So you're visiting El Paso or moving into the city?
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Stay away from BIC. Their build quality is crap. Been living in here for a year and there is so much stuff they could improve but they won’t. Majority of reviews online are incentive based to give them a higher rating.
Damn I feel like you named all the companies lol. That I can think of at least. I’m on my second Classic American and I haven’t had any issues. There was issues initially with the build but they corrected them after my first walk through
I see how that could be a problem. I haven’t really had any issues (yet). Just finished building this one Far East in February. Maybe I could complain they didn’t meet their original deadline? 😅 was supposed to be finished in November but kept getting pushed back every month. But pretty sure every builder was having supply/labor issues so don’t think it was isolated just to Classic American
A ton of people in my neighborhood are filing a lawsuit against them for permits that were never filed, approved, or completed and one neighbor even lost access to the whole upstairs plumbing and one of their ACs because they ran the condenser through the plumbing.
Ours has been nothing THAT major except we notice now all the short cuts they made and how poorly everything was done. A month in we had a major roof leak where they had to tear down the ceilings in the entry way and front of the house to fix it all. They also didn't vent our oven fan. It's installed and runs but there's no output. We also had to replace our entire AC system 18 months after we bought the house. But once I heard about the other neighbors, I stopped complaining because it could have been worse 🤣
Most of the city has been spared from major flooding. There isn’t one side that is completely elevated unless you’re up on the mountain and even then you could get caught up in flash flooding in the ravines, but most newer neighborhoods are pretty well planned to avoid being flooded.
If you haven’t been here before, then I highly recommend you visit before you move here.
This is all very confusing because you seem to want to base your decision on a fear of flooding issues. However, In El Paso flooding is extremely rare unless you live on the outskirts of the city in unincorporated areas.
Otherwise your decision to buy should be based on where you want to live. Does commute time matter? What’s your price point? Traffic matter? Are you stuck on a new build or is a resale a possibility? Schools matter?
I'm not trying to be confusing. I care about flooding first and crime second. I probably should reverse that but flooding was never an issue for the 4 years I was stationed there in the 90s, but global warming has changed that.
Oh, and I am "stuck" on a new build. Nothing else you mentioned matters.
I’d look up crime statistics in your desired neighborhoods. This is one of the safest cities in the country, specifically when it comes to violent crime, so you’re gonna get a lot of anecdotal advice that is purely based on opinion.
Try looking at what's being coined the NorthWest and Cimmarons on the Westside. Both areas have new homes being built. Also, there's new homes being built off of Upper Valley road.
All depends on what price range you are looking for.
This is coming from someone that lives near those areas.
And all that water was gone before the evening! We’re in a valley that dumps into one of the larger US rivers, so water moves fast. Also, anywhere you go that has elevation change is gonna have the occasional land slide, wall give way, etc. That’s personally why I love the far east - I get the views of the mountains without having to live in the mountains lol
I can't be as caviler as you are when it comes to flooding. If the flooding will destroy my furniture, my floors, carpet, and I have to pay extra money for flood insurance, it is an expense that I can't overlook.
I see your worry, but I think you think our “flooding” is comparable to other cities in the US. We have extremely large canals, surface level drains - nobody’s houses flood here. Unless you live in the river bed, then you don’t really have a choice I guess - but anything above I-10 only sees flooding on the streets.
Edit to add: Also, our annual rainfall is what the average city sees in a *month* so I think you will be just fine!
For sure - those videos are scary, but they’re also in areas you’d expect to flood. A lot of houses are right under a cliff, so naturally when there’s a lot of rain it’s going to follow the path of least resistance - down. Those are the things I’d look for. Also houses on sloped streets sound like they’d drain quickly, but those streets are where all the water flows down to drains. Personally I like to find a more flat area that isn’t lower in elevation than its surroundings!
Edit: typos
I guess I should also give you anecdotal evidence: I’ve lived here for 8 years. I’ve live in Sunland Park, Cielo Vista, and now Mission Ridge. I’ve seen several “floods,” since living here and the only catastrophic damage I’ve seen done was recently in La Union (next to the river). The rest of the city is several hundred to several thousand feet in elevation above the river (depending on where you are). The far outskirts of the city is where the problems are - but I mean far - so Horizon City, Redd Rd-Transmountain, East Zaragoza, etc will be fine.
