Fountain Hills (Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa: middle-class, transplants, to rent)

[DreamworksSKG]

Can anyone tell me if Fountain Hills is a decent place to rent or live?
what is there to do there?
how long is the commute into Phoenix/Scottsdale?
is it a affordable area?

I am considering maybe in the future living in AZ

Not sure though for now, but maybe in the future.

Also are there a lot of Bostonians in Phoenix/Tucson? I would like to move to an area eventually where there's a lot of Boston transplants. (I am a Bostonian) :-)

[observer53]

Have you done a search in the forums here already? There is likely a lot of information here on Fountain Hills already. I've read some threads just in the last month or so.

[omle]

Hmmmmmm. Don't know about the Boston population.

Fountain Hills is a bit off the beaten track. Not very far from N. Scottsdale and the the freeway...maybe 15 minutes.

Some of Fountain Hills is middle class, some of it is kind of fancy, big houses built onto hills. I think you have to see it to understand. Some people love it.

[SpeedyAZ]

Fountain Hills is a fairly upscale area, just do a search and you'll see many viewpoints on Fountail Hills. The area has middle-class homes but you'll likely pay more for the same home in Fountain Hills than you will in Chandler/Gilbert, quite a few multi-million dollar places built into the mountains. Overall, I really like Fountain Hills, it's a gorgeous area but is quite a drive to get into the interior corridor of Phoenix.

[dryheatjenn]

My fiancee and I are 49 and 50 years of age, and we love living in Fountain Hills. We moved here from Michigan two years ago. You cannot beat the views here. We walk ALOT.....to the gym, to the grocery store, to restaurants and bars, gelato, etc. We also very much enjoy hiking and we have beautiful hikes anywhere within a 5-20 minute drive from us. We like the more laid-back, smaller-town, quieter lifestyle here. It suits us. We are within a 30 minute drive of Sky Harbor airport, a 15 minute drive to Mesa and/or Scottsdale, and probably a 40 minute drive to downtown Phoenix. Hope that helps you.

[harry house]

We're retired and have high hopes to soon visit FH looking for a suitable (affordable? $250-300k range) retirement home. In doing my online research I find the FH appeal is powerful. Each home I find appealing comes with electric utilities only. Some areas of FH do have natural gas as a suitable option. I prefer this largely because of cost difference between them. Can anyone please point me to the areas that have natural gas. SWNG was of no help. Anybody have a guesstimate of the cost differences of a home with electricity only and one that has natural gas for heating and cooking. I know there are many variables.
Thank you for any input.

A Future Nieghbor

[observer53]

Years ago, I lived in a home (not in FH) that had both, and the gas was a lot cheaper. It probably still is, but the difference isn't what it used to be. I have electric only now (wouldn't mind having gas heat, as it works so much better, but that isn't an option where I am), and keep the costs down by being frugal with the thermostat (ceiling fans and tile floors help in summer) and doing the managed payment plan to avoid the summer "sticker shock" by paying the same amount every month.

I'm sure others can give you the figures you are looking for. Best of luck!

[vegaspilgrim]

I have a few pictures of Fountain Hills in my photo album:

Fountain Hills and DC Ranch

[harry house]

observer53
Thank you for your response and help. Without being too imposing I want to ask one more thing. If it is too personal you might choose not to answer, and that's ok. Anyway, what is the electric bill for a year on your home? The reason I ask such questions is that I get excited about the thought of moving there in the not too distant future (on retirement income). Just checking of feasibility and affordability.
Thank You For Anything

MildewBelt Refugee

[nitram]

Not only is Fountain Hills a very nice upscale place to live, they also have our world famous Sheriff Joe living there so you'll even feel safer.
Fountain Hills has a lot of nice scenery, places to hike. It's also away from the populous rat race of Phoenix and it's surrounding areas. There is a Indian gambling casino nearby for you gamblers and it's Las Vegas style entertaimment. It's also the gateway to scenic Pinetop, Showlow and their surrounding cooler areas.