Visited Chandler, excited to relocate there (Mesa, Tempe: foreclosure, new home, neighborhoods)

[jaronson]

Hi, everyone,

I posted a few months back with questions about finding a large lot and trees in the Chandler area, within a reasonable commute to Intel at Rural and West Chandler Blvd, and everyone's responses were truly helpful. I've just returned home from a great one-week visit to Chandler. My family and I had a look around, and really liked what we saw. The mountains are beautiful! As many people told me, the vegetation is beautiful in its own austere way.

We liked Ahwatukee, South Chandler and Gilbert the best (casting no aspersions on Tempe and Mesa, it's just our feeling). In our price range of $450,000 max, the lots are all a great deal smaller than we're used to in the Northeast, but there is the possibility of having mountain trails out your back yard in West Chandler/Ahwatukee, and at least one of the neighborhoods we saw in South Chandler (Arden Park) has greenbelts behind a lot of the homes. Either of these set-ups would go a long way toward helping me and my boys feel at home. They still play cowboys-and-Indians-type games for hours every day (of course, it's usually aliens and space jockeys), so they need an acre or so to run around in, preferably in sight of the house. Plus, I love going for walks in natural (or in the case of Arden Park, naturalesque) settings.

We're starting to narrow in on the areas of Chandler and Gilbert within an easy reach of 202, because that is the easiest commute. Plus, we're trying to keep within 12 miles of the Intel campus so my husband can ride his bike to work sometimes. Does anybody know any neighborhoods in Gilbert that are set up like Arden Park, with greenbelts, and the houses a bit back from the road so the streets have trees along them? The reason I ask is that Gilbert is a bit more to our taste as a town overall.

Sorry for the wordy post. You all have been so helpful, I figured I could lay my whole thought process out for you, and learn some more.

Thanks again.

[asufan]

Staying close to the Intel on Rural and being in Gilbert is a little bit of a tall order, but one community I can think of that fits your needs is near the NWC of Pecos and Lindsay Road, I think it's called Vintage Ranch, but I'm not positive. It's larger houses on larger lots, and has a community park, greenbelt in the middle. The lots are definitely larger than some of the surrounding communities. Pretty good location, 1 mile East of Chandler Gilbert Community College, 2 Miles from the Santan Freeway, 2 miles Southwest to over 1.2 million square feet of shopping at Crossroads Town Center, 2 miles East to the San Tan Village mall, 2 miles South to the Gilbert hospital, etc. Another larger community in the area is called Gilbert Spectrum. Power Ranch best fits your description, but I think it's way too far away.

Honestly, I have been in Arden Park before, and I like it, but it doesn't seem like there is anything special there. The park there on Ryan Road is nice, and it's a good location too, so the homes are expensive. Ocotillo and Fulton Ranch are superior communities, and only 1-2 miles from there. Fox Crossing is also comparable to Arden Park in some areas. All of those communities have fairly large parks. Layton Lakes is a new home subdivision in Gilbert that straddles the Chandler/Gilbert border around Lindsay and Queen Creek Road, you may want to look at that. The further East you go down the 202, in general the prices will go down. 450K will get you almost anything in far East Gilbert, other than maybe the custom subdivisions.

[cacto]

Chandler is a beige place where dreams die

[sidrah]

450 will get you less than you are used to?

[slackjaw]

jaronson -

We've been here in Chandler (in fact right next to Intel you speak of) for over a decade and have never regretted it. One suggestion I'd have to you is make sure you check out your potential digs in the area you're talking about with wind moving in various directions, as there are pockets where you get pig odor, and I don't mean the good bacon kind.

Also = WELCOME, I'm excited for you I think you'll love it here.

[jaronson]

Originally Posted by sidrah

450 will get you less than you are used to?

Only the lot size, sidrah. In the town where I live in the northeast, all the lots are 1/4 acre minimum -- and that's only in the beach area. Most of the town has a one-acre minimum for a house lot. The houses are rarely as new back in the northeast, and the finish of a house currently selling for $400K in Chandler is like a $700K house back east.

[MAtheBanker]

My friend just bought a massive house with a large yard in Chandler for around $140k (it was probably a foreclosure). It's in the neighborhood by Stellar Airpark--practically across the street from Intel. Your $450k budget is going to get you A LOT (literally)

[jaronson]

Asufan,

Thanks for the specific neighborhoods to look at. That is exactly the information I need. I took a look on a map program, and they are all a reasonable biking distance for my hubby. I've been to Power Ranch, and I liked one house there a lot, but I think you are right -- it would be a fine commute by car, but probably too long for biking.

I got interested in Arden Park because as far as I could tell, it was the only community I saw that had extensive greenbelts. I could walk almost all the way around the neighborhood on the greenbelt. The part of Fox Crossing I saw had no greenbelt, so I got turned off. I'll take another look there as well.

[ArtJen]

I second Fox Crossing and Fulton Ranch area. I lived over there for a bit and loved it. There are tons of walking/biking paths and trails. I think for $450,000 you will find a great house. We are close to Intel now and got a nice 4 bedroom/2 bath 2300 s.f. house with beautiful backyard and pool for $273,000 in November, 2009.

[jaronson]

OMG Ma and ArtJen,

The prices you're quoting are unbelievable!