with the HOA fees and consider the fees a waste of our money.

It is difficult to figure out where to live in order to avoid being the only dinosaurs in a community of young people.

Another thing I don't like about the over 55 communities is that most only have affordable houses that are 2 bedrooms. Three bedrooms (when available) are really high in most of the communities. Where do others put their children and grandkids when they come to visit?

altus2006

[military spouse]

I would think that if one doesn't mind living in a regular community, many of the amenities can be found at Lifetime Fitness at Bullard/McDowell. They have 3 swimming pools, hot tubs (indoor and outdoor), sauna, steam rooms, workout areas, etc.

[DebbieQ]

Just wondering if anyone knows if Litchfield Park is noisier than Palm Valley with respect to Luke AFB.

thanks,
Debbie

[CG4]

Bottom line about living in the area emcompassing the Litchfield School District (Palm Valley, Litchfield Park, the Wigwam, Goodyear, Verrado, etc. (Agua Fria River to Verrado Way north of I-10 and south of Bethany Home Rd), you will hear the jets, but unless you live real close to the base, they're quite a ways up in the air and rarely are anymore than just a minor inconvenience if you're outside talking on the phone or something like that. Its really not a big deal for most people. To answer your question directly...Litchfield Park and Palm Valley would be similar in decibel levels regarding the jets.

Note: there area flyover patterns that the jets take and some neighborhoods will have jets flying overhead instead of a little ways away, but some of that land is not buildable anyway due to the base and other factors so you wouldn't find any subdivisions there anyway.