So here you are, looking at relocating to the Phoenix area, probably looking at a map, and wondering “Where in the world do we start?”  Phoenix is huge, then include the dozens of suburbs and how are you supposed to know the difference between Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, and Gilbert?  How are you supposed to know which freeways are best for commuting?  Or where the good schools are?  Don’t you wish you had a friend in town to show you around?

Where to rent in Phoenix?

Many people decide to rent for 6 months or a year to try to get their bearings, and take their time finding a great house to buy.  Still six months can be a looong time if what you thought was a great neighborhood turns out to be the ghetto. 

So get some help.  I can show you around town, help you find great schools, easier commutes, and friendly neighborhoods, along with showing you rental homes and condos.  My relocation services for renters are the same for home buyers. 

Relocation Help for Renters

Usually my rental clients fly into town for a day or two, we’ve usually narrowed the location down a bit by email prior to their arrival.  I set up the appointments with prospective landlords from both the Realtor MLS system and Craigslist.  We spend the day checking out homes, neighborhoods, etc and they leave with a lease and a good idea of what they’re getting into.

To reserve the day is $500 and an additional $1000 is due at the end of the house-hunting.  All of my clients have found this service to be greatly worth the money.   It can make the relocating enjoyable and way less stress-ful.

Are you relocating to the Phoenix area?  What’s the Best Commute from Downtown Phoenix to suburbs like Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert?  Well, that’s the million dollar questions isn’t it?  First, let’s look at a map.  Click on this map so you can see it large while you read this post.  Clicking on it a second time makes it even more clear.

Okay, downtown is right in the middle of the map, see where the 51 meets the 202?  Downtown is just to the left of that.  So, if you are heading to North Mesa, you take the Loop 202 straight out of downtown.  The tan area is Mesa, it’s pretty big huh?

Tempe is obviously very close, that’s the nearest green area.  Look under Mesa, the purple is Chandler and the pinkish is Gilbert.  All of those triangles are park n rides for carpoolers, with some bus routes picking up there. 

Okay, now that you have your bearings, let’s talk commute in the Phoenix area.  We start with the assumption that someone in the household works in or near downtown Phoenix but wants to live somewhere affordable, family friendly, with good schools. 

First you should know that for some reason, it’s the north/south commute that is the most bogged down, that Loop 101 is especially hairy but they are building a carpool lane so that should really help.  See the curve in the I-10, we call it the Broadway Curve and it’s the thing that kills the I-10, even though it has a carpool lane.  See how the Loop 202 curves around (hence Loop?), we use the terms “Upper 202″ and “Lower 202″ for obvious reasons. 

The key to a good commute isn’t actually physical proximity to Downtown Phoenix but proximity to the freeway.  A 30 minute drive to Downtown Phoenix on surface streets is maybe 8 miles, a 30 minute drive on freeway is at least 25 miles.  So if your house is within 3 miles of the freeway, you can go further and further out and get a more affordable home. 

The average downtown commute time from the East Valley is 30 minutes without traffic and 45-60 minutes in rush hour. 

You can browse my family friendly neighborhoods to get a sense of the different communities, especially check out “What’s the Difference between Gilbert and Chandler?”.  But here’s an extremely generalized summary of the different East Valley Cities:

Mesa:  is huge, is the oldest of all the suburbs, honestly I would only consider buying a home in two areas.  North Mesa, along the freeway, good neighborhoods, good schools, great proximity to hiking, lake access, etc.  Or far South East Mesa, look at Elliot Rd off the Lower 202.  Feels rural but still lots to do.  Great Gilbert Schools in that area with Low Mesa Taxes.

Tempe:  mostly college town with ASU on the northern edge.  I love Tempe because it has some great older homes, lots of green mature trees, tons of culture, and if you do enough research, really good schools.  High in taxes though and houses cost more. 

Chandler:  it’s nice, it’s big,  I would only consider buying a home south of the Lower 202 and that really extends the commute.  It has some great schools.  Lots to do.  Great neighborhoods include Ocotillo, Old Stone Ranch, Pinelake Estates, Arden Park, Carino Estates….

Gilbert:  My personal favorite, because it’s where I currently live and to me, it’s the most family friendly.  It has really good schools, lots of parks, a brand new mall, and generally good freeway access.  Great Gilbert Neighborhoods include Jake’s Ranch, Val Vista Lakes, Country Lane, Power Ranch, Seville (far commute), Agritopia, ……

To look for homes for sale in any of these neighborhoods: click on the corresponding tag below or click on “Search for Homes” above and enter in the Subdivision Name.