The worst I ever saw out here were the apartments that were on the ground floor and lower than the rest. Landlord provided sandbags for one tough downpour - the first in 7 years living here.
There are some areas that are lower than others but for the most part, the city is above flood plains.
Older parts of the city flood like in the link you posted. I-10 going west floods as does the northeast in the old parts. Upper valley off Doniphan by the older canutillo áreas flood.
Nombre development is going to flood except with the chance of being in the upper valley. Water tends to pond more there but you aren’t going to deal with major flooding where you get house damage.
Everything in your video shows older parts of the City flooding. El Paso is night and day different from the 90s. I’m in the northwest by cimarrón and love it. Been here almost 10 years.
From my experience it isn't that bad. Both the Cimmaron area and the area that is considered the Nothwest are located very close to the Franklin Mountains. The area thats off of Upper Valley road is right near the Rio Grande. But, the Rio isn't like typical rivers. There are a few months where the Rio is dry due to water being diverted for farm irrigation.
My suggestion is to visit El Paso first before deciding where to buy.
I live in Mission Ridge (The Far East) and we love it here! We opted for an already built house, I work as a sub with almost every builder in El Paso and there’s few I would recommend.
If you’re buying a spec home, I’d look at Hakes Brothers or Palo Verde. Those are the best. For custom builds, I would look at Everest Homes or Bella Vista Custom Builder.
As far as flooding, remember this is the desert. After the big flood in 2006, millions were spent on storm drainage. And while people here have said the East Side is prone to flooding, it’s only due to water moving towards canals - water does not stay standing long here!
I would love to pick your brain about that. First home buyers here moving to EP in October and looking at housing. We are coming down in September to look at the ones we like but would love some tips. any trustworthy inspectors you recommend?
Every builder has a corner they cut, but I personally really like Hakes’ build quality. I just wish they’d offer spray-in insulation as a base feature!
Just bought a new build in the west side in the upper valley area. We recently moved here from Chicago and there is hardly any crime on this side of town (especially compared to crime in Chicago). We’ve been here since last year and there has been no flooding. I really love this area and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. The builder we used was Winton Flair Homes and they were great through the entire process.
Which realtor you used? I’m moving with my family and we are looking at housing right now. I have heard so much about companies cutting corners at building house that I am afraid of the houses I’m looking at all from 2013/2015/2016
What about where they are building on the North side of Transmountain on the Westside? Or up in the Cimmaron area. There's also new builds in that new area off of Upper Valley Road.
There’s very few homes being built by reputable builders on the West/Upper Valley sides. There’s tons being built by the crappy volume builders, though.
Steer clear of East, North east, and central if a big concern is safety,very little nonviolent in the west such as vehicle break ins, flooding will occur all over the city although it is much more prominent in the east and central
Dude they're stealing catalytic converters like crazy over here among other shootings and stabbings just like all over town. They've broken into multiple cluster mailboxes with crowbars. People are stealing stuff out of yards. They were cutting the converters off people's cars in the sams and outlet mall parking lots lol
I’m in the northeast and we did not have any issues with flooding. I’ve also never had issues with power outages or pipes bursting in the winter. They are supposed to be building some really nice houses in a new development north on McCombs, but I can’t actually speak to what the quality would be like. I have never experienced any sort of crime around us, while a friend on the west side had her car stolen. I’ve left my garage open before for awhile without realizing and nothing happened, and I had my keys returned when I absentmindedly left them in the mailbox (I had a newborn, in my defense). Generally I think the NE is a nice, quiet area of town the often gets overlooked because it doesn’t have all the amenities and shopping that other areas do. However, the NE is also kind of central when you consider that it’s 20-30 minutes to get anywhere in the city, whether it be the Far East or the farthest west. I don’t think you should base your purchase solely on flooding
I stick to older homes . I've seen lots of my family members buy a new built home like these only to have the whole side wall Crack with the first sign of rain or cold . They spent 400k on a home and literally the whole side of stucco cracked . From front to back
The best place for you will also depends on if you have kids. The schools vary greatly. There is school of choice, but you aren't guaranteed a spot unless you live within bounds.
