Canadian looking to buy in Phoenix area (Mesa, Chandler: real estate, foreclosed)

[R2M]

Hello all,

First, I have to say that this is one terrific forum. A wealth of info from people in the know.

Over the past several months I have been looking to purchase a winter home in the Phoenix area. I have read the forum on "moving to Phoenix' and its threads however, I do have a question or two that remains unclear.

I have yet to travel to Phoenix as I would like to identify what cities are desirable. There are many posts that talk of avoiding one or another but it seems that each has its pockets of concern especially in the core Phoenix and nearby cities such as Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, etc.. Identifying boundaries by road is a great help.

I would like to buy in the east or southeast Valley and am preferrably looking for a newer (<10 yrs), detached, single-family dwelling less than $150,000; preferably in a gated community. Security is important as the property will be vacant for most of the year. I would consider renting but that's not a priority.

At 55, I plan on working for the next number of years but would like to take my month of holidays in the winter and eventually move there for the winter months like many snowbirds. Within Phoenix and its surrounding cities it seems that the newer developed HOA's are mostly age restricted but in the southeast Valley (Queen Creek), it's a mixed age.

I enjoy the arts but from what I've read Tempe (and I'm sure there's others) is the place to be. On the other hand, commuting is not too much of an issue for me. In particular, I have been looking at the Queen Creek area because of its low price/ft2. Can anybody tell me a little bit more about Queen Creek other than what's read on the Internet and is usually quite positive. I understand there are many foreclosed/empty homes compared to other cities such as Chandler or Gilbert. Perhaps because of its distance from Phoenix? Also, what demographic of people live out in Queen Creek other than those that work there. Is there commercial development/services and how is the access to Phoenix?

One other question has to do with the cost of maintaining a property in Phoenix versus an outlying areas such as Queen Creek, especially if the property has a pool. It seems that the utilities (electrical, heat, water) are private versus city in Phoenix, etc. So I'm not sure how much of a premium or discount homeowners pay for private utilities compared to public. Annual operating costs are a concern, where does one get that information about a specific property?

The last issue is how to find good realtor in the Phoenix area that has dealt with Canadians because we have such a different real estate property system. There are many excellent realtor websites but that doesn't necessarily equate to quality. A good realtor is key to a successful purchase and a happy customer.

I appreciate any and all comments - thanks for your time.

[roxyparis1987]

We have just returned in the past 2 weeks after looking at houses in the Phoenix area to buy for retirement in a couple of years. There are alot of houses on the market but if they are good deals they are being snapped up fast. There is a lot of terrible houses as well which is hard to tell by the pictures online. These houses are stripped down, taps missing off sinks, fans taken out with just wires showing, nobs off of cabinets, grafitti, urine stains on carpets and will need a lot of work. You can usually tell which ones they are by how long they have been on the market. We ended up buying in Maricopa as we fell in love with the area and found a great deal. We looked in Queen Creek, Suprise, Buckeye, Anthem and Goodyear. We found we got the most bang for our buck in Maricopa. Out of the 3 houses we narrowed it down to, two of them had offers already. The fact that it was 40 minutes from Phoenix didn't bother us as we don't have to commute. It is only 15-20 minutes to Chandler for major shopping such as Costco, but everything you need day to day is there, ie, gas, groceries, drug store. Email me if you would like to talk more.

[AZ Tracy]

Hi,

Have you checked out the Queen Creek website? You will find a lot of information about the area, what's going on, and information on the private water companies. The electricity providers in Queen Creek are the same as in other parts of the valley...it's just the water that is private.

I just did a search of homes in Queen Creek that are priced at $150,000 or less and are less than 10 years old. You'd have 785 to choose from! That doesn't even include spec homes that the builders have. I personally wouldn't focus on gated communities. That would really narrow down your choices, and gated communities tend to give you a false sense of security. Your best bet would be to get to know your neighbors, and have an alarm system installed.

As far as the arts...Queen Creek is lacking, but you don't have to go far. In Mesa, there is the Mesa Arts Center, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, and the Mesa Historical Museum to name a few. Chandler has the Chandler Center for the Arts. Gilbert even has the Hale Centre Theatre . And yes, Tempe, has a beautiful new Tempe Center for the Arts.

I'm surprised you didn't inquire about golf, as most Canadians do!

[Heather A]

We are West Coast Canadians who purchased in September in the Rancho El Dorado Sub-divison in Maricopa. Great house, 3 beds/2 baths, spotless condition, lovely neighbourhood and cost was under 100k ... Yikes .... we could not believe the great values in this Phoenix area. Taxes are just over $100 a month, HOA is just over $50 month and inlcudes basic cable. Water with sewer is almost $60 a month, which was a surprise to us but you can have it disconnected when your not there. Electric and gas were low for the basic so I'd not bother having them turned off when your away. Renting has tax implications so check it out! My husband found a great cleaning lady who lives in the subdivision so we'll talk to her about checking the place when we are not there.