If you have any questions or want more info about commuting, relocating to Mesa, Chandler, or Gilbert, just email me.  Have a great day!

Where can you find Phoenix area homes with Basements?

For many of my clients moving the Gilbert and Phoenix area from the East Coast or the Pacific Northwest, or heck basically from anywhere but California and Florida, they all wonder “Where are all the basements?!”

It’s pretty hard to find basements in Arizona for a couple reasons.  First of all we don’t have any hills, so there’s no such thing as a walk-out basement, although I have seen a few in the foothills of Ahwatukee.  Second, about six feet underground is a layer of incredibly hard rock that basically has to blasted through, making constructing a basement pretty expensive. 

Demand also makes them more expensive.  More and more people are moving here expecting them and more and more people want them as a cool place to hang out in the summer time.  Your cooling costs for a one story home with a basement are much lower than your cooling costs for a two story home. 

You can find Gilbert Homes for Sale with Basements

Luckily builders are trying to meet the demand through some really beautiful neighborhoods, many of them in Gilbert and Chandler.  Be aware that the majority of basements in the Phoenix area mean this:  completely finished, a large “rec room” or “family room”, some with mini-kitchens, then one or two bedrooms with a bathroom.  Those bedrooms are included in the bedroom count for the whole house. 

The first that comes to mind is Jakes Ranch.  This is a beautiful, gated neighborhood near the lower loop 202.  The majority of the community are all single story homes, about half with basements.  It’s a very friendly neighborhood with lots of parks, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, etc.

Near Jakes Ranch is Vintage Ranch, it was built by the same builder but there are two story homes thrown into the mix.  What you won’t find in Arizona, well extremely rarely, is a two story home with a basement.  I don’t know why the builders won’t do those but they are very hard to find.  Basically you have to find a custom home, usually built by someone from the east coast and use to those homes. 

Can’t forget about Agritopia.  Not only is the neighborhood gorgeous with tons of green grass, parks, white fences, craftsman-style homes, but their basements are wonderful.  The majority of them have mini-kitchens and many even have movie theatre rooms, what better use for a basement?!

Also a new build community in South Gilbert that is currently being built has the same basement floorplans as Jakes Ranch, plus a few more.  I really like that community, it’s attracting some very family friendly residents, it has beautiful water features, and the lots are big. 

There are a few beautiful neighborhoods in the Chandler area as well, mostly around Ocotillo, that has basements.  If you are moving to the Gilbert and Chandler area, and can afford it, I highly suggest you find a home with a basement and maybe even a pool.  They are great for resale value, plus the kids will always have a place to cool off and keep busy.

To find current homes for sale in those neighborhoods you can click on the “Search for Homes” button above, and insert the neighborhood name for “subdivision”.  If you find some you like, I can arrange a private tour just for you!

Darla and Scott were looking for the right house in the right neighborhood. They envisioned their kids spending lots of time outside, but close to home. They found it with Jake’s Ranch.

Family Friendly Neighborhood in a Great Location

Jake’s Ranch is a popular neighborhood in Gilbert, AZ for a number of reasons. First the location: just two miles from the freeway, three miles from the new mall and Costco, as well as the new hospital and numerous school options in the surrounding area. Second, the design of the neighborhood makes it popular as well, with lots of cul-de-sacs, parks, and mature green trees.  It’s also a gated community.
Why a gated neighborhood in the Phoenix area’s safest city? Darla says it greatly reduces the traffic. That results in a safer, quieter community. The final reason Jake’s Ranch is one of the best neighborhoods in the Phoenix area is that all of homes are single level. This offers an unparalled amount of privacy for a master-planned community.

Darla and Scott’s family enjoy hours of outdoor fun. Pick up games right outside in the cul-de-sac, hours of basketball on the community courts, tons of tennis games on those courts, not to mention the neighborhood softball tournaments.

I asked if it always feels safe, say at 10 o’clock at night? Darla responded that’s when she and her husband go for their nightly bike ride together! It’s relaxing and cool (for the summer) and a great way to spend time together.

The number one reason Darla and her family love their neighborhood is for their friendly neighbors. She has developed wonderful friendships with them. The HOA holds an annual fall festival with a fully catered dinner, games, train rides, and face painting for the kids. It has been a great way to foster community unity throughout the years.