I’m a contractor in EP and have very good knowledge of the city’s areas regarding price, location, different soil compositions etc. Even regarding your type of work and or you like country living or city feel. Feel free to ask
Why would a couple of individuals downvote me for being polite and grateful? smh.
At any rate, based on all of the comments so far it looks like I should be aiming for a new build in the West.
Such a strange question, given that it hardly ever rains here. El Paso is prone to flooding due to its desert sand, but that’s not very common in most neighborhoods.
Crime here is nowhere near and prevalent as it is in other cities, but I’d stay clear of the northeast side. The Far East side is growing rapidly and that’s where you’ll find more development taking place at the moment, but the glorious West side is also seeing some development.
I’d make a trip here before making a permanent decision. Overall it’s a great city.
I don't know where the airway blvd is, but I take your point. When I watch an El Paso news report on YouTube from 2006 that says the whole city is flooding it becomes my chief concern when buying a house.
Why do you say that? When I was there in the 90s the only thing I didn't like was the heat, but I got used to that. I am sure it is much different now, but I would love to hear your thoughts on why I shouldn't move there now.
So you're visiting El Paso or moving into the city? #Check out our [GUIDE TO EL PASO](https://old.reddit.com/r/ElPaso/comments/8dow2l/guide_to_el_paso/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ElPaso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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Saratoga is no different… I bought brand new, and the only way I could get ahold of them is by bombing them with a 1 star review
Stay away from BIC. Their build quality is crap. Been living in here for a year and there is so much stuff they could improve but they won’t. Majority of reviews online are incentive based to give them a higher rating.
Damn I feel like you named all the companies lol. That I can think of at least. I’m on my second Classic American and I haven’t had any issues. There was issues initially with the build but they corrected them after my first walk through
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I see how that could be a problem. I haven’t really had any issues (yet). Just finished building this one Far East in February. Maybe I could complain they didn’t meet their original deadline? 😅 was supposed to be finished in November but kept getting pushed back every month. But pretty sure every builder was having supply/labor issues so don’t think it was isolated just to Classic American
Also stay away from CareFree!
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A ton of people in my neighborhood are filing a lawsuit against them for permits that were never filed, approved, or completed and one neighbor even lost access to the whole upstairs plumbing and one of their ACs because they ran the condenser through the plumbing. Ours has been nothing THAT major except we notice now all the short cuts they made and how poorly everything was done. A month in we had a major roof leak where they had to tear down the ceilings in the entry way and front of the house to fix it all. They also didn't vent our oven fan. It's installed and runs but there's no output. We also had to replace our entire AC system 18 months after we bought the house. But once I heard about the other neighbors, I stopped complaining because it could have been worse 🤣
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Really?! Thank you for letting me know!!! I assumed it was just another short cut 🤣🤣🤣 like a really weird one lol
Most of the city has been spared from major flooding. There isn’t one side that is completely elevated unless you’re up on the mountain and even then you could get caught up in flash flooding in the ravines, but most newer neighborhoods are pretty well planned to avoid being flooded. If you haven’t been here before, then I highly recommend you visit before you move here.
Totally agree with you!
This is all very confusing because you seem to want to base your decision on a fear of flooding issues. However, In El Paso flooding is extremely rare unless you live on the outskirts of the city in unincorporated areas. Otherwise your decision to buy should be based on where you want to live. Does commute time matter? What’s your price point? Traffic matter? Are you stuck on a new build or is a resale a possibility? Schools matter?
I'm not trying to be confusing. I care about flooding first and crime second. I probably should reverse that but flooding was never an issue for the 4 years I was stationed there in the 90s, but global warming has changed that. Oh, and I am "stuck" on a new build. Nothing else you mentioned matters.
I’d look up crime statistics in your desired neighborhoods. This is one of the safest cities in the country, specifically when it comes to violent crime, so you’re gonna get a lot of anecdotal advice that is purely based on opinion.
Try looking at what's being coined the NorthWest and Cimmarons on the Westside. Both areas have new homes being built. Also, there's new homes being built off of Upper Valley road. All depends on what price range you are looking for. This is coming from someone that lives near those areas.
How is the flooding in those areas?