Maricopa is only 15 minutes to the big Chandler shopping centers, but there is good local shopping within walking distance and a new super WalMart and Home Depot are being built a few miles away[parking is already done].

My husband is a retired Remax relator and the difference in the buying experience was a bit frustrating. Escrow is interesting but we closed in under six weeks with no problems. I balanced feeling bad about taking advantage of the housing crunch [lots of people losing their homes] by knowing we will be paying into the local economy for 6 months of the year, helping keep the neighbourhood neat and tidy and homes with residents are safer.
This is a great opportunity for Canadians to be able to afford a 'sunny spot'. Good luck with your purchase. If you'd like the name of our realtor email me.

[CheyDee]

Queen Creek has almost all major services, (except a hospital - a couple of which have already been approved for building - but others are just a short distance away), a Performing Arts Center, as well as a lot of local shopping and several restaurants. There is also Schnepf's Farms, which is open to the public, and hosts many events. There is a really neat Olive Mill in Queen Creek too, which is also open to the public.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

Queen Creek has almost all major services, (except a hospital - a couple of which have already been approved for building - but others are just a short distance away), a Performing Arts Center, as well as a lot of local shopping and several restaurants. There is also Schnepf's Farms, which is open to the public, and hosts many events. There is a really neat Olive Mill in Queen Creek too, which is also open to the public.

A hopsital is under construction at the southwest corner of Ironwood/Gantzel and Coombs!

[R2M]

Originally Posted by AZ Tracy

Hi,

Have you checked out the Queen Creek website? You will find a lot of information about the area, what's going on, and information on the private water companies. The electricity providers in Queen Creek are the same as in other parts of the valley...it's just the water that is private.

I just did a search of homes in Queen Creek that are priced at $150,000 or less and are less than 10 years old. You'd have 785 to choose from! That doesn't even include spec homes that the builders have. I personally wouldn't focus on gated communities. That would really narrow down your choices, and gated communities tend to give you a false sense of security. Your best bet would be to get to know your neighbors, and have an alarm system installed.

As far as the arts...Queen Creek is lacking, but you don't have to go far. In Mesa, there is the Mesa Arts Center, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, and the Mesa Historical Museum to name a few. Chandler has the Chandler Center for the Arts. Gilbert even has the Hale Centre Theatre . And yes, Tempe, has a beautiful new Tempe Center for the Arts.

I'm surprised you didn't inquire about golf, as most Canadians do!

Thanks AZ Tracy for all the great links to the arts in the metro Phoenix area and info on QC. Interesting you mention not to key on 'gated' communities - not the first time I've heard/read that. Do theives key on gated areas? A lot of threads seem to compare QC and Maricopa with the latter getting the nod because of better access to south Phoenix metro such as Chandler/Gilbert. QC seems closer but takes longer to get to because the traffic on Hunt vs the 347 (4 lane) out of Maricopa.

Sale price/ft2 between the two seem comparable. Thoughts on this?

Thanks

[R2M]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

Queen Creek has almost all major services, (except a hospital - a couple of which have already been approved for building - but others are just a short distance away), a Performing Arts Center, as well as a lot of local shopping and several restaurants. There is also Schnepf's Farms, which is open to the public, and hosts many events. There is a really neat Olive Mill in Queen Creek too, which is also open to the public.

Thanks CheyDee, QC seems to have most basic services. Does anyone know if Maricopa has similar amenities?

Has anyone had/read of any earth fissure problems in QC. I know that QC is in one of the the state study areas. If it's there, hoe big of a problem is it. btw, the homes I've been looking at are around the Johnson Ranch area.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by R2M

Has anyone had/read of any earth fissure problems in QC. I know that QC is in one of the the state study areas. If it's there, hoe big of a problem is it. btw, the homes I've been looking at are around the Johnson Ranch area.

The fissures I've heard about in Queen Creek were not in master planned communities, where soil tests were done by the builders. Last year there was a terrible story where a family in QC actually had their horse swallowed up by a fissure.

[61scout80]

Originally Posted by R2M

Thanks CheyDee, QC seems to have most basic services. Does anyone know if Maricopa has similar amenities?

the short answer is not quite yet, the long answer is in this thread.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/phoenix-area/342917-some-growth-planned-city-maricopa.html


we have 2 grocery stores, 2 stand alone pharmacies, an urgent care, a slew of fast food, a few restaurants, a gym, ace hardware and a good number of other shops. here is the chamber of commerce's website, maybe it will help if you are looking for something in particular. What many seem to forget is that maricopa had only 1500 people back in the early 2000's, with over 30,000 there now the city and commercial developers are scrambling to catch up. Its an exciting time to be a resident here

http://www.maricopachamber.com/