Better Value: Verrado's Sophisticated Style or Estrella's Family Amenities? (Peoria: fit in, rent)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Montanama

Oh. So no paddle boards or that kind of thing either I suppose. Do people actually use boats on the water then? Or are the lakes more for looking at? (I know treated effluent can be used for drinking water, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here if they don't want people swimming in it.)

These are the things that are good to know, that the website doesn't tell you. There's a water slide! Awesome! (It's not open in the winter or spring.) There are lakes with beaches! Beautiful! (Don't get in the water.)

The small sailboats shown in the marketing materials are what we call "wet sailers" up here. In other words, you're getting in the water to start and stop, and you're fairly likely to get wet along the way. Do you see people sailing on the lakes?

I know these don't seem like important issues, probably, when you're living there; for us, though, the lakes as an optional vacation activity would be a big factor.

Can guests and/or renters use the facilities (pool, gym) at an extra charge?

Sorry for all the questions. We really need to get there and look around, but I know that time will be tight as always when house hunting, so I'd like to know as much as I can before we get there.

Yes. There are paddle boats and sail boats and people get wet, fall in, etc. My kids used to take out the boats and have "battles" and come home soaked. As for the pool, it is too cold to swim in winter around here - at least for people who live here year round. You will learn to appreciate that.

They just started doing the effluent thing and sent out a message that it was safe to fall in the water etc. The water that comes out of the pipe is actually pretty sterile. When I was in college I had a water treatment course. The professor took us to a Tucson water treatment plant. While he was describing it all he took a glass and drank a bit of treated water! We about died, but he lived on and was in class the next day.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Montanama

That's something we'll need to consider carefully. Most likely if we rented it would be long term, but I see lots of places in both Verrado and Estrella on VRBO. Do you just meant that renters can't use the facilities, or do you mean you're not supposed to rent weekly at all? The lady at the sales center at Verrado said it was "frowned upon" but not disallowed. Eek, we'll have to find out. Lord knows we don't want to run astray of the HOA!!

Our experience at Estrella has only been with long-term/1 year leases and transferring rights to tenants was not an issue....it just required our tenants to fill out a form and both the tenants and we, the property owners, sign off on it(and a $100 xfer fee as I recall).

Not sure about the VRBO/short term rents how/if the use of facilities are transferred.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Montanama

That's something we'll need to consider carefully. Most likely if we rented it would be long term, but I see lots of places in both Verrado and Estrella on VRBO. Do you just meant that renters can't use the facilities, or do you mean you're not supposed to rent weekly at all? The lady at the sales center at Verrado said it was "frowned upon" but not disallowed. Eek, we'll have to find out. Lord knows we don't want to run astray of the HOA!!

Both! They also have a no guests policy without a person that is listed as living at the premise. So we are on the same page, the Verrado employees are 150 yards away from me here in Marley Park. The policy was changed with a wave of the wand. The penalties are steep. There are still people on VRBO who advertise here. VRBO ads therefore are meaningless about the pending or official policies.

if it was me, I'd assume Verrado will be changing their policy. It could be as quick as a memo. The fact that it is "frowned upon" speaks volumes.

Edit: Long term renters CAN use the faculties. When shot term renting was allowed, they changed the rules to read "guests can only be at the facility with a listed owner".

I did ask DMB if anyone complained about short term renting. She said once or twice. Then I asked if anyone complained about dogs barking. She said of course. I asked her when they were putting in place a no dog policy because that seems to be a bigger problem. Hence, the policy isn't logical.

[Montanama]

Good to know, MN-Born-n-Raised. Yes, I imagine DMB still retains control at this point in the subdivision's growth.

We liked Marley Park too. Lots there were smaller & I really do want a backyard pool, so we kept heading west .


Thanks for the clarification, Ponderosa. I was thinking the "no swimming" signs would preclude the jumping of the boats and, uh, splashing about while afloat in the water . I am not concerned about treated effluent itself, yucky as it sounds--I know the standards it must be cleaned to and it's certainly cleaner than what I would think of as "lake water." It's the signs saying "No swimming" that make me wonder what the issue is. Could be a lot of things I guess. But we weren't attracted to the lakes to swim in (as I said, uck.), but to boat in which for my kids does mean jumping off, rocking each other's boats, etc. Good to know that is still sanctioned activity.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Montanama

Good to know, MN-Born-n-Raised. Yes, I imagine DMB still retains control at this point in the subdivision's growth.

