146 Leisure World --, Mesa
Courtesy of RE/MAX Classic. 480-832-7451
+16232069936
Loving Phoenix Team | Real Broker
A guard-gated 55+ community sitting on its own county island in east Mesa, with 958 acres, two golf courses, a dozen lakes, and one of the widest price ranges of any active adult community in the Valley.
Leisure World is one of the few 55+ communities in the Phoenix area that is not actually inside a city. It sits on its own county island in unincorporated Maricopa County, completely surrounded by Mesa.
The community opened in 1972 and finished building in 1994. It covers 958 acres behind staffed gates on Power Road and holds 2,664 homes, a mix of condominiums, townhomes, patio homes, and detached single-family houses. Inside the gates you will find two golf courses, two recreation centers, a fitness center, a dozen man-made lakes, and a resident population large enough to support its own post office and its own newspaper.
Because the mailing address reads Mesa and the ZIP is 85206, most people searching Mesa homes for sale land on Leisure World without ever realizing it is a separate jurisdiction. That distinction is not a technicality. It affects how your tax bill is assembled, who maintains the streets, and who shows up when you call for help.
Here is the part I want buyers to hear early. The homes were built between the early 1970s and the mid 1990s, and condition varies more here than in almost any other 55+ community in the Valley. Some homes have been taken down to the studs and rebuilt with new roofs, new HVAC, new windows, and reconfigured kitchens. Others are close to original. That spread is exactly why the active price range in Leisure World runs from the low $200,000s to well over $1 million on a premium golf course lot. Two homes with the same floor plan can be several hundred thousand dollars apart, and the difference is almost entirely what previous owners did or did not do.
That is a real opportunity if you are willing to remodel, and a real risk if you assume a low price means a good deal. My job is to help you see both the positives and the potential concerns in a home so you can make a confident decision. If you are moving in from out of state and comparing east side communities to west side communities, our 55+ buyer's guide for the Phoenix area covers how to structure a tour week so you are not driving the entire Valley in one afternoon.
Important note. Leisure World does not have one single set of age rules. The community is divided into districts, and individual recorded plats within those districts carry their own CC&Rs. That is why you will see some listings describe it as a 55+ community and others describe it as 45+. Both descriptions can be accurate depending on which plat the home sits in. Never rely on the MLS remarks for this. Confirm the recorded CC&Rs for the specific plat before you write an offer.
This comes up on almost every tour. Leisure World has a Mesa address, sits entirely inside Mesa, and is not part of the City of Mesa. Here is what that actually means day to day.
Leisure World is a county island. The streets inside are private and maintained by the association rather than a city public works department. Security is handled by the community's own staffed guard houses and mobile patrols, not city patrol.
Your property tax bill is assembled from Maricopa County, school district, and applicable special district levies rather than City of Mesa levies. I am not a tax advisor, so on any specific home pull the actual tax history from the Maricopa County Assessor before you write an offer rather than estimating from a neighboring city.
Everything you would drive to is Mesa. Power Road puts you a few minutes from Banner Baywood Medical Center, Superstition Springs Center, Costco, and a dense stretch of restaurants and everyday retail. US 60 is the main artery, with Loop 202 giving you a second route across the Valley.
Sky Harbor typically runs 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic, and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is closer to 20. For seasonal residents flying in and out, that airport access is one of the practical advantages of the east side over comparable west side communities.
Worth knowing. Being a county island does not isolate you. Residents use Mesa shopping, Mesa medical facilities, and Mesa services the same as any neighbor across the street. What changes is the governing structure, the tax composition, and who is responsible for the pavement under your car. Ask about all three during your due diligence period.
Leisure World is not one product. The 2,664 homes here fall into several distinct categories, and the category matters as much as the floor plan because it drives your dues, your maintenance responsibility, and your resale pool.
Roughly 500 of the homes here are condominiums, generally the smallest and least expensive way into the community. Many are one and two bedroom units with attached garages or carports. Dues in these plats typically cover more exterior maintenance, which is a real benefit for lock-and-leave owners.
Attached and semi-attached homes, including the townhomes near the tennis complex and the lakes. In several of these plats the association maintains the exterior of the home including the roof, which removes the single largest surprise expense on a home built in the 1970s or 1980s.
