Phoenix

[specialktou]

We're looking for a second home in the Phoenix area with a price point under $200K.  Exploring the area has involved Anthem to the north, Glendale/Surprise/Peoria to the west and Litchfield Park/Goodyear/Buckeye in the South.  I'm interested in anyone's thoughts.  How would you rank these areas on these factors:

1. Public services such as access to hospitals, clinics, fire protection.
2. Shopping within a couple miles (groceries, gas, etc)
3. Road/Street conditions
4. Neighborhood amenities

Thanks

[jlauer]

One of the great things about the Phoenix metropolitan area is the variety of community identities.  It really gives the buyer an opportunity to match their individual preferences.  To help you with your search, the Arizona Association of Realtors has compiled a handy resource to research communities and neighborhoods.  You can find the Buyer's Advisory at the following link....  http://www.aaronline.com/documents/buy_advis.pdf

I'm sure your Zip agent will be happy to help you with specific questions.

Thanks for joining our website and community!

[Tom_Kilby]

Hi, thanks for your post.

These three communities are so large, it's difficult to generalize about them.  It would be more useful to look at the specific neighborhoods within the communities especially in terms of distance to groceries, gas and road conditions.  ZipRealty also offers tools like "Birds Eye views" and detailed information under the "info" tab that can give you some more local info about a neighborhood.  

That said, each of these communities has great features about it so it depends on what you are looking for.  Glendale/Surprise/Peoria has a vibrant sports scene with the AZ Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes as well as many spring training baseball teams playing there.  Anthem is close to some of Phoenix's best factory outlet store so shopping is great there.  Litchfield Park/Goodyear/Buckeye is close to some great outdoors recreation- like Estrella Mountain Park for example.

I hope this helps,

Tom Kilby

tkilby@ziprealty.com

[LeslieGuiley]

You are smart to do your research because as the nations 5th largest city we certainly do have a variety of neighborhoods to choose from!  Here are some tips for doing research from a far.   Of course you have already found the best one...the ZipRealty website! 

The May Issue of Phoenix Magazine features 33 Great Neighborhoods in Phoenix.    There is also a book called Where to Live in Phoenix that gives insight into the different neighborhoods. It was published in 2006 or 2007 so the home values are out of date but even as a long time local I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the different areas.   

The best way to choose an area or a home is in person so I encourage you to plan a visit.  Lots of people visit between October and May but if you decide to visit in the summer you will find serious sellers with homes on the market and less competition from other vacation home buyers. 

[SteveB]

How could one get a Phoenix magazine subsciption? I am planning a move to Phoenix and I know zero about phoenix.

Any help would be great

[Eileen Harris]

Learning about Phoenix through our publications is a great idea and there are several I would recommend: Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home and Garden, Phoenix Business Journal  (specific to the Phoenix metro area) and Desert LIving and Arizona Highways. These periodicals are specific to this area and will give you a wealth of information about our lifestyle. Arizona Highways is known for spectacular photography of our state; their pictures will inspire you. All of them are available for subscribing online. I hope you will enjoy them and that you will consider making the Valley of the Sun your new home!

[galaxy781]

Have you thought about the east valley or east phoenix at all?? Im biased but I LOVE Arcadia!! 10 minutes from downtown (on surface streets) but far enough away not to be close to the city. Lots of character and 5 mintues from old town scottsdale. Close to tempe, mesa, east valley and accesible to the west valley also! Sits right off the 202 and minutes from the 101. Golf courses, shopping/parks anything you could want within 5-10 minutes! LOVE IT!

[Investor-Mike]

Take advice from Real Estate investors.  Never ask advice or questions from a salesman.  They will tell you everything you want to hear because they want a commission. 

One word to answer your question.  Scottsdale.  Preferably north area.  Next in Rank Gilbert, Chandler, North West Phoenix near 101 and Bell Ave.  $200K in this market will get you a $450K home back in 2006.  West side yes does have pockets of nice areas.  But if you want nice.  North Scottsdale.  You will love life living there and $200 can get you a nice townhouse.

Your suggestions:

GLENDALEno way.  North Glendale yes.

SUPRISE.  Boring.  Nothing but 50,000 homes in the desert.  Far from everything

LITCHFIELDPARK. No way are you kidding?  Crime.  Nice communities surrounded by bandits

GOODYEAR  Imagine 50,000 homes in the middle of the Sahara desert with shrubs.  One grocery store.  One post office.  You’ll be depressed after 6 months living there.

Buckeye.  Worse than Goodyear.

[kenjan8482002]

I have to agree with Invester-Mike. He does know the best areas but do you want to live in a condo? If you have a millionaire's budget than Scottsdale is the place for you. Come outside in the summer time here and it all feels like being in the Sahara Desert. Those nicer areas are just as hot as all those desert areas that everyone likes to put down. I believe it was all desert at one time  but some places are just more developed than others. I think most people still want as much bang for their buck and don't like living in a crowded space. Some of those newer towns will be eventually developed and increase in value so I think they offer more upside than the older places. They certainly don't have the crime problems. Just turn on your tv any morning and you will see.

[S B.]

 I am looking for the best neighborhoods in North Phoenix, and or the North west valley. My mother inlaw lives in Peoria west of the 101 & Bell area but we dont want to live too close. ha. We do like the area though. I talked to people & some told me woudn't go south of Thunderbird (including a couple agents) and if I go south, go west, southwest. Some have said try to stay west of the 101 but if I wanted to go to north Phoenix, where are some nice walkable neighborhoods & lower crime be? We want a home with a tile roof, no shingle so a newer built after 1980. I looked online at homes in Phoenix around Union Hills & 7th area but looks a little crappy a few blocks away from the houses I see on satellite. I will also do street views on Google to see how the area looks.  We are from out of state, IL. and I have done a lot of research and talking to people so far but need more and fresh opinions. I was looking in Surprise but I have also studied the Luke Air map and see that they fly over most of Surprise with accident prone areas to the northwest in Surprise......maybe this is for a new thread. Besides north valley, I have Goodyear left still in my criteria because I see that as a possible up and coming area and like baseball but have taken off Buckeye. I don't like what I am hearing about Buckeye and crime.

Mike Investor: do you still feel the same about the communities you commented on above? That post was a while ago.

Thank you all for your help.