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To my mind, Goodyear is more like Gilbert/Chandler/Ahwatukee while Surprise is more like Avondale/Tolleson. There were tons of cheap houses (80-90K)built in Surprise about 10 years ago with predictable results. Newer areas are better, but the inconvenient location holds down prices.
Goodyear has a more upscale feel and has (as of 2005 at least) the highest median family income in the metro area. There are many housing choices in Goodyear for 300K. Goodyear is much more convenient to the airport area - maybe 30 minutes. Estrella Mountain Ranch in Goodyear is one of the nicest, if not the nicest, developments in the entire Phoenix area. You can find homes there for 300K too, but the selection is smaller (and so are the houses). Most of the new stuff going up in EMR is 400-700K to give you an idea of the neighborhood.
To my mind, Goodyear is more like Gilbert/Chandler/Ahwatukee while Surprise is more like Avondale/Tolleson. There were tons of cheap houses (80-90K)built in Surprise about 10 years ago with predictable results. Newer areas are better, but the inconvenient location holds down prices.
Goodyear has a more upscale feel and has (as of 2005 at least) the highest median family income in the metro area. There are many housing choices in Goodyear for 300K. Goodyear is much more convenient to the airport area - maybe 30 minutes. Estrella Mountain Ranch in Goodyear is one of the nicest, if not the nicest, developments in the entire Phoenix area. You can find homes there for 300K too, but the selection is smaller (and so are the houses). Most of the new stuff going up in EMR is 400-700K to give you an idea of the neighborhood.
Awesome comparison!! This really helps me to focus on an area. It sounds more and more like Goodyear might be a good choice for us. We wanted a 3 car garage and a pool, but hubby brought up a good point that maybe would could think about adding a pool later. The garage is something you either get or don't get. We did look at EMR a few years ago (almost relocated from Sierra Vista, AZ to PHX, but moved to PA instead) and we loved it, but perhaps it is above our price range for what we want. Thanks again!!!!!!!!
Awesome comparison!! This really helps me to focus on an area. It sounds more and more like Goodyear might be a good choice for us. We wanted a 3 car garage and a pool, but hubby brought up a good point that maybe would could think about adding a pool later. The garage is something you either get or don't get. We did look at EMR a few years ago (almost relocated from Sierra Vista, AZ to PHX, but moved to PA instead) and we loved it, but perhaps it is above our price range for what we want. Thanks again!!!!!!!!
Just keep in mind that putting in a pool will run you upwards of 25K...salt water, pebble tec, self cleaning system, and a decent sized perimeter play pool can easily run you 35-40K. And you will not make all that money up on resale, ie - you can't increase the price of your house by 40K when you sell. I think agents usually say you can add 10k, maybe 15k, to the price of your house when you sell if you have a pool. So in essence, you'll be losing money by putting in the pool yourself and you also have to come up with that money, whether it's through a home equity loan or whatever. If you buy a house with a pool, the previous owner is the one taking the financial loss, and the cost is built into your mortgage.
These are things we didn't consider when we bought our first house here in AZ, which didn't have a pool. Thankfully we didn't put a pool in there or we'd have taken a big loss when we sold that house but we did have a harder time selling it b/c it didn't have a pool - more people that move here want a pool then who don't want one. I definitely wouldn't want to live here without one.
I'd try very hard to find a house that has a 3 car garage AND a pool in an area you like. It can be done, especially in this market - people are very anxious to sell their homes, so don't think twice about making an offer on a home that may be priced a little over your budget. It's worth trying, especially if it gets you everything you need.
Just keep in mind that putting in a pool will run you upwards of 25K...salt water, pebble tec, self cleaning system, and a decent sized perimeter play pool can easily run you 35-40K. And you will not make all that money up on resale, ie - you can't increase the price of your house by 40K when you sell. I think agents usually say you can add 10k, maybe 15k, to the price of your house when you sell if you have a pool. So in essence, you'll be losing money by putting in the pool yourself and you also have to come up with that money, whether it's through a home equity loan or whatever. If you buy a house with a pool, the previous owner is the one taking the financial loss, and the cost is built into your mortgage.
