I think the article is accurate. It reports on the disappointment that many people have posted themselves on threads in this forum. I think "being built on mortgages" is a fair description. It's a general description, but a fair one. Does it mean Maricopa was the ONLY place? No, but it describes how Maricopa rose from the desert in a short period of time. Maricopa was among the fastest growing cities, given it's size and short history as a city.

Many people used mortgage via the builder's lender. Everythin fed on itself on the way up. Everything is now self deflating on the way down. This includes the feelings of many of the residents who live here.

Is everyone losing a home? Absolutley not. Is it the publicity the city necessarily wants? Probably not. But, the article did quote the mayor of why Maricopa is still a place to consider for "working,living,playing..."

The reasons the mayor describes that are available to current and possible future residents are the same reasons I came here in the first place. It wasn't for the possible explosion of property values, but for the simple life that Maricopa offered at a relatively low cost of living. Would I like to see the city have a movie theatre and other "extras" that article mentions that aren't here. Sure,I would. I have said that. In time, those things will happen.

For now, I am enjoying what Maricopa had when I first stumbled through town in Aug 2004 looking for that "perfect home" to raise my family;that included the building and the city that surrounds it. I am grateful to be part of the community and part of the changes that have come since I have been here.

The article may not mention everything, but I know what is available here. I plan to enjoy it.

I actually stayed up to watch Nightline to see what else it might say that wasn't in the written story. It was short, but interesting. What stood out in my mind was that they said one in every 10 houses in Maricopa is vacant, compared to one in every 93 houses in Arizona, or something like that. It said the entire state was hit hard, but Maricopa more so than in other areas.

I wonder how that matches up with the 133 houses this site reported as having sold here last month, because it seems like the numbers are going up for homes sold in recent months, although not to the level it was in boom time.

I am also curious about the whole issue of the city being built on mortgages. I wonder how many homeowners were pressured into taking bad loans by builders who pushed them with discount incentives on the price of the home for a "temporary loan" they all agreed ahead of time would need to be refinanced - and could be refinanced - before it went from being fixed for a couple of years into being an ARM. My builder most definitely pushed that kind of loan with its own lender and offered me a $90,000 discount on the sales price if I would buy through them rather than the lender I already had lined up.

Now, of course, they are balking at refinancing because the loan to value isn't necessarily there.

It's a crazy situation.

Where is the PR team for Maricopa.  I'm the first to admit that moving here has been a disappointment, but I'm here for the long haul and want this town to make it.  However,  all I hear are the negatives.  Queen Creek which is also in Pinal County has also grown by leaps and bounds, and yet transportation to/from homes out in Johnson Ranches, for example, is a nightmare.  I only hear about how bad 347 is...and it is, but try commuting to/from some of the communities off of HUNT HWY.  Why isn't our city government "Talkin' Up" our town.  Why aren't they countering the negative publicity that has been generated against our city lately. Are they sleeping?    Have they been too busy wasting time talking about an "airport" to get real and start really building a town people want to come to.......Talk - up the benefits, talk up the potential. 

Talk to the investors/developers  holding progress at bay with their exorbitant price gouging rents that prevent new buisness from coming here and succeeding.    HEY CITY FOLKS....YOU NEED TO START READING THESE COMMENTS AND TAKING SOME ACTION....MAYOR ANDERSON..YOUR ESPONSE TO NIGHTLINE WAS LAME.  HOW ABOUT SOME PASSION HERE.    EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE!

Nothing exceeds like excess!

Really? It's written in a sensationalistic tone that paints Maricopa as this bleak town that's on the verge of becoming a ghost town, when in fact we are still a growing city. Parts like these:

It's not a 40 minute drive.

This sentence makes it sound like a majority of the homes were bought this way. They offer no fact or basis to support that assumption though.

Here they show one example, which is probably the worst one that they could pick. I know that not all houses are selling for such a low price.

This is being fueled by one-sided sensationalistic articles and segments like this one.

I just don't see how you can say the article is accurate when it is so clearly sensationalistic.

I said it because I could. It was my opinion Jason. I started off " I think" ... before I finished with "the article is accurate."

I also posted that Maricopa was the "perfect home" to raise my family. I'm sure many would disagree. But, that is my opinion in regards to my family. It was also one side and sensationalistic.

Yes, that article gave an example of a home that is in a foreclosure that wouldn't sell. But, it didn't say all the homes are that way nor did it say Maricopa is the ONLY place in the entire nation to have these issues.

So lay off the attack. Go find something else you can reference to death to back up that your right and everyone can't disagree.

Thanks.

AmyB1 - I like your post.

 Jason, I re read my original post. I suggest you did the same.

Hey Leon....

I believe I was misundestood or the spirit of my comments was missed.   I paid $415,000 for a house in June 2006, now the same model, same upgrades , has never been lived is for sale for $210,000.....and if this were the only house on the blcok, I wouldn't be worried, but it is not...its about the 4th house (same model, etc etc)within a two block area that has sold or is for sale for about 200,000 less that I paid.  So the article is accurate, if selectively so.    However, what I was trying to bring attention to, and I obviously did not do so very successfully, is the fact that all the negative attention is unwarranted, and that our civic leaders should be doing something to accentuate the positive aspect of our community and strenuously object to negative, "sensationalist" press.    The need to get seriously proactive.

 That's it...that's all.  We're on the same page...just a matter of "expression" and semantics.

Thanks for that. I agree with your last sentence 100%.  I completely understand how one could feel about the article. It wasn't written through memories seen by rose colored glasses.

But, it touches a nerve when one's community is under the microscope in a negative light. This saddens me. That's why I posted what I did about why I am here.

I can see why one would want the civic leaders to step up the PR.  I know what this  City has to offer. I do my little part by sharing that with others I know. I love being here. The hardest thing for me is that my family live in CA. Yet, 3 years later I am still here, the lone pioneer.lol

I truly enjoy being here.

The actual show is online now:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4810252