Newbie question re: Grayhawk vs. Desert Ridge

[Christina Kang]

Hello! My husband and I are new to investing. Currently renting in the Grayhawk area. Our initial plan was to buy a SFH in this area for us and 2 young children, occupy for a few years, and convert to rental. We found a property and went through inspection, but backed out because of the number of problems and renovations needed. We are also new to rehabs, so now hesitant with big projects/fixer uppers at this stage. Now we are considering newer builds, specifically properties that are about 1-2 years old in some of the newer communities in Desert Ridge, such as Sky Crossings and Sanctuary (not trying to build ground up). What are your thoughts specifically on these communities with regards to renter desirability and long term appreciation on newer builds vs. Grayhawk? Thanks so much for your time and helping out some newbies!

[Melanie Johnston]

@Christina Kang As someone who has lived in Grayhawk for 8 years and has helped people buy and sell in both Grayhawk and Desert Ridge, I am happy to add my 2 cents. One of my buyers is in escrow on a 3/2 in Desert Ridge, walking distance to Desert Ridge Marketplace, for under $400,000. That price point is quickly disappearing in DR and can't be found for a SFH in Grayhawk.

DR is a great location with so much shopping and dining (and sometimes traffic) close by. You know the dining, ease of access to the 101, lifestyle attributes of Grayhawk already. I hope you lived here pre-COVID so you got to see how many community events Grayhawk hosts for kids (and for adults, but mostly for kids). I know Desert Ridge and its individual communities do the same.

It truly is a question of your budget and how being in each community makes you feel. Both have schools that parents value. DR is closer to Pinnacle High School, which you might not need for a few years, but offers a shorter commute than from Grayhawk when you do.

Here are the current SFHs for sale in Desert Ridge: https://www.flexmls.com/share/...

Here are the current SFHs for sale in Grayhawk: https://www.flexmls.com/share/...

I don't think you can go wrong with either neighborhood. They are both highly desirable. There is an interesting site called Niche.com that lets you enter a zip code or neighborhood and get back "grades" on their schools, diversity, jobs, lifestyle. No surprise that both the DR and GH zip codes are rated by Niche.com as "A"s.

Best of luck in your search for a neighborhood where you can put down roots!

Melanie