One of the reasons I love the community is that about a third of the homes have basements.  Basements are a premium in Arizona.  Not only are they rarely built but also it’s a great way to have extra square footage while keep the cooling costs low. 

If you are looking for homes for sale in Gilbert, AZ and think Jake’s Ranch might be a great place to start, you can click on “Search for Homes” above, and enter “Jake’s Ranch” for the subdivision.  If you see something you like, we can arrange a private showing just for you!

 I am so excited and pleased to announce that I finally have a neighborhood profile for the amazing Agritopia neighborhood in Gilbert, AZ.  I interviewed one of the residents, Misty, to find out if this neighborhood is as inviting and friendly as it looks.
Apparently, it is. Let me give you some background. A few years ago, local farmer-turned-land-developer, Joe Johnson, decided he wanted the community that was to be built on his farmland to be special and unique. He wanted a family-focused community that didn’t look like all the rest, as well as to keep the agriculture-heritage Gilbert, AZ is known for.

The result is a community that looks like Pleasantville, without the weirdness. Every home has green grass in front (HOA maintained) and huge front porches. The streets are lined with trees and there are multiple beautiful parks. The homes even have basements, so rare in Arizona but so needed with our summer heat.

Agritopia Clubhouse

What I find so beautiful about the community are the homes.  Each one is so unique and beautiful.  Incredible flowers, cute porches, and lots of color.  I really enjoy just walking around there.  It would make me happy to come home to that neighborhood every day.

Misty says the people that live there all wanted to raise there families in a safe and beautiful setting. So people wave and say hi and spend a lot of time outdoors, chatting with their neighbors. You will see kids playing and riding bikes, neighbors chatting on their front porches and walking the dogs. Probably to the new city dog park, right next door.

That’s not all. Misty says the HOA coordinates many family activities, mainly centered around the holidays. Fourth of July picnics and Easter celebrations allow neighbors to enjoy each other’s company. When its not a holiday, friends find each other at the community clubhouse, working out or taking a dip in the pool. Or maybe even going a round on the putt-putt golf course.

Joe's Grill

Since I love food, my favorite part of the community is the fact that they retained about 20 acres of the original farm land and are using it to grow organic crops. You can buy these crops at the farmer’s market, or you can enjoy them at the Coffeehouse or Joe’s Grill, right onsite. The Grill was created from the original farmhouse that Joe grew up in. I will say that their burgers are the best in Gilbert and their Sweet Potato Fries are to die for. Maybe it’s good I don’t live in Agritopia, or I would be huge!

I could go on and on about the incredible location but I think I’ve gushed enough. You have to see it for yourself, give me a call and I’ll show you around. The Cottages start from the 200s and the Classic Homes go right on up to much more than that. If you are relocating to the Phoenix area and want to make sure you get in the best possible neighborhood for your family, you might have just found it.

Find a Home within Walking Distance to a Great School

As the school year has begun and my shift as taxi driver has renewed, I once again mourn that my elementary school of choice is not within walking distance.  What luxury it would be to walk down the street versus loading everyone in the car including the preschooler and the baby, waiting in line to drop off, get everyone home and out of their car seats, just to load everyone in again to do it all over.  What a waste of gas, time, and energy.

If I had to do it over again, I would find my dream home within walking distance of a great elementary school.  Luckily those moving to Gilbert Arizona can find a plethora of excellent schools and friendly neighborhoods.  Here are just a few:

Gilbert Homes for Sale near Great Schools

Val Vista Lakes Elementary is locating within, you guessed it, the community of Val Vista Lakes.  The schools receives high marks with a lot of parent involvement.  I love the community because of it’s excellent location, close to the freeway and lots of shopping, along with its clubhouse, pools, and of course, the lakes.  You can find everything from two bedroom condos, typical 4 bedrooms homes, up to mansions on the water, pontoon boat included.

If you’re intersted in a home with a “rural” feeling, you would love the neighborhood around Mesquite Elementary.  Homes surrounding the school are a throwback to Gilbert’s farming days.  Usually they sit on 1-2 acres so there’s lots of room between you and your neighbor, and are zoned for chickens, and a cow or a horse or two.  The homes are ranches, ranging in size from 3 bedrooms up to 6 or so.  The great thing is that it’s still close-in Gilbert, it’s not out in the middle of nowhere.

You can find typical “suburbia” at Finley Farms Elementary.  It’s a great school right in the middle of a friendly neighborhood.  These homes were all built in the last ten years or so, typical 3-5 bedrooms homes, about a third with pools.  The school is right in the middle of the community, and easy walk for just about everyone.

