Sun City Apple Valley weather (Orange, Victorville: for sale, real estate, rent)

[Blanco111]

Over the last several months, I've been looking for a retirement community to move to from NY. In August I'm going out to Arizona to visit several retirement communities there. Florida would be too muggy. Arizona may be too hot. I hadn't considered California because I heard the houses were too expensive and the taxes were very high. Today, I came across Del Webb's retirement community in Apple Valley and it looked okay to me. Maybe some of the amenities looked a little sparse. The new construction houses looked like they're priced very reasonaby. I heard the taxes in Apple Valley were low. I also read the weather is comfortable most of the year. All this sounds too good to be true. Can someone tell me about what I can expect if I were to spend the rest of my life there? What would I pay in taxes on a $350 k house? What about the area medical and commercial establishments? I plan to contact a real estate person out there, but they tend to be too positive, in general.

[Grumpy ol' Man]

We moved from Orange County, Calif, to Apple Valley when we retired in 2005. Del Webb is about a mile from us, we live in a gated community and love everything about it.
We decided on Apple Valley because of the slower pace, less traffic, less expensive homes, and because it's only about an hours drive from Orange County, where we still have many friends and business connections. Disneyland, Angel stadium, all the big town stuff an hour, hour and a half, depending on traffic.
It can get hot here in the summer, not unusual to be over 100 degrees, and lately it's been in the 90's for a couple of weeks straight. That being said, there is very low humidity so the heat isn't really a problem. I would gladly take a 100 degree day here than an 80 degree day in the Midwest where it gets ungodly humid.
Plenty of good shopping near Del Web, HD, Lowes, WINCO Foods, all a stones throw from Del. The VV Mall is about five miles away, and Costco about the same distance. About a three hour drive from Las Vegas if that is something that interests you. We are right on the main road between LA and LV.
Taxes? Our home is currently valued at about 4 to 5 hundred k, and as I recall the taxes are 3 t0 4 k. I am away from home so can't check the record to say for sure, but your RE agent can tell you.
AV has a beautiful senior citizens center, we have never joined it but did tour it and it's top notch.
Apple Valley has a fairly new town center, Town hall, Police department, park, swimming pool, amphitheater, all one huge complex, new and beautiful. My theory is because desert land is so cheap, they can afford to build beautiful buildings. It is the desert so there are plenty of older, less desirable homes, but that can be said for any area.
Medical is not a problem, several good hospitals minutes away, and plenty of great doctors.
Apple Valley is famous as the final resting place of Roy rogers and Dale Evens. There is a magnificent cemetery that Dale Evens was very involved with it's development.
Apple Valley CA Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans
The RR ranch is just a few miles out of town, Town Hall is located on the intersection of Happy Trails Hiway and Dale Evens Parkway, and the freeway off ramp is Roy Rogers Drive, so they have a strong connection to the community. We pass by the in town RR estate every day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X78wu4mKPA
Apple Valley Government, Apple Valley Civic Center. Apple Valley Fire and Police Department
Apple valley is The Town of Apple Valley, not the City of Apple Valley, they like to maintain the small town feeling.
I don't golf, but there is a beautiful course here in town.
You asked about A/C for cooling your garage. Due to the low humidly here, a swamp cooler is the answer, cheaper than A/C and adds some much needed moisture to the air. Some of the newer homes combine A/C with a swamp cooler. I wish ours would have.
What did I leave out? Are you tired of listening to me yet? In a nutshell, we are very happy here.. Come out for a visit and good luck with your decision...

[Blanco111]

Thanks for responding. I found a Youtube video showing a good part of Apple Valley and the area: https://youtu.be/v9Bsu16hRuo I watched both parts and thought I could definitely be comfortable living there. I am not too sure about the Del Webb community itself, though. It might not have all the amenities I'm looking for, and the property doesn't look as nice as other Del Webb communities I've seen. Depending on how my August trip to Arizona goes, I may take a trip out to Apple Valley to see for myself. Weather may be the deal breaker for me in Arizona. There is a higher elevation area north of Tucson that's a few degrees cooler in the summer, and the hot summer season is shorter by a couple of months. The home prices are higher there, though. Apple Valley, I think, is also at a higher elevation, and I heard the summers are not quite as hot and are also shorter by a couple of months. The difference is the home prices and property taxes in Apple Valley are very reasonable.

