Moving to Scottsdale area, need home search advice and possible alternatives

[EscapingTheBurbs]

Originally Posted by smoochaz

Commute from 85258/85259/85260 and MMR (85255) to S. Scottsdale is fine - traffic on the 101 is usually coming north from Chandler to Scottsdale so you'll be going opposite direction - and traffic from North usually gets out same exit you'll be getting on - FLW to 90th

That's helpful, thank you.

[manhattangirl]

Originally Posted by EscapingTheBurbs

Hi All,

I just accepted a job in downtown Scottsdale and the online options are extremely overwhelming! So I thought I would consult the experts for some advice. A little about us:

- We are empty-nesters, just two of us, so schools are not a concern.
- We have four 20-something children who live in Southern California. We'd like a 3-4 bedroom house with a pool so we can enjoy visits from family.
- I've done the long commute in LA and would like to avoid that as much as possible. I'd like to keep the commute under 30 min if possible.
- We are moving from SoCal with equity, so we could spend up to $1M if needed, but would prefer to stay lower if possible.
- My wife has a horse and we will be looking for an equestrian facility nearby for her to keep it.
- I'm an avid cyclist (Road and Mountain) and would like to be in an area with a lot of options to ride.

Looking online, it seems like areas further north in Scottsdale (McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale Ranch, North Scottsdale) have what we are looking for but can get rather pricy. I've found information about communities to the east harder to come by (Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler).

I would also be interested in feedback on commuter traffic. How much should I expect going toward the areas during morning and afternoon rush hour? Is one area much easier to get to traffic-wise?

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think that you will have no problem. Lean towards a 3 bedroom instead of a 4 bdrm. Pools are easy to come by.



When I moved here, I was surprised to discover that there were horse properties in the middle of suburbia. Are you working with a realtor? S/he will have access to specific listings that meet your criteria. I used to commute to Mesa from "Central" Scottsdale and it was about 30 minutes. Traffic is not that bad here but can get congested during certain times in certain areas. Downtown Scottsdale is definitely an area where traffic can become an issue. Keep this in mind. Would you consider a townhouse? You can board the horse elsewhere. This will make your search easier. It doesn't even have to be a townhouse. You can get a nice ranch property that is not too far from Old Town. The horse can stay up north if you don't need to have him/her with you.... Welcome and good luck!

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by EscapingTheBurbs

this is getting interesting...

To be clear, I value a short commute. I moved from the outer suburbs of LA to downtown in order to eliminate my commute (thus the handle "EscapingTheBurbs") and it was literally life-changing. I'm willing to have a short commute to get a nice home, but 30 minutes is about my limit. Based on what I'm seeing, 85260 to the north is probably the upper limit. I have been watching the traffic online and it does seem to be rather congested around the 101/51 interchange.

I'd stick with areas closer to your work. Scottsdale covers a pretty large area, and your choices are going to be rather unlimited with the amount of equity you have, but going too far north can be a pain as far as commuting goes. I'd look into the McCormick area or Gainey Ranch. They are beautiful, pristine locations in north central Scottsdale that won't be too far away from your job.

[aznative34]

i live in Scottsdale Ranch and drive the 101 to and from work. You are usually going in the opposite direction of the traffic during rush hour so it is good. Some of the exits get busy, Shea is a pain and I like 90th St/ Pima the best. It's a great area and lots of new things coming in close to the Talking Stick Entertainment District. There are lots of horse boarding around us as well. A nice one at 110th, south of shea until it turns to Mountain View road. I can get the name of it if you'd like. Good luck!