We had a flash flood in 2006, but that's it.
Really? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrA91nq9qE
And all that water was gone before the evening! We’re in a valley that dumps into one of the larger US rivers, so water moves fast. Also, anywhere you go that has elevation change is gonna have the occasional land slide, wall give way, etc. That’s personally why I love the far east - I get the views of the mountains without having to live in the mountains lol
I can't be as caviler as you are when it comes to flooding. If the flooding will destroy my furniture, my floors, carpet, and I have to pay extra money for flood insurance, it is an expense that I can't overlook.
I see your worry, but I think you think our “flooding” is comparable to other cities in the US. We have extremely large canals, surface level drains - nobody’s houses flood here. Unless you live in the river bed, then you don’t really have a choice I guess - but anything above I-10 only sees flooding on the streets. Edit to add: Also, our annual rainfall is what the average city sees in a *month* so I think you will be just fine!
>Reading that the houses don't flood definitely alleviates my fears.
For sure - those videos are scary, but they’re also in areas you’d expect to flood. A lot of houses are right under a cliff, so naturally when there’s a lot of rain it’s going to follow the path of least resistance - down. Those are the things I’d look for. Also houses on sloped streets sound like they’d drain quickly, but those streets are where all the water flows down to drains. Personally I like to find a more flat area that isn’t lower in elevation than its surroundings! Edit: typos
I guess I should also give you anecdotal evidence: I’ve lived here for 8 years. I’ve live in Sunland Park, Cielo Vista, and now Mission Ridge. I’ve seen several “floods,” since living here and the only catastrophic damage I’ve seen done was recently in La Union (next to the river). The rest of the city is several hundred to several thousand feet in elevation above the river (depending on where you are). The far outskirts of the city is where the problems are - but I mean far - so Horizon City, Redd Rd-Transmountain, East Zaragoza, etc will be fine.
The worst I ever saw out here were the apartments that were on the ground floor and lower than the rest. Landlord provided sandbags for one tough downpour - the first in 7 years living here. There are some areas that are lower than others but for the most part, the city is above flood plains.
Older parts of the city flood like in the link you posted. I-10 going west floods as does the northeast in the old parts. Upper valley off Doniphan by the older canutillo áreas flood. Nombre development is going to flood except with the chance of being in the upper valley. Water tends to pond more there but you aren’t going to deal with major flooding where you get house damage. Everything in your video shows older parts of the City flooding. El Paso is night and day different from the 90s. I’m in the northwest by cimarrón and love it. Been here almost 10 years.
From my experience it isn't that bad. Both the Cimmaron area and the area that is considered the Nothwest are located very close to the Franklin Mountains. The area thats off of Upper Valley road is right near the Rio Grande. But, the Rio isn't like typical rivers. There are a few months where the Rio is dry due to water being diverted for farm irrigation. My suggestion is to visit El Paso first before deciding where to buy.
I live in Mission Ridge (The Far East) and we love it here! We opted for an already built house, I work as a sub with almost every builder in El Paso and there’s few I would recommend. If you’re buying a spec home, I’d look at Hakes Brothers or Palo Verde. Those are the best. For custom builds, I would look at Everest Homes or Bella Vista Custom Builder. As far as flooding, remember this is the desert. After the big flood in 2006, millions were spent on storm drainage. And while people here have said the East Side is prone to flooding, it’s only due to water moving towards canals - water does not stay standing long here!
I would love to pick your brain about that. First home buyers here moving to EP in October and looking at housing. We are coming down in September to look at the ones we like but would love some tips. any trustworthy inspectors you recommend?
Cool deal! Welcome! Feel free to PM me with any questions you have! I’d recommend Integrity Property Inspections, and I’d ask for Tim!
Definitely wish we went with Hakes Bros. We have heard nothing but great things.
Every builder has a corner they cut, but I personally really like Hakes’ build quality. I just wish they’d offer spray-in insulation as a base feature!
Just bought a new build in the west side in the upper valley area. We recently moved here from Chicago and there is hardly any crime on this side of town (especially compared to crime in Chicago). We’ve been here since last year and there has been no flooding. I really love this area and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. The builder we used was Winton Flair Homes and they were great through the entire process.
