Neighborhoods

Everyone knows that traffic in the Valley can be a nightmare at times.  And with the price of gas almost $4 per gallon it makes sense to choose a neighborhood close to your work and places you frequent often.  The other important consideration is the value of your time; after all every minute you spend in traffic is one less minute you have to spend with your family. 

Here are some tips to help you determine if the neighborhood you are considering will fit your lifestyle and the way you move around the valley.

• Use Google Maps or one of the other online mapping websites to check the distance and drive times from your perspective new home to work, family, church, and other places you will frequent after you move.
• Consider doing a test run to get a feel for traffic conditions in the area.  Try to do it during the same time you would normally being driving to work in the morning and evening, that way you’ll get a feel for the real traffic conditions you will encounter once you begin commuting from your new home.
• Look into the public tranportation available in the area.  Phoenix’s bus system, Valley Metro, has routes all over the valley and soon light rail will be available as well.
• Find out if any of your co-workers live in the area.  If so, there may be a possibility they will be willing to carpool with you, or they may be able to give you some insight into the best routes and times to travel.
• Is the home close to your favorite restaurants, places to shop, and entertainment spots.  Think about the places you visit frequently and check the drive time it will take to get there from your new home.
• Consider how far, or in some cases how close, family and friends will be from your new home?  If you visit loved ones frequently, more than a few extra miles of distance can add up to big dent in your wallet.

Think of it this way:

20 extra miles of driving per day over 5 days a week equals 100 miles per week.  If your car gets 20 miles per gallon that translates into 5 extra gallons per week.  5 extra gallons per week times 4 weeks per month equals 20 extra gallons per month.  20 extra gallons per month times $3.60 per gallon equals $72 per month spent on gas to cover the extra distance commuting to work. 

That $72 per month would probably be better in your pocket than the gas companies or even applied to your mortgage payment, possibly even allowing you to afford a higher mortgage payment.

Pretty common sense stuff but often over looked.

Surprise, surprise! Gilbert AZ has been one of the 10 fastest growing cities in the nation, again.

From the East Valley Tribune - The U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday that Gilbert was the eighth-fastest-growing city with a population larger than 100,000 in the United States from July 2006 to July 2007, gaining 11,308 or 5.8 percent. The only other Arizona city that made the top 25 on this percentage-based list was Peoria, No. 23 at 3 percent.

I have to admit I am a little surprised. Given the current state of the economy and the lackluster Arizona real estate market (particularly for sellers) I would not have guessed that any Arizona city would make the Top 10.

On the other hand Gilbert has good schools, quick access to freeways, loads of shopping and dinning venues, low crime rates and overall is a great place to live, so maybe it shouldn’t be such a surprise. In my opinion some of the best communities in the east valley are in Gilbert. Neighborhoods like Power Ranch, Seville, and Val Vista Lakes to name a few.

Some more good news is that there has been an increase in then number of new housing permits issued in Gilbert.

From the East Valley Tribune - officials saw a substantial jump in the number of single-family housing permits pulled in recent months: 170 in May and 156 in June, compared to 87 in April and 43 in January.

Also of late, the bank owned foreclosure homes in Gilbert have been moving fast. Banks are pricing their foreclosure properties low and getting multiple offers in just a few days. Buyers have to move fast to catch the good deals.

Could this be a sign that the housing market is going to pick up? Hard to say at this point but it is good news.

Looks like the commercial real estate developers still like Gilbert even though residential real estate hasn’t rebounded yet. 

From the East Valley Tribune  - More shops and offices are on the horizon for Gilbert, as commercial builders chug away at new developments despite the slowed real estate market.

More than 50 projects - totaling $700 million - are in the works, said Dan Henderson, the city’s economic development manager. Much of that growth is sprouting along the Santan Freeway stretch of Loop 202.

I take this as a good sign.  Gilbert is a great community and if the commercial developers are investing loads of money into the area they must be confident in a turn around in the real estate market. 

Butwin added that the real estate market will likely improve by the time the building is finished. In 12 months, “the economy is going to be very different,” he said. “It’s still a fast-growing community. It’s still underserved in a lot of aspects.”