I didn't ask about a/C for cooling my garage. But I never heard of a swamp cooler. I'll have to check into that.

[murfslaw]

Checkout the crime statistics for the Apple Valley, Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto and Phelan areas. There's a post on this forum about crime in Victorville that you should read. It's just a few posts below this one. It's a major isue!

[RockyRoadg]

//www.city-data.com/forum/prescott/

[Blanco111]

Grump,
I'll be flying out there in a couple of weeks to check out the Dell Webb community. The Sun City Apple Valley representative told me twice to be careful. I didn't ask him what he meant. Then I read the post here about crime. Is there a part of Apple Valley and Victorville I should avoid? I will be staying at a hotel in Victorville. I wanted to scope out the surrounding area for places I'd be going to a lot if I were to move there.

[Grumpy ol' Man]

Originally Posted by Blanco111

Grump,
I'll be flying out there in a couple of weeks to check out the Dell Webb community. The Sun City Apple Valley representative told me twice to be careful. I didn't ask him what he meant. Then I read the post here about crime. Is there a part of Apple Valley and Victorville I should avoid? I will be staying at a hotel in Victorville. I wanted to scope out the surrounding area for places I'd be going to a lot if I were to move there.

Like most large cities, Victorville has crime areas. There are some very old area of VV, i.e. the low rent district, where crime is more prevalent , but the town has grown a lot and there are far more good areas than bad, as in any city.
We are in VV almost every day, Dr visits, Costco, restaurants, shopping, etc., and have never encountered any crime. I don't hang out there at night and don't visit bars, etc. Bad things happen after midnight..!
Apple Valley is a few miles from VV and a newer, nicer area. Jess Ranch is a nice area, however there are numerous nice area in AV, including several gated communities. We are 3-4 miles from Jess in a small gated community of only 70 homes. One of the reasons we chose a gated community was the homes are all modern and nice, with well kept landscaping. Elsewhere you will find beautiful homes scattered among the very old. Keep in mind, this is the desert where many don't pay a lot of attention to landscaping. We wanted continuity where the entire neighborhood is nice and well kept.
As an example, this home right across the street from us is currently for sale, you get a lot for your money here, large home, large lot. This home in Orange County where we came from would be a million dollar home. Our HOA dues are under $400 per year.
13451 Choco Rd, Apple Valley, CA 92308 | MLS #471457 | Zillow
Once in a while you hear about local crime, but there is no where in America that doesn't happen.
We're less than five minutes from golf it that's your bag, 10 minutes from the 15 freeway which will take you to LA(2 hours) or Las Vegas(3 hours).
What did I miss? I'll show you around but you would have to buy me lunch.... After a good lunch I'm not nearly as grumpy...

[Blanco111]

What do you know about California income tax? My New York State pension isn't taxed in New York. However, I pay $5,800 in property taxes. If I move to Apple Valley, California, I'd like the total of my California state income taxes and property taxes to be less than $5,800. Do you think this is possible? I suppose I should ask this in another forum, but I figured you would know the answer too. Unfortunately, California also taxes social security income and ny doesn't. So I have to consider this too.

[Grumpy ol' Man]

Originally Posted by Blanco111

What do you know about California income tax? My New York State pension isn't taxed in New York. However, I pay $5,800 in property taxes. If I move to Apple Valley, California, I'd like the total of my California state income taxes and property taxes to be less than $5,800. Do you think this is possible? I suppose I should ask this in another forum, but I figured you would know the answer too. Unfortunately, California also taxes social security income and ny doesn't. So I have to consider this too.

You worked for the state of NY? I retired from City government but do pay tax on retirement income, also on SS.
Property tax is based on assessed property value, so depends on the property you purchase. As I recall, not at home to look it up, I paid about $4k property tax. I don't recall how much state income tax I paid. Lots depends on how much income and how many write offs, no two people will be the same.
I can recommend a good local realtor who can probably answer that and many more of your questions about local property. I can show you around, but she can better answer property questions, such as good locations, neighborhoods and prices and taxes.. She deals with those facts every day. She also lived in Jess Ranch for a while so is very familiar with that location.