Moved to Sunland Village East
On June 23rd 2014 my wife and I moved into our new home Sunland Village East. This community is a 45+ Arizona Retirement community in Mesa, AZ. We are both in our late forties. We are definitely on the younger side for living in a retirement community (we really enjoy living here). SVE allows 20% of its residents to be under 55 but, both of us had to be at-least 45. There are a dozen or so retirement communities around Phoenix that allow this age acception (a few of the communities are 40+). Some of the newer Active Adult Retirement Communities allow one kid 19 years and older to live with you.
Home Features:
- 2bed / 2 bath / 2car garage
- Built 1989
- All block construction
- 1800 sq/ft
- Newer shingled roof
- 2 year old AC/Heat Pump
- Fenced back yard (grass – most homes are all rock-scaped).
- Large Family (18×18)
- Large master bedroom (18×13)
- Large covered patio (18×13)
- Sold negotiated price $187,500.
To do our wish list in the home. We would have an estimated $12 – $16k in updating (paint, flooring, cabinets and appliances). The home is very livable and none of the items have to be done right away. Although, The difference between my wife’s definition of livable, and timeline for completion, are a bit different :>).
Why did we move into a retirement community? For one, we finally became empty nesters in April of 2014 (still miss the kids). My wife (Mary) three kids (Brady (26), Sadie & Kelsey (23), moved to Arizona from Minnesota in 2004.
When we first moved to Arizona, we chose area based on school district. Gilbert in our opinion at that time, had one of the best education ratings in the state (Gilbert may still rank high but, I have not kept up on school rankings).
In 2011 we moved to Scottsdale to be closer to my wife’s work. – She was working towards an RN degree. We rented a condo in a gated luxury community for the past 3 years. Scottsdale is a great place to live but, was a little higher priced than what we felt we could afford. All of the homes we liked were priced at $300k plus and needed at a minimum, $30k in renovations. Mesa area on average was a $100k cheaper for a similar / comparable home.
Retirement Communities (55+) are well maintained. The home owners in a 55+ community seem to show a higher pride of ownership (they take great care of the homes exterior appearance). The larger communities, offer activities that make meeting new friends – quick and easy. If you are looking for friend-ships, and are the least bit social, – you will have made more friends within your first month – than you have made in a life time. A sense of security was another reason we moved into retirement community. Also, we really like having a fully equipped fitness center just a few short blocks from our home.
How do you pick which retirement community buy a home in? Not to sound condescending, its actually quite easy! Choosing the community, comes down to 4 things in this exact order:
1) Price
2) Location
3) Home Styles
4) Community Amenities
The above criteria will determine which communities you consider during your home search.
Are you considering buying a home in an Arizona 55+ Active Adult Community? If so, I am well versed with all of the retirement communities throughout the Phoenix metro area. We will explore your options together, and help you make the best informed buying decision possible. Call Jarl Today! With all of your questions. (480) 710-6326