Del Webb - Sun City Festival

[Jiff]

I'm no help regarding SCF. We chose SCW in Nov 2020.

SCF - Too far out for us.

We looked at:
Sun City-. Too many arterials running through it. Not isolated enough.

Pebblebrook - Lots are too small. Too close to Luke.

Grand - Higher prices than SCW. Too many rules on what you're allowed to do to and install outside your house, and do to it's exterior. Including your back yard. Seventy-six pages of rules. Like when and where holiday decorations are allowed. Moving boulders. Color of your gravel. Maybe that's why its neighborhoods look bland to me.

SCW - Would have liked a three bedroom house, but almost all we saw were two bedroom with formal dining and living. Garage too small, especially compared to our huge master bedroom and bathroom. No upscale restaurant. I was concerned that jet noise might be too much, but it's not. We love it here.

[freestoneangler]

Originally Posted by OllieHardy

Sun City Festival has now said that there will be no more golf holes added to the existing 27 despite in the earlier years stating that there would be 36. There are many golfers here and in the prime season it is very difficult to get tee times now and there are still at least 3000 homes to be added before SCF reaches full build out. Also the bar is very small as is the grille again with only half the homes built. If you're an avid golfer looking for a retirement/golfing community in Arizona look elsewhere, you'll be extremely disappointed if you buy in SCF.

This was a key factor in our decision not to pursue a home in SCF. I spoke with the pro shop on a couple of occasions and with different staff about whether an additional 9 holes would be developed. All said either "no" or "highly unlikely". They also stated that during the winter season, they have to use a lottery system to see who gets to play on the men's league play (3 days/week). During the non snowbird season, tee times are generally no issue, but during winter quite challenging if you're not on a league.

Compare that with SCG and they say it's rare that residents cannot get tee times most any day of the week. maybe not at all the 4 courses, or at the preferred time, during winter, but at least no lottery

The other factor I have with SCF is that it is about to become grand central station with the Douglas Ranch development. Think about the volume of construction related traffic that either has to come in from Bell/303 or off I-10. Sun Valley Pkwy will no longer be that easy, traffic free drive into town for shopping.

We lived this experience (too a much smaller scale) when in WA and it was a $*^#show for a decade... been there, done that... no thanks.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

We have some MN friends visit us to look at SCF for the 2nd time. My free advice was to buy something closer in, like Victory or Vistancia or ____________. Well, about a month ago during their 2nd look, they stayed with us for a couple of days. They informed me that neighbors who bought at SCF were protesting outside of the gates about the congested golf courses. They were taking turns protesting with their signs warning new buyers to stay away. Never mind they are harpooning their OWN home resale values!?

Their technique worked on our non-golfing friends: they didn't want any part of that development.

I wonder if adding another course is related to water rights? A developer can promise whatever they want. I'd assume building a golf course in AZ must have a lot of legal hoops to jump over. Any way you slice it, I bet the protestors won't get their way while they help ruin their resale.

[freestoneangler]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

We have some MN friends visit us to look at SCF for the 2nd time. My free advice was to buy something closer in, like Victory or Vistancia or ____________. Well, about a month ago during their 2nd look, they stayed with us for a couple of days. They informed me that neighbors who bought at SCF were protesting outside of the gates about the congested golf courses. They were taking turns protesting with their signs warning new buyers to stay away. Never mind they are harpooning their OWN home resale values!?

Their technique worked on our non-golfing friends: they didn't want any part of that development.

I wonder if adding another course is related to water rights? A developer can promise whatever they want. I'd assume building a golf course in AZ must have a lot of legal hoops to jump over. Any way you slice it, I bet the protestors won't get their way while they help ruin their resale.

The SCF pro shop told me they felt it was more a monetary decision than water availability. They make more profit from homes. Interestingly, the Douglas Ranch development (just west), slated to be the largest master planned commercial/residential community ever built in the U.S., was awarded approval based on having 100+ year water source from the Hasssayampa Aquifer.

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-we...-douglas-ranch

I guess whatever happens 100 years from now is somebody else's problem

[wit-nit]

Originally the SCF sales people told buyers that the golf courses would be expanded as the development grew, but now are reneging on their sales promises.

The 100 year water requirements are a farce. If they keep developing at this rapid pace there will not be a 100 year supply unless they bring in desalinated water from the coast.