Family Oriented Neighborhood (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler: for sale, house, neighborhoods)

[tswan]

My family and I are relocating from Michigan to the Phoenix area. We will be flying out this February to do a little house hunting (around $250) but would like to narrow our search a bit before doing so.

We have two young girls and are looking for a 'family oriented' environment with strong schools. We've heard wonderful things about Gilbert, but would like some feedback about specific neighborhoods. Thank you, in advance, for the input.

...One more thing - Power Ranch looks great, but notice it falls within Higley District lines. What is the word on Higley schools? My wife and I place a high importance on education. Should we stay clear of Power Ranch because of the schools? Or are some of those negative reviews just from bitter and unrealistic parents?

[MotleyCrew]

If you are not limited to the east side of Phoenix, you might want to also check out some of the communities on the west side. We live up in Vistancia in north Peoria and it is a very stong family community with an active adult development across the street. We have two schools within our development on the family side now and the one that is up and running has very high reviews. There is no limit to activities for the kids as well as adults living here. Best of luck in your search.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by tswan

My family and I are relocating from Michigan to the Phoenix area. We will be flying out this February to do a little house hunting (around $250) but would like to narrow our search a bit before doing so.

We have two young girls and are looking for a 'family oriented' environment with strong schools. We've heard wonderful things about Gilbert, but would like some feedback about specific neighborhoods. Thank you, in advance, for the input.

...One more thing - Power Ranch looks great, but notice it falls within Higley District lines. What is the word on Higley schools? My wife and I place a high importance on education. Should we stay clear of Power Ranch because of the schools? Or are some of those negative reviews just from bitter and unrealistic parents?

My grandchildren lived in Power Ranch and went to a Higley school, and they did not like it. Now they live in east Mesa and go to Desert Ridge High School, which is a Gilbert school, and love it.

Power Ranch is in the far south east corner of Gilbert. It's a nice community, however, if you're commuting to Phoenix, it may be a little too far out. They have their own elementary school, and it has a good reputation.

There are hundreds of communities in Gilbert ranging from golf to lake communities, and in most you should be able to find a nice home in your price range.

You may wish to first consider where you will be working; then determine the general area of Gilbert, such as central, north central, east or west Gilbert that will be comfortable for your commute time. Then look at a few homes in various neighborhoods to get the feel for those communities.

Val Vista Lakes is one of the premier communities in Gilbert. It's a lake community with a club house that has many amenities and is a great family community. They have their own web site that shows the amenities. It currently has around 10 homes for sale under $250,000. For the amenities, and the low monthly dues, this community is hard to beat.

There is The Islands, another lake community, a little farther west of VVL.

There is a nice golf community called El Dorado Lakes (not a lake community) which is a little farther west of The Islands.

These are just a couple of the many communities in Gilbert that have homes in your price range.

All the Gilbert schools have a good reputation.

[homesweetazhome]

There are many properties available in your price range in both Gilbert and Chandler. Both have school districts with good reputations and are family oriented cities. If you are going to commute you will want to be close to the 101 or 60. Mesa is having financial difficulties right now, both the city and the school district. Neighborhoods you may like include: Fulton Ranch, Willis Ranch, The Islands, Cooper Commons to name just a few. Power Ranch is pretty far east from the metro center, the schools do have mixed reviews. February is a great time to come and house search, you won't want to return to the cold of Michigan. Good Luck!

Oh, check out neighborhoods on this site: http://www.chandlerneighborhoods.com/