These are things we didn't consider when we bought our first house here in AZ, which didn't have a pool. Thankfully we didn't put a pool in there or we'd have taken a big loss when we sold that house but we did have a harder time selling it b/c it didn't have a pool - more people that move here want a pool then who don't want one. I definitely wouldn't want to live here without one.
I'd try very hard to find a house that has a 3 car garage AND a pool in an area you like. It can be done, especially in this market - people are very anxious to sell their homes, so don't think twice about making an offer on a home that may be priced a little over your budget. It's worth trying, especially if it gets you everything you need.
So, what would be the right questions to ask the realtor when trying to find a home with a pool? Like you said, I would like someone else to absorb the cost of installing the pool. When the realtor pulls comps, are there enough houses with pools so that we can compare only those housing prices to come up with an offer price? I'm not sure how to recognize a "deal" on a house out there. I went to that AZ neighborhood site and people's houses that are for sale seem to be all over the place, with or without a pool. Thanks again!
So, what would be the right questions to ask the realtor when trying to find a home with a pool? Like you said, I would like someone else to absorb the cost of installing the pool. When the realtor pulls comps, are there enough houses with pools so that we can compare only those housing prices to come up with an offer price? I'm not sure how to recognize a "deal" on a house out there. I went to that AZ neighborhood site and people's houses that are for sale seem to be all over the place, with or without a pool. Thanks again!
I did a quick search on the MLS and found 202 listings in your price range with a 3 car garage and a pool. I'm sure your agent can come up with the same. Most are in the Queen Creek area. Just a few are in Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe & Mesa. Good luck with your search!
So, what would be the right questions to ask the realtor when trying to find a home with a pool? Like you said, I would like someone else to absorb the cost of installing the pool. When the realtor pulls comps, are there enough houses with pools so that we can compare only those housing prices to come up with an offer price? I'm not sure how to recognize a "deal" on a house out there. I went to that AZ neighborhood site and people's houses that are for sale seem to be all over the place, with or without a pool. Thanks again!
A good agent should be able to help you with all this - are you sure you have a good one? He/she should be able to direct you toward good deals, and let you know what a fair offer is based on comps. It's very easy for them to do a search for 3 car garages with a pool in a certain neighborhood. As for "deals" - you can't really tell just by the MLS b/c you need an inspection to make sure the house is ok. I'm thinking more along the lines of many people are desperate to sell now and are often willing to take well below their asking price. Additionally, most builders have a supply of spec homes and will "throw in" a pool - Shea has a pool deal now - it's only 19K toward a pool, but you can work the rest into your mortgage. So, while you're footing the bill for the pool, often the specs are priced so low that you're still getting a good deal.
For resales, on the aznb.com site, when you pull up a neighborhood it'll show you houses currently on the market, and there's also an option to see past sales and how many days it was on the market. I think it's over on the left side of the screen, but I could be wrong. When you pull up that screen, it'll have the past months for a year listed on top of the screen. Look through the past few months to get a good idea of what people have actually been selling for - often the list price is quite a bit higher then the sold price. I've found that feature to be very useful.
I think you can find what you need - it'll just take a good agent and some research on your part. You might also want to rent for a while after you move here, if you're not 100% sure of where you want to settle. It can be a pain, but it's better then buying a house you don't really like in a neighborhood you don't really like.
I'd ask your agent to work on finding houses for you, along with comps and good advice on fair offers. If you're not getting comprehensive information from him/her, I'd consider finding a new agent. There are a lot of good ones, but there are also a LOT of bad ones here - so many people jumped onto the real estate bandwagon during the boom and got their licenses and they have no business working in that field. We always interview at least 3 different agents when we hire someone.
Also, if you haven't heard, there are a few agencies who give you cash back if you use them to buy or sell. I'm probably not allowed to mention the names, but will PM them to you if you'd like. And, for the record, I'm not an agent and have no affiliation with agencies....we've just bought and sold a few houses in the past few years.
A good agent should be able to help you with all this - are you sure you have a good one? He/she should be able to direct you toward good deals, and let you know what a fair offer is based on comps. It's very easy for them to do a search for 3 car garages with a pool in a certain neighborhood. As for "deals" - you can't really tell just by the MLS b/c you need an inspection to make sure the house is ok. I'm thinking more along the lines of many people are desperate to sell now and are often willing to take well below their asking price. Additionally, most builders have a supply of spec homes and will "throw in" a pool - Shea has a pool deal now - it's only 19K toward a pool, but you can work the rest into your mortgage. So, while you're footing the bill for the pool, often the specs are priced so low that you're still getting a good deal.
