another relocation to az question

[sablebaby]

I drove to QC once from Phx and it took me 90 minutes... oh the bad thing was that it was on a Sunday afternoon!

Rent first, no matter how inconvenient that sounds.

[Captain Bill]

From Johnson Ranch to the Phoenix City Hall is 36 miles according to the Google Map. At an average driving speed of 50 mph during off-commute hours it should take about 45 minutes.

I used 25mph average for during commute hours to get 90 minutes.

In order for one to get the exact distance, just plug in specific starting point and destination addresses, then estimate the average driving speed to get a ball park driving time.

[MomInMaricopa]

Hey all...I am writing because I actually live in the town of Maricopa and my husband works in Phoenix(at Baseline and I-10, a few minutes from Sky Harbor Airport).

I know from what others have told us, the drive between Queen Creek and Phoenix is very time consuming...the estimate of 90 minutes on a good day seems the standard. We used to live in Avondale, which is just east of Goodyear(so closer to Phx then Goodyear is). My husband drove nearly an hour each way, and that was not during rush hours...he goes to work around 6 am and returns around 4 pm.

We have lived in Maricopa for nearly two years...and NO town is perfect, but out of all the towns we have lived in, this is our favorite and we plan on staying indefinitely.

The commute from here to the airport area is about 30 to 40 minutes. Now, if there is an incident on the roadway, that is a different story...but wouldn't that be true for a lot of places? In two years, my husband has only had to deal with horrible traffic a handful of times. I don't think that is all that bad.

Now, let me tell you why we actually like the town itself...aside from the great prices of homes. We are looking at buying soon. We have rented out here thus far because I have a hard time commiting to a neighborhood! We live in The Villages at Rancho El Dorado now and we love it! True, there are lots of houses for sale and renters do live here too(us, a case in point)...but that seems to be a nationwide trend. In the two years we have been here, I have been sure to keep an eye on the prices and know for a fact that a certain KB home I like started in the 220's...went down to the 190's six months later and is now about 170. Bad for the economy? Sure...but great for the homebuyer. Prices out here are the best in the Valley.

Maricopa is nearly completely surrounded by reservation land. Therefore, it can only get so big. I LOVE that! I do not like the feel of the "big city" and want to live near one, not in one. There are plenty of structured sub-divisions to choose from...some have pools that you can use nearly year round(as does our neighborhood). There are also plenty of places in the southern area of town where you can have horses and all those other critters. Very rural.

The school district is expanding at an amazing rate, and teachers are in great demand. My son attends school here, and I have been pleased with the district and the way it is going.

We don't have all the stores and "night life" that most of the Valley has...but we drive to Chandler or wherever we need to get it. No big deal. It's a 25 minute drive to the Chandler Mall...a little closer for other things...just depends on what you need and where you are going. When I lived in Avondale(right next door to Goodyear), I had to drive to things...and the traffic and congestion can make a ten mile drive a twenty minute ordeal.

Maricopa is growing and we are getting more amenities all the time. It's kind of neat to live in a town where getting a Starbuck's inside the Basha's is a big deal...do you think anyone in Phx. would notice the new store on the corner? Nah.

So...I am pro Maricopa. I could go on, but I see that I have used a whole lot of screen and will let you digest that for now.

Good luck in your search. I hope you and your wife find the place that is perfect for you and your little girl!

[MomInMaricopa]

One other thing...if you need a realtor to help you out, I would love to recommend Cheryl Weston. She helped me out when I was wanting to get into my current neighborhood. She is sweet, helpful, and best of all, KNOWS THE AREA. Her email is moderator cut: no advertising, personal info, please!

[skinautique94]

mom-is the maricopa area further south of phoenix than the queen creek area(not towne)..i did a real genric map quest and it seems that they are both about 35 miles south of phoenix..i was told to stay out of maricopa due to the "one way in ,one way out". queen creek is not like that from what the realtors are telling me. they reccomend surprise or goodyear or queen creek..i know my dollar goes farther in queen creek or surprise, yet goodyear is only 20 miles west of phoenix..a little closer but it seems like its too much city for me..i like the country yet be able to go to shopping and food within a 15-20 min drive.i also love the fact johnson rancj has a gold course 3 pools and spas tennis b-ball 2 acre fishing pond and parks for the kids.what neighborhood in maricopa is a master planned comm. that can compare to j. ranch?

