My wife and I lived in Chandler (85226) for seven years. When we moved to 85254 "Magic Scottsdale" in 2005, we did not know it was called that and we were worried that it would live up to the "Snottsdale" or "Snobsdale" reputation that we had heard about it.

Imagine our surprise when we moved in and the neighbors greeted us, came to visit, stopped their cars in the middle of the street to stop and talk, and were all as friendly as could be. We met more neighbors in the first week here in 85254 than we had met in 7 years in Chandler.

We have been unhappy with the drop in resale value here, as people all over the state are, but we believe that the percentage drop in this zip code has been less than in most of the surrounding areas.

Bill Austin

I have lived in 85254 for 5 years and love it. I have a 5 year old son who attends Sequoya Elementary, and a niece in Cocopah both are excellent schools. Not only are the schools great but, there are numerous large parks in the area. I think it's a great area to raise kids.

If you are looking for a property with a large lot (as we were) you will probably want to focus your search on the southern part of 85254 from Shea to Greenway. The area north of Greenway is newer and and the homes are a little closer together.

I think more then the "magical stance" thing, the main reasons it's a solid area are it's connivence (it's between the 51 and 101), it's proximity to the amenities of Old Town and Kierland, PV and Desert Ridge and of course, the great schools.

I have lived in 85254 for 30 years. I Love my location! I have raised three children here. I have had children in Liberty Elementary, Sequoya Elementary, Cocopah Middle School, and Chaparral H.S.. All of the schools have great statistics, but a school is what you make of it. My children have all done well.

I feel safe in and around my neighborhood. Like any place you choose to live, you must be cautious. My neighbors and police are very responsive to each other. We communicate!

There is a real range in property and price condition in 85254. Some areas have a better rate of return than others.

I love my location and work in this area often. I don't see any reason to "steer clear" of the new Costco that is being built, Kierland, t he golf courses, the location to Scottsdale Airpark, and all of the great dining. If 85254 fits your price range it is a great place to be in "Scottsdale". Phoenix police and PV and Scottsdale School District

Hi Jg-

If you wonder whether 85254 has any extra value for being a Scottsdale address within the Phoenix municipality, all you need to do is compare it with 85032, which starts on the west side of Tatum. Homes on the east side of Tatum in 85254 sell substantially faster, and for a higher price/sq ft, than homes on the west side of Tatum. It's as clear a "other side of the tracks" boundary as you can reasonably find in the Phoenix area, and it's basically the result of the zip code.

85260 does sell better than 85254, so your friend is correct to an extent. But regarding crime rates, etc., I really don't know if that would be the reason. I suspect it has more to do with the difference in School districts (Scottsdale versus PV). You might browse on over to http://www.spotcrime.com and see if you can realistically tell a difference. Or, contact the Phoenix PD and Scottsdale PD for some guidance.

However, I think the best bet for any concerned home buyer/renter, is to visit the neighborhoods in question. Get out of your car and walk a street or two. Talk to neighbors. Visit the parks. Play. What does it feel like? What do the neighbors say?

The 3rd part of that "magic zip code" is It's also in the Paradise Valley School district.

For crimes, every area can have their unfortunate statistics. Best thing to do is look up the crime and sex offender stats and go from there - here's a couple sites: http://www.city-data.com/so/so-Scottsdale-Arizona.html & http://www.azcentral.com/CrimeMaps/

Compare it to where you live now (or surrounding areas) and you might be surprised how no area is immune to crime.

Jg,

Also remember that REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL - Very local - right down to the subdivision or street. Resale values can be effected by many factors (age of home, location of lot, exposure to the sun, surrounding neighbor homes, traffic patterns, air traffic patterns, smells, views etc...). Homes just a few hundred feet a way could be worth more or less than similar homes - consult a REALTOR (Our services are usually free for buyers/renters).

If you decide to purchase a home you will have an inspection period to determine anything that is important to you before you have to proceed.

I hope this helps.

Simple,

Use the BUYER'S ADVISORY as a rental/buying tool to investigate anything that is important to you when renting or buying a home.

Here is the link: http://www.aaronline.com/documents/buy_advis.pdf

Now is a great time to BUY - Really! I would seriously consider buying over renting in the current market.

FREE List of SCOTTSDALE Repo homes with pictures: http://www.ScottsdaleAZRepos.com