If you have a first grader and a seventh grader, you might looking into Greenfield Elementary and Greenfield Junior High.  They are the only elementary school and junior high right next to each other in Gilbert.  However, they are on opposite sides of Guadalupe Road so keep that in mind.  The majority of homes within walking distance are custom, big and beautiful, with huge lots.  It’s a nice area. 

If you are looking for a private, Christian-based school, check out Surrey Garden Christian School within the community of Agritopia.  Agritopia is one of the most renowned Phoenix-area neighborhoods.  It combines organic farm fields with a coffee shop, restaurant grill, and craftsman-style residential architecture that is hard to find in Arizona.  Homes for sale in Agritopia range from 1500 square foot cottages up to 5,000 6 bedroom homes with separate casitas. 

These are just a few of the options for Gilbert neighborhoods with great schools within walking distance.  Any others you’d like to recommend?

This question is very common for people thinking of moving to the Phoenix-area, or even just from the West Side to the East Side.  When people research good schools in Arizona (which are VERY important for resale value and investment regardless of your child status), three areas generally come up.  The Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area, which is generally too expensive for most families, and then the school districts of Gilbert and Chandler.

Chandler and Gilbert are right next to each other and so it stands to question, “What’s the difference?”

I put that question to a few of my mommy friends to check their perception of the cities.  Heather Vanacour, owner of Stroller Strides and mother of one, said “The feel of Gilbert, even in city management, seems to be more family oriented.” 

Gilbert Real Estate Family Friendly

I would agree with her.  City of Gilbert knows that it’s bread and butter is the amount of families in and their attraction to Gilbert.  There is even a new outdoor mall, with a huge focus on families.  There are multiple play areas and the sidewalks were designed so multiple strollers could walk side by side.  Developers cited the desire to cater to Gilbert families. 

Another example of that is in city planning.  In Gilbert, developers are required to build in play structures within the communities per number of homes.  That allieves the city of developing a ton of city parks.  Chandler has some really incredible city parks, huge structures that all feel new and seem to go on forever.  However in Gilbert, pretty much every child can walk to a park from his/her home.  While it might not be amazing, it’s accessible. 

Cherryl, mom of 5, said “I honestly can’t think of anything except that Chandler seems to have more businesses and Gilbert use to seem to have much more residential, but i guess that has been slowly changing as well.”  Cheryl is spot on with her assessment.  Chandler has been able to attract huge, high-tech companies such as Intel, Micro-Age, and Amkor.  While those some of the employees with families do live in Chandler, there’s also a huge amount of the “single professional” there as well.  You are hard-pressed to find many singles in Gilbert. 

In the same vein, Chandler has a huge amount of golf courses per population.  In Arizona, anytime you have lots of golf courses, you’re also going to find lots of retirees.  Which is great, I’m just pointing out the differences in population between Gilbert and Chandler. 

Debi, mother of 2 and former teacher said, “I grew up in Chandler but now, as you know, live in Gilbert.  Honestly I don’t see a real big difference between the two.  I think both have good and bad areas, both have a great school district, and both have really good shopping and entertainment.  The only thing I can think of is that I think Gilbert pays higher taxes.” 

I agree with her, although I can’t find anything to support that perception.  I think Gilbert does pay higher property taxes.  However Chandler’s land will be built out by 2010, already you can see the consequence of that in higher price tags for homes.  With the amount of farm land Gilbert still has to develop, Gilbert homes have a long time of being slightly more affordable than Chandler.

From a real estate standpoint, I can only see one primary difference.  Chandler is older than Gilbert, only slightly but still it’s there.  So, the not so nice areas of Chandler are a little more widespread and they have more older homes to weed through than Gilbert. 

Gilbert and Chandler Crime Statistics

I tried to find crime stats on the two areas.  From the Chandler Police Department page, you find this map with the info that there were 156,563 calls for service in 2006.  On the City of Gilbert page you can find this map with total service calls being 57,577.  That’s a big difference.  But as you can see, none of these local moms had the perception that one city was safer than another. 

After reading this, you might feel I’m being biased towards Gilbert and maybe I am, since it’s where I live and raise my family.  But I can think of some wonderful neighborhoods in Chandler such as Pinelake Estates, and Old Stone Ranch.  Stand-out neighborhoods in Gilbert include Higley Groves, Seville and Country Lane. 

