Gilbert Communities & Real Estate

 We have lived in Shamrock Estates for the past 7 years and have loved every minute of it.  So many things about Shamrock Estates make us wonder if we will ever move.  Shamrock Estates is one of those communities that make you feel like you can confide in all of your neighbors.  Gilbert, AZ. in general seems this way, but Shamrock Estates has something different. We are located at Higley and Ocotillo roads just Southeast of the 202 freeway and the San Tan Village Mall and Market Place. We have the gorgeous San Tan Mountain range just South of us and are only 10 minutes from the San Tan Regional Park where you can hike, bike, and horseback ride.  I personally love to mountain bike and I even got my wife Michele to shred some dirt.

     Shamrock Estates has multiple parks, basketball courts, ramada's, barbeques's, volleyball courts, miles of walking paths, and a K-6 school.  There are multiple parks in Shamrock Estates and 2 main parks, but one stands out above the rest and is referred to as Rockwell Park.  This park is giant and comes equipped with basketball and volleyball courts, 2 jungle gyms, several ramada's, and barbeque's. The park is actually off the street of Rockwell, hence the name.  Although this park may trump others in size, there are still many others peppered throughout the community that are quite large.  The community school is CTA Freedom, and it is a top tier school ranked 10 out of 10 by Great Schools and is part of the amazing Chandler Unified School District.  Our kids have attended this school for going on 6 years now and we can honestly say that the school is second to none.  Our kids are all 1 year ahead in math, reading, and other subjects.  It really is quite amazing what they accomplish in one year at this school.  We will say however, that this school is not for the faint of heart, it takes a lot of hard work on your students part and on the parents.  It is both challenging but rewarding.

     In the Spring, Fall, and Winter times you will see multiple families out and about on bikes and at the parks. Our community is very family oriented and our kids have friends in all parts of the community.  A sense of safety can be found here and we know this first hand.  Years ago, our youngest son learned to climb over our view fence at 20 months old.   He escaped not once but twice and both times a neighbor brought him home.  We were relieved to know that we have so many great neighbors that actually took the time to find out where he lived.  We since have installed alarms and locks at heights he could not reach and luckily it has not happened again.  When my grandmother was living with us her little dog got loose and was lost for a couple of days.  He was soon returned by someone in our community that had been diligently looking for it's owner.  It is a huge comfort to know that our neighbors have our backs.

Shamrock Estates is close to shopping, dining, activities, freeway access, and churches.  Built in 2005 with more than 800 homes in our community, there are plenty of options to choose from.  We have homes ranging in sizes from about 1,500 sq. ft. to over 5,ooo.  Our homes sit on an average of 9,000 square foot lots.  We all love our neighbors, but that doesn't mean we have to be right on top of them.  I challenge anyone that is looking for the perfect community to find one that has the space between each home that this community does.  It's virtually non-existent these days and that is one of the many reasons that Shamrock Estates is so unique and desirable.

All Homes For Sale In Shamrock Estates Here!

If you are in the market for a new home and would like to work with the best, let us know and we will be happy to assist!  Check out our one of a kind website for all Gilbert news, community information, listings, and more!

Until next time,

The Myers
480-788-1819
myersrealestate@gmail.com
www.gilbertazhomes.net

5 Things to Consider Before You Buy!

There are so many things to consider before making an offer on your Gilbert home, but all too often home buyers put the cart before the horse.  They get so caught up in how nice a home is that they forget to consider some of the most important things.  Today's quantity of impulse buyers is out of control. According to CreditCards.com we can be an impulse buyer when we are either excited, bored, angry, sad, or even intoxicated.  CreditCards.com surveyed 1,000 adult Americans and 75 percent of them admitted to making an impulse decision.  49 percent of those decisions were made due to excitement, 30 percent from being bored, 22 percent from sadness, 9 percent from anger or intoxication.  In fact the impulse to buy is not prejudice, the rich, poor, White, Black, Asian, Latino, Republican or Democrat can all be impulsive. We all have this flaw in one way or another.  The trick is making sure it doesn't happen at the wrong time and buying a home would be one of those wrong times.  Follow these 5 things before you make your offer:

