Anyone know anything about Surprise, AZ (Phoenix, Tucson: appointed, 2014, house)

[stevek64]

Just another opinion from a Surprise resident. We really don't find it a big deal to drive to other parts of the valley. While eventually 303 will be a major highway(see ADOT site for time-line), it's now a 50mph road lined with farms with just a few lights. Driving on 303 for about 10 miles from our Surprise home gets us to Interstate 10....piece of cake. As for Bell road, there are several roads that run parallel to it if you want to avoid Bell road traffic(which we find for the most part to be very reasonable), but as mentioned, it's all a personal opinion on what heavy traffic is/isn't. We take Greenway all the time, cross over to Bell via the many streets that connect the 2.....easy! Another advantage to the location of Surprise that we liked is we're closer to other parts of the country we like to visit....Las Vegas and the CA coast. If one lives in the east valley, you can easily be another hour from getting to those destinations. There's a beautiful state park called the White Tank mountains that's < 15 minute drive from our home that we love to visit. It's probably our favorite in the valley. We visit Surprise park often(about 5 minutes from our home) and they have great tennis courts we like to play on, basketball courts, volleyball, dog parks, sidewalks around a lake, etc.

I do agree that if I had a job on the other side of the valley, I would not want to commute there everyday but I guess everyone has a different definition of what a long commute is.

Prasada is another development project in Surprise that I think will be neat Mod Cut: No links with less than 10 posts.
Overall, we love living here in Surprise. We find the town very friendly, clean, low crime, and we've found the City of Surprise government very responsive to the few inquiries we've made since we've been here. And what has been mentioned many times, the housing is very reasonable. We couldn't believe the house we got for the money.

Steve

[lyzzard]

Originally Posted by cathybus

Electricity here on the east coast is out of sight. My electric hot water, cooking and heating bill is just horrible. I imagine that the price of electricity is no different in Arizona.
While shopping for a house, should I consider one that offers gas for utilities or is there no significant difference in price?
Thanks in advance for those who have replied to my last question and hopefully this one.

Our electric bill has actually gone down from a 700sqft middle apartment in a 60 year old tri-plex to a 1800+sqft two story home. Energy efficiency makes a huge difference! I'm hoping sometime next year we can buy a solar water heater as well, that should bring it down quite a bit. Gas bills here can really vary on your use. At the apartment it was on average $30 a month, in another place it was a lot worse. I personally prefer electric all the way.

Originally Posted by kelkel423

I have been reading forums and need some help also !!! POSSIBLE RELOCATION TO SURPRISE ... HUBBY JOB WOULD BE IN SURPRISE SO SMALL COMMUTE TIME.... WE NEED A FAMILY FRIENDLY,PET FRIENDLY ,SAFE COMMUNITY AND OUR BUGET IS SMALL DUE TO RELOCATION COST AND ME GOING TO GO WITH OUT A JOB TIL WE HAVE THE KIDS SETTLED.BUGET 150,000 OR LOWER IF WE CAN !!! ANY THOUGHTS

Most communities around here fit the bill. There are a lot of good homes that you can get for a fantastic price, even some foreclosures that aren't wrecked to all get out. We live in the Sierra Montana area and really enjoy it. It's quiet, there's lots of parks/playgrounds for the kids, it's close to all the amenities (imo anyhow), the HOA fees/CC&R's aren't terrible, and the people are friendly. Rule of thumb, stay west of Litchfield (or at least Dysart) and stay north of Cactus, although there are some nice homes south of Cactus, that's just what I was told when looking around. Between Dysard and Litchfield are some nice areas, but you have to look around the neighborhoods before you buy the home.

[Townandcountrygal]

Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts

Speaking of renters, how can you find out this ratio? Is there a website somewhere, or do you just find out by driving through the neighborhood and observing the neglected lawns etc.

Don't assume a neglected lawn indicates rental property! Can go either way.

[CDAZforum]

Originally Posted by want2leaveVA

My husband and I are in the process of selling our home in Va Bch and can't wait to move to AZ. We were thinking about the Cottonwood area, but have been informed that there are no jobs for people in our age range (26/30). I was looking at homes in Surprise and found them to be reasonable. Does anyone know anything about the area? How is housing, crime, schools, jobs? Would appreciate any feed back!