[MomInMaricopa]

Skin-I have to be honest that I don't really know much about Johnson Ranch in particular. I know for sure that we are approx. 25 miles from Sky Harbor Airport, so probably about 30 to 35 miles from central Phx.

There are a few routes out of Maricopa, but the 347 that runs from here to I-10 is certainly the most used and direct route to Phx...otherwise you have to detour through Casa Grande and that is another 20 minutes or so...as I said before, my husband, in two years, hasn't had much problem with the traffic.

You seem really interested in staying away from the "city" feel, so I suggest staying out of Goodyear....it is just an extension of Phx. I lived in Avondale, smack dab in between Goodyear and Phx, and hated the encrouchment of the city...that's why we moved out here to Maricopa. Surprise is going to be the same way.

Queen Creek and Maricopa are the better choices if you are wanting to stay away from the city...but still be able to get there fairly quickly and use all of its conveniences!

Here in Maricopa we have a golf course, The Duke(John Wayne owned land out here, so they like to reference that....thus naming neighborhoods Rancho Eldorado, etc.). I know that The Villages at Rancho Eldorado and Cobblestone Farms both have really nice community pools and I know for sure The Villages has a gym and tennis courts as well(it's where I live)....and the newest neighborhood going up with pools is Glennwilde, and they have about 10 builders to choose from.

There are lots of neighborhood parks, as well as the new city park which opened last year, Pecana Park. It has a covered playground, tennis court and baseball and soccer fields, as well as a little fishing pond.

You should probably look at some of the homebuilders websites. The new homes have great prices and then you can get a feel for different neighborhoods...and you can compare Queen Creek to Maricopa. Some builders out here that I might suggest....DR Horton, KB, Morrison, Lennar, Richmond American, Fulton, Pulte, Beazer, Elite, Frontier...all have homes out here, and probably in QC too.

I believe Queen Creek is farther along in becoming a true "city" then Maricopa is. That might be something important for you to consider. They are right near Gilbert, and within 10 years will probably be yet another town morphed into the Phx sprawl...so that's a concern. Maricopa is nearly completely surrounded by Indian reservation...so that land is not going to be developed like the rest of the Valley...and that was a huge plus to us. Being landlocked for the most part, Maricopa can only get so big and the city can never come to us...

I drive into Chandler or Casa Grande when I can't find what I need in town, and I don't mind it, but some do. So weigh all your options and pray for some divine guidance.

[Just.Believe]

be careful w/ bank owned homes. I have a friend who's a realtor and she had a client that offered full asking price in Cash and the bank declined the offer. She has also had a few other clients that put in offers of full asking price and the bank also declined. They don't want to lose money so the banks are just holding on to them.

Surprise, while it is nice and newer and largely growing, sucks getting in and out of. There is basically one way in and that's Grand ave. Or you can go several miles north or south to take the long way around. There are no plans of making it better. Just my opinion.

I used to teach in the Dysart District (in Surprise), my SIL teaches in the Deer Valley District. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have I don't teach anymore, but still have teacher friends. I stay at home with my 2 year old now--priceless

[Great Joy]

Originally Posted by Just.Believe

Surprise, while it is nice and newer and largely growing, sucks getting in and out of. There is basically one way in and that's Grand ave. Or you can go several miles north or south to take the long way around. There are no plans of making it better. Just my opinion.

Surprise also has the "303", which is being expanded and eventually widened too.

[skinautique94]

well i think my choices are between unicorporated queen creek maricopa or surprise..my wife and i are going to fly out this june to take a look around these citys neighborhoods etc.im used to commuting 50-80 min a day so i think these places will do..as i get more established i may decide to move or stay, only times will tell.

[JDish2000]

I've lived in Surprise since 98'.

Traffic is improving - it is heaviest on Grand Ave & Bell Road. There are "back way" roads to take if you want to try and bypass the general traffic areas:

Litchfield Rd

Reems Rd

Sarival Rd

Cotton Lane

303 expressway (this will become a four-five lane freeway we already voted in funds)