South Scottsdale Real estate Info

Scottsdale, Arizona, is a large city in the Phoenix metro area, home to a population of nearly 250,000. The large city is unofficially split into several distinct neighborhoods, and South Scottsdale is one of them. The South Scottsdale region lies in the Salt River Valley west of the McDowell Mountain Range, on the northeastern edges of the Sonoran Desert. It is home to much of the area's nightlife and is a major art center. Some of its more well-known neighborhoods include Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Monterey, Arcadia and Indian Bend.

The south area has long been known as a contrast of more of a working class area of the city, particularly when compared with areas like North Scottsdale, where home values can top $5 million. However, development has continued in the area in recent years and it is undergoing much urbanization improvements. South Scottsdale homes have a median resell value of just under $300,000, much less and more affordable for many families than North Scottsdale, where median resell values of homes are over $665,000. Because South Scottsdale real estate is more affordable, many young families and middle-class families are drawn to the area. South Scottsdale is also near to two of the region's other major cities, Tempe and Mesa.

One of the newest welcome additions to South Scottsdale is SkySong, a new Arizona State University research center opened in collaboration with area businesses and global corporations. Its addition has attracted several international companies for its research and development capabilities. At one time, a portion of McDowell Road in South Scottsdale gained notoriety as the "Motor Mile," with as many as 31 auto dealerships located along the street, generating as much as $10 million in sales taxes. However, since many automakers have faced difficulties in the slumping U.S. economy, several of the dealerships have closed.

Scottsdale's Downtown Trolley passes through several South Scottsdale neighborhoods, connecting passengers with the downtown area and with Tempe's Tempe Orbit, at Roosevelt and Scottsdale Road, on which passengers can catch rides to downtown Tempe, the Mill Avenue shopping area or Arizona State University's campus, the region's largest college. Most children living in the area are assigned to public schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District, though some on the outer edges of town are zoned to schools in the Phoenix area. There are five major high schools in Scottsdale: Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert Mountain and Saguaro high schools. Scottsdale is also home of the International School of Arizona, with classes taught in foreign languages, as well as several other private schools. The nearest college is Scottsdale Community College, which is within the boundaries of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation.