Tell me what you hate about the Valley (Sun City, Surprise: subdivision, per square foot)

[petlover8]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

With that said, Verrado absolutely positively DESTROYS Sun City West in looks.

This was all I had to read of your post. If you think a totally unfinished subdivision that contains more vacant lots and unfinished projects than finished, overpriced and over mortgages houses, looks better than a well established impeccably cared for town, that contains more wealthy residents, and shows it everywhere you drive through it, then your lack of taste is your own worst enemy.

Now, unlike you, the only way I would yank my statements is if you told me you were legally blind. Then I could understand such a idiotic statement. But somehow I doubt there is anything wrong with your vision. Just your ability to judge real property. That's OK. Verrado needs people like you. The problem with most of them is they lack the money it would take to do that place any good.

Do yourself a favor before you make yourself look any more foolish. Go to these coordinates on Google Earth: 33 28' 20.78" N ............ 112 29' 59.10" W at 10,300 ft. eye altitude. If you think that looks better than Sun City West, please do yourself a favor and make an appointment with an Optometrist.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by petlover8

This was all I had to read of your post. If you think a totally unfinished subdivision that contains more vacant lots and unfinished projects than finished, overpriced and over mortgages houses, looks better than a well established impeccably cared for town, that contains more wealthy residents, and shows it everywhere you drive through it, then your lack of taste is your own worst enemy.

Now, unlike you, the only way I would yank my statements is if you told me you were legally blind. Then I could understand such a idiotic statement. But somehow I doubt there is anything wrong with your vision. Just your ability to judge real property. That's OK. Verrado needs people like you. The problem with most of them is they lack the money it would take to do that place any good.

Do yourself a favor before you make yourself look any more foolish. Go to these coordinates on Google Earth: 33 28' 20.78" N ............ 112 29' 59.10" W at 10,300 ft. eye altitude. If you think that looks better than Sun City West, please do yourself a favor and make an appointment with an Optometrist.

I don't live at 10000 feet, so I just look from the ground. Verrado blows away Sun City West in visual appeal. I'm not all that into transformed cotton fields however. I like to see terrain and desert interfaces, mountains instead of golf courses. SCW was built out in 1998, so comparing the level of completion is just nonsense. The age shows in other ways as well. SCW looks dated in comparison to Verrado - just like its residents.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I don't live at 10000 feet, so I just look from the ground. Verrado blows away Sun City West in visual appeal. I'm not all that into transformed cotton fields however. I like to see terrain and desert interfaces, mountains instead of golf courses. SCW was built out in 1998, so comparing the level of completion is just nonsense. The age shows in other ways as well. SCW looks dated in comparison to Verrado - just like its residents.

So true. There is reason people in their 60's-80's think they look stylish in their 1975 polyester clothes. Same same for developments. They still love their old fashion look.

[Montanama]

Of course Verrado was "unfinished" with "empty lots" when the bubble burst. It was...unfinished. And will still not be completely built out for years, btw--that's the plan, albeit delayed by the recession. The plan for larger retailers like Basha's was likely to lose money for awhile too while the development grew. I don't think it's unusual for a developer to subsidize a business in order for it to be part of the sales pitch/appeal (I have no knowledge of what the contract is/was in this case, just saying it isn't particular to Verrado if they are losing money but sticking it out as part of the plan). Or for a retailer to take a loss at one location for future gain, if they can swing it. Whether Basha's can start to stand on its own two feet remains to be seen and did concern us as well.

I don't know if you understand how developments work. They don't build the whole thing at once, and yes the active sections sat empty during the recession. Construction has now resumed. In Estrella, one could say there are many vacant lots at this time as construction begins/continues on a new segment of the development. Is Estrella a failed development? Are ANY of the developments across the whole valley that came to a standstill virtually overnight but have since recovered to one degree or another failures? It happened everywhere, I just don't get why you're picking on Verrado. It wasn't finished when the recession hit; it will, by all current indications, be finished as planned. They just opened the second residents' swim center. There are community activities going on out there all the time. Foreclosures and REO's have become scarce in the area. These are facts. I have been there recently. Have you?

Have you been to Verrado recently?

Certainly, which development holds more appeal is a matter of taste. But I've never heard anyone who has been to Verrado fail to acknowledge that it is well done and meeting the developer's original vision, whether it's to the viewer's taste or not. I prefer the desert surroundings of Estrella, but I think Verrado is beautiful and appealing, and clearly is becoming what it was created to be.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by petlover8

This was all I had to read of your post. If you think a totally unfinished subdivision that contains more vacant lots and unfinished projects than finished, overpriced and over mortgages houses, looks better than a well established impeccably cared for town, that contains more wealthy residents, and shows it everywhere you drive through it, then your lack of taste is your own worst enemy.