I'm not sure why they might've said that about employment. There's work here. It likely will depend upon your experience. I have a house for sale in a very family friendly neighborhood. The schools are excellent.

[surprisemelinda]

Does anyone know what the choices of exterior paint u can have in Kingswood Parke

[ibarrio]

Originally Posted by surprisemelinda

Does anyone know what the choices of exterior paint u can have in Kingswood Parke

you didn't get a CD/guidelines from the HOA? Pretty sure you need approval first

[surpriseresident]

I live in Surprise, Az. and worked for city government in California. The local government here is, well, a mess. Someone posted something about Surprise getting a mall. That is not going to happen. The idiots in the Community Development Department at Surprise City Hall allowed Walmart to build a Supercenter at the entrance to what was going to be the Prasada Mall. City Planning 101 states that no retail development will occur withing three to five square miles of a Walmart Supercenter. The mall is dead, period. It is like living on the surface of the sun here from mid May through late September to mid October. If you survive that, the winter is nice. Personally, we're moving back to the beach in Oxnard, California................75 degrees year round, you can't fry meat on your driveway and there are colors other than beige.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by surpriseresident

I live in Surprise, Az. and worked for city government in California. The local government here is, well, a mess. Someone posted something about Surprise getting a mall. That is not going to happen. The idiots in the Community Development Department at Surprise City Hall allowed Walmart to build a Supercenter at the entrance to what was going to be the Prasada Mall. City Planning 101 states that no retail development will occur withing three to five square miles of a Walmart Supercenter. The mall is dead, period. It is like living on the surface of the sun here from mid May through late September to mid October. If you survive that, the winter is nice. Personally, we're moving back to the beach in Oxnard, California................75 degrees year round, you can't fry meat on your driveway and there are colors other than beige.

[mod cut-- rude, personal]

So I understand you live in Surprise and you hate it. You then google "Surprise AZ" and find this site called City-Data and want to post how a Super Walmart == no retail development within 3-5 square miles. Look at a satellite view of just about every Super Walmart and you will see MASSIVE retail development surrounding it. Do you want some proof? See the other Super Walmart in Surprise https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6422.../data=!3m1!1e3 . Notice that its location is by Home Depot, Target, Kohls, and hundreds of other retail establishments.

If the "Mall is dead", it will have everything to do with a population on the west end of town. If i was a retailer, I'd be waiting for the 303 completion which will eventually mean more housing. That's YEARS away and therefore I'm predicting the mall is also a decade away from becoming a reality. In the meantime, people will have a Super Walmart to buy from. If I was a city planner, I would have done the same thing.

[jimj]

Prasada dead? Hardly.
My neighbor works in the Goodyear planning office and we talk about what's going on around the Prasada area quite frequently as we live out by White Tanks park.
Here's what I've been able to find out so far. Major building is set to begin once the 303 is finished. It's my understanding that some/many of the building permits require that building commence when Loop 303 fully opens.
Of course the economy will be the throttle but if how fast they're building car dealerships out here is any indication I'd expect things to start moving along here this winter. I'm told that the area around Dicks Sporting Goods/Wolf warehouses is an "inland port" (International Trade Zone) which is basically the same as a normal coastal port just without water and several large warehouse complexes are set to be built there.
Once these major warehouse/manufacturing companies fire up housing will naturally have to follow. I'm waiting to find out what companies have plans in the pipeline and what new jobs are on the way.

Target was set to start construction at Prasada this year, don't know if it's still on track but it'll be obvious when the land that's being farmed right now starts to be cleared.

Harkins is also set to build a multi-screen theater out here as well.

I'd say things are looking up out here from the desolation it was at the height of the R.E. bust.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by jimj

Prasada dead? Hardly.
Major building is set to begin once the 303 is finished.

Received our city of Goodyear info document in the mail the other day and mentioned this info on the 303/I10 interchange completion:

Overview

Getting close.