El Mirage Mobile Home Park in Mesa, AZ

Pros

• The park is nice and quiet and well maintained.
• It has great lot rent and on-site managers.
• Residents are very friendly.
• The park is clean, well managed, and safe with regular activities for seniors.
• The property manager is great, very nice and thoughtful.
• The park is beautifully kept with friendly people.
• It is a nice community to live in.
• The gated community is excellent.
• The Social Board provides a wide range of fun activities for residents.
• New managers are great and have made improvements in a short time.

Cons

• The gate requires scrolling through 400 names, causing thumb cramps and driving people to madness.
• The gate system provides zero verification and cannot confirm who residents are.
• The park is barring residents from receiving mail due to keypad issues.
• Packages cannot be delivered because drivers must scroll through hundreds of names on a tiny, sun-faded console.
• The keypad at the gate does not function properly, causing cars to back up and making the screen unreadable, which feels unsafe.
• Office personnel are described as the worst and obnoxious; management is accused of favoritism and power trips.
• Maintenance is extremely minimal and amenities are lacking; speed bumps are criticized as overpriced and likely to raise rents.
• The park is run by a tyrant/bully-like manager, with ongoing complaints about mismanagement and advice not to move there.

Review

El Mirage Mobile Home Park in Mesa is best suited for budget-minded seniors who want a quiet, neighborly 55-plus community with built-in social life and predictable costs. The park earns its keep by delivering a clean, well-kept environment, on-site managers, and a palpable sense of belonging among residents. Amenities matter here: a sizable pool, hot tub, putting course, dog park, and an array of activities organized by a proactive social board translate into real opportunities to stay engaged without leaving the neighborhood. The rent remains notably affordable, and several reviews note that it often includes water and trash pickup, which simplifies budgeting for fixed incomes. For a resident who prioritizes affordability, safety, and social opportunity in one compact package, El Mirage is a strong match.

That said, sharp-eyed buyers should consider alternatives if gate reliability, maintenance responsiveness, and consistently respectful management are non-negotiables. The gate system is a frequent pain point - keypad malfunctions, scrolling through hundreds of names, and delays for deliveries disrupt daily life and visitor access. Delivery drivers report endless scanning and slow entry, which can create friction with packages and services that rely on timely access. Add in reports of managers who can feel overbearing or uneven in enforcement, and the experience shifts from simply "quiet and friendly" to a park where interpersonal dynamics matter as much as the physical surroundings. For families needing dependable access and consistently courteous administration, other options may deliver more peace of mind.

The park's pros are substantial enough to offset many drawbacks for a target audience. Residents consistently describe a safe, clean environment with friendly neighbors who take pride in their homes. The social calendar is active, and the on-site management presence helps keep common areas orderly and responsive when issues arise. Affordable rent, with utilities often bundled, is a tangible financial advantage that resonates for seniors living on fixed incomes. The pool, hot tub, and recreational offerings foster community ties and help mitigate isolation, turning the space into more than a collection of mobile homes. These positive forces often trump the gate headaches for those who value community integration over pristine infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the cons deserve sober attention. Maintenance is frequently labeled as minimal, and some long-term residents voice frustration about slow or uneven improvements, especially after ownership changes. Lighting around the park and street-level visibility at night receive regular critique, which matters for safety and personal comfort after sundown. The tension between residents and management, whether real or perceived, also colors the experience - favoritism rumors and "power-trips" have shown up in commentary, even as others praise the same managers for turning things around after new leadership arrived. Rent increases and limited amenities beyond the basics (no park-wide internet or TV service reported in several accounts) further shape expectations and tolerance thresholds.

For anyone considering a move, use a practical due-diligence approach. Inspect the gate operation during peak times and verify current gate reliability and entry latency. Speak with a cross-section of residents: long-timers and newcomers alike, to gauge consistency in management responsiveness and enforcement style. Confirm what the lot rent covers (water, sewer, trash) and whether any new assessments or capital projects are planned, as these influence long-term affordability. Evaluate lighting, walkways, and the pool area, and ask about upcoming improvements - these tangible details reveal whether the park is stabilizing or continuing to drift. Proximity to medical services and shopping also matters, shaping daily convenience far more than glossy marketing.

In the final analysis, El Mirage Mobile Home Park delivers a practical, affordable, sociable living option for seniors who prize community, stability, and cost control and can tolerate gate frictions and some management flux. It is less suitable for households that demand flawless gate security, consistently rapid maintenance, or uniformly fair enforcement with zero friction. If those criteria are essential, exploring alternatives with stronger infrastructure and steadier staffing is wise. For a prospective resident willing to vet the current management, observe gate operations firsthand, and engage with neighbors to assess the mood of the community, El Mirage offers a durable, comfortable home base with genuine social value and predictable expenses.

This part of Mesa, Arizona offers a convenient location with several amenities nearby. There are multiple pharmacies within a few miles, making it easy to access necessary medications and healthcare services. The area also boasts a variety of parks for outdoor recreation and relaxation. Additionally, there are numerous physicians' offices in close proximity for medical needs. When it comes to dining options, there is a selection of restaurants and cafes offering a range of cuisine choices. For those interested in worship, there are places of worship available as well. Public transportation is easily accessible with Falcon Field Airport located nearby. Lastly, entertainment options include theaters such as AMC Mesa Grand 14 and Superstition Springs 25 for leisure activities. Overall, this part of Mesa provides a convenient and diverse setting for senior living.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Bashas' Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3.1 miles)

Parks

• Greenfield Park (0.9 miles)
• Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch (3.3 miles)
• Finley Farms Park (4.6 miles)

Physicians

• Glick Ronald M Do (0.9 miles)
• Cornerstone Family Medicine (1.6 miles)
• Simonmed Imaging (1.7 miles)
• Arizona Asthma & Allergy Institute (2.1 miles)
• Gilbert Primary Care (2.3 miles)
• Riviera Opticare (2.4 miles)
• Parikh, Simul Banner Md Anderson Cancer Center (2.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Whataburger (1.2 miles)
• Uncle Bear's Grill & Tap Greenfield (1.3 miles)
• Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (2.1 miles)
• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop (2.1 miles)
• Culver's (2.1 miles)
• IHOP (2.6 miles)
• Cracker Barrel (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Dutch Bros Coffee (1.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2 miles)
• Panera Bread (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Over Easy (3.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.7 miles)
• The Human Bean (3.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (3.2 miles)
• Mesa Arizona Temple (4 miles)
• First United Methodist Church of Gilbert (5.6 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (6.2 miles)

Transportation

• Falcon Field Airport (MSC) (3.5 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Mesa Grand 14 (3.6 miles)
• Superstition Springs 25 (4.4 miles)