Now, unlike you, the only way I would yank my statements is if you told me you were legally blind. Then I could understand such a idiotic statement. But somehow I doubt there is anything wrong with your vision. Just your ability to judge real property. That's OK. Verrado needs people like you. The problem with most of them is they lack the money it would take to do that place any good.

Do yourself a favor before you make yourself look any more foolish. Go to these coordinates on Google Earth: 33 28' 20.78" N ............ 112 29' 59.10" W at 10,300 ft. eye altitude. If you think that looks better than Sun City West, please do yourself a favor and make an appointment with an Optometrist.

LOL. SCW doesn't show "wealth". They are the millionaire next door (see https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/...llionaire.html )

You live in Glendale. Shy of Arrowhead, it's not many peoples go-to location. So I'm not sure you have a love affair with SCW. It's nice but certainly not all that. As I said, Sun City Grand kicks it butt.

By the way. Nearly every home in Verrado turned over to a new owner. When people were gobbling them up, people were paying CASH. So re-examine your demographics. Over 50% are not leveraged. In fact, there are people like me who didn't want a senior only community and pulled out cash for a cheap toy in the desert. I bought in another DMB development called Marley Park. It has the same look and feel as Verrado. But the rolling hills of Verrado is better eye candy.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't worship millionaires even though I happen to be one. I understand that younger families need to borrow money. I simply don't want to be around old fogies 24-7. So I bought in a full age community.

[Italy04]

We've lived here almost a year. I think the only negatives are poor air quality and smells (cows and a sulphur like smell in the evening time in Goodyear), and the big bugs! But these things just come with the territory, I expected them so it's not really a disappointment or anything. So far we really love it here.

[petlover8]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I don't live at 10000 feet, so I just look from the ground.

That's good. That way you can get an even closer look as you're greeted with barren, unfinished, unsold dirt lots, impregnated with weeds as you drive in. Anyone with 2 eyes can see it. Please explain what would encourage ANYONE to invest their hard earned money in that unfinished pipe dream? They are typical over priced chicken wire and stucco construction, that have become so common place everywhere else, and done to death...... Only at a lot cheaper prices. So you get the exact same thing you get most anywhere. Except you have to pay more for it, and drive further to get it. If you think that's a deal, then you're just what they're looking for. Better hurry up before they're all sold!

[Montanama]

Petlover8, I think we all understand that Verrado is not your cup of tea. But for someone who might be looking for factual information on the area while reading these forums, it's really important to note that your perception doesn't really match up with the facts of what is currently happening at Verrado. And in fact the architecturally more interesting homes there is one of the big draws as it is difficult to find such a selection of attractive homes about anywhere in the valley outside Marley Park, by the same developer.

Yes, Verrado is not yet finished. That is how every development starts out. Yes, it stalled during the recession and looked like every other stalled development (which was every unfinished development) at the time. That is simply no longer the reality.

The prices of the homes per square foot are in line with other homes in higher-end developments in the west valley. They are not overpriced in comparison with the rest of the market in the west valley, which I watch pretty closely, and in my opinion offer a pretty good value considering the neighborhood amenities you get to boot. The distance is indeed a factor. At one time in history, it was a factor for SCW as well, lol.

I simply do not know what data you are looking at or when was the last time you were there, or if you did not see ANY of the other developments (unfinished) after the bubble burst.

You're just off base, and I don't know why you seem to have such a negative focus on Verrado in particular.

I don't live in Verrado, don't have a dog in the fight, but you just do not have your facts straight and I wouldn't want someone who hasn't been there to take your word as truth.

[DougStark]

Originally Posted by lewdog_5

I hate the people who come here and all they do is talk about the heat. You learned the definition of desert in 3rd grade. And you learned Phoenix was a desert in 5th grade geography!

Just to inform you, desert does not mean "hot"- it means arid. Have you ever heard of Elko, Nevada? Dry but with cold winters, warm summers. Antarctica is also classified as a "desert"- freezing cold.

Phoenix is in a hot, low desert.

[DougStark]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Phoenix has the most modern, well-maintained freeways in the country bar none! Clean, state of the art exit and entrances and signage, landscaped, decorated with southwestern art, special low noise pavement. The only time there is congestion enough to slow you down is around rush hours in the morning and afternoon. Anyone who puts down the freeways here is a liar or an idiot or both.

Phoenix has decent freeways now, but San Diego's are even better, IMO.