Planning a move to Maricopa - Any thoughts? (Phoenix, Mesa: bank owned, short sale)

[Jenn072075]

Hello there!

My husband and I are looking to (most likely) relocate to Maricopa, my folks bought a home in Trilogy, and we will be there the 1st part of June to try and find a home...

Are there any new builds going up still? If so where, and with whom as the builder?
What's the job situation?
How has the crime / gang stuff been lately?

Is it still advisable to stay north (or east, or whatever) of the tracks? East of John Wayne? North of Smith Enke??

My realtor that I think I will be working with seems to think that the housing market is "exploding" over there, and for sure, the houses that I like, seem to be snapped up under contract by the time i FIND them on realtor.com and the Rancho El Dorado sight.... VERY frustrating and annoying.

She ALSO seems to think that the tracks are a "non issue" which I find very hard to believe, both for annoyance factor, and for resale purposes later down the road. Maybe not "hearing" the train if you simply live "close" to the tracks, but certainly living west or south of them seems to be a rather bad idea? Houses ARE cheaper out that way (or seem to be) so that sort of says to ME it's a "less desirable" area..... any thoughts?

Trying to get a feel for the place from people NOT in a retirement community, LOL.

How about child care in the area?

Schools?

I used to live in Val Vista Lakes (probably never should have left, but I sold right before the market took a beating) and moved to Missouri with my (late) husband, and WANT TO COME HOME.



(Current) Husband worried about the heat, trying to convince him to get a job INSIDE (duh) but he is currently a welder, even tho he WANTS to go to school for nursing.

I saw somewhere a mention of AZ "perks" for 1st time home buyers? Anyone know anything about that?

TIA so much !!

--Jenn

[observer53]

The resale market in Maricopa is active, but to my understanding from a relative who lives there, it's active with very low priced sales of bank owned homes to people who couldn't have afforded to live there before, and it's not a good thing.

Jobs there? Not really. Most who live there are working in the Valley.

Schools were getting better but are now going downhill again thanks to the changing demographics.

Why are you thinking of sticking yourself out in Maricopa; your parents are in Trilogy, do you specifically not want to be closer than that to them?

[blueeyz911]

We have lived in Maricopa for 10 months now and we really like it there. As for new builds, there may be some left in Cobblestone (Fulton Homes) and I believe there are new builds at The Lakes in Ranch El Dorado and the builder is Meritage. Possibly further into Maricopa, there are most likely new builds like at Desert Passage- I think KB is the builder for those.

There is a rather large day care center in Maricopa called Learning Adventures. As far as if it's any good, I do not know as I do not have kids. Not sure about the schools either but they probably are not good since most schools in Arizona are bad unfortunately.

There are not many jobs in Maricopa. There is a small office park with doctors and dentists and maybe one law firm. Then there are just restaurants, grocery and drug stores. The new Walmart is supposed to open at the end of this month so that will generate more retail jobs. But most people commute into the city for work.

I prefer living North of the tracks. Although there are some nice homes South of the tracks, I would rather not have to deal with trains every day.

As for crime and gang activity- I did not realize we had any! Seriously, crime is not a huge problem in Maricopa. Every now and then you hear of break ins or shoplifting and there are taggers spraying graffiti on the walls but it is not excessive. You just have to be cautious just like anywhere else.

I do not think Maricopa is a "less desirable" area. It really depends on what you are looking for. If living out of the city and having to commute 20 miles one way for many things is a hassle to you or if occasional cow smell or flies bother you, then Maricopa may not be desirable for you. We love living out away from the city and we are very happy we bought a home in Maricopa.

As for the market out there, it is frustrating because the prices are so low. Last year we ran into the problem where we put an offer and someone else offered full cash so we lost quite a few houses to that. Or there were like 5 offers on the same house. I finally found one that just went on the market the same day, went and looked at it right away, put in my offer and got it. Good luck!

[twiggy]

The only issue is the air quality, I stated this on the other post about Maricopa. If you have great lungs then it shouldn't bother you for a bout 10yrs. But....you might as well make an informed move.
There are some good things about it, it is cheap, most homes are newer, and they have a small downtown going but the air keeps me from making it home. I do travel there once or twice a week though.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments...nMckaughan.pdf
Opinion: Our polluted air in Maricopa : Maricopa360.com
Cowtown is there to stay, no matter what the rest of Maricopa thinks.