The largest share of the community, with more than 2,100 detached homes. These carry the widest range of sizes, lot sizes, and condition. You maintain your own roof, HVAC, and exterior here, so budget accordingly on an older home.
Homes backing Coyote Run, Heron Lakes, or one of the community's lakes trade at a clear premium and tend to move faster. If a view lot matters to you, plan on being ready to act, because the inventory in that subset is a fraction of the whole.
You will hear plan names repeatedly in listings: Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Coronado, Casa Terraza, Santa Cruz, Hawthorne, Cedarlane, and others. Many have been expanded over the years with Arizona rooms, added bedrooms, or reconfigured kitchens, so square footage on the same plan can vary.
The community is golf cart friendly and a meaningful number of homes have a dedicated golf cart garage, which is a genuine value-add on resale. For larger vehicles there is a separate locked storage lot available on a space-available basis for a fee.
This is the single most misreported thing about Leisure World, and it is the question I get asked most often by buyers in their late forties and early fifties.
Most active adult communities in the Phoenix area have one age policy that applies everywhere inside the gates. Leisure World does not. The community is administered through districts, each with its own board, and the underlying age restrictions live in the CC&Rs recorded against individual plats. Changing those restrictions requires a vote of the owners in that plat, which means the rules have never moved uniformly across the whole community.
The practical result is that you will find listings inside the same gates describing Leisure World as a 55+ community and other listings describing it as 45+. Neither agent is necessarily wrong. They are describing different plats.
The general framework is a federal 55+ housing structure, where at least 80 percent of occupied homes must have a resident 55 or older, and the remaining share can be occupied by qualifying residents under that age where the governing documents allow it. Because the allowance is capped and the rules differ plat by plat, there is no shortcut answer.
If you are under 55 and considering Leisure World, do not take a listing description, a website, or a conversation at the gate as confirmation. Get the recorded CC&Rs for that specific plat, get written confirmation from the association about current occupancy standing, and do it during your inspection period. I will not let a client waive contingencies on a home here until that is in hand.
The same logic applies to your HOA dues. You will see listings advertising "one of the lowest HOA fees in Leisure World" and others describing dues that include water, sewer, trash, landscaping, and exterior maintenance. Both are true. What you pay depends on your district and your home type. Fees also change over time, so I always verify the current amount and exactly what it covers on the specific home you are considering rather than working from a community average.
The amenity package here is one of the deepest in the East Valley, and unlike some newer communities it is already built, already paid for, and already busy.
The longer of the two courses, a 6,437 yard par 73 championship layout with Superstition Mountain views. Rolling terrain and mature landscaping make it playable for a wide range of skill levels rather than a punishing course for low handicaps only.
The executive course at 4,024 yards, par 62. Shorter and narrower with tree-lined fairways, lakes, and mountain views. A good everyday round for players who want to walk nine or finish eighteen before the heat arrives.
The main hub, close to the pickleball and tennis complex, with a pool including a hydro-massage feature. Homes within walking distance of Rec 1 are a recurring selling point in listings for good reason.
A second recreation center with two additional pools, plus a fitness center of roughly 10,000 square feet with certified trainers, group classes, and a full assessment program. Use is included with your dues rather than billed separately.
An expanded tennis and pickleball complex, along with lawn bowling, bocce, and softball. Pickleball in particular has grown into one of the most active social groups in the community.
A library, theater, ballroom, billiards, woodshop, ceramics and arts studios, and well over a hundred clubs. Twelve man-made lakes and walking paths run through the community. Details on current programming are on the Leisure World Community Association site.
Values here swing widely between updated and original homes, and between interior lots and golf course or lake frontage. Get a quick, no-obligation home value estimate based on the latest comparable sales in your part of the community.
Get My Home ValueReal reviews from buyers and sellers we have worked with throughout the Phoenix area.
What is the minimum age to live in Leisure World?
There is no single community-wide answer, which is what makes this different from most 55+ communities. Leisure World is administered through districts, and age restrictions are recorded in the CC&Rs of individual plats. Changing them requires a vote of the owners in that plat, so the rules have never moved uniformly. That is why some listings describe Leisure World as 55+ and others as 45+. The general framework follows federal 55+ housing rules, where at least 80 percent of occupied homes must have a resident 55 or older. If you are under 55, get the recorded CC&Rs for the specific plat and written confirmation from the association before you remove contingencies.