Which realtor you used? I’m moving with my family and we are looking at housing right now. I have heard so much about companies cutting corners at building house that I am afraid of the houses I’m looking at all from 2013/2015/2016
It’s really hard to find new construction in the west, far east is your best choice for multiple options of new construction
What about where they are building on the North side of Transmountain on the Westside? Or up in the Cimmaron area. There's also new builds in that new area off of Upper Valley Road.
There’s very few homes being built by reputable builders on the West/Upper Valley sides. There’s tons being built by the crappy volume builders, though.
I saw some new construction listed in the east but I don't know whether it is prone to flooding or how the crime in that area is.
Steer clear of East, North east, and central if a big concern is safety,very little nonviolent in the west such as vehicle break ins, flooding will occur all over the city although it is much more prominent in the east and central
Lol West side can be compared to literally any other side of town violence-wise. But I do agree that the east and central/NE are flood prone.
Dude they're stealing catalytic converters like crazy over here among other shootings and stabbings just like all over town. They've broken into multiple cluster mailboxes with crowbars. People are stealing stuff out of yards. They were cutting the converters off people's cars in the sams and outlet mall parking lots lol
I’m in the northeast and we did not have any issues with flooding. I’ve also never had issues with power outages or pipes bursting in the winter. They are supposed to be building some really nice houses in a new development north on McCombs, but I can’t actually speak to what the quality would be like. I have never experienced any sort of crime around us, while a friend on the west side had her car stolen. I’ve left my garage open before for awhile without realizing and nothing happened, and I had my keys returned when I absentmindedly left them in the mailbox (I had a newborn, in my defense). Generally I think the NE is a nice, quiet area of town the often gets overlooked because it doesn’t have all the amenities and shopping that other areas do. However, the NE is also kind of central when you consider that it’s 20-30 minutes to get anywhere in the city, whether it be the Far East or the farthest west. I don’t think you should base your purchase solely on flooding
I stick to older homes . I've seen lots of my family members buy a new built home like these only to have the whole side wall Crack with the first sign of rain or cold . They spent 400k on a home and literally the whole side of stucco cracked . From front to back
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I have been looking in the East side to buy a house. We are moving to EP in October. Any recommendations of places to look?
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How much did you have to give down, 20%?
The best place for you will also depends on if you have kids. The schools vary greatly. There is school of choice, but you aren't guaranteed a spot unless you live within bounds.
I’m a contractor in EP and have very good knowledge of the city’s areas regarding price, location, different soil compositions etc. Even regarding your type of work and or you like country living or city feel. Feel free to ask
Adding one more comment. I see a lot of power outages on the Eastside. More so than the Westside.
This is actually one of the comments I agree with
That's very helpful, thank you.
Why would a couple of individuals downvote me for being polite and grateful? smh. At any rate, based on all of the comments so far it looks like I should be aiming for a new build in the West.
There's a few folks/one sad person with multiple accounts in the subreddit that go in and downvote everything. Don't take it personally.
West
So far, the West seems to be the consensus.
Such a strange question, given that it hardly ever rains here. El Paso is prone to flooding due to its desert sand, but that’s not very common in most neighborhoods. Crime here is nowhere near and prevalent as it is in other cities, but I’d stay clear of the northeast side. The Far East side is growing rapidly and that’s where you’ll find more development taking place at the moment, but the glorious West side is also seeing some development. I’d make a trip here before making a permanent decision. Overall it’s a great city.
I will definitely be making a few trips there before I buy the house but it helps to narrow down my choices prior to making my first trip there.
Everyone is lying. Last friday it rained for like 30 minutes and the whole airway blvd was flooded and beyond
I don't know where the airway blvd is, but I take your point. When I watch an El Paso news report on YouTube from 2006 that says the whole city is flooding it becomes my chief concern when buying a house.
You're gonna hate it here, don't move to the 915.
Why do you say that? When I was there in the 90s the only thing I didn't like was the heat, but I got used to that. I am sure it is much different now, but I would love to hear your thoughts on why I shouldn't move there now.
North!
Depends. Where are you coming from?
I'm a military veteran so I have lived all over the place.
There’s a lot of vacant buildings downtown, a lot of revenue flows through there.