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I'm curious as to if fellow Estrella Mountain Ranch residents are as happy with their decision to move to EMR as I am, or if EMR has changed (for the better or worse) into something different from what they thought they were buying into whenever they purchased their homes out here.
To answer my own question: I love it here at EMR and it has (so far) worked out exactly as I thought it would (how rare is that?). The lakes, the Starpointe center, the palm trees, and the general feel of the place makes it feel like a permanent summer resort. Life is quiet here, but at the same time there's a population base and most everything we need within 15-20 minutes if we head north on Estrella Parkway. The disclaimer is that we've only lived here for a month, and perhaps there is a honeymoon effect. At the same time, I fell in love with the place by the time I pulled into the visitor's information center.
I'm simply asking out of curiosity what other EMR residents feel about EMR because I'm curious. This place so far feels like paradise (and I don't have to commute so the lack of proximity to Phoenix is not applicable to me) and I find myself wondering why the place isn't filled out already with a mile-long waiting list. Will the love of this area cool after the honeymoon period ends? I'd like to know what others think if they'd enjoy sharing their opinions.
I've been there for about 20 years since there were only a couple dozen homes. For me, the place is way too overcrowded now and just like everywhere else in the metro. People, cars, noise, and traffic lights. And it is getting worse by the week. The sense of community is long gone. Again, that is for me. I suppose someone new to the area who never knew it before the hordes arrived would find it nice. It is sort of like Sedona. People who visit the first time have no idea what was lost there.
Anyway for me it is time to move on. Hopefully we can be out of here in a year or so.
Are you asking specifically about the Mountain Ranch section of Estrella or are you including everyone in Estrella?
To be clear, I'm was talking about the Mountain Ranch part of Estrella. However, I'd be curious about anybody in Montecito or CantaMia as well, since the areas are all within what I understand to be "Estrella". As I understand things, there really isn't a difference in how we live between Mountain Ranch and Montecito. The houses look the same, and we all use the same facilities and amenities.
I've been there for about 20 years since there were only a couple dozen homes. For me, the place is way too overcrowded now and just like everywhere else in the metro. People, cars, noise, and traffic lights. And it is getting worse by the week. The sense of community is long gone. Again, that is for me. I suppose someone new to the area who never knew it before the hordes arrived would find it nice. It is sort of like Sedona. People who visit the first time have no idea what was lost there.
Anyway for me it is time to move on. Hopefully we can be out of here in a year or so.
Since my first exposure to Estrella was a weekend house-hunting expedition back in Feb of this year, I can have no idea what the earlier pre-horde days of Estrella were like. I live in a new development and am one of the early people in, so I have more empty lots around me than houses right now, and am waiting for the next year or two so I'll have neighbors and an actual neighborhood feel.
So far, the area does not feel crowded in the least, and I don't have any issues with the traffic (but I've lived in the Bay Area and Chicago, so perhaps that has set my sensibilities quite differently than yours). Also, I moved here from Wyoming because I wanted to be in a warm-weather climate with a good population base.
If you don't mind my asking, are you looking for another Estrella-in-the-early-days sort of community? Also, what was this place like 20 years ago besides less crowded? (My understanding is that originally, there wasn't Starpointe, nor the shopping center with Safeway, nor a lot of the infrastructure; it was simply the lakes and a few houses.)
Since my first exposure to Estrella was a weekend house-hunting expedition back in Feb of this year, I can have no idea what the earlier pre-horde days of Estrella were like. I live in a new development and am one of the early people in, so I have more empty lots around me than houses right now, and am waiting for the next year or two so I'll have neighbors and an actual neighborhood feel.
So far, the area does not feel crowded in the least, and I don't have any issues with the traffic (but I've lived in the Bay Area and Chicago, so perhaps that has set my sensibilities quite differently than yours). Also, I moved here from Wyoming because I wanted to be in a warm-weather climate with a good population base.
If you don't mind my asking, are you looking for another Estrella-in-the-early-days sort of community? Also, what was this place like 20 years ago besides less crowded? (My understanding is that originally, there wasn't Starpointe, nor the shopping center with Safeway, nor a lot of the infrastructure; it was simply the lakes and a few houses.)
Thank you for your time and earlier reply.