Is Leisure World actually in the City of Mesa?
No. Leisure World sits on a county island in unincorporated Maricopa County, completely surrounded by Mesa. The mailing address and the 85206 ZIP code say Mesa, which is why almost everyone assumes it is inside the city. The practical differences are that the interior streets are private and association-maintained, security is handled by the community's own staffed gates and patrols, and your property tax bill is assembled from county, school district, and special district levies rather than City of Mesa levies. Pull the actual tax history from the Maricopa County Assessor on any specific home.
Why do HOA fees vary so much between homes in Leisure World?
Because you are not paying a single community fee. There is a common association component plus a district and home-type component, and what that second piece covers changes significantly. Some condominium and townhome plats include water, sewer, trash, landscaping, and exterior maintenance including the roof. Detached single-family owners generally maintain their own exterior. That is why you will see listings advertising the lowest dues in the community alongside listings with much higher dues that cover far more. Fees also change over time, so I verify the current amount and exactly what it includes on the specific home rather than quoting a community average.
Do I have to pay for golf if I do not play?
No. Common fees help maintain all of the community facilities, including the golf courses, but there is no separate mandatory golf membership. Golfers join Coyote Run, Heron Lakes, or both in order to play. If golf is not part of your life, you are not carrying a country club membership you will never use, which is a meaningful cost difference compared with several other Valley active adult communities.
How old are the homes, and should I be worried about condition?
Homes were built between 1972 and 1994, so every home here is at least thirty years old. Worried is the wrong word, but informed is essential. Roofs, HVAC systems, windows, water heaters, and electrical panels are all items with finite lifespans, and in this community some have been replaced two or three times while others are original. The upside is that a home needing work is priced accordingly and gives you room to build equity through a remodel. The downside is that a low price with no updates can carry six figures of deferred maintenance. I walk clients through what has actually been replaced and when, on every home we tour.
What kinds of homes are in Leisure World?
All 2,664 homes fall into a few categories. There are roughly 500 condominiums, a set of townhomes and patio homes including units near the tennis complex and the lakes, and more than 2,100 detached single-family homes. Original plan names come up constantly in listings, including Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Coronado, Casa Terraza, Santa Cruz, Hawthorne, and Cedarlane. Many have been expanded with Arizona rooms or added rooms, so the same plan name can appear at noticeably different square footage.
Can I use a Leisure World home as a seasonal or second home?
Yes. Leisure World does not have to be your primary residence, and the community has a substantial population of dual-address residents who spend part of the year here. The lock-and-leave appeal is strongest in the condominium and townhome plats where the association handles exterior maintenance. If you are considering renting the home when you are away, that is governed separately and varies, so confirm the current rental rules for your specific plat before you buy with that plan in mind.
How does Leisure World compare to other East Valley 55+ communities?
Leisure World is the largest of Mesa's established 55+ communities and has the deepest amenity package among them, with two golf courses, two recreation centers, staffed gates, and a very active club scene. Compared with newer communities like Encore at Eastmark, the homes are considerably older and the entry price is lower, but the amenities are already built rather than phased in. Compared with manufactured home communities in the area, you own the land and the resale market behaves like conventional real estate. Every community here offers something a little different, so the real question is which one fits the way you want to live.
How far is Leisure World from Sky Harbor and downtown Phoenix?
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport typically runs 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic, and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is closer to 20 minutes. Downtown Phoenix is a similar drive to Sky Harbor. US 60 is the primary route with Loop 202 as a second option. For seasonal residents who fly in and out several times a year, having two airports in easy range is one of the practical advantages of the east side of the Valley.
A few articles that come up often when buyers are weighing Leisure World against other Phoenix area active adult communities.
Leisure World is one of many active adult communities in the Phoenix area, and buyers often tour both sides of the Valley before deciding. Each one offers something a little different, so the real question is which one fits the way you want to live.
Whether you are touring for the first time or you already know which plat and home type you want, I would love to help you find the right home here.
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