Baseline/Val Vista Area of Mesa (Gilbert: bank owned, short sale, power lines)

[canudigit]

One house that we may be interested in is near this intersection. Is this a nice part of Mesa? The house backs up to Baseline Rd. but has a buffer zone with some trees. Do you think that the traffic noise would still be a problem? Baseline looks like a pretty busy road.

Thanks.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by canudigit

One house that we may be interested in is near this intersection. Is this a nice part of Mesa? The house backs up to Baseline Rd. but has a buffer zone with some trees. Do you think that the traffic noise would still be a problem? Baseline looks like a pretty busy road.

Thanks.

Is it in Val Vista Lakes? I hope it's not on the N East corner. If it's not the neighborhood is fine.

[canudigit]

No, it's in Dana Ranch.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by canudigit

No, it's in Dana Ranch.

This is a nice part of Mesa. However, you must consider that one day you may need to sell that house, and backing up to a major thoroughfare may turn away about half your prospects. Especially in a market like this where there are so many houses available.

I only see one house in Dana Ranch that fits your description and it has been on the market for 261 days. One down the street has a sale pending. Your house was reduced to the current price in 2008; and it's a short sale. That tells me there is not a lot of interest in that house, and probably because of the location (backing up to Baseline).

The price at $89/sf is ok, but not for it's location. You can get better prices in Gilbert in better locations. My professional opinion is to not buy a house that backs to a major thoroughfare because of the problem of reselling it when the time comes. (location)

I just sold a bank owned listing that I had in Lyons Gate in Gilbert, a move-in ready William Lyons home built in 2006 for less per square foot than the home you mention. (I can't give the exact price because the sale is still pending.) It had 4 offers and the buyers got a bargain.

While the Dana Ranch area of Mesa is nice, my preference would be to go across Baseline to Val Vista Lakes which is in Gilbert and the Gilbert school district. VVL, in my personal biased opinion (I live there) is the best community in Gilbert because of it's location and amenities.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by canudigit

One house that we may be interested in is near this intersection. Is this a nice part of Mesa? The house backs up to Baseline Rd. but has a buffer zone with some trees. Do you think that the traffic noise would still be a problem? Baseline looks like a pretty busy road.

Thanks.

Try visiting the house during the week at rush hour. You'll probably find it a little difficult to carry on a conversation if you're in the back yard. Unless you're absolutely in love with the home, and it's a steal....I'd say pass. You'll be thankful some day when it's time to sell.

[thegirlinaz]

I used to live on Baselnie and Val Vista (not at dana ranch though) and I loved the area. Everything was close by and easy access to the freeway. However, baseline IS a busy road and if it backs right up to it I would be a little worried.. Like AZ Tracy said, try visiting it during a busy time of day. Just hang out by the house and see if the traffic is going to be something that you can live with or not.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by canudigit

One house that we may be interested in is near this intersection. Is this a nice part of Mesa? The house backs up to Baseline Rd. but has a buffer zone with some trees. Do you think that the traffic noise would still be a problem? Baseline looks like a pretty busy road.

Thanks.

I think that is a very nice part of the valley. Don't let people tell you otherwise just because it might be technically listed in Mesa. This is why I tell people not to judge a place by a name because there are a lot of amazing communities that don't get enough buzz. However, if people take the effort and see these communities, they are impressive. Good for you!

I wouldn't be too concerned with rush hour. How many times are you going to be able to sit in your backyard during rush hour? If you are like most working people, you will probably be in your car during rush hour or still at work so the noice won't impact you anyway.

[canudigit]

Thanks for the advice. I think we will have to wait until we come out there in April and really get a good feel for what things are like in each neighborhood. Our whole family just really liked that house a lot, and I noticed that it is reasonable for the neighborhood, most likely because it does back up to Baseline. But you know how certain homes just "speak" to you? We just love everything about that house, and the fact that it's a short sale and has been on the market for so long says to me that we could probably cut a really good deal.

Captain Bill,

I really do LOVE Val Vista Lakes, at least what I have seen on the internet. Those amenities are fabulous! However, most of the homes in there are either out of our price range or we would have to sacrifice square footage and bedrooms to be in our price range. However, I know that they say that it is better to have the smallest home in the better neighborhood than the biggest home in the lesser neighborhood, so I really think that it boils down to getting out there and really looking around and deciding what we can and can't live with/without. At this point though, $300,000 is about the top of our price range. You do make a good point about resale value. I will keep that in mind.

Thanks again!

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by canudigit

Thanks for the advice. I think we will have to wait until we come out there in April and really get a good feel for what things are like in each neighborhood. Our whole family just really liked that house a lot, and I noticed that it is reasonable for the neighborhood, most likely because it does back up to Baseline. But you know how certain homes just "speak" to you? We just love everything about that house, and the fact that it's a short sale and has been on the market for so long says to me that we could probably cut a really good deal.

Captain Bill,

I really do LOVE Val Vista Lakes, at least what I have seen on the internet. Those amenities are fabulous! However, most of the homes in there are either out of our price range or we would have to sacrifice square footage and bedrooms to be in our price range. However, I know that they say that it is better to have the smallest home in the better neighborhood than the biggest home in the lesser neighborhood, so I really think that it boils down to getting out there and really looking around and deciding what we can and can't live with/without. At this point though, $300,000 is about the top of our price range. You do make a good point about resale value. I will keep that in mind.

Thanks again!

The other thing to be concerned with is large power lines, and there are plenty of them out here. There are large power lines running down Baseline on the north side, which is right behind the house you mentioned. That is very negative feature that turn many prospects away. Many people won't buy within a block of the large power lines. It further explains why that house has been on the market so long.

[canudigit]

Thanks for that information, I didn't know that. There is also a house in Gilbert that we like that is off of McQueen near Elliot, but I noticed when I looked at it on Google Earth that it is right down the road from one of those power stations and that put me off of that one a bit.