Moving to the Phoenix area w/ parents in late summer, need some advice on housing. (Glendale: real estate, houses)

[dustinjames89]

Hey everyone, I'm 18 years old, and moving with my (older) parents to Phoenix this summer. I plan to go to ASU, but will more than likely work a year to establish residency so I'm not paying out of state tuition fees, (which are ungodly).

-My parents price range is around 200k

-My dad is 67, and my mom is 55. They want to live in a city with shopping, dining, recreation, (a location not horribly far from Phoenix)

-I also plan on living with them for a few years (except my first year at ASU most likely).

-I've been looking at a few cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, including Surprise, Glendale, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria, and Queen's Creek.

-I know my parent's budget is somewhat limited, but I found that the houses in Surprise for example, looked better, and were a much better price than what we could get in Chandler for example.

-I'm not sure which ASU campus I would go to, but how bad would the commute be to the Main Campus from some of the places I've described? Would a be better to go to one of their branch campuses?

-I'm open to all opinions and suggestions, and would appreciate any advice you all would be willing to give.

Thanks!

[JDish2000]

I think you should target Southeast Phoenix (near 48th Street and Baseline Rd) and/or Laveen (near 51st ave and Baseline Rd) - Google it.

The areas mentioned above should net decent home prices while still being closer to the main ASU campus.

Laveen is directly due South of the West campus for ASU (51st ave and Thunderbird Rd).

While Laveen is further away from ASU main, it has a lot of newer housing options and is closer to ASU than Surprise, Goodyear, Avondale, and Buckeye!

Glendale would be the closest good choice for being near the West campus!

Hope this helps!

[sablebaby]

The NW valley would be very ideal for your parents, but not for you if you want to go to the main ASU campus. Do not do that commute. We don't need even more congestion and I'm sure you don't need the stress. If you look in the West or NW areas then definitely go to ASU West, your commute would be very easy.

[dustinjames89]

Thank you both for your help!

[Ponderosa]

I wouldn't move my parents to either southeast Phoenix or Laveen. These are both historically crappy areas where "affordable" simply means that they will be ghetto in 10 years. Surprise or Goodyear would be good for your folks as they are reasonably priced, safe, and offer all the amenities they will need for now and the future. But they are not convenient for you. ASU does have some west side classes and the commute from Goodyear to ASU Tempe, is about 30 minutes outside of rush hour if you can arrange your classes to start after 9 and be over by 3. You're going to be in school maybe 4 years and then on with your life. I'd defer to the longer term needs of your parents in this decision and not worry too much about your commute. Don't stick them in South Phoenix or Laveen. Surprise, Goodyear, even Maricopa will give them a nice home for the money in a decent area.

[dustinjames89]

That's good advice too. It's 100% true I need to put my parents first, myself second, I'll be on my own in a number of years and choose to where I want to go, but I want to make sure they're in an affordable, safe community. I come from Seattle which is traffic hell, so it's really no big deal for me as far as commuting goes.

[Ponderosa]

You might also consider the Sun Lakes area in the southeast valley. It is a retirement area but as long as you are 18 you can live with your parents under the rules (check to be sure). Sun Lakes would be relatively convenient to ASU and there are a lot of restaurants, shopping etc very near by. Home costs might be too high there, though. There is a forum contributor named Captain Bill who is expert on real estate in this part of town and will probably chime in here shortly.

[Synergy38]

You and I are alike, I'm moving down there with my 60 year old dad, Surprise looks good but that might be far from ASU. Not sure 100% though.

I'm done with school so i'll just be looking for work.

[Great Joy]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

The NW valley would be very ideal for your parents, but not for you if you want to go to the main ASU campus. Do not do that commute. We don't need even more congestion and I'm sure you don't need the stress. If you look in the West or NW areas then definitely go to ASU West, your commute would be very easy.

I agree that the NW valley would be ideal for your parents....and for you too. If I were you, I would focus on northern Peoria and Surprise because there are neighborhoods in both areas that will give you a nice home for the money. These locations are good because it's a good fit for both you and your parents. There is a great mix of ages and lots to do in Peoria and Surprise. Plus, your parents will be close to the TONS of things to do for their age group in the Sun Cities area. And, you'll be closer to ASU West as well as other colleges in the area.

[Plin]

I would just add that you should look into the different campuses and see what they offer: not all majors are offered at all branches. So it's not just a matter of deciding that you want to go to ASU West, but also figuring out what you plan to study. For example, the School of Public Programs and the Journalism School are at the downtown campus; even if you lived in or near Tempe you would have to commute to downtown for classes in your major if you wanted to attend either of these schools. I don't know much about the west campus, but I'm sure they have their own specialties.

If you already have a plan in mind, then, you should do some research about where you'll be able to take the classes that you want.