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Sheena, what's up with Ashton Woods, now I am scared. I have purchased a home with them in February, and so far have been very pleased. But being in New York and the house being built in Arizona, does cause us some concern as we aren't there all the time, just on visits. Our home is being built in Vistancia up in Peoria.
Don't know about Ashton Woods, but I have a question for you....we just visited Vistancia this weekend to check it out. It's gorgeous!! The pool is SO pretty! and I love the walking trail. Really, it's just a beautiful community.
My question, though, is where does everyone work? Are you planning to work in downtown Phoenix, or closer to Peoria? I'm just curious b/c we really loved the community but couldn't wrap our minds around commuting into Phoenix from there. Vistancia just seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Is there a secret shortcut that everyone knows about but us?
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,951,960 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fotoverdi
Sheena, what's up with Ashton Woods, now I am scared. I have purchased a home with them in February, and so far have been very pleased. But being in New York and the house being built in Arizona, does cause us some concern as we aren't there all the time, just on visits. Our home is being built in Vistancia up in Peoria.
Which model?
The big cheese is a crook that's all and the sales agents are lying con-artist but you''ll probably be ok. Just make sure you didn't over pay they are bigg game players.
Okay, thanks Sheena. As far as Ashton Woods has been to us, we have family in the Scottsdale and Phoenix areas for many, many years and have been coming to this next of the woods for about 15 or so years. We have always been very in love with the Arizona area. We are big outdoor people and just love the constant blue skies. Now I have read so many posts of people hating constant or almost constant sunshine, but here on Long Island in New York, the constant dreariness of winter just really gets to both my hubby and myself. From say, November on through April, all we get, is this 40-50 degree weather of cloudy, gray skies. You sit inside and want to literally kill yourself. Whenever we would go there, and we would visit every time of the year, so we are well aware of your heat, I loved the fact that we would throw open the shutters and see a beautiful sky and you could sit outside at 11 o'clock at night by the pool with no mosquitoes constantly ruining the fun. I also love horseback riding, so its just a good fit for us. We looked before buying all over the place. We came out for two weeks in Feb., and literally went from where we bought in Vistancia down to Tucson. We finally settled on Vistancia because of its natural surroundings and proximity to the mountains. There were other areas that we loved as well, but because of different reasons, some not working for work, some for traffic reasons, some for the style of the homes, some for price, etc., that was the place that worked the best as I've said. We had first purchased and put down a deposit on Marley Park. That was an Ashton Woods Home as well. We looked at probably 20 different builders. After doing extensive research, they too, seemed to be the best fit for us. As I said, we have not had any trouble so far. They take photos for us of the progress of our homes, we received a huge incentive when we purchased, they threw in certain things we wanted, and have kept us up to date on everything. At this point in the venture, I can't say anything negative. We did have to wait for our check from Marley Park to be returned to us past the 3 weeks they originally said it would take. But they kept calling the higher up people for us, the salesperson, and she followed through when she said she would and we did receive it. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the service will keep on going and I'll let you know. As far as work goes, we are wedding photographers, and the plan was to have this house as a second home while we kept our home here in New York during the summers. But, loving it so much there, has caused us to reconsider. We could sell our beautiful home here and be mortgage free. I am also at the point in my life 50's, that we are starting to reconsider doing this and maybe opening something else up. I have posted that business under a different thread. We are not sure and are in the research stage. Wish us luck, LOL. I will tell you the one thing with the house that we have had a lot of difficulty with is the pool builders. I did tons of research on them as well and wouldn't even get involved with anyone who had a lot of complaints with the BBB. That being said, as a business owner myself, you know that there are always people who find fault, so if they had one or two and had a resolution to them, we interviewed them and got involved with them. Out of about 7 of them, two didn't call us back at all whatsoever. One acted like a complete nut. I got several e-mails from them and they were of such poor language skills, they were hardly even readable. Another seemed so interested in getting the job, but then I spent half the time calling him and trying to get him to proceed and call me back with the plans. Another one, also from a huge company in Arizona and actually "recommended" by our builder, passed me to literally four different people. Each one would start the process and then when we would call back with a change or something, we would be told that we were re-directed to someone else they thought was a "better fit". The person we ultimately chose, Dolphin Pools, did her sketch within two days of us calling her from start to finish, she was professional, courteous and did the changes I asked of her. She checked up on us during the two months it took to get the others to try and do their job. The builder recommended pool company, came back with so many verbal complaints about other companies, that in and of itself, was a complete turnoff. So bottom line, you got to do your research.
