Maricopa vs. Ahwatukee/South Tempe/Chandler (Gilbert: apartment complexes, renters, HOA fees)

[Rpn0728]

I just returned to Nebraska from a week in Maricopa with friends, one of whom lives in Maricopa. Prices on homes in Maricopa that are 5-8 years old are truly unbelievable to me. Most of the houses are beautiful, as are most of the neighborhoods. The commute to do almost anything up north to at least the Ahwatukee area is a big waste of time and gas.

But- it seems houses in Ahwatukee and east of I-10 down south in Tempe or Chandler are generally speaking a little older and it doesn't look like you can get a similar house for the money that you can in Maricopa. To drive 20 miles to anything at all is pretty much a personal decision of how much time you want to spend in a car and how much you want to spend on gas.

But utilities also seem to be a problem in Maricopa. Apparently there is a $60 monthly charge whether you use any water or not. Water is high, not sure how much higher than other places, not so sure about electricity and HOA fees. Anyone have thoughts on the difference in utility bills and HOA fees and any other fees in the areas I am talking about? Would they nullify the savings you would get on the price of the house? If these additional costs amount to several hundred dollars a month, then that would be a significant factor to consider.

A lot of the houses in Maricopa look like they should be maybe $250-400,000+ (and they probably once were) and they are selling for $125-180,000+ approx. My friend bought a beautiful Fulton home 3 bedroom, 3 car garage, with pool, 5-6 years old, for $150,000. Are there bargains anything like this in the Ahwatukee area or just east of I-10?

Not to be to redundant, but does that kind of a bargain offset the disadvantages of the location and other costs of living associated with Maricopa? Of course it's a personal decision, but what do you think?

[observer53]

The extra drive and extra utility and gas costs would not be worth it to me, no matter the bargain on the house. There are probably some bargains to be had closer to the city, probably not to the extent as in Maricopa. I think the long term future of Maricopa, with, in some respects, the sort of people who can suddenly afford to live there (there are LOTS of rental homes in Maricopa, too), gas prices, utilities, city services, is a big question mark.

[rjrcm]

The pricing in Maricopa reflects the issues with the commute. You might find something in that price range in the Foothills Club West area of Ahwatukee. This area also has commuting issues, but not to the exent as Maricopa.

[turkpbr]

You can find cheaper homes in Maricopa. Just recently a 3/2 sold for $90k just a few doors down. A lot depends on where your commute is to. I have one neighbor who works in Chandler and the other works in Gilbert. I know a few other people who work at Intel, Avnet and the BofA campus in Chandler. Their commutes are less than 20 miles. I commute 37 miles, but I also carpool (HOV) and usually get to work and home in 45 minutes.

Cons are Global Water, they can be a PITA to deal with sometimes. The 347 being only 4 lanes with traffic lights on it. More renters right now. Plenty of Canadians. Pros for me, much bigger back yard for my labs. Low crime. It's pretty quiet at night. No apartment complexes. My HOA has a pool, so no maintenance for me. It's rare for me to go back into Chandler on the weekends unless it is to Lowe's. I don't have to fight traffic on the 10 if I need to get to the west side, I can use Riggs/51st Ave through the reservation.