What's it like in the city of Maricopa, AZ? (Tempe: work, homes)

[GuyPinestra]

The trains are not really a problem noise-wise, most of the homes here are newer and well insulated. If you live south of the tracks they can be a problem when getting to the store, they seem to run every half-hour or so.

Home prices here have taken a nosedive in the last 6 months so affordability shouldn't pose a problem.

Commuting to the Phoenix area is a pain in the rear even with 347 being repaved, there's just too many people trying to all get to the same place at the same time. Leaving early makes a LOT of difference in your travel time, at 6am it takes 20 minutes to get to south Chandler, at 6:30 it jumps to 40 minutes. The return trip should not be attempted between 4:30 and 6pm, you'll spend most of your time idling.

Just my 2 cents.

[MomInMaricopa]

I live in Maricopa, Arizona with my husband and our three children, and we love it. It's a small town and growing....more homes then stores, but that's what a bedroom community should be.

We don't mind driving 25 minutes to Casa Grande or Chandler for things we may not be able to get out here right now.

The prices of homes out here is amazing...in an earlier post someone mentioned getting 1600 sq. ft. for $220...out here you can get 1600 sq. ft. for less then $150...and that's a brand new home...for $220, you can go nuts! This is March 2008 and the prices are terrific for the buyers right now.

Maricopa is a quiet town. We do have trains come through quite often, but unless you are right up against the tracks, you won't notice...well, if you live south of the tracks you might have to deal with the traffic sometimes, while you wait, but that's not a huge deal for most. The cows...I haven't heard anything about them moving and that's fine by me. Yes, there can be the cow smell if you live close or the wind wafts the aroma your way....so go inside or close your windows...I am a persnickety picky lady and if I can deal, anyone can.

You choose what's important. I wanted to live in a nice, friendly town that will never be globbed onto the sprawl of Phx(nearly surrounded by reservation land, Maricopa proper is safe for the most part). I wanted to live in a town with quiet, clean, lovely neighborhoods(drive through any subdivision out here and you will be impressed). I wanted to live someplace that I will still love in 10 years(every year we have attended the the Salsa Festival and Founder's Day events, found a terrific small church, seen steady growth)...and Maricopa is it for us.

[Master Shake]

Originally Posted by amanda25

I just put a down payment on a home in Maricopa..and now I am concerned with the railroad tracks...

We are moving about 1/4 mile away from the railroad..I am going to have a baby in July and am now worried that the trains with bug not only the baby but my fiance and I..does anyone live near the railroad tracks? and is the noise very bad??

Also what is the best time to leave Maricopa to miss the traffic..and what time is the best time to miss traffic coming back home at night after work??

The trains do run constantly throughout the day and night, but talks have begun about making an over/under pass within the next few years, which would make the whole train situation much better. However, if you keep your windows and doors closed, then the train noise isn't that bad.

As for the traffic, it is much worse getting out of Maricopa in the morning than coming back at night. If you leave before 6:00 AM, you should be fine.

[Master Shake]

Originally Posted by MomInMaricopa

...The prices of homes out here is amazing...in an earlier post someone mentioned getting 1600 sq. ft. for $220...out here you can get 1600 sq. ft. for less then $150...and that's a brand new home...for $220, you can go nuts! This is March 2008 and the prices are terrific for the buyers right now...

Many builders are even offering prices in the very low $100's for starter homes, and if you take your time and look around, you could pickup a nice 1200-1500 sq. ft. pre-foreclosure home for somewhere in the $110's!

For some people, saving upwards of $50k on a new/newer house (compared to Chandler/Tempe/Mesa, etc.) might actually be worth the traffic nightmares!

[azdreamin']

We are relocating to the Phoenix area from a small town in Ohio. We are seriously considering Maricopa as our new home. Nothing short of a miracle, our home sold in less than 2wks of being on the market. New owners take possesion on April 13. Time crunch to say the least!! Can any Maricopa residents share advice, make recommendations as to what part of the town we should focus on/avoid? We do have some super Realtors we are working with, but they are not from that area. They have already secured our confidence by visitng the area 2x after having only 2 3-hour (yes 3hour) phone conferences with them and as well as quite a few emails. (Impressive!!) After visiting some properties of interest and forwarding 82 photos of one they fell in love with, we are sold as far as our working relationship! Interestingly, they currently live in Scottsdale and natives to AZ. They said they were pleasantly surprised with both the drive (only 35 min both ways on a Sun) and with the area of Maricopa in general. Anyway, in 1 week, the company is bringing us out on a 1 wk house hunting trip. Any tips or advice you can give to help us narrow our scope would be much appreciated! We live on 2 acres now and smell cows from the nearby farms all of the time-no big deal for us. We are willing to give up our space & rural home town feel as well as the gloomy skies, cold temps, & long winters of the Midwest, for the AZ sun and climate even if we have to live in a master planned community. We feel Maricopa would be a great transition for us. We are very friendly out going people. We like nice neighbors and are good neighbors ourselves. We smile and say hello to strangers. My husband now drives 40 min to work everyday so the commute into Tempe isnt a big deal. We would like to live somewhere where people are relatively friendly or wave as they pass by your home if they are taking a walk. We drive 30-45 to the nearest mall so lack of infastructure is ok to. In fact it seems we prefer what many view as downfalls to this community. Our other considerations were Queen Creek. And possibly Surprise. Mostly because we like access to the city but dont want the city life and all that comes with it. We welcome your comments.