1. Check out the schools.  What School District is it in?  How are they rated?  Where are they?  Do they have a school bus service?  Are they within walking distance?  These are all necessary questions that should be considered if you have kids in school.  Even if you do not have kids, these are important things, it could affect what your home is worth in the future.
2. Learn about the community.  Consider that when your shopping for a home, your not only buying a home, your also buying into the community.  This is such an important part of the home buying process.  Drive the community in the morning, noon, and night, this will give you an idea of how noisy or quiet the community may be.  Drive it on a weekend when people are home this is generally when a community comes alive. Talk with the neighbors and check out the local newspaper online, this can give you some good insight on what kind of community it truly is.
3. Commuting.  For most home buyers this is at the top of their list when deciding where to buy.  With the access of online maps and GPS systems this information is right at our finger tips, however, nothing is better than a real life experience.  Take a drive to and from work at the hours you would generally leave for work.  Maybe the route your GPS suggests is too busy, or maybe there are too many stop signs, or just something that bothers you about that route.  Make sure the things you need are on your route, or at least near enough that it is not out of your way.  How many times does your spouse ask you to stop on your way home for work to grab dinner, groceries, or even the kids?  Knowing where you spend most your time will save you travel time and even more important, family time.
4. Are there amenities?  Ask yourself, where do I spend my free time.  What do you and your family enjoy doing?  Is there a lake, golf course, dinning, shopping, hiking, biking, or fitness center nearby?  All great questions you should probably get the answers to.  No one wants to love there house only to be bored out of their mind.
5. Are there additional expenses to owning this particular home?  Most communities have an HOA with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or yearly fees.  Some HOA's have capital improvement fees, or additional assessment fees on top of your regular monthly fees.  Some homes have a private well where you may have additional maintenance costs.  Other homes may have a propane tank that runs the appliances, heater, or water heater.  These private utilities can sometimes have enormous costs that generally go un-noticed.  Does your home have solar panels?  Are they owned, or are they leased?  Unexpected costs are common and without the proper research it can be a costly and painful mistake.

Buying A Home Is Exciting, Don't Be Impulsive, It Could Cost You Big!

Proper representation is a must in today's fast paced real estate market, if you would like more information on your local housing market, and want experienced representation, call or visit us at www.gilbertazhomes.net!  We would be happy to help you locate your dream home!   Cheers,

The Myers
Colby & Michele
480-788-1819

Its not too often that a community gets recognized by the New York Times especially if your community is thousands of miles away in the Town of Gilbert, AZ., but that is just what happened when they built Agritopia one of the first "Agrihoods" in the nation.  The community was built and designed by the Johnston family who owned the farm that the homes sit on right now.  The unique thing about this community is that the homes are built around a working farm producing fresh produce for it's residents. Every Wednesday for about $100 a month residents can pick up there produce at the Agritopia Farmers Market where there are fruits, veggies, eggs, and honey.  And if that's not cool enough, it also boasts "Joe's Farm Grill" a grill within the community that cooks up the fresh fruits  and veggies into delicious meals.  People from all over Gilbert make this a regular lunch stop as the food is fabulous.  There is also a Coffee Shop next door to the grill so you can always get your daily dose of caffeine.

Agrihoods as they like to call them are rare, but are getting a lot of recognition by the media outlets across the nation. Check out this article from the New York Times.  Developers across the nation are also taking note as there are already new plans for more of these unique style communities coming.  It seems that this could be the wave of the future and I think we will be a better country because of it.  The community has tree lined streets with uniquely styled homes.  The vision of the Johnston family was to create not only a self sustaining community, but one that does not keep it's residences in there own little bubbles.  Throughout the neighborhood you will notice that the streets are a bit narrower and the fences a bit shorter.  The idea was to not hide from your neighbors, but to embrace the bonds of a community and break down the physical barriers.  The homes are craftsman style homes which is a truly unique feature to Gilbert and I dare say to maybe the entire valley.  Many of the homes have fully finished basements which is a huge bonus when the summer months come along, allowing for some much appreciated cooler homes.    

The Community has 5 play grounds, 2 volleyball courts, 5 basketball courts, 1 tennis court, community center, community pool,  and miles & miles of walking and biking trails.  Agritopia is centrally located in Gilbert, AZ., one of the safest cities in America.  A newly built Top Golf is literally across the street and full golf courses are not much further.  Shopping and fine dining is just down the street at the San Tan Village Mall.  Just a short 15 minute drive and you can hike, bike, or go on horseback at the San Tan Mountain trails.

