When someone mentioned South Phoenix in the past it brought up images of a rough neighborhood, the remains of a modern wild west with police in helicopters instead of on horses. Things have changed and dramatically and quickly. The boom in real estate helped bring about the changes in South Phoenix, although they were planned much sooner. How could this area not change. It's only 10-15 minutes to downtown Phoenix with the I-10 and I-17 nearby as well as the expanding Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.
Now South Phoenix better know for it's South Mountain Park, orange groves, gold courses, new shopping, and top quality dining. South Phoenix continues to be a bargain if you can take the drive through some of the remaining slums along the Salt River and the industrial complexes on the way to Downtown Phoenix. Just as in the Central and Northern part of Phoenix the closer you are toward the streets vs. the avenues the better it gets. Homes along the South Mountain foothills can run quickly past $500,000 and reach toward $1,000,000 plus. The lower you go the more mixed the price ranges. People who move here are from all over, literally. You can find affordable condos and homes in this area and they are all new. There are gated communities and golf course communities as well as quaint condos. You can still find older homes on large lots. Some of these are bargains and many are a good investments which will pay well when the market starts up again. One of the problems with South Phoenix is the under-performing schools, though some are now "performing" Just remember that the state has an open enrollment system, allowing parents to send their children to the better Kyrene School District in Tempe or parents can consider charter schools. Baseline Rd. is the mecca for new shopping. The long awaited strip centers are here, mostly on 24th and 32nd St. and Arizona Mills is close by with it's huge cinema. You can enjoy lots of Mexican food restaurants or visit one of my favourite places in the valley, The Farm at South Mountain where you will also find Quiessence, a superb restaurant. Golf is available at the renovated Thunderbirds Gold Club on 7th St. or the Legacy Golf Resort or the Raven or Aguila Golf Course and hikers have all of South Mountain to traverse. In addition the city has created the Rio Salado project, a preserve along the Salt River with paved trails along wetlands. South Phoenix real estate, is, along with the rest of valley almost at a standstill. But rest assured that once the financial crises is over South Phoenix homes will continue to increase in value, especially as the density increases. Home Prices:
Townhomes are from $300,000
Single Family Homes start at around $170,000
Rentals can be found for under $1,000. | 
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