You pretty much nailed it. There was nothing. The road out here (Estrella) all the way from the freeway was two lanes with stop signs every mile until you hit the bridge. You were often the only car on the road. So there was no shopping along Estrella. We had to go over to Litchfield for anything and there was not much there either. There was no Starpoint, but a pavillion and a splash pad for the kids (why did they get rid of that?) You could swim in the lakes - both north and south had beaches and they held triathlons here. It was supremely peaceful, quiet, dark at night. There were only a handful of kids in most classes at the school (now there are 40). You knew everyone it seemed. We socialized with our neighbors. It was secluded and exclusive. There was no internet yet to speak of, but we could not even get cell phone service. We had the big dishes for TV (no DISH or DirectTV then). The development went bankrupt and the developer was tossed in jail shortly after we came here. The government took over the management and left us alone and kept our fees down around 25 bucks a month.
I freely admit that most people would not have liked it, but for those to whom it appealed it was ideal and all the development that has come has transformed it into something that many of them, I suppose, don't care for anymore if they are still here. Having said that, almost all of the people on my block who were here back then are still here. They have raised their kids and now have grandkids coming over and are retired or planning their retirement to stay here. Several of our friends children are grown and have families of their own and have bought in Estrella too. All of that is really, really unique in Phoenix where transience is the norm. Estrella does get into your blood, it seems.
These days I just want out of Phoenix in general. I lived all my adult life here and raised a family. Phoenix is kind of like Estrella in that it grew way too much and lost its original character. I needed the place for employment but now that those days are behind me I am looking for a something more small town and COOLER in summer. I am so sick of summers after four decades of this. I don't think it is healthy to dread and hate summer.
I doubt I will get out though. I have too many roots in the community (never marry a local). Our best friends are all here, our families are in the Phoenix area, and my kids are in Arizona universities. So I am stuck. I'll feel better about that in October.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 07-19-2015 at 06:49 AM..
You pretty much nailed it. There was nothing. The road out here (Estrella) all the way from the freeway was two lanes with stop signs every mile until you hit the bridge. You were often the only car on the road. So there was no shopping along Estrella. We had to go over to Litchfield for anything and there was not much there either. There was no Starpoint, but a pavillion and a splash pad for the kids (why did they get rid of that?) You could swim in the lakes - both north and south had beaches and they held triathlons here. It was supremely peaceful, quiet, dark at night. There were only a handful of kids in most classes at the school (now there are 40). You knew everyone it seemed. We socialized with our neighbors. It was secluded and exclusive. There was no internet yet to speak of, but we could not even get cell phone service. We had the big dishes for TV (no DISH or DirectTV then). The development went bankrupt and the developer was tossed in jail shortly after we came here. The government took over the management and left us alone and kept our fees down around 25 bucks a month.
I freely admit that most people would not have liked it, but for those to whom it appealed it was ideal and all the development that has come has transformed it into something that many of them, I suppose, don't care for anymore if they are still here. Having said that, almost all of the people on my block who were here back then are still here. They have raised their kids and now have grandkids coming over and are retired or planning their retirement to stay here. Several of our friends children are grown and have families of their own and have bought in Estrella too. All of that is really, really unique in Phoenix where transience is the norm. Estrella does get into your blood, it seems.
These days I just want out of Phoenix in general. I lived all my adult life here and raised a family. Phoenix is kind of like Estrella in that it grew way too much and lost its original character. I needed the place for employment but now that those days are behind me I am looking for a something more small town and COOLER in summer. I am so sick of summers after four decades of this. I don't think it is healthy to dread and hate summer.
I doubt I will get out though. I have too many roots in the community (never marry a local). Our best friends are all here, our families are in the Phoenix area, and my kids are in Arizona universities. So I am stuck. I'll feel better about that in October.
Wow you're just the epitome of misery. Wherever you might end up going, you'll probably need to adjust your outlook on life. Other than perhaps Hawaii or Southern California I don't know anywhere in the US where you aren't going to have a season you dread. Every fall in New England, (I only spent 5 years there) I would dread and hate the fact that winter was coming on. What does winter look like? Months of darkness, cold to rattle your bones, and truly no way to escape it since there's no Flagstaff or Prescott a few hours away and you can't wake up early or do things at night to be in at least more tolerable temps, it only gets colder at the time of day when most people are free from work.
It's pretty kick ass outside right now, and who didn't love the rain storm last night, save for those poor folks in Wickenburg who were flooded out of there houses. I'm now on my 12th Phoenix summer, and that little 5-year stint away from Phoenix reminded me just how bad it isn't here.
You could always try Prescott, I know a few people who were just so fed up with the valley they went up there. But you still have to deal with shoveling snow and the summer days are pretty toasty still, but nights are always awesome.
