Tired of reading bad things about El Mirage! (Phoenix, Mesa: foreclosure, rentals)

[punkymom]

I have noticed while browsing through forums that many of you tell people looking to move to Arizona that El Mirage is basically an infested, cockoach ridden armpit & to stay away! Why?

I am a new resident in El Mirage. My husband and I bought our first home, her in El Mirage. While there may be much more out there, I think El Mirage is a great starter area for anyone. I have a diverse neighborhood and everyone is friendly. Infact, I had many more problems with neighbors and cops and crappy looking areas in my old neighborhood in Deer Valley (north phoenix). Sure, there aren't all the amenities of some of the neighboring communities (Surprise) but then, there isn't that snobby attitude either. Surprise seems to me like the place to move if you can't afford Scottsdale, but you still like to think you're the only diamond in the rough. I frequently walk my neighborhood, with my two children. I have never felt afraid. My neighborhood is decent. It's no gated community with lush lawns and over priced cars parked out front, but it's no slum either. HOA does a great job of keeping up with any issues. Maybe y'all need to take a drive and visit here before you tell everyone to steer clear.

[fcorrales80]

It is all just perception. Don't take exception to people ridiculing your hood based on old stigmas. Honestly, I live downtown and the reputation of this area of Phoenix JUST started changing around 2005. Before then it was seen as a dump since the late 60's and early 70's because, quite honestly it was. LOL! El Mirage was a small city with a big crime problem. Because of the influx of people, and the influx of more tax collection by the city, more law enforcement has driven down the crime in the El. But remember don't throw stones at your Surprise neighbors by in effect calling them "Scottsdale" wannabe's, LOL because although there are some of those types in Surprise, I'm sure there are some Paradise Valley, Camelback Mountain, Biltmore Estates, etc. wannabe's in Scottsdale, Chandler, Ahwatukee...it's all relative.

[las vegas drunk]

My best friend lives in El Mirage. I will just say this. Where he lives is in the newer area which is very nice. He has 4 kids so he needs to live in a nice neighborhood. However, the old part of El Mirage is what most people refer to. It is pure ghetto over there, no better then south Phoenix.

[punkymom]

sure, there are ghetto areas in any town/city. most of what is considered ghetto here are the areas where el mirage natives live... the mexican farm hands who moved in decades ago. sure, it looks like little mexico. no different than Sunnyslope though. LOL

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

As you can tell I love Surprise, but have no problem with El Mirage either. Never thought of Surprise as snobby though. Maybe we have fianally made it as a community to have others think of us as snobby. I have seen places in South Scotsdale that were in worse shape than many parts of El Mirage.

[AZB3D2]

After scanning the El Mirage postings in this forum, I have to agree that I'm a tad tired of reading all the negativity about El Mirage. I'm an elder native Arizonan and have to assume that most who post such negative things about El Mirage are truly not fully informed about other parts of the Metroplex and state for that matter. I grew up in "Old" Scottsdale, lived 30 yrs in Pinetop (now Pinetop-Lakeside), moved back to the Arcadia Dist., then life changed and I'm now a year in NY going back to a new home in El Mirage in a few weeks. I searched the entire Metroplex repo's for a decent home that I could move into within the limited funds I have to work with, and though I had decided Goodyear was the closes to old Scottsdale environment, Surprise a second choice, El Mirage came in 3rd - far ahead of Glendale, Peoria, Maryvale Terrace, Villa De Paz, or any other area where the cheaper repo's are taking place.

I could tell stories about the so-called beautiful White Mountains that would make everyone's hair stand on end, most would disblieve, but that wouldn't make the reality of living full time in that area any less true. Moving back to Mesa 12 yrs ago was a nightmare, and the area has grown worse over the years. Check out east 36th street and Thomas for safety - not!

After reading El Mirage's city plans, I'm looking forward to living there. Being on the ground floor of that change is a positive. I'm very OK with Surprise leaping forward and El Mirage catching up, that's typically a part of a bigger development plan that most don't fully realize. Same happened with Anthem going in above New River and Desert Foothills, and all the while the taxes in the pre-existing "slum" areas remained lower even after catching up. El Mirage does have HOA's, I'll be paying for that.

My new house is in escrow, I read here all the negatives about Luke and El Mirage complaints and suits, looked it up and just so happens my new house is right under a flight path. I'll be OK with that also. The same use to be in Pineop-Lakeside & still is today in Mesa with Sky Harbor. Maybe not as loud, but doesn't matter - no place is perfect just like no single person is!

[twiggy]

It looks like El M varies greatly........Maybe it all depends on the El M people are familiar with?
Don't worry, we bash most cities equally, just do a little more research, they have all had their turn on here.
You must be happy with where you live and that is a good thing!
Some aren't, some just try and steer people in a direction they think would be better, some of us are just jerks.
It might depend on the neighborhood you can afford in each city, for that would make it a different environment for each person.
Congrats on finding your "paradise", we are all just looking for that.

[QuirkyBound]

Unfortunately 'bad' is a very relative term. I can tell you that as newcomers, my wife and I looked at housing the the El Mirage area. Initially very excited by the idea, I became a bit leary after doing some reading on here. But, I had an open mind and thought it looked great online (pics and google maps). Driving up it still looked great.

Here's what we experienced though when looking at renting a house there. First house looked nice (newer subdivision) but had some broken landscaping lights out front. Oddly enough the realtor had simply e-mailed us the lockbox codes weeks in advance and told us to take a look as our schedule permitted.

Letting ourselves in we found (I kid you not), a straight up crime scene. First thing through the door was a posted notice with a case # and investigator's phone number to call with information on an 'ongoing investigation into an incident at this property.

Looking past it there was a giant red stain (~4 feet by 4 feet) on the living room carpeting. Granted it was in all likelihood lipstick or paint or some such. But you go into the first house you see in a subdivision alone, find a police notice and big red stain, and tell me what you think.

We soldiered on and looked at the second property. Again a nice looking newer place in a nice subdivision when pulling up. These rentals are a bargain value we thought. Then going inside it looks like a bad foreclosure with pounds of ground up cheerios pressed into the carpet and a car hood or two strewn in the backyard.

That was enough for us. We decided to no longer look at properties in El Mirage. Although we did manage to detour through the actual ghettos there(thanks Garmin) on the way back to Phoenix proper. And by actual ghetto I mean properties with ruined chainlink fencing enclosing full on junnkyards on residential properties.

I'm sure there are plenty of nice people in El Mirage and unfortunately I've probably offended many of them with my post. But would I send my sister there for housing? Will I look to buy or invest there? Respectfully no.

Did the first two neighborhoods look like places to 'get out of after dark' or some such? Not at all. The initial impression was very nice in those subdivisions and I don't mean to call the whole city a slum by any means. However, if asked for advice by another relocating person, I personally would steer them away from El Mirage.

[SpikeAZ]

I just bought a Bank Repo in the Newer part of El Mirage and I am also looking foward to being part of a positive change. I moved from near by Youngtown (Agua Fria Ranch). My children do not have to change schools. They have been attending Dysart schools (with the El Mirage children) for the last 6 years and I have seen many positive changes. I have a wide spread 2 in elementary 1 in Middle school and 1 in High School. I will admit the minute I tell people I moved to El Mirage there facial expressions look like this

[Finger Laker]

please do your best to replace that clown of a mayor that you have - looks for solutions, not scapegoats