By Catherine Reagor, The Republic | azcentral.com
Lisa and Trey Neill bought a house in Avondale in September after renting in the West Valley for the past five years.
They had been reluctant renters, but Lisa had lost a home to foreclosure in 2009 after her income dropped with the economy. She couldn’t qualify to buy again until last year.
As their economic fortunes have improved in the past few years, so has the housing market in the West Valley. No longer just a hub for affordable and retirement homes, the area has grown to become metro Phoenix’s biggest housing market.
The top three ZIP codes for sales in metro Phoenix in 2014 were in the West Valley, and the region is expected to continue to draw strong buyer interest this year.
The West Valley’s large communities, including Vistancia in Peoria, Estrella in Goodyear and Verrado in Buckeye, have brought more high-end houses, more residents, more golf courses and more shopping. Glendale, now a sports and entertainment hotspot, hosted Super Bowl XLIX in February. Retirement communities from the original Sun City to the more-upscale PebbleCreek are thriving.
