Goodyear and Buckeye Communities (Phoenix, Avondale: for sale, to rent, HOA fees)

[ksgeezer]

We are retirees who plan to move to Phoenix to be closer to our son who lives in LA. Based on the trips we have made so far, it appears that Buckeye and Goodyear would both be very convenient. We have visited several communities in these towns, and our top three choices at this point are the Sundance 55+ community, Palm Valley, and Estrella. We would appreciate any insight or advice regarding these choices. I'm sure that there are other viable options because we have not visited every community in this area, but we are trying to develop a manageable list.

[LBTRS]

Out of those three Estrella is the nicest by far. Only downside is the drive to get to everything is a bit coming off the mountain. At least they have the Safeway there now.

Have you looked at Verado? Another very nice community that is closer to the freeway than Estrella.

Also, why not Pebble Creek if you're looking at Palm Valley? I like Pebble Creek the best out of all the Goodyear and Buckeye communities as it feels more upscale than the rest.

We live in Goodyear and it is very convenient when traveling to Southern California or Las Vegas.

[nightgirl151]

Are you looking for strictly 55+ communities/ or open to any communities in the area? I am not a retiree, but I have been on the search for my parents who will be buying a second home within the next year as they retire. I currenlty live in Goodyear, both Pebble Creek, and Estrella are beautiful- have you checked out Canta Mia in the southern most portion of Estrella? That by far was my most favorite- it was a bit removed from the rest of Estrella, but thats part of what I liked about it, beautiful views of the mountains. In Goodyear though, its hard to go wrong with any of your choices in Pebble Creek, Palm Valley or Estrella, they are all safe communities. Verrado is also nice as someone else mentioned.

[ksgeezer]

Thanks for the great information! We have looked at both 55+ and non-55+ communities, and they both have their advantages. It would be nice to have access to a pool since I swim laps for exercise, but neither of us play golf. The HOA fees for the communities we have visited seem to vary quite a bit so that may also be a factor. Some are lower than we are currently paying, but some a quite a bit higher. In every case, the drive to or from LA will be quite a bit shorter.

[Ponderosa]

I live in Estrella. You have been here so you know how it looks. It is a great place to live if you can tolerate the hassle of driving "down the hill" for many of the things you need. The isolation is the reason most choose to live here, though. Estrella has a community feel to it that I have never found elsewhere in the places I have lived in Phoenix. People tend to know each other and bump into each other often because of the limited shopping and the recreational facilities. We are all going to or coming from the same places. I think the small town feel of the place sets it apart more than anything.

[psychomantis]

Originally Posted by nightgirl151

Are you looking for strictly 55+ communities/ or open to any communities in the area? I am not a retiree, but I have been on the search for my parents who will be buying a second home within the next year as they retire. I currenlty live in Goodyear, both Pebble Creek, and Estrella are beautiful- have you checked out Canta Mia in the southern most portion of Estrella? That by far was my most favorite- it was a bit removed from the rest of Estrella, but thats part of what I liked about it, beautiful views of the mountains. In Goodyear though, its hard to go wrong with any of your choices in Pebble Creek, Palm Valley or Estrella, they are all safe communities. Verrado is also nice as someone else mentioned.

Last week I was visiting some friends that live in the Pebble Creek area of Goodyear. I was absolutely shocked with how beautiful, clean and modern everything is there compared to here in old, dirty, cold, grey Pittsburgh. I'm making the jump to the valley next month, and couldn't be happier.

[Java Jolt]

Goodyear and Buckeye are almost entirely made up of master-planned communities.

Estrella, Palm Valley, Pebble Creek, and Verrado are just a few master-planned developments that have nearly anything a person could want without having to commute too far.

As Ponderosa wrote they are close-knit with a strong sense of community. Immensely suburban with that special small-town feel, something you don't find in Phoenix itself.

[snobrdwannabe]

We are late 50's and retired and live in Wyoming. While I love it here in the summer I hate the winters so we are looking into buying a winter home in the Phx area. We stayed in Pebble Creek (their Test Drive program) and loved the area. We also stayed in Canta Mia in Dec (similar program) and while we liked the area the newness of the development (only about 75 homes built so far and that includes about 20 spec homes for sale) concerned us for several reasons. We like the Estrella Mountain community and are going to rent a house there for a week later this month to see how we like "living there". We are also going to check out Verrado and Trilogy at Vistancia on this trip. We like the idea of an MPC but are not sure if we want an age restricted area or not - we are leaning towards going the non-age restricted route. The gated communities may be a bit more secure but they also come with higher HOA's. I will be reading this forum to continue getting opinions on the various areas while we make our decision (not in a big hurry but if we find the area that feels right and the right house we will not hesitate either). Thanks for everyone's feedback to ksgeezer as it fits the areas we've been considering.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by snobrdwannabe

We are late 50's and retired and live in Wyoming. While I love it here in the summer I hate the winters so we are looking into buying a winter home in the Phx area. We stayed in Pebble Creek (their Test Drive program) and loved the area. We also stayed in Canta Mia in Dec (similar program) and while we liked the area the newness of the development (only about 75 homes built so far and that includes about 20 spec homes for sale) concerned us for several reasons. We like the Estrella Mountain community and are going to rent a house there for a week later this month to see how we like "living there". We are also going to check out Verrado and Trilogy at Vistancia on this trip. We like the idea of an MPC but are not sure if we want an age restricted area or not - we are leaning towards going the non-age restricted route. The gated communities may be a bit more secure but they also come with higher HOA's. I will be reading this forum to continue getting opinions on the various areas while we make our decision (not in a big hurry but if we find the area that feels right and the right house we will not hesitate either). Thanks for everyone's feedback to ksgeezer as it fits the areas we've been considering.

There are plenty of areas including some master-planned communities in the west valley that aren't age-restricted.

I also prefer a mixed age group but in a newer well-kept suburban setting, and my neighborhood in northern Avondale is perfece for what I want.

My suggestion is to try out Avondale, Goodyear, Surprise, and even Litchfield Park, I think you find most of the neighborhoods very appealing.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by snobrdwannabe

We also stayed in Canta Mia in Dec (similar program) and while we liked the area the newness of the development (only about 75 homes built so far and that includes about 20 spec homes for sale) concerned us for several reasons.

We visited Canta Mia this weekend and although it was nice it was just too new and undeveloped for our taste. Maybe in five years it will be desirable for us. Pebble Creek is much more appealing to my wife and I.