For resales, on the aznb.com site, when you pull up a neighborhood it'll show you houses currently on the market, and there's also an option to see past sales and how many days it was on the market. I think it's over on the left side of the screen, but I could be wrong. When you pull up that screen, it'll have the past months for a year listed on top of the screen. Look through the past few months to get a good idea of what people have actually been selling for - often the list price is quite a bit higher then the sold price. I've found that feature to be very useful.
I think you can find what you need - it'll just take a good agent and some research on your part. You might also want to rent for a while after you move here, if you're not 100% sure of where you want to settle. It can be a pain, but it's better then buying a house you don't really like in a neighborhood you don't really like.
I'd ask your agent to work on finding houses for you, along with comps and good advice on fair offers. If you're not getting comprehensive information from him/her, I'd consider finding a new agent. There are a lot of good ones, but there are also a LOT of bad ones here - so many people jumped onto the real estate bandwagon during the boom and got their licenses and they have no business working in that field. We always interview at least 3 different agents when we hire someone.
Also, if you haven't heard, there are a few agencies who give you cash back if you use them to buy or sell. I'm probably not allowed to mention the names, but will PM them to you if you'd like. And, for the record, I'm not an agent and have no affiliation with agencies....we've just bought and sold a few houses in the past few years.
Hi,
Thanks for the response. No, I'm not sure I have a good agent I was perusing her webpage and then she contacted me. Her first message was questionably rude, but I just assumed it was a misunderstanding. We've bought and sold several homes, but Phoenix is more intimidating due to its vast size and sprawl. Also, we will be losing about $45,000 on our current house (assuming we decide to sell it) and getting a deal on the other end would make it much easier to swallow. We have considered renting, but hubby has certain issues Anything you would like to PM would be great. You mentioned Queen Creek. Would it be a reasonable commute to Sky Harbor? It seems so far. Thanks again!!!!!!!
No, Queen Creek would be the worse commute to the airport. Remember, QC is about 50 miles away.
My advice is to stick with Gilbert, Chandler, Goodyear, North Glendale, North/East Phoenix, North Peoria. (not necessarily in this order) Before I got my license a few years ago, I ended up working with 6 different agents before giving up and doing it myself. It was SO much easier this way. So, don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone else. Too bad I don't know anyone anymore that are good or I'd give you a referral.
I live in Surprise and my husband owns a business near the airport. You're looking at about an hour commute. I have lived in AZ all my life (I'm retired) and I think Goodyear is a nice area. However, the east side of town, Chandler and Gilbert are considered a little more upscale and there you will find the nicer restaurants and malls. If you look in Phoenix magazine you will see that just about all the restaurants they recommend are on the east side. Scottsdale has some very very upscale shopping and dining. In Goodyear the commute would be close to an hour also on I-10. Chandler and Gilbert are very family oriented. They are still doing a lot of new home building in Chandler and especially Gilbert. So you could buy used or new. The commute would be much easier as they have so many more freeways in that area.
If you need a realtor, I would like to recommend Scott Schneider. He was a Sun City West fire fighter for ten years. About a year ago he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. He and his wife work together and are very nice people. They are late 30's in age. I don't have his phone number handy (he's my daughters brother in law), but I can get it for you. Let me know.
As I said, I've lived here all my life and can answer any other questions you have.
This is only my second post. I didn't know about this forum. I was googling something about a restaurant we are trying tonight and I discovered this forum.
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I was perusing her webpage and then she contacted me. Her first message was questionably rude, but I just assumed it was a misunderstanding. We've bought and sold several homes, but Phoenix is more intimidating due to its vast size and sprawl. Also, we will be losing about $45,000 on our current house (assuming we decide to sell it) and getting a deal on the other end would make it much easier to swallow. We have considered renting, but hubby has certain issues
Anything you would like to PM would be great. You mentioned Queen Creek. Would it be a reasonable commute to Sky Harbor? It seems so far. Thanks again!!!!!!!
