Mirador is well located in North Phoenix along Thunderbird Rd between State Highway 51 and I-17 (both major North-South commuting corridors). Mirador is interspersed along a private golf course's fairways. Living at Mirador does not give you golf course privileges but does give you visual green space, lacking in many urban apartments, at least so long as your unit faces away from the parking and towards the golf course. This was a major attraction for us. Our three-bedroom unit faces into a wooded draw between the building and near the bottom of a tee. We have lots of wildlife and the occasional golfer searching for a lost ball, but a much better sense of privacy and openness than is typical. The exterior is exceptionally well maintained and clean.

The same is less true of the interior. The Mirador looks to be late-1980s in construction. While the unit floor plans are very nicely done, the interior finishes and materials are aging and really need an update. Appliances are full-size and include over the stove microwaves, dishwashers and washer/dryers but all are budget level, relatively noisy and inefficient. For instance, our microwave did not include a rotating turntable, almost standard these days. Moving from a house, you'd be disappointed. Moving from a lesser apartment, you would find things to like.

Biggest surprise' No cell phone reception. Mirador lies in a bowl on a mountain and low points are shadowed from good cell phone reception. We had to add a T-Mobile Hotspot at Home to our cable connection to have any coverage from any carrier. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint all lost coverage in-doors in several areas of the complex. Test your phone before signing a lease. This was a major inconvenience.

Our unit was delivered clean with repaired laminate counter tops. Windows you basically have to wash yourself. Glass is single pane metal framed sliders so efficiency and security are not the best, though we did not have any security problems in our 14 mo tenure after a relocation while looking for a house.

Biggest complaint is noise. The buildings are three-stories high. You will hear your neighbor overhead, including footfalls and vacuuming. Plumbing noise, both running water and flushing waste is noticeable. The wood frame construction just wasn't built with sound proofing in mind.

My wife could have stayed longer but for the noise and cheap appliances. The floor plan, location and views all worked for us.

Service requests were generally handled promptly, but not necessarily perfectly. Never did a service request take more than two days, but the response was not always workmanlike or successful. A loose edge of carpeting along a tile entry area was never satisfactorily secured. The stove was never level and one stove burner would not rest squarely in its slot. Both of these were early service requests. Bugs are an issue requiring regular spraying requests. I suspect this is a function of the green space around the compound and the extensive irrigation for all the plant materials.

Interior finishes are very basic, low quality carpet, cabinets, appliances and laminate counters. Tiled shower baths are especially poorly maintained with grout in poor state of repair and badly worn tub enamel. Generally overdue for a comprehensive updating.

Office staff is more focused on selling than service. The maintenance staff members are all reasonably responsive and nice and long term. Not a huge amount of turnover in our year, generally a good sign.

Pros:
Nice floor plans with three-bedroom units available, so lots of families and generally family friendly.
Common facilities like three pools and the exercise room are well-maintained and attractive.
Very well maintained exterior and landscaping.
Attractive architecture.


Cons:
No private garages available, even for additional rent.
Gated access is more the perception of security. Access is not truly limited, controlled or monitored, and the gates are inconvenient for residents.
Interior showing age and not up to level of exterior.
Noise transmission between stacked units and plumbing noise.
No provision for recycling.
Terrible cellphone reception in some units and areas.
Worn combination tub and showers.

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