sun city west or sun city grand AZ

[mn54]

DW and I are looking to rent in either sun city west or grand next winter. we have gone to scottsdale in the past but want to try one of these communities. we both play pickleball, I also play tennis. would like to hear experiences or recommendations from those that own or rent in these communities. thanks.

 

[OldShooter]

You might want to look at average age of people to evaluate your fit. My parents bought in Sun City West quite a few years ago and there was a sharp age difference between SCW and the original Sun City to the south. As places have turned over in ownership this may no longer be the case, of course.

 

[Mountain skier]

Great weather most of the year

 

[Ian S]

Sun City Grand is newer.

 

[Scrapr]

My brother & his wife bought in one of those communities. I don't remember which one. One thing I noticed was the older homes were smaller & maybe not as updated. Some of the homes had a swamp cooler on the roof. I have no experience with swamp coolers but I would think an AC unit would cool better

 

[Another Reader]

The original Sun City was built starting in the early 60's. Small block homes with minimal amenities. Carports. Several plans with one bath. Watch out for gas furnaces inside the living area. Sun City West was middle 70's to early 80's. Wood frame, a bit larger, a couple of decent floor plans. All electric. Mostly garages. Termites and plumbing issues are common. Sun City Grand was modern frame and stucco from the mid-90's to 2000's. Small lots, more amenities, high HOA fees. Similar product out in the far West Valley at Sun City Carnival. No grocery or other amenities for 15 miles. Pick your lifestyle and comfort level...

 

[LarryMelman]

My brother & his wife bought in one of those communities. I don't remember which one. One thing I noticed was the older homes were smaller & maybe not as updated. Some of the homes had a swamp cooler on the roof. I have no experience with swamp coolers but I would think an AC unit would cool better

Did you read the OP? He wants to rent during the winter.

 

[zinger1457]

How easy is it to get a rental in the Sun City AZ area for the entire winter season? Never looked into it but would expect the availability to be very low and cost very high. The real estate market is very hot now in the Phoenix area, no need to sit on a property, anyone wanting to sell could do so very quickly and at a premium.

 

[mn54]

How easy is it to get a rental in the Sun City AZ area for the entire winter season? Never looked into it but would expect the availability to be very low and cost very high. The real estate market is very hot now in the Phoenix area, no need to sit on a property, anyone wanting to sell could do so very quickly and at a premium.

you are correct. the availability is lower than expected. it appears most places are rented a year in advance however i have found a few that are still available. cost is around 150 - 200/night.

 

[mn54]

update. i found a place to rent in sun city festival, the newest of the sun city communities. it is located in buckeye, AZ which is a little west of the other sun city communities. it appears to be about half developed so far.

 

[Ronstar]

^ Congrats! IMO, you made the right move. I've been to the older sun cities in Az and wasn't impressed.

 

[Dtail]

Congrats. Sounds good.

 

[audreyh1]

update. i found a place to rent in sun city festival, the newest of the sun city communities. it is located in buckeye, AZ which is a little west of the other sun city communities. it appears to be about half developed so far.

That’s cool that you can try it out as a rental.

 

[Another Reader]

update. i found a place to rent in sun city festival, the newest of the sun city communities. it is located in buckeye, AZ which is a little west of the other sun city communities. it appears to be about half developed so far.

It's a long drive to Surprise for groceries or Target. But it's very quiet out there.

 

[LarryMelman]

The original Sun City dates back to about 1960 when retirement was a new concept and bowling and golf were recreation. Sun City West to the 1980's and featured a big performing arts center "Sundome" which was torn down recently. Grand in the mid 90's and Festival opened in the early 2000's. Actually the road out to Festival and around the mountains was built in the late 80's expecting that development would boom way out there and it never happened. Festival is still out in the middle of nothing and if it is officially in Buckeye, that's funny because "downtown" Buckeye is 25 miles away.

All of these communities have multiple golf courses but as golf continues to decline in popularity, I wonder if the courses will stay open. I guess for now they are self sustaining or at least not a huge cash drag on the HOA's.

 

[FlaGator]

^^^^And about all you’ll find in downtown Buckeye (Bucksnort as we called it in the 70’s) is a convenience store

 

[Another Reader]

^^^^And about all you’ll find in downtown Buckeye (Bucksnort as we called it in the 70’s) is a convenience store

That was then and this is now... The land area within the town limits is vast. All the way up Sun Valley Parkway and around the White Tanks to Surprise. It will eventually be a huge city. So far, the area along I-10 west has been developed, with some retail serving the area. I-11 will cross I-10 out there when it's built.

 

[RetMD21]

update. i found a place to rent in sun city festival, the newest of the sun city communities. it is located in buckeye, AZ which is a little west of the other sun city communities. it appears to be about half developed so far.

We liked the Buckeye area when we visited, especially the Estrella Mountain Regional Park. The west side of the metro area seems to have less going on but you can always visit Scottsdale for events if you want.