The real estate market is good and property values continue to rise in Agritopia and Gilbert, AZ. for that matter.  You can find homes for sale that range in price from the $130K-$675K and can be almost 5,000 square feet in size.  There are 452 single family residences all built by Scott Homes.  The community of Agritopia is located in the Gilbert School district, which is a top rated district according to Great Schools.  There is even a school within the community, "Gilbert Christian Schools" that has grades pre-K-12th.  The School sits next to the community center which has activities such as tennis, swimming, community events, and includes a synthetic putting green.

Part of this master planned community is the Agritopia Senior Living facility that sits on a five-acre parcel just south of the community center.  With more than 140,000 square ft. and 118 units the 2 story building has offices, a kitchen, wellness center, dining areas, and outdoor/indoor lifestyle amenities.  Agritopia is re-defining neighborhoods in Gilbert, AZ. and has reached beyond our Arizona borders with positive effects that the rest of the nation can see.  Agritopia is a definite must see!

Check out all Agritopia homes for sale here!

Check out the 11 other "Agrihoods in the U.S.
Serenbe
Prairie Crossing
Southvillage
Hidden Springs
Willowsford
Kukuiula
Bucking Horse
Skokomish Farms
Harvest
Esencia
Prairie Commons

Check out the NBC News report.

Biking The San Tan Mountains In Gilbert, AZ.

Last year I started a new hobby and that hobby has been quite the challenge.  I have a newly found respect for the sport of mountain biking.  If you like the outdoors as much as I do and you want some of the best cardio ever, then go ride a bike up a mountain.  Sounds easy enough right?  Wrong!!  I remember the first time I went like it was yesterday,  because I have never been so humbled after trying a sport for the first time.  I was one of those guys that could play any sport, and in a short amount of time I was playing at a very high level.  I'm in my mid 30's now, but all year last year I spent a good amount of time getting back to my 160 pound frame through a lot of cardio driven exercises.  I was back to nearly the best shape of my life.  So when my brother and his friend ask if I wanted to go ride up and down a mountain, naturally I said yes.  All I was thinking is what a great way to get outdoors and still get my workout in.   I have always been a fan of those road bikers, you know the ones that wear the tights?  I mean shorts, and they sit in the turn lane with you and move at a snails pace.  Just kidding, never been a fan!  But, if road biking is anything like mountain biking, then they've earned my respect.

When we arrived to the mountain, we prepped our gear and bikes and chose a trail.  Being the strapping lads that we felt we were, we foolishly chose the Goldmine trail, which happens to be the hardest and most steep trail at the park.  That trail goes from about 1,400 ft. of elevation to 2,500 ft. in about a 2 mile stretch. In the first 1/2 mile my brother was on the verge of puking, but again, proving that we were real men we kept on.  About another half a mile later my little brother was actually puking.  All those days of cardio were really paying off because my food was still in my stomach.  At this point, my legs were like jelly, but my cardio was still in check.  The trail seemed to never end as we went an 8 mile stretch before realizing that we had missed a trail and now faced 5 more miles of trail.  As we neared the end of the trail we got off our bikes to climb a portion of the trail because it was too steep to ride.  When we got to the top, there was a super downhill decent that again, we had to walk down, except for my brother.  I guess he was too tired to walk because he just rode right down it.  He was riding one of those new Fat Bikes which gives a lot more traction, but I'm pretty sure not too many people have braved that decent. After the ride was over we found ourselves planning our next ride.  Really??  Can that much pain and exhaustion be really worth another go?  Apparently yes, because we rode almost every morning for the entire winter and spring.

The San Tan Regional Park is just 5-10 minutes away from Gilbert communities like, Seville, Shamrock Estates, The Bridges at Gilbert, Acacia Estates, Marbella Vineyards, Cordova, and Freeman Farms. There you have miles and miles of Mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding.  You can enjoy various types of wildlife including birds, mammals, and reptiles.  The mountain is filled with huge Saguaro cactus, various desert trees, shrubs, and seasonal flowers.  If you love the outdoors, but still need the city amenities, the communities in Gilbert, AZ. have everything you need.  Gilbert Communities is committed to bringing you real life experiences and information about our great city of Gilbert, AZ.  Check out all Gilbert, AZ. MLS listings here.