There are some good deals in Gilbert real estate these days. If your looking to buy in Gilbert I have a list of foreclosure homes I can email you. Just drop me an email or use the contract form on the right side of the page.

Ok, so I’m changing the order of the Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips and adding a new tip.  As a father and long time resident of the valley this is something that is very close to my heart.  Summer is upon us and in Arizona that means backyard barbecues, trips to lake, tubing down the Salt River and lounging by the swimming pool and cooling off. 

But with summer comes the gut wrenching, heart breaking and almost inevitable chain of very tragic news stories like this one, Drowning Victim, 3 , is ID’d .  It goes without saying, or at least it should, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WATCH YOU KIDS AROUND WATER!

Which brings me to Choosing the Right Neighborhood (or in this case home) Tip #3 - Swimming Pool Barrier Laws.  The Arizona Association of REALTORS® (AAR) Residential Resale Purchase Contract states in section 6g lines 217-220;

“Swimming Pool Barrier Regulations:  During the Inspection Period, Buyer agrees to investigate all applicable state, county and municipal Swimming Pool barrier regulations and agrees to comply with and pay all costs of compliance with said regulations prior to occupying the Premises, unless otherwise agreed in writing.  If the Premises contains a Swimming Pool, Buyer acknowledges receipt of the Arizona Department of Health Services approved private pool safety notice.”

Buyers, I hope you got that; per the standard residential purchase contract you are agreeing to investigate the laws, comply with the laws and pay all costs of compliance with the laws prior to occupying the premises.   Buyers must complete this investigation during the Inspection Period, typically the first 10 days from the date of contract acceptance.   

When choosing a home inspector, be sure to ask if they are up to date with the state, county and municipality Swimming Pool Barrier Laws for the area the home is located in.  Request that they put in writing their findings on the status of the home’s pool barrier.  If the barrier is found not to be up to code some of your options might be; request that the seller bring the barrier up to code, cancel the contract, or pay for the barrier to be brought up to code out of your own pocket. 

Arizona’s Swimming Pool Barrier Laws can vary from county to county and city to city.  At a minimum A.R.S. §36-1681 requires that all residential swimming pools are enclosed by a barrier.   The Phoenix Association of Realtors® has put together a brief summary of several county and city laws regarding pool barriers.   While this summary is not a complete detailing of the laws it is a good place to start.  The Arizona Association of Realtors® has compiled a list of Pool Barrier Law Contact Information to help buyers obtain a copy of the pool barrier law requirements that may affect the property being purchased.

Some last words of advice.  Do NOT count on barriers to keep children from reaching the pool.  No barrier is foolproof.  Barriers only slow a child’s access to the pool.  Do NOT be distracted by phone calls, doorbells, or chores while children are in the pool.  Attend CPR classes.  Lock passageways (such as pet doors) leading to the pool.  Never leave children unsupervised in the pool, around water, or inside the pool area - not even for a second!  No amount of water is too small for a child to drown in.

One of the more frequently asked questions I hear from people shopping for a new home is how safe is the neighborhood.  Thanks to the Internet there is a wealth of information at your finger tips to help you evaluate prospective neighborhoods.  

Crime statistics, while an imperfect measurement at best, nevertheless provide some indication of the level of criminal activity in an area.  To check the crime statistics for the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Surprise, and Peoria, go to www.faxnet1.org.   For other cities a visit or phone call to local law enforcement agencies may be required.  For a list of all Arizona city links go to www.azleague.org.  To find crime statistics on their websites you may need to search for “crime statistics.”    

Since June 1996, Arizona has had a registry and community notification program for convicted sex offenders.  This information may be accessed at www.azsexoffender.org.  Prior to June 1996, registration was not required, and only the higher-risk sex offenders are on the website.  

Driving through the neighborhood and the surrounding area is also recommended.  Look for things like graffitti, abandon homes or buildings.  Is the neighborhood well lit a night?  Speak with some of the neighbors to get their opinion of the community.    

I’m sure you’ve heard it before but it is worth repeating; buying a home is one of the biggest investments you will make in your life.  Spending some time before you by a home to learn about the neighborhood will give you the piece of mind to know that you are making a sound buying decision.

Read more Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips.