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BargainQueen · Marc Jacobs

Arizona Girls

BargainQueen · Marc Jacobs

....or is Maricopa is city? I thought it was a county?

halleybird · Hermes

I used to live in Surprise, and honestly I found it a lot closer to the main part of the city than Buckeye is, because it's right off of the 303, so it's easier to get around IMO. If you're set on the southern part of the Valley, I'd look at older (80s-90s) construction in Avondale or Litchfield, because it'll be easier to get around. Sometimes a 10-15 mile drive can take 30+ minutes in certain areas because of the traffic. If you don't have to go downtown at regular hours you should be OK, though.

Maricopa (the city) is about 20 miles south of Chandler (southernmost Phoenix suburb), between Phoenix and Casa Grande. It's about 1/4 the way to Tucson. You can buy a beautiful house there for cheap, but the commute is a hassle. Your only real way into town is on I-10 or a small highway, both of which are backed up often. If you aren't driving in/out of town during rush hour, you should be OK. I know it's backed up in the mornings from about 6-9 a.m. but should be good until then. There's a nice mall on the edge of Chandler, so you will only be about 20 miles from good shopping. Casa Grande has an outlet mall, though it isn't great IMO.

BTW, Maricopa County is the county Phoenix is in, and it is huge. I am not sure, but I think the City of Maricopa is actually in Pinal County. Not sure, though.

Feel free to ask if you need anything else. I have lived in the far North, West and South Valley, so I know the area pretty well.

-- Edited by halleybird at 17:40, 2007-02-20

BargainQueen · Marc Jacobs

Thanks HB,

I would definetely be driving during rush hour. I havent been to Surprise yet, I'm more interested in visiting the area now and measure how much we like/hate the drive. To be honest, Im on the fence about Buckeye. Its a bit far from everything, but since my uncle is our only family out there, and the homes are very affordable we were seriously considering it again. However the 2 lanes on the fwy make me wonder about the traffic situation in the mornings and after work, but I guess it depends on what area I end up working. My #1 choice is located in Phoenix, AZ 85016, near the Town & Country Shopping Center? And I think my chances of getting hired are pretty good, but we'll see.

Do you have any feedback on any good community colleges out there?

beachgirl · Kenneth Cole

I would definitely not recommend Buckeye. My mom is moving here from Boston, so they're looking, and me and my fiance are actually also looking for a house right now, and that is one thing that was unanimous with everyone we've talked to and from driving around and knowing the area. You can get homes for really cheap out there, but that's because no one wants to live there! The 85016 area is good, but expensive, Maricopa wouldn't be bad, a bit of a drive, but honestly everything is out here! Other than that I would check out the East Valley, again a drive, but great neighborhoods and nice houses. I would also not recommend the South Mountain area, although you can get great brand new houses out there for a reasonable price, it's only because if you drive a mile or two either direction you're in a really really bad neighborhood. It's just not a safe area. Also, Mesa can be hit or miss, there's some good parts and some bad parts. Hope that helps! House hunting is hard, especially from out of state! My mom keeps saying how lucky she is that we're here to do all the hard work for her.

*edited to add that litchfield is a good area, and would be closer to Phoenix than the other areas I mentioned.

-- Edited by beachgirl at 16:00, 2007-02-22

halleybird · Hermes

BargainQueen wrote:

Thanks HB,

I would definetely be driving during rush hour. I havent been to Surprise yet, I'm more interested in visiting the area now and measure how much we like/hate the drive. To be honest, Im on the fence about Buckeye. Its a bit far from everything, but since my uncle is our only family out there, and the homes are very affordable we were seriously considering it again. However the 2 lanes on the fwy make me wonder about the traffic situation in the mornings and after work, but I guess it depends on what area I end up working. My #1 choice is located in Phoenix, AZ 85016, near the Town & Country Shopping Center? And I think my chances of getting hired are pretty good, but we'll see.

Do you have any feedback on any good community colleges out there?

That is a seriously beautiful area, but I could never afford to live there! If you work in that area, it will be a VERY long drive from Buckeye or Maricopa (at least an hour, I think). As far as community colleges, I would say that Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have the best CCs, from what my former students say. Of course, those are in very expensive areas, too! Personally, though the East Valley is nice and close to good shopping, it can be very overpriced. My friends who live over there are paying way more than we are for smaller houses. I live in the Northwest and I love it. You have a daughter, too, right? You may want to check out school districts. I'd be a little wary of living somewhere like Buckeye or Maricopa, because the school districts are likely having to deal with tons of new growth and may not have the resources to handle it. (They have to wait for the residents to actually be there before they build the schools, etc.) I agree with beachgirl about South Mountain -- I'd stay away for a few more years, at least.

The area around the Cardinals stadium may not be a bad bet. They are building like crazy over there, and it's poised to be a pretty happening place. I believe the prices are still affordable because it used to be agricultural land. It's right off of the freeway, so you could get to your family's place in Buckeye pretty quickly. There's another pretty cute area just a few miles north of there that's pretty affordable, too.

Obviously it depends on your job, so let me know when/if you need more help!