Oh and Sheena, forgot to mention, we bought the model known as "the Estate", which had four bedrooms (one of which we were going to use as an office for our business), bonus room, three baths, living room, family room, kitchen and dining room.
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,951,960 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fotoverdi
Oh and Sheena, forgot to mention, we bought the model known as "the Estate", which had four bedrooms (one of which we were going to use as an office for our business), bonus room, three baths, living room, family room, kitchen and dining room.
I think that's the one I was going to get. In Gilbert I think it's called the Mayfield. Nice home.
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,951,960 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotoverdi
Okay, thanks Sheena. As far as Ashton Woods has been to us, we have family in the Scottsdale and Phoenix areas for many, many years and have been coming to this next of the woods for about 15 or so years. We have always been very in love with the Arizona area. We are big outdoor people and just love the constant blue skies. Now I have read so many posts of people hating constant or almost constant sunshine, but here on Long Island in New York, the constant dreariness of winter just really gets to both my hubby and myself. From say, November on through April, all we get, is this 40-50 degree weather of cloudy, gray skies. You sit inside and want to literally kill yourself. Whenever we would go there, and we would visit every time of the year, so we are well aware of your heat, I loved the fact that we would throw open the shutters and see a beautiful sky and you could sit outside at 11 o'clock at night by the pool with no mosquitoes constantly ruining the fun. I also love horseback riding, so its just a good fit for us. We looked before buying all over the place. We came out for two weeks in Feb., and literally went from where we bought in Vistancia down to Tucson. We finally settled on Vistancia because of its natural surroundings and proximity to the mountains. There were other areas that we loved as well, but because of different reasons, some not working for work, some for traffic reasons, some for the style of the homes, some for price, etc., that was the place that worked the best as I've said. We had first purchased and put down a deposit on Marley Park. That was an Ashton Woods Home as well. We looked at probably 20 different builders. After doing extensive research, they too, seemed to be the best fit for us. As I said, we have not had any trouble so far. They take photos for us of the progress of our homes, we received a huge incentive when we purchased, they threw in certain things we wanted, and have kept us up to date on everything. At this point in the venture, I can't say anything negative. We did have to wait for our check from Marley Park to be returned to us past the 3 weeks they originally said it would take. But they kept calling the higher up people for us, the salesperson, and she followed through when she said she would and we did receive it. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the service will keep on going and I'll let you know. As far as work goes, we are wedding photographers, and the plan was to have this house as a second home while we kept our home here in New York during the summers. But, loving it so much there, has caused us to reconsider. We could sell our beautiful home here and be mortgage free. I am also at the point in my life 50's, that we are starting to reconsider doing this and maybe opening something else up. I have posted that business under a different thread. We are not sure and are in the research stage. Wish us luck, LOL. I will tell you the one thing with the house that we have had a lot of difficulty with is the pool builders. I did tons of research on them as well and wouldn't even get involved with anyone who had a lot of complaints with the BBB. That being said, as a business owner myself, you know that there are always people who find fault, so if they had one or two and had a resolution to them, we interviewed them and got involved with them. Out of about 7 of them, two didn't call us back at all whatsoever. One acted like a complete nut. I got several e-mails from them and they were of such poor language skills, they were hardly even readable. Another seemed so interested in getting the job, but then I spent half the time calling him and trying to get him to proceed and call me back with the plans. Another one, also from a huge company in Arizona and actually "recommended" by our builder, passed me to literally four different people. Each one would start the process and then when we would call back with a change or something, we would be told that we were re-directed to someone else they thought was a "better fit". The person we ultimately chose, Dolphin Pools, did her sketch within two days of us calling her from start to finish, she was professional, courteous and did the changes I asked of her. She checked up on us during the two months it took to get the others to try and do their job. The builder recommended pool company, came back with so many verbal complaints about other companies, that in and of itself, was a complete turnoff. So bottom line, you got to do your research.