[blueeyz911]

Originally Posted by twiggy

The only issue is the air quality, I stated this on the other post about Maricopa. If you have great lungs then it shouldn't bother you for a bout 10yrs. But....you might as well make an informed move.
There are some good things about it, it is cheap, most homes are newer, and they have a small downtown going but the air keeps me from making it home. I do travel there once or twice a week though.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments...nMckaughan.pdf
Opinion: Our polluted air in Maricopa : Maricopa360.com
Cowtown is there to stay, no matter what the rest of Maricopa thinks.

Seriously? The air quality? I lived in Phoenix practically my entire life and the air quality is MUCH better in Maricopa. At least we do not have a black cloud of smog hanging over us all the time. I know the hydrogen sulfide fumes from the cattle farms are unhealthy to breathe but the toxic pollution from car fumes in the city will irritate your lungs too.

Interesting article BTW.

[katjazzlover]

My husband and I have lived in Maricopa, AZ for 5 years. We love it here!! Yes, there is the evervescant smell of cow manure at times, but it gives the feeling of being in the country.

As for jobs, there are not any in Maricopa that pay well. You might be able to find some minimum wage job, but as for career jobs you would have to commute to the Phoenix area (this includes Chandler, Tempe, etc.)

Housing prices are extremely low. If you can qualify and can afford to buy now is the time. Home prices are as low as $59,000 for a 3 bedroom. You'll find something!

Good Luck!!

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by blueeyz911

Seriously? The air quality? I lived in Phoenix practically my entire life and the air quality is MUCH better in Maricopa. At least we do not have a black cloud of smog hanging over us all the time. I know the hydrogen sulfide fumes from the cattle farms are unhealthy to breathe but the toxic pollution from car fumes in the city will irritate your lungs too.

Interesting article BTW.

Yea, it probably is better, have no idea. I didn't even believe it when I heard it at first but they had a town meeting about it so....my brother and friends are out there and want me to come out but I can't take the air, smell, dust, I'm chewing grit when I come home from there. lol
Don't get me started on the burning trash days. I can't breath.
But, it's just interesting that cows can do so much damage. lol They are so cute but they have really damaging farts.

[Master Shake]

Yes, there are still a few new home builds in Maricopa, but why not consider a short sale or foreclosure and save a lot of money? There are many houses that have never been lived in that are still in very good shape, aside from maybe the yard condition. If you do buy south of the tracks, it can add 10-15 minutes to your daily rush hour commute. Otherwise, it doesn't make that much of a difference. The housing market is not exploding, but it is starting to pick up again from the lows.

Maricopa is pretty good for what it is, and is a good fit for many people who don't really want to live in the "big city", or who want to get a newer house for around $70-$80k. It is more of a somewhat congested bedroom community with a rural atmosphere, if that makes any sense. Most people commute to the Phoenix area for work. There are very few jobs other than basic service/fast food type, but most stores are still crowded on the weekends. WalMart opened on 05/20 and the parking lot was reported to be completely full within a few hours!

Your best bet is to come and take a look around -- both on a weekday and on the weekend. Try to drive the rush hour out of Maricopa around 7:00 AM to see what the commute will be like. Then drive it on a weekend, or off hours and notice the difference.

I do not believe there are any "AZ perks", but there is a Federal $8,000 first time home buyer incentive that you might want to ask your Realtor about.

[JDish2000]

I have a couple friends that have lived there since 2003. They both like it there, although it is a bedroom community with not a lot of jobs nearby.

If you plan on working in Chandler, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Mesa, or even Tempe, it shouldn't be a problem other than the commute sometimes with traffic...

BTW, kinda off topic:

What was it like living in KC compared to Phoenix area? I ask because I am eyeing KCMO/KCK area to relocate; however, my wife is on the fence...

[MotleyCrew]

My daughter and her husband live in Maricopa and like it. We live across the street from the Trilogy/Vistancia in Peoria. There is also a Trilogy in Queen Creek called Encanterra which is closer to Maricopa. Is this the Trilogy your parents bought in? I would look in either Maricopa or Queen Creek as both areas have some very reasonable priced homes. If your folks are in Peoria, check out the family side, Vistancia, some great sales going on in the few new build developments and some equally good foreclosed homes.