Every time I write an ending paragraph to this article, it sounds like I’m trying to bash one or the other.  So I’ll just say this, you need to visit both areas.  Look around and get a feel for the differences.  Your instinct will tell you where the right place is for your family.

Since food is integral part of a family’s happiness, especially mine, this week’s “You Gotta Know” is about finding the best deals in Gilbert’s grocery options.  Let’s start with the best:

Personally I love the Fry’s on Warner and Val Vista.  It’s close to my house but even if it wasn’t, I would probably still make the trip there.  Why?  Because there is free child care that my two boys love!  Every mom knows, you can siginificantly decrease your grocery bill by not having a four year old begging you for every sugary treat he sees.   My kids actually look forward to a shopping trip, as do I.  They get to draw pictures and I get to take my time.  Note:  all kids have to be over age 2 and healthy to be checked in.  They use lots of hand sanitizer and the manager, Anne, is extremely nice. 

Another favorite of mine is Sprouts, on Val Vista just south of Williamsfield.  If I know I need extra fresh produce and very nice meat, I can count on it at Sprouts.  If I’m going to pay the premium for steaks and such these days, I want to know I’m getting a really good cut, free of hormones, etc.   They also have a large selection of organic produce, dairy, etc.

Many of my friends like to shop the “Supers“, i.e. Super Wal-Mart and Super Target.  That way they are able to minimize their shopping trips by getting absolutely everything at one stop.  I thought their produce prices were kind of high but my friends insist their budget is the same or even a little less.  You can find a Super Target at Power and Ray Roads and another at Gilbert Rd and the 202.  Super Wal-Mart is at Williamsfield and Greenfield Rds or on the West side of Gilbert Rd and the 202.

If you’re a warehouse shopper, you can find CostCo conveniently located just off the 202 freeway and Pecos Rd.  Personally I try not to shop there because I can never get out for less than $100 but you can’t beat the prices on diapers and formula, which can be a huge part of a family’s shopping budget.  Plus their huge churros for only a $1 are a reliable source of bliss for me. 

Finally, my absolute favorite trick for reducing your grocery shopping bill is to use www.sistersavings.net.  There you can find all the best sales for all the grocery stores all in one spot.  I print that out every week, pick the store that has the best prices, and plan my menu for the week.  It has drastically reduced my shopping time and grocery bill. 

Great Deals on Gilbert Homes for Sale

And let’s face it, the less you spend on your silly grocery bill, the more you can spend on your fabulous new house!  Oh, you don’t have a fabulous new house yet?  Well, what are you waiting for?  The Gilbert real estate market is ripe with incredible deals right now!  And the federal governement is starting new regulations for first time home buyers grants and loans, so contact me today to see if you qualify!

I’d love to hear of any other great grocery deals in the Gilbert Arizona area.  Let me know your shopping secrets!

Relocating to Gilbert Arizona starts with Schools

Choosing the right area of the Valley of the Sun for your family can be quite a challenge. For many families that choose to relocate to the Phoenix-area, quality schools are at the top of the list. Many families find affordable Gilbert, AZ and the Gilbert Public School District an ideal place to start their house hunt.

Gilbert School District is typically in the top 3 districts in the state, based on test scores and graduation rates. According to state standards, the district has 31 Excelling schools, out of 36.

There are over 38,000 students enrolled in 26 elementary schools, 6 junior highs, and 4 high schools, along with 3 academies and 36 preschool classrooms.

To see state and national test scores for Gilbert Public Schools, click here.

I have recently toured at many of these schools in the hunt for a good school for my own son. You can read those articles here.

Gilbert High Schools

• Desert Ridge High School
• Gilbert High School
• Highland High School
• Mesquite High School

Gilbert Junior High Schools

• Desert Ridge Junior High
• Gilbert Junior High
• Greenfield Junior High
• Highland Junior High
• Mesquite Junior High
• South Valley Junior High

Gilbert School District Academies

• Technology and Leadership Academy
• Gilbert Classical Academy
• Neely Traditional Academy

Gilbert Schools Alternative Education

• Gilbert Learning Center
• Distance Learning

Gilbert Elementary Schools

To see enrollment numbers at each school, click here.

Gilbert Schools Offer Open Enrollment

Gilbert maintains an open enrollment policy: as long as there is room, any Gilbert resident can go to any Gilbert School. As a Gilbert resident and your Local Expert, I am here to help you in your relocation to Gilbert, AZ. As a Family Real Estate Specialist, I assist my clients in finding the right home at the right price for their families.