Gilbert Arizona

Gilbert Arizona is a city of 145,000 residents located in the East Valley, about 15 miles southeast of Phoenix. The city doubled in size every five years since 1980 and the population continues to grow by almost 1,000 new residents every month. Most of the newcomers are young couples with children. About 1/3 of the new Gilbert residents are moving from California. The average age of Gilbert residents is 29. The city’s highly rated schools, strong job market and small-town atmosphere are key factors contributing to its popularity with families. Many of Gilbert’s communities are master-planned, providing residents with an abundance of parks, horseback riding trails, and other outdoor recreation. The town maintains its rural feel with such events as the annual Gilbert Days rodeo, country auctions and livestock shows.

Gilbert’s city planners have also emphasized a pro-business attitude in managing the city’s growth. Demand for homes is high; new homes prices rose almost 21 percent during 2003. The average price of a new Gilbert home was just under $215,000 in late 2003. New development continues to spread further south, and with the price increases, residents in search of lower-priced housing are beginning to look outside of town in new developments springing up in Queen Brook and Pinal County.

San Tan Heights in Queen Creek has three to eight-bedroom homes priced from $159,000 to under $190,000. Vineyards Estates, also in Queen Creek, is a community of three to seven-bedroom homes priced between $146,900 and $174,000.

Existing homes are moving quickly as well, selling at or near the list price. The average price of a resale home was just over $211,000 in February 2004.

Some notably popular areas are the Seville master-planned community with its new country club, the horse-friendly Greenfield Acres, and the gated communities of Whitewing and Vasero.
At the Enclave at Power Ranch, one-story and two-story homes, with a basement option, are priced from the high $300s to the mid-$400,000s. Homes are set on Oak tree lined streets in a community that includes sport courts, a pool, hiking trails and open green space.