Wow you're just the epitome of misery. Wherever you might end up going, you'll probably need to adjust your outlook on life. Other than perhaps Hawaii or Southern California I don't know anywhere in the US where you aren't going to have a season you dread. Every fall in New England, (I only spent 5 years there) I would dread and hate the fact that winter was coming on. What does winter look like? Months of darkness, cold to rattle your bones, and truly no way to escape it since there's no Flagstaff or Prescott a few hours away and you can't wake up early or do things at night to be in at least more tolerable temps, it only gets colder at the time of day when most people are free from work.
It's pretty kick ass outside right now, and who didn't love the rain storm last night, save for those poor folks in Wickenburg who were flooded out of there houses. I'm now on my 12th Phoenix summer, and that little 5-year stint away from Phoenix reminded me just how bad it isn't here.
You could always try Prescott, I know a few people who were just so fed up with the valley they went up there. But you still have to deal with shoveling snow and the summer days are pretty toasty still, but nights are always awesome.
Sage words, I guess. I have no adult experience of a cold climate winter - just a kid who went sledding and ice skating etc. I will leave it at that though as the last thing we need is evolution into another thread about Phoenix summers (or winters).
Back on topic, I have often said that if you don't like to live in cites, but must, then Phoenix is absolutely the best one to live in. And if you don't like Phoenix but have to live there, then Estrella is certainly one of the very best places to live.
For me, the place is way too overcrowded now and just like everywhere else in the metro. People, cars, noise, and traffic lights. And it is getting worse by the week.
I am curious what your thought process was when you bought in Estrella. You bought in a master planned community that was entitled a certain number of homes and a certain level of development. Estrella was planned from the beginning to grow, and to position itself to keep growing.
I believe you knew what you were in for when you bought there.
We've been at EMR for about 1 1/2 year now. Absolutely love it here. We live close to one of the lakes so it's great to be able to just walk down the street and walk or bike around it. Or I mountain bike in the paths around the community which I really like. And of course having the tennis and basketball courts in the community. Though I don't get involved much in local community activities at the Starpointe, I think it's great they have so many things going on for people and kids. My wife goes to some more of the events/uses the gym more than I while I like biking outdoors more. I also like the fact that we are close to lots of retail down the hill but a bit removed from it all(and also nice of course to have "our own" Safeway, a pizza place, etc. Besides the resort feel of the community, what really appealed to us is having all the hills, washes, etc embedded in the community and left as wild desert instead of just houses and grass/a few green belts and to be able to see it all from our house, feeling nestled right in the hills and open desert. Another factor is the quiet. You can hear a pin drop most of the time where we live. Close to a quiet I only hear standing in the open desert somewhere with nothing around it...many of you know what I mean on this one. But I think it's unusual to experience this in the middle of a development. And it's nice not to hear the din of distant or lots of close traffic noise at some level like you get in many other parts of the valley. Having lived in another part of the valley for years before we moved to Estrella, we were not on top of any highway but a mile or 2 from some major highways and could always hear some distant traffic noise. Thought it's a bit of luck of the draw, we are also fortunate to live around some great neighbors. Many are the types that we talk about this/that when we see each other out in front of our houses and the rest at least will give a friendly wave. No one blasts their music, lets their dog bark non-stop, etc. Just considerate neighbors. As for community and such, I think anyplace is what you make it. Some people are involved in their community and some don't want to get involved in anything. It's all what one makes it really and what one wants out of it. And with a place like Estrella, if one doesn't think there is any community, I think it's self-inflicted for there's much to with all the clubs/activities and such going on.
I have to say we've seen lots of places in the valley over the years and there are many very nice places/communities to live. But when we drove up the hill and saw this community, it just hit us....we have to live here. Very few places have done that to me/us in our life.
Anyways, that's my take. I hope in the coming years you enjoy the community as much as we have been enjoying it.
Last edited by stevek64; 07-19-2015 at 11:49 AM..
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But I think it's unusual to experience this in the middle of a development. And it's nice not to hear the din of distant or lots of close traffic noise at some level like you get in many other parts of the valley. Having lived in another part of the valley for years before we moved to Estrella, we were not on top of any highway but a mile or 2 from some major highways and could always hear some distant traffic noise. Thought it's a bit of luck of the draw, we are also fortunate to live around some great neighbors. Many are the types that we talk about this/that when we see each other out in front of our houses and the rest at least will give a friendly wave. No one blasts their music, lets their dog bark non-stop, etc. Just considerate neighbors. As for community and such, I think anyplace is what you make it. Some people are involved in their community and some don't want to get involved in anything. It's all what one makes it really and what one wants out of it. And with a place like Estrella, if one doesn't think there is any community, I think it's self-inflicted for there's much to with all the clubs/activities and such going on.