[crewbank]

I am a 5th generation Arizonan, small business owner, and Tempe resident, and I am BEGGING you...please don't move to Maricopa! I have watched this area degenerate from a humble, sustainable desert oasis to one of the most polluted, greedy, and poorly planned metropolises in the country. There are still many, many wonderful and affordable communities inside Phoenix proper, and frankly the quality of life is much better...shorter commutes, stronger neighborhoods, better built and more efficient homes just to name a few. I love Tempe, and am happy to be here, but unsustainable big-box development like Vistanica, Maricopa, Anthem, and a dozen other slap-dash communities that plague this area are setting us on a crash course for extinction as a region.

This is a desert...we have very little natural water supply, and the land cannot replenish itself with this degree of overuse. We are happy to have new neighbors and are a friendly people, but transplants to this area need to respect the resources and the limited tolerance of this land. Also keep in mind, that this whole area is a giant finger in the eye of a couple dozen native tribes, including the Tohono O'Odham who had their water supply and reservation land co-opted by Maricopa and other opportunistic developments in the last 100 years. Please spread the word, and good luck with your move!

[vegaspilgrim]

I agree with crewbank that much of this development taking place is unsustainable. Don't listen to me-- I'm just some young punk not even from here-- take it from crewbank, a true Arizona native. azdreamin', I wish you success in your move to Maricopa, but consider how your words sound:

Originally Posted by azdreamin'

My husband now drives 40 min to work everyday so the commute into Tempe isnt a big deal.

We drive 30-45 to the nearest mall so lack of infastructure is ok to.

What you're saying in essence is you have low standards-- you don't mind wasting time, money, and gas in your current location and you plan on continuing those same standards in Arizona. How many other people on the road would it take who have the same idea as you before it would turn into a big deal? How high would the price of gas have to go before it turned into a big deal? Now to be fair, Maricopa to Tempe (depending on where in Tempe-- are you talking south Tempe, downtown Tempe, or the Papago Park area) isn't really THAT bad relative to the commutes many people make; it's probably even quicker than commuting from southeast Gilbert or Queen Creek or far east Mesa or somewhere in the west valley to Tempe. Still, If you're commuting during rush hour, I'd probably leave an hour before you have to show up at work, just to make sure you get there on time. NEVER believe realtors when they tell you x is only ____ minutes from y. They are exaggerating and sometimes down right lying to you 90% of the time.

[crewbank]

Great point vegas pilgrim! I am saddened that so many people think that their time is not worth more. I lived in LA briefly, and made 3x what I make here, but 20 hours/week on the road gave me little family time or time to enjoy the fun stuff there. We decided to take a pay cut, move back home close to our family and less time on the road by living in a central, established community. We've never looked back!

With free neighborhood commuters, light rail on the way, and improved city streets and freeways, I think we live much better in a smaller place in Tempe than we ever would in a 3000 sq. ft. single-coat stucco nightmare in the BFE. By the way, if there's ever a severe water shortage (likely in the next 20 years), what community do you think will be the first to get shorted? Probably not the Tempe-Scottsdale-Phoenix area where the politicians, CEOs, and vacationing monarchs own property! By the way, I haven't lost a dime on my home as a result of the real estate crunch. Maricopa is fairly volatile in contrast. Best of luck, what ever you decide, and be sure to pack a bathing suit and some SPF 45.

[Garson]

Crewbank: The original poster is looking for a place to retire! Why would they want to live in a transient college town like Tempe?
I myself am not retired but would gladly spend time driving to a destination so that at the end of the day I do not end up in a place like Tempe!!
Mill Ave can be a great place to spend an afternoon once in a while ...but not as great as ten years ago....but who would want to live there over the age of 30?
IMO Tempe has really degenerated over the last few years.

[crewbank]

I think this is great place to retire, and I do not understand concerns that Tempe has declined. Garson, what is it that you don't like, specifically? We have the lowest crime rates in 25 years, beautiful parks, great public transportation, all sorts of cultural and arts events for people of all ages, not to mention a thriving retired population and some of the highest sustained levels of home values in the valley. I think it is well worth considering retiring in Tempe.

The homes are almost all well-built, accessible, and easy to maintain, unlike many new developments. We are close to many great golf and tennis facilities, as well as centrally located to any excursions in or out of the valley. The atmosphere is pleasant and there are lots of great restaurants and social clubs around town. To dispel a myth about Tempe, college kids and parties are not really an issue south of Broadway Ave. I live a mile from campus, and you can hear a pin drop most nights with the exception of distant fireworks on game nights. Different strokes for different folks I suppose, but the retirees in my neighborhood seem very happy.