El Dorado Of Sun City

Reviews

• SB

  Steve Butzin

  Oct 4, 2023
  1.0
  El Dorado seemed like a dream come true for me and my wife. They had everything we wanted: food, cleaning, transportation, and health care. They also had some fun amenities like a golf course, a library, a pool, and a billiards room. But it turned out to be a nightmare! First of all, the condos are way overpriced. You have to pay between $90,000 and $200,000 for a 2-bedroom condo that is so small that you can barely fit a queen bed in each room. The kitchen is tiny and the living room is cramped. You have to get rid of most of your stuff because there is no storage space. And on top of the outrageous condo prices, you have to pay monthly HOA fees of $2,500 for two people. These fees go up whenever El Dorado needs to repair something or decides to make some unnecessary changes. And what do you get for these fees? Mediocre services. The only services I used at El Dorado were food, cleaning, and health care. The food service only gives you one meal per day per person, but the food is bland and the portions are tiny. The only good thing about the food service is that the staff is friendly and can cater to my dietary needs. But be careful, because they expect you to “donate” some money to their Christmas fund, which is really a Christmas bonus that El Dorado doesn’t want to pay them. The cleaning service does a great job of cleaning the condo once a week. They clean everything: the kitchen, the bathrooms, the floors, and even change the bed sheets. But there was a problem with the hallway outside my condo. It smelled horrible. It was like a mix of a dirty diaper, rotten fruit, and a decomposing corpse. The health care service was probably the worst thing I ever experienced at El Dorado. They have an RN on duty 24/7, but she can’t do anything! One night, my wife told me she was running low on oxygen in her oxygen tank. I called the nurse and asked her to refill it, but she said they didn’t have any oxygen on site. Luckily, my wife had enough oxygen to last until the next morning, when we got her tank refilled. I wish they had told us that before we moved in, so we wouldn’t have to risk my wife’s life. I also heard from other residents that the nurse can only read the instructions on a pill bottle and call 911 in an emergency. I doubt she can even take blood pressure readings for residents. I don’t understand why El Dorado would hire an RN if they are going to limit her abilities and prevent her from making any changes. My wife and I only stayed there for two months, and luckily we didn’t sell our house in Sun City, so we moved back there in December–the house where we had no mortgage and hired our own cleaner and landscaper. We also cooked and ordered our own food from Grubhub, which was tasty and filling. The downside, however, was that we had to sell the condo and pay those high HOA fees until then. We sold the condo in June; by then, we had lost about half of our money in our checking account. In conclusion, DO NOT LIVE HERE! The people who run this place are clueless and uncaring. They only care about taking more of your money. THINK WISELY!
• WD

  Walter Dinkler

  Jul 27, 2023
  1.0
  $2000 a month for a single resident. $2500 for a couple. It's a little steep since you have to purchase your own unit. My dad purchased a 2 bedroom for $150k. For the $2000 a month, he received one meal a day, one hour a week housekeeping, and a very long walk to get to the dining room or out to the parking lot. They have a nurse on grounds. And a couple of times he needed to call the nurse for assistance. She was unable to actually help him as she was not allowed to give oxygen, take vital signs, or assist with injections. Each time, she ended up calling me to take him to Boswell hospital (which is right across the street, thankfully). After my dad died, we were informed by El Dorado that we'd have to continue paying the $2000 a month, even though services would not be rendered. You'd think we would at least get the one dinner a night, but no! It took us several months to sell his unit and we had to drop the price by over $50k. If residents wonder why their property values continue to plummet, well, it's because descendants have to lower the prices to sell and get out from under the $2000 a month payments! I'm thankful that dad never needed to go into assisted living. We would not have been able to afford $3000-4000 a month plus $2000 a month to El Dorado for nothing. I would also add that my dad grew tired of eating in the dining room. He liked the people working there, but the food choices became monotonous. He'd gladly jump at any chance to not have to eat there. I think he ate more at our house than he did at El Dorado's dining room. He had mobility issues that worsened over time. Toward the end, he required the use of a walker and portable oxygen. Making the trek from his unit, down a long hallway, taking the elevator, and then down another long hallway, made each visit to the dining room, or lobby, such an incredible struggle. I also noticed a noxious odor in the hallway leading toward my dad's place that lasted a couple of months. It smelled like rotting meat and fruit. El Dorado must have been aware. They cleaned the carpet a couple of times, but it didn't help in the least. It may have been coming from someone's apartment. Though, I guess there's nothing they can do about the cleanliness of individual units.
• DB

  Dawn Becerra

  Aug 30, 2021
  5.0
  Mom lived and owned there for a few years in 2 different apartments. Great food, and on a lake! If you don't have a lake view you can see it from some common areas that are set up for visiting. Right next to Lakeside Park, and lots of walking paths. The price is super reasonable to buy, and much much cheaper than paying without owning. 24 hour nurse, and many amenities. People don't realize it exists. Mom saved $60,000 by living there instead of the comparable property she rented at previously
• JC

  John-Paul Cabalar

  Apr 10, 2019
  4.0
  We had my Mom residing here for almost three years, until I decided to move her closer to me. I really hated to have to move my Mom from here, because I thought this place was great. The staff is caring and helpful. They are not an assisted living facility, but they do have nurses on duty around the clock. My Mom needed their services a number of times. They are right across the street from Boswell Hospital, and she is a cardiac patient. Being that close to their ER was a big plus when she was adjusting to being on BP meds. El Dorado is great if someone is getting to the point where they probably should not drive, they have bus service to local shopping centers, and mini-vans and automobiles to take residents to appointments. The Transportation staff is in-house, very professional and caring. I have never had a bad meal there, the dining services are good, and the folks there are sweet. I do miss them. (I used to fly out once a month to visit my Mom). I will say this. It is a typical CO-OP setup. The HOA fees still need to be paid, even if the unit is empty. This is no different from any other CO-OP or Condo community I have evaluated. If you are looking at El Dorado for short term, (less than five years) then I would recommend you wait until a rental unit becomes available. A lot of folks, if they have stayed there long enough, just sign their condos back over to the HOA at the end of their stay, so their heirs do not have to pay the HOA fees while waiting until the place sells. Once someone has been there about eight years, depending on your purchase price, it is cheaper than renting. As long as you live there long enough, it is a great value. Selling these units can be difficult in a down market. Also, the units that face the courtyard and the lake on the backside of the property sell more quickly. they tend to cost more, but, might be worth it to get a unit with a better view.

Frequently Asked Questions About El Dorado Of Sun City