D'Arcy Ranch, Cottonwood, SunRise

Just north of the Chandler Fashion Center are three neighborhoods built in the 1990's. All three are within walking distance to the mall, employment and all kinds of restaurants.

The houses are stucco one and two story homes. From 1300 square feet up to 4000. There might be one or two near 5000. Average size yards, most lots are from 5000 square feet up to 13,000.

To the north of these communties are three large office buildings. Some could walk to work or to Firehouse Subs, The Spicy Pickle and a japanese restaurant.

To the south is the fashion center and P.F. Chang's, Olive Garden and other chain restaurants. Or you can take in a movie at Harkin's Theatre.

These communities are serviced by Kyrene del Sureno, the local elementary school that's right next to Harter Park with it's ball field, sand volleyball, basketball and playground.

How Does the East Valley Stand Up?

Those of us who live here know that the East Valley cities are a great place to live. Some other people agree with us. Click on a city name to get more information about the city and ranking information.

CNN/Money Rankings of Best Places to Live in 2008:

Gilbert, AZ - 28
Chandler, AZ - 30
Scottsdale, AZ - 47

Sustainability Rankings 2008:

Mesa, AZ - 50

Best Sports Cities Ranking - Sporting News 2008:

Phoenix/Tempe - 6

Features Buyers Want

Here are the five kitchen and bath features buyers want the most:
36% want a separate shower enclosure in the master bath
31% want an eat-in kitchen
24% want high-end appliances
23% want granite counter tops
21% want a kitchen island

Source February 2009 issue of REALTOR® Magazine - Source: NAR 2007 Profile of Buyers' Home Feature Preferences

Impove Your Odds of Getting Your Home Sold

When you are selling your home what it looks like on the inside matters. Buyers will look at photos of the inside of your home on the Internet and will decide based upon these photos whether or not they want to see your home. Don't think that if the inside of your home is a mess that you can still get buyers by not having interior photos of your home posted on the MLS. Many buyers browse only those homes that have multiple photos.

Once you get them interested enough to come view your home, it is important that the home look clean and clutter free when they arrive to view it. Potential buyers should be able to picture themselves living in your home. This means that you need to pack up or give away items that are cluttering up your home. To get an idea of what this means, look at a few model homes in new built subdivisions and see how they are decorated. Look in some home decorating magazines and count how many personal items are displayed. Limit yourself to a similar number. Homes with clean and spacious (uncluttered) interiors tend to sell faster.

For more information - Realty Times article - Clutter Free Helps Sell Homes

Insulate for Savings

According to SimplyInsulate.org 60%of homes in the United States are under insulated. Their website contains information on determining the correct amount of insulation for your home, how to calculate potential energy savings, how to install insulation yourself, and how to hire a contractor.

Click here to learn about financial incentives available for installing insulation in Arizona.

Before you buy a newly built home

Before you buy a newly built home, check on the financial health of the builder. You want to make sure they will be able to complete the community in a timely manner. This applies whether you purchase directly from the builder or from a current owner of a property in that community. If the builder is having financial difficulties it is likely that the HOA for that community is as well. How do you check? Click on the link to the AZ Department of Real Estate listing below. There is also a current article from the AZ Republic with a listing for Chandler. You may still decide to buy in one of these communities but you should make sure you have done your homework before you do.

Also, for those of you that don't live in this area, please realize that most of the Phoenix area cities are very large and with the expection of outlying areas new build communities represent a very small portion of the cities housing. The Phoenix area is a great place to live with lots of great communities.

Unfinished Subdivisions Create Problems - AZ Republic

AZDRE List of Home Builders in Financial Trouble