Oh don't I know it! You are preaching to the choir here. I spent 26 years in that dreery state of NY, I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there. Arizona was paradise for me for 19 years!! You are going to really enjoy it compared to NY. Vistancia is a beautiful unique community . The best of luck to you.
Oh really, Sheena, that is too funny. Yeah, the plan just worked for us, like I said. We paid I believe, $335,000, with everything other than the pool. So looking around, like I said, I thought for the neighborhood and the surroundings and what you got, it was a fair price. Now I just hope all goes well, but we are excited :-)
Thanks so much Sheena for your words of encouragement. Sometimes, these boards just scare me as people come on and say the most horrible things about the Phoenix area. I mean, I don't know what they expect. Sure it's hot, and sure it's got a lot of brown, but who says brown can't be beautiful. And, we have oceans and you have mountains, and nature in any form is simply gorgeous. Sometimes, my husband either go hiking or horseback riding up near the Cave Creek area in the Tonto National Forest, and the majesty of it, takes my breath away. The quiet and cacti and scenery. It gives me chills. Don't get me wrong, we are sailers and my husband loves the ocean, but it's time to do something different. He had a real rough time with the gloomy weather this winter. If it even snowed, that I love, but the gray, you can have it, LOL. And, when we want to go to the ocean, we can always go west to Calif. We have checked out anyway the whole East Coast and the Caribbean so many times, I'm up for a change, LOL................so thanks, Sheena.
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,951,960 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotoverdi
Oh really, Sheena, that is too funny. Yeah, the plan just worked for us, like I said. We paid I believe, $335,000, with everything other than the pool. So looking around, like I said, I thought for the neighborhood and the surroundings and what you got, it was a fair price. Now I just hope all goes well, but we are excited :-)
That model was 400,000 when I looked at it in Vistancia Summer of 2005, In Gilbert 455, down to I think 380,000 now plus the other incentives they stuck in under the table. I bet that group that bought at the high end aren't so thrilled. Decent price for you. I walked away from it with a huge deposit. Live and learn I guess.
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,951,960 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotoverdi
Thanks so much Sheena for your words of encouragement. Sometimes, these boards just scare me as people come on and say the most horrible things about the Phoenix area. I mean, I don't know what they expect. Sure it's hot, and sure it's got a lot of brown, but who says brown can't be beautiful. And, we have oceans and you have mountains, and nature in any form is simply gorgeous. Sometimes, my husband either go hiking or horseback riding up near the Cave Creek area in the Tonto National Forest, and the majesty of it, takes my breath away. The quiet and cacti and scenery. It gives me chills. Don't get me wrong, we are sailers and my husband loves the ocean, but it's time to do something different. He had a real rough time with the gloomy weather this winter. If it even snowed, that I love, but the gray, you can have it, LOL. And, when we want to go to the ocean, we can always go west to Calif. We have checked out anyway the whole East Coast and the Caribbean so many times, I'm up for a change, LOL................so thanks, Sheena.
Oh my gosh, I hate gloom and dreery and cold,shoveling snow it's so depressing. Yes Az is hot but it's a heck of a lot better than NY. Trust me I really think you will think you found paradise. I would have never stayed for 19 years. Now Vegas is another story Nice to visit though.
I'm excited for you!
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Nice to visit though.
