Queen Creek Real Estate & Information
Your Intro to Queen Creek and Queen Creek Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Queen Creek – Today
The town of Queen Creek is located adjacent to Gilbert to the east and southeast and runs southeast of Gilbert and Chandler.
The Town of Queen Creek has undergone explosive growth over the past 8 years. In 2000, Queen Creek had only 4,300 residents and much of the land was agricultural in use. By 2006, the population quintupled to over 20,000 with new home construction being the dominant industry. Whereas many Phoenix area residents had never even heard of Queen Creek in 2000, today Queen Creek is known by most in the Valley. This is due largely to the hot housing market that exposed Queen Creek as a very inexpensive housing market for first time homebuyers as well as investors eyeing opportunities to make fast profits.
This hypergrowth has resulted in challenges to the town in terms of needed infrastructure and long-range planning. Queen Creek simply grew too fast and the city is working hard to catch up. As a result, retail development has been expanding which will serve to improve the appeal Queen Creek offers. Road construction is another major focus of the town in order to cut down commute times, which are a primary concern for current and prospective residents.
Queen Creek still has some of that old-town charm. It still has that rural feel in many areas despite the new communities that have built up. It can be a great place to live, especially as development catches up to the needs of its residents.
Queen Creek – A History
The Town of Queen Creek got its name from Queen Creek which travels from the mountains, through Queen Creek Canyon to the area. Queen Creek has strong agricultural roots going back to Native Americans who farmed the land there. Migrants who would establish homesteads there continued this tradition. Crops included citrus (there are some traces of this across the area and even within new communities), vegetables, cotton (common for many parts of the Valley), and tree nuts. The community coalesced by the time Arizona was declared a state in 1912.
Before the town was named “Queen Creek,” it was known as Rittenhouse because of the railroad stop (located at Rittenhouse and Ellsworth Roads) that crossed through the area. Rittenhouse Road and Ellsworth remain major street arteries in Queen Creek today. This railroad stop allowed residents an effective way to other parts of the Valley. Many of the roads in the area have been named for the original families that founded Queen Creek and there is no doubt that distant relatives still call Queen Creek home.
As the years passed, Queen Creek slowly developed (indeed, it only incorporated in 1989!). It stayed true to its rural origins for many decades as evidenced by its low population in 2000. A drive back then through the area would have revealed extensive orange groves, broad green fields, and a smattering of homes. The community since has grown tremendously though the town’s center still has many of the original buildings that make up the town’s history.
Great Information & Resources on Queen Creek
Queen Creek Real Estate
Before 2001, Queen Creek was largely agricultural land. However, home builders had begun to build on land they had acquired and because of Queen Creek’s distant location, priced it at a discount to nearby Gilbert and Chandler. Much of this development was centered in the more northern section of Queen Creek. Over the next few years, Queen Creek would begin to expand further south and southeast, culminating in developments such as Johnson Ranch and Rancho Bella Vista.
Real estate values trend higher the closer a home is to the north (to the 202 freeway) and west (bordering Gilbert). They discount substantially the more the home is located into the further edges of the town. For buyers, commute time is an important aspect to understanding if Queen Creek is a strong fit as many residents commute significant distances (and times) to other cities for employment.
Queen Creek offers a broader array of properties than other more mature cities. Prospective residents can find horse properties, high-end custom home communities, inexpensive tract housing, and a mix of HOA/non-HOA communities to choose from.
Residential real estate has slowed down considerably in Queen Creek (cities on the edges of the Valley that saw explosive new home construction are the hardest hit) though retail development has been stronger as new shopping centers catch up to the large number of newer homes in the area. Queen Creek can offer potential buyers very inexpensive housing in an area that is still developing and evolving.
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