Gilbert vs. Buckeye (yeah, weird pairing, let me explain...) (Phoenix: renting, HOA) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

robnorth · 04-12-2013, 02:14 PM

So. We're looking seriously to buy a house. We'd love to stay in the north Phoenix/north Scottsdale area where we're renting (56th St and E Bell), but anything big enough for me and my wife and three teenage girls (min. 3 br and 1500 sqft) is either too expensive for us (max. $240k, would like to keep it to around $200k or less) or it needs a lot of work (and I am NOT a handyman by any means).

So we're looking elsewhere. And we're figuring "Hey, if we have to go to a different location, we might as well look at new or new-ish homes." We don't have a huge preference for one place or another, as long as it's not too far from my work (24th St. and E Camelback).

The realtor we've been working with has a one-year-old house in Power Ranch in Gilbert. (Current owner's in the military, thought he wasn't going to be transferred for a while, thought wrong.) 2105 sqft, 3 br + loft, about 40 min. from work, $218k, high HOA payments but also tons of amenities. Gilbert's pros (for us) are that there would be lots of other Mormons there, it'd be close to the new Gilbert temple (about 3 miles), and it's close to EVIT and SCC (which one of our daughters would like to attend for culinary arts programs for grades 11 and 12 and for the two years after that respectively). (To be honest, having lots of other Mormons nearby might also be a bad thing in some ways....)

But then someone pointed us at some new homes in Buckeye. I'd rejected looking in Buckeye 'cause I have a friend who lived there, said he had a horrible commute, and now lives in Chandler. But it turns out there are new houses being built just off I-10 that are also around 40 min. from my work. And (to use one "move-in ready" house as an example), we could get a very similar 3-br 2097 sqft house for $169k, or about 22% cheaper. The obvious pro here is the price (that Gilbert house might be stretching our budget just a tad), and the fact that my commute wouldn't be any longer (at least according to Google Maps). But I know nothing else about Buckeye, since I hadn't paid any attention to it. We'd lose the "being near the temple" and "being near EVIT and SCC" bits, but there might be other advantages I don't know about.

So. If anyone has pros and cons about either place that I don't know about, I'm all ears. We may do something insane like make an offer tomorrow on one or the other....

Ponderosa · 04-12-2013, 02:25 PM

Where in Buckeye? Unless it is Verrado, it is not going to compare favorably with Power Ranch. I don't think it is Verrado as that is mostly a 200s and up community today.

As for church, there is a pretty new LDS church (not temple) on Estrella Prky just s. of I10 in Goodyear.. There is another one near the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, too. You could probably find a house in your price in Goodyear close to the freeway. It's a good 10 miles closer than Buckeye.

LBTRS · 04-12-2013, 02:37 PM

Wow, commuting from Buckeye to the east valley would not be something I'd want to do regardless of the cost of the house. I commuted from Goodyear to downtown for two years and that was no fun...Buckeye to 26th st and camelback would make it even worse. I'd look closer to your work if I were you.

robnorth · 04-12-2013, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Where in Buckeye? Unless it is Verrado, it is not going to compare favorably with Power Ranch. I don't think it is Verrado as that is mostly a 200s and up community today.

It's "Brighton at Watson Estate",Watson Road just south of Yuma Rd, I-10 exit 117.

robnorth · 04-12-2013, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Wow, commuting from Buckeye to the east valley would not be something I'd want to do regardless of the cost of the house. I commuted from Goodyear to downtown for two years and that was no fun...Buckeye to 26th st and camelback would make it even worse. I'd look closer to your work if I were you.

I'd like that, but "closer to work" for me is either too expensive or too iffy, as far as I can see. And I'm OK with riding my motorcycle for an hour or so each day.

(I used to have a commute in Vancouver BC that was 1h10 by transit and 1h30 by car, each way; ick. I'm cool with up to 45 minutes.) And as I said, the place in Gilbert was about the same time away as the place in Buckeye, around 40 minutes. (Actually, the distance is within a mile of each other, and the Gilbert one is tagged as being a bit longer time-wise, probably because it's not as close to a freeway.)

ETA:Just looked online at 3 developments east of the above: The Villages at Blue Horizons (about 1.5 miles south of I-10 Jackrabbit/195th Ave exit), Canyon Trails (south of I-10, Cotton Lane, about 2.5 mi/past Yuma), and Las Brisas Discovery and Encore (south of I-10, Perryville, about 3.5 mi/past Lower Buckeye). We'll definitely take a closer look at those, too ... they're all between 30 and 40 minutes from work. Thanks.

LBTRS · 04-12-2013, 04:51 PM

I live in Canyon Trails in Goodyear and you can get a lot of house for $200k. No need to go all the way to Buckeye. Blue Horizons may be someplace I don't know about but I drive by it all the time and it is just vacant lots with no homes. This is going down Yuma road. Maybe there are some houses north closer to the 10. I'd look at Goodyear if I were you. Will knock some time off and there is more in Goodyear than Buckeye and you have easier access to things.

azdr0710 · 04-12-2013, 06:11 PM

you can't find anything nearer to 24th and Camelback that's safe and roomy for that price??.....

I know prices have gone up in the last 1.5 years, but there should be something....

either commute would kill me, not to mention gas expense....

what about South Scottsdale, the (approx) 40th and Indian School area, maybe the 40th and Cactus/Shea area????.....just a couple ideas....

get that realtor on the ball!

BuckeyeBoyDJ · 04-12-2013, 06:33 PM

Buckeye is pretty much the most ignored suburban area/city in the Phoenix area. If I had to choose I would choose Gilbert for the simple fact that it's more built up and there's much more to do in the area and it's just overall nicer. Power Ranch is like in the far SE corner of Gilbert though bordering Queen Creek city limits and it would be a long commute to 24th St&Camelback. You can find something much closer to work in your price range. Have you considered Ahwatukee or the NW part of Chandler. You can definitely find a house big enough for your family for 240k. The house will be slightly older by Phoenix standards but in no way ancient. You don't have to go waaay out to the burbs. Those commutes will get old....at least for me cuz I hate driving.

military spouse · 04-12-2013, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Where in Buckeye? Unless it is Verrado, it is not going to compare favorably with Power Ranch. I don't think it is Verrado as that is mostly a 200s and up community today.

As for church, there is a pretty new LDS church (not temple) on Estrella Prky just s. of I10 in Goodyear.. There is another one near the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, too. You could probably find a house in your price in Goodyear close to the freeway. It's a good 10 miles closer than Buckeye.

My vote is with Ponderosa and I'm partial to the West Valley

I would choose Gilbert with all the amenities, especially if you are Mormon. If it is Verrado, I'd be very tempted, but anything else in Buckeye really wouldn't float my boat!

robnorth · 04-14-2013, 11:17 PM

Update: Looked at some stuff in Estrella ... very nice area, but is it going to be "too far" from everything? And how is I-10 during rush hour lately; is it still a parking lot during rush hour? What about in the HOV lane (I ride motorcycle to/from work).