| In the town of Casa Grande, Arizona
(population 40,000), about 45 minutes south of
Phoenix and 55 minutes north of Tucson, is the
all-ages master-planned community of Mission Royale,
a development by Meritage Homes. Within this
development is the age-restricted (55+) community of
Mission Royale (same name), a neighborhood of
1,290 new and resale single family homes. This
section of Mission Royale is still adding new homes,
and construction, which began in 2003, is expected to continue until
2012 |
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Mission Royale comes with many of the standard
amenities, but one of the best may be the views of the Casa Grande
Mountains and the surrounding desert. When not taking in the
desert landscape, dry air and blue skies, residents spend quality
time enjoying the 15,000 sq. ft. clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness
center, three swimming pools, an aerobics studio, four tennis
courts, a computer lab, a library and hiking, biking and jogging
trails (these amenities are separate from the larger community's
amenities). Mission Royale is also next door to the Mission
Royale Golf Course, a public, a 18-hole course, and a new
shopping center, The Promenade at Casa Grande, with 75 stores (everything from Dillards to Target to Best
Buy) has recently opened
not far from the community.
The HOA fees are $273 per
quarter and cover outdoor maintenance, trash removal, access to
amenities and infrastructure upkeep.
Casa Grande is a rural farming community but is
growing fast, and 35% of its population is age 45 or better. The
downtown area offers some tasty restaurants, and there are two
senior centers, a fitness center, two museums, a
public pool, an archery range, four golf courses and 18 area
parks. A drawback to the area is that the crime rate is higher
than the national average.
Summers are hot, hot, hot, with temperatures
reaching more than 100 degrees in July and August, but winters are
mild with temperatures in the 30s, 40s and
50s. Precipitation is less than an inch a month, and the sun
shine nearly 90% of the time. Humidity starts out at around
60% in the mornings but drops to practically nothing by afternoon.
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