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I will chime in here since I just moved to Buckeye from the Philadelphia suburbs, and my husband and I did a heck of a lot of research (including with the help of this forum) before we bought.
First, it's critical to note the following: My husband and I are both 62 and just retired. We were never city people and we never felt much like driving into any city for entertainment. Our hobbies, so to speak, are local: He builds cars and guitars, and I am an artist. And we are both introverted, meaning we get energy from quiet time, not from being around people.
This is not to say we are hermits, though. Indeed, we can be somewhat garrulous at times, and we *do* go out. While we have yet to do so, high on my list of things to do as soon as possible is to visit the Desert Botanical Garden, The Heard, and the Arizona Science Center.
So, having said that, why did we buy in Buckeye? #1: Inexpensive (contextually) real estate, and #2: Relative lack of congestion. As retired folks, we felt it was critically important to reduce our cost of living. We came from the Main Line area of Philadelphia, where I was raised, and we were able to purchase a home for about half the cost of what we owned there, with a subsequent halving of our mortgage. Because we have an active hunting dog, we needed a larger lot that literally 80% of the houses we looked at in Litchfield Park, Avondale, Glendale, or Goodyear. We found a half-acre lot in Buckeye with what (to us) is a new house, built in 2005, that we never could have afforded elsewhere. The dog is happy; we are happy. What's nearby? The town center with the mundane big box stores that are easy to criticize but make day-to-day life pretty simple: Lowes, Fry's (and a decent one too), and for me, Starbucks. :-) The Container Store, to which I admit I am addicted, is about 25 minutes away in Arrowhead. So far, I don't mind the ride.
Regarding congestion: Again, since we are retired, we can pick and choose when to drive. We can avoid the glaring sunrises and sunsets. We can avoid the traffic hell. In Pennsylvania, I worked exactly 11 miles from my job. That commute, while beautiful, took me 22-25 minutes. Here, the drive to the YMCA in Litchfield Park, which is 16 miles away, takes me 17 minutes. And the drive is not unpleasant.
Buckeye is the low desert. It looks dry, and it is. Our development, Sundance, is frankly a little boring, although the water-wise landscaping is starting to flesh out a little. While I love driving to Verrado to go to the pharmacy, I am always a little perturbed by that development's transformation of the natural desert landscape into a Midwestern one, with leafy trees, lots of shade, and grass, of all things. I'm conflicted by this while being simultaneously attracted to it. However, the cost of a 1/2 acre lot, combined with high HOA fees, put it out of our price range.
Driving south of Sundance, you find the original old town of Buckeye, which has a great cafe (the 25:35 Cafe) and a funky old-west cowboy vibe. Is it sophisticated? Heck no. Do I enjoy looking at the living history? You bet.
We have been here for exactly 6 weeks. What I see around me is booming. Westward expansion, the very thing that defines the history of our country, is apparent everywhere. The 303 is clear evidence that the city is expecting growth. It is new and broad and wide-open now, but I expect in 10 years it will be very much like the 101. I also expect that our development will have matured, along with the landscaping, and grown into a more comfortable-looking (and therefore more pleasant-looking) environment.
Again, remember that these conditions suited us, two somewhat introverted 62-year-olds, quite well. If you are none of those things, then Buckeye may not be for you. If you are none of those things, but fiscally prudent, you might make the choice to live here for a period of time to get your feet underneath you, and then move in 5 years or so. As always...YMMV.
Why is Buckeye so much cheaper???? is it a bad area? is it because some would say its in nowhere land?
is it hotter?....... residence please chime in and mention the developments you've been to, lived in, like or dislike please
Buckeye is very far out and unlike say Gilbert there isn’t much to do that isn’t fast food to like an Applebee’s
Some people are okay with that, but I personally don’t think it’s worth it. I’d rather spend more in a smaller house for a better location
Downtown is not really the center of the valley. Most jobs are on the East side and the center of activity in the valley is more in Tempe than downtown Phoenix.
That hasn’t been true in quite some time Central Phoenix is the center of entertainment now
The whole problem with living way out there is that you DO have to fight traffic far more than someone that is more centrally located would. Do you not think there is traffic between downtown and Verrado?
Disclaimer: I would not want to live in Verrado which is the best looking hood inside of Buckeye because the area isn't developed enough for me. I'm also not a fan of driving by junk to get to my place; Buckeye qualifies. It would be like driving though the reservation area east of the 101 often to get to Scottsdale everyday. No thank you.
With that said, your statement about fighting traffic is only true for people who (idiotically) decide to commute long distances OR find the need to point their car towards central towns often. So I bet that people who do live in Verrado (a big portion of the demographics) would find no pleasure driving into the Arcadia area or Scottsdale to dine and shop often. I find that people drive until they find what they need at a store or restaurant. IMHO, the walkability score would be the driving force to live closer in. But for those who drive, there are literally thousands of restaurants and shopping in between downtown and Buckeye. I bet a lot of people who live in Buckeye don't have the need, desire, or budget to get themselves caught up in traffic.
I consider your statement accurate for anyone who is stuck in traffic daily on the 10. Realize there are at least 31% sitting home in their robe with a cup of coffee in their hand. Speaking of which I just described myself. That happens often now partially because the massive shift in working patterns: 31% of the US population works from home for at least 4-5 days a week)https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/u...from-home.html . I strongly predict that people that live "way out there" disproportionately fall in the work from home category. The benefit for most working bees that do commute living in a beautiful Verrado like setting means that they don't have a big debt sitting over their heads (known as a mortgage). In summary, they have a nicer home for less. Meanwhile, they fall asleep every night not eating at Franco's Italian Caffe or the Roaring Fork. Somehow, they also get by without attending a black-tie event at the Arizona Opera. God forbid they have to shop at a big box store or eat at a chain restaurant. But somehow, they get up every morning and enjoy life.
When you apply your standards to others, I can see why it is tough for you to grasp what is going on in their head. It's called trade-offs.
Disclaimer: I would not want to live in Verrado which is the best looking hood inside of Buckeye because the area isn't developed enough for me. I'm also not a fan of driving by junk to get to my place; Buckeye qualifies. It would be like driving though the reservation area east of the 101 often to get to Scottsdale everyday. No thank you.
With that said, your statement about fighting traffic is only true for people who (idiotically) decide to commute long distances OR find the need to point their car towards central towns often. So I bet that people who do live in Verrado (a big portion of the demographics) would find no pleasure driving into the Arcadia area or Scottsdale to dine and shop often. I find that people drive until they find what they need at a store or restaurant. IMHO, the walkability score would be the driving force to live closer in. But for those who drive, there are literally thousands of restaurants and shopping in between downtown and Buckeye. I bet a lot of people who live in Buckeye don't have the need, desire, or budget to get themselves caught up in traffic.
I consider your statement accurate for anyone who is stuck in traffic daily on the 10. Realize there are at least 31% sitting home in their robe with a cup of coffee in their hand. Speaking of which I just described myself. That happens often now partially because the massive shift in working patterns: 31% of the US population works from home for at least 4-5 days a week)https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/u...from-home.html . I strongly predict that people that live "way out there" disproportionately fall in the work from home category. The benefit for most working bees that do commute living in a beautiful Verrado like setting means that they don't have a big debt sitting over their heads (known as a mortgage). In summary, they have a nicer home for less. Meanwhile, they fall asleep every night not eating at Franco's Italian Caffe or the Roaring Fork. Somehow, they also get by without attending a black-tie event at the Arizona Opera. God forbid they have to shop at a big box store or eat at a chain restaurant. But somehow, they get up every morning and enjoy life.
When you apply your standards to others, I can see why it is tough for you to grasp what is going on in their head. It's called trade-offs.
I didn’t bother to read all that, but wanted to clarify that my response was to someone touting the proximity of Verrado to downtown, as if there’s no traffic in between.
Less traffic than most of Scottsdale would experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitN8V
I didn’t bother to read all that, but wanted to clarify that my response was to someone touting the proximity of Verrado to downtown, as if there’s no traffic in between.
Less traffic than most of Scottsdale would experience.
The 10 vs the 101 to the 51? It’s probably a wash. Good luck getting anywhere else from way out there though. Look, it may be a nice place to live, especially with a budget that can’t buy what you want in a better location, but let’s not portray it to be geographically convenient. That’s just a trade off that people accept.
You do know that people living on the West Side don't have to cross the City right? And I'll assume you've never been over here if you think traffic is comparable in any way. If you have to cross downtown don't buy in Verrado.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitN8V
The 10 vs the 101 to the 51? It’s probably a wash. Good luck getting anywhere else from way out there though. Look, it may be a nice place to live, especially with a budget that can’t buy what you want in a better location, but let’s not portray it to be geographically convenient. That’s just a trade off that people accept.
The 10 vs the 101 to the 51? It’s probably a wash. Good luck getting anywhere else from way out there though. Look, it may be a nice place to live, especially with a budget that can’t buy what you want in a better location, but let’s not portray it to be geographically convenient. That’s just a trade off that people accept.
Rant on...
Here we go again. Your next leap assumes someones budget cannot buy "what you want in a better location". Really? Let me remind you that we are on a site called City-Data. The median family income in Scottsdale is a "whopping" $80K. Here it is: https://www.city-data.com/city/Scottsdale-Arizona.html
Of course there are people in Buckeye with powerful incomes or net worth that could stroke a check for the property that you needed to take out a mortgage in order to purchase. Realize that some people actually want to be farther out! They want to be close to their work so they live in Buckeye, etc. Also, the word "budget" is often self imposed. i.e. they live under their means or minimize their mortgage because they want to minimize their exposure to debt. You know (or maybe not), to $ave more. Of course, there are many people who are in fact forced to live in farther out communities. But in your typical fashion, you apply your standards to mean everyone. There are doctors, lawyers, business owners, farmers, retires, 2nd home owners, etc etc who all can easily afford Scottsdale. As another friendly reminder, the Compton's (the hood of hoods near LA) has a higher cost per square foot than Scottsdale. See https://www.realtor.com/local/Compton_CA So in reality, Scottsdale is very affordable as compared with LA, San Fran, Seattle, Boston etc. Evidently, $80K (the median income) gets it done.
You need to get out more. I was at a massive party on our lake with literally hundreds of incredibly suce$$ful folks that don't fit your profile. Many without a college degree, often they drive pick-up trucks, and they live in "far out communities" because they want to, are frugal as hell for many years until they crack open their wallets with a few million inside and/or retire early. A lot of words to say you have no idea what you are talking about. Seriously, go read the book "The Millionaire Next Door". At least skim it. It's $1.99 and this knowledge will prevent you from coming off as arrogant and ignorant. See https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/mil...RoCBj8QAvD_BwE .
I like Scottsdale a lot. It's great area and I personally would rather live in Scottsdale than in Buckeye or Surprise. Often, it's about wanting to afford it (pulling out your wallet). But others would completely disagree because for them, it has nothing to do with $$'s. Absorb that last sentence please because for some, it is true (of course not for everyone).
Rant off...
Last edited by MN-Born-n-Raised; 07-05-2018 at 06:38 AM..
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It would be like driving though the reservation area east of the 101 often to get to Scottsdale everyday. No thank you. 
Speaking of which I just described myself. That happens often now partially because the massive shift in working patterns: 31% of the US population works from home for at least 4-5 days a week) 