We liked Marley Park too. Lots there were smaller & I really do want a backyard pool, so we kept heading west .

In our hood, they will maintain control for a solid 10 years (based off of 200 homes sold per year).

For what it is worth, there are plenty of 10,000 lots. Google an address in the original area (Reems and Waddell) and you will see a plethora of backyard pools.

[pgc323]

Estrella is beautiful, and I did consider purchasing a second home there. I also noticed the power lines, and I didn't like them. However, they were not a deal killer. Overall, I was very impressed with Estrella and it would be my first choice for living south of the 101 in Phoenix.

However, I ended up buying a home in Anthem for the second time since 2010 (rentals for now). I am a retired wildlife conservation officer (game warden), and very outdoor oriented. For me, Anthem is like the last frontier before you break into the Tonto National Forest, yet it still has enough conveniences to satisfy me. The OP seems to place a lot of importance on lakes. Anthem has a 4 acre lake stocked with fish (bass, etc.), but the water is green, and not for me. However, 10,000 acre Lake Pleasant is another story, and very close to Anthem. Fishing, boating, camping, etc. The Anthem community park, lake, and Anthem in general is beautifully maintained. The people are friendly, and it is geared toward family life with children. You can't go wrong with either choice. Just depends on your priorities.
About Lake Pleasant.

[Ponderosa]

Here is a link to one of the monthly magazines that get distributed in Estrella. It will give you a sense of the kind of activities/news that is going on:

ISSUU - Life in Estrella Magazine - March 2014 by Jonathan Himlin

[hts]

Disclaimer: I live/own in the Anthem country club (our kids are 13, 12 & 10), so I'm biased.

That being said, if you're not sold on Anthem, between the two you're looking at I'm partial to Verrado. To me, it has a much more upscale feel than EMR. Verrado was developed by DMB, who I consider one of the premier residential real estate firms in the country. I fell in love with DC Ranch in Snottsdale, decided I couldn't afford it, and then learned about Verrado--this was back in 2003-2004. Verrado was just getting going at that time, and I decided I didn't want to be around construction for 10 years (I haven't been out there since, but I'm guessing there's probably another 10 years of construction to go, lol?).

In any event, we obviously chose Anthem. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it works well for us. Check out the country club (as well as Parkside) if you're just looking for a resort feel for a couple of months/year. Good luck to ya!

[Montanama]

Yes, I am a bit hung up on the lakes in Estrella, and whether they are a plus. The natural setting and the added recreational option are the two things that were leading me toward Estrella Mountain Ranch over Verrado. Verrado has the community center, the pool, and the gym as well as a golf course, and it felt welcoming and comfortable to me.

In fact one of the things I liked best about Anthem's location was its proximity to Lake Pleasant. (And better shopping, proximity to Scottsdale, etc.) But Anthem felt bigger. Would kids ride their bikes to the community center there? It seemed like it was on a pretty busy road. Is $250k realistic for the country club or Parkside areas?

The water slides at Estrella aren't really a plus, it turns out, if our guests can't use them when we aren't there in the summer--and we won't really be there in the summer. So if the lakes aren't really going to provide some additional entertainment, then they would just be....pretty I guess, and in that case the edge would have to go to Verrado. I think Verrado is pretty--in a different way.

What about Anthem's policy on short term rentals then, as long as we've thrown Anthem back into the mix? I've seen Anthem homes on VRBO, but as noted above, that doesn't necessarily mean it's "legal" with the HOA.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by hts

Disclaimer: I live/own in the Anthem country club (our kids are 13, 12 & 10), so I'm biased.

That being said, if you're not sold on Anthem, between the two you're looking at I'm partial to Verrado. To me, it has a much more upscale feel than EMR. Verrado was developed by DMB, who I consider one of the premier residential real estate firms in the country. I fell in love with DC Ranch in Snottsdale, decided I couldn't afford it, and then learned about Verrado--this was back in 2003-2004. Verrado was just getting going at that time, and I decided I didn't want to be around construction for 10 years (I haven't been out there since, but I'm guessing there's probably another 10 years of construction to go, lol?).

In any event, we obviously chose Anthem. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it works well for us. Check out the country club (as well as Parkside) if you're just looking for a resort feel for a couple of months/year. Good luck to ya!

You have not been to Verrado in 10 years and you are recommending it over Estrella because it feels more upscale?