New and Looking for more information

I have put my winters-too-cold house on the market. Have been looking in Florida for a while, but just found this site and I want to investigate. I love Arizona, but know nothing about Sun City. What's the best place for an on line introduction to the area? I'm retired, on my own, would be nice to find a friendly community to move to. Thanks.

 

Google Sun City Visitor Center and request a packet of information.
It will tell everything you want to know about SC.
Or go to http://suncityaz.org/Packet sheets complete.pdf
and download the information to your computer.

In my opinion and that of many others, we are the best retirement community.
We have the most rec centers and golf courses than any other place.
Also, we are located close to many businesses, shopping centers, and the airport.

Now is a good time to buy because prices are still low but going up daily.

Don't let the summer heat influence your decision. Everything is air conditioned.
In fact, sometimes it feels good to go outside for a few minutes to warm up!

Another very, very important fact about SC is the friendliness of the people.

 

Thank you. It really looks like an interesting place, but the amount of information seems overwhelming. How does one decide? I live in Virginia and am thinking of making a visit fairly soon. Is it possible to rent for 6 months or a year?

 

There are some SC homes listed here.
http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/arizona/phoenix-area/sun-city

 

Thanks, but HomeAway is kind of pricy if I want to stay 6 months.

 

rentals

You can get a rental for waaaaay under $1,000/month.
Especially in the summer.
I think this forum even has a "rentals" area.

Also, members will come up with good suggestions because
they have done exactly what you plan to do.

Coldwell recently took over home sales from Ken Meade.

However, Ken Meade kept their rental business. Google them.

 

Thank you, pegmih. Seems like renting for a few months is a good idea. Do most people decide to buy a house at some point? How do people deal with the extreme high temperatures? I want to move to an area where I can enjoy outside activities year-round. How about gardening? Are there any community gardens?

 

Unfortunately the summers are truly of the 'death valley' variety. Do not buy unless you have lived here full time from May through September. If you are an indoors person you may survive. Rec centers are fine but not a lot of educational type classes or general social interaction events. People seem to have their little groups and niches and do not vary. Go back and investigate Florida more thoroughly. Friends I know who have relocated there are much happier and can even walk outside in the evenings all throughout the summer. Do not rush into a purchase here.

 

Did you actually visit Sun City or live here?
If so, you apparently had a very unpleasant time.

I would in no way describe the summers as Death Valley variety.
Much better than having to endure ever lasting snow and other
unpleasant weather conditions (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, etc.) in other areas. Or the humidity of Florida.

There are many opportunities for educational classes and social interaction.
Did you investigate all the different clubs?

I and many others survive quite well, thank you.

Put a smile on your face and try Sun City again.

 

Of course I live here and was responding honestly to the individual's query regarding how one can be actively gardening, working outside year round and specifically during the summer months in Sun City. It is impossible to do a lot of outside work when the temp is 110 degrees. Smiling does not change that fact. Everyone I know here is not thrilled about the summer but do enjoy the other seasons. Just the facts and information for the individual who specifically asked about working outside year round and a suggestion to rent during the summer months before entering into a purchase.

 

I'm grateful to get different viewpoints. It sounds as if summer-time is spent pretty much indoors. Is this correct? Do a lot of people live there during the winter season only? Summer might be a good time to travel?

 

To say that "everyone you know here is not thrilled about summer" tells me you have a very limited number of acquaintances. Very, very few of the people I know (and I know lots) complain about the summer weather. Maybe I will take a pole.

O.K. forum visitors what do you say. Summer quite livable or summer terrible.

BTW. How long have you lived here? I am going on 7 years and each summer gets better.

In the northern climates you cannot garden during the winter. O. K. maybe you have to go out
and pick up the branches that have fallen. After the snow has melted of course. I had to do that in the state of Washington. Not much fun to sit outside in freezing weather burning them. Or having to repair damaged gutters.

 

I did some research on the weather.

Click on link below for Florida weather.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/FL/

Look at that humidity! Give me the Arizona dry heat any day.

Click on link below for Arizona weather.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/AZ/

 

The great thing is everyone has a different opinion and each weather condition may not be for everyone.
"Everyone to his own taste," the old woman said when she kissed her cow. - Wellerism

I have not lived in AZ, but have visited often, have cousins in the Phoenix area who would not think about living anywhere else.
I have been there in July/August and in Feb/March, I have to admit Feb/March is much more pleasant than July/August, but my body is liking the heat more and more as it gets older. ;-)

I love AZ and plan to relocate/retire in a few years. My wife is not thrilled with the idea because of summer heat, but is willing because Sun City and Sun City West are so affordable and the idea of clubs/activities look great. AZ will work for us because she is an indoors person and I am an outdoors person who loves the heat. Until we moved to CO the normal summer day where we lived was 95 - 105 with a slight bit of humidity and I loved it, could have done without the bit of humidity though.

We currently live just north of Denver and my wife loves it here. To me CO is great if you like summer afternoon thunderstorms so you can't plan anything outside in the afternoon. It really doesn't snow much and typically doesn't stay around long, but we can get over 30" on rare occasions.
If you like to garden, CO is not the place to live, growing season is too short, can't really plant until after mother's day. Winter temps can and often do fall well below zero and stay there for extended periods and -5 for a high is not uncommon. Snow is great if you can sit by the fireplace and watch it, but when you have to drive to work it ain't so much fun anymore.

By comparison here in CO we hide inside during the winter and slather on sun screen in the summer because the sun at a mile high is brutal. My cousins in AZ say they tend to hide inside during the hottest part of the summer, but still venture outside and of course they say winter is awesome.

Point being, everyone likes different things. My wife is not going to like the summer heat, but really liked it when we visited last March.
My wife was dead set against AZ until we visited Sun City and dropped by the visitor center and talked to a few residents. We touched base with the Ken Meade office and they showed us a few homes for an example of what was available.

We met some of the most friendly and helpful folks that could not say enough good things about living in Sun City. The realtor said she was a 27 year SC resident and loves it. A few did admit that they didn't care too much for summer heat, but all said that is what air conditioning is for. I think that is a canned statement for AZ summer.

Bottom line, you have to visit and see/feel for yourself.
It may be just right for you or it may not be a good fit.

 

At my pool exercise class today, I took a poll of 15 people regarding summers in Sun City.

They ranged from oldtimers here more than 20 years and newcomers here about 2 years.

Everyone agreed that summers weren't bad at all.
And most of them cited the terrible winters they don't miss.
I suspect that the majority of year round residents feel the same.

One person said they had visited half a dozen retirements communities from Florida to Washington State. Sun City was the best.

 

Thanks! You have all been really helpful. I'm planning a visit and will see if I like it there.

 

Be sure to let us know.

 

Most of us outdoor types do our gardening or chores early in the morning. It is very pleasant out at 4:30 a.m. I still see workers out in the 110 degree weather and they do just fine. YOu just have to use your head and drink lots of water, take it easy and go from ac to ac. The summer can be a challenge for some but we manage and some of us even look forward to the heat. I hate being cold myself. But do rent first, if only to get an idea of where you want to land. Best of luck in your search.

 

My neighbor and I go to the walking pool 3X's a week at 8 a.m and love it. The sun is not that intense and the water is wonderful. I saw golfers out today at 11 buzzing around the golf course. Some have no problem with events during the summer and some do. Hope you like it here.

 

Every evening when it gets dark I sit outside in my courtyard
watching the stars come out, helicopters fly by, and planes leaving Sky Harbor.

A neighbor often joins me.

I actually feel cold when I go back into my air conditioned house!