tartesso (Scottsdale, Surprise: appointed, sale, mortgage)

[MotleyCrew]

We looked before we jumped in, so I think you can ask the sales people. Window boxes are not an AZ thing. I saw lots of them in N. CA but have not seen any except on Mimi's restaurant on Bell. That is a cute building.

[MotleyCrew]

Question for GreatJoy. I think you can see our HOA rules online here, but is it available to the general public?

[afghaniprinzess]

hi i was thinking about this community but was wondering, how much is the hoa fees? i dont want to pay a lot on hoa...and what do they take care of? also, is tartesso a gated community? and are the homes built very close next to eachother...i heard you can literally watch your neighbors eating dinner because the homes are sooo close to eachother....just wondering..thanks!

[Great Joy]

Keehome, I understand that you're trying to do as much research as possible about AZ even though you're on the other side of the US. When we've relocated in the past, we've done that too. We haven't tried to see HOA rules before we physically see a neighborhood because we've lived in HOA neighborhoods before, and we prefer them now. IMO, you can definitely see a difference between HOA and non-HOA neighborhoods. HOA neighborhoods look MUCH nicer. We live in Vistancia (Peoria), and like our HOA rules here. We don't feel restricted by them; we feel they are set at a good level.

If you still want to try to get or see a copy of a community's HOA rules before you come for your house hunting trip(s), I recommend choosing a few communities you may be interested in based upon what you see on the internet. Then, I suggest clicking on the "contact us" section of the builder's or community's website and asking them to send the HOA rules to you via email. I would only get one or a few to compare since once you come here for your house hunting trip, your opinion of those neighborhoods (from what you see on the internet) might change when you see them in person.

Afghaniprinzess, I don't know what Tartesso's HOA fees are, but I do know it is not a gated community. Maybe in the future there might be gated sections within it, but I don't know. Others here may be able to help you with that or ask one of the builder's sales representatives for that info (in person or contact them through their website). HOA fees normally pay for taking care of the neighborhood's common grounds, amenities maintenance, etc. About home closeness, you can also find out lot size info from a builder's sales rep.

Keehome and Afghaniprinzess, welcome soon to AZ!

[MotleyCrew]

The homes do seem close at first, but you do get used to it after a bit. We solved the dinner viewing by planting a really nice big bush in front of our window.

[Keehome]

Great Joy and MotleyCrew, you both are very helpful, thanks. I will take the advise on the HOA rules. I know the houses are very close, and it will take me some time to get used to that, for sure. I do like that the back areas, where they have the walls around them at least. We are really looking for a one story, and I guess will have to make sure there are not any two stories on either side, at least for the sake of privacy. Maybe I can bring the window box look to wherever I live.....!!!! I am trying to educate myself as much as possible with the upcoming move..........

[Great Joy]

Keehome, I like the window box look too. It's just not something you see often here because the dry heat warps wood and the sun fades paint on wood easily. And, if you were to put plants in the boxes, the real ones would die without water and fake ones would get dusty fast outside. The closest to that that I can think of is that some builders put a different color ledge underneath windows on the home exterior.

About lot sizes, all are not small here. I think there's actually a good variety of sizes. And, we actually prefer a view fence lot versus one with block walls on all sides because the view fence make us feel that our yard is bigger than it actually is. We still have privacy because there is a distance between the homes behind us, they have rear block walls, and none of them are two-story homes.

Other AZ relocation tips I can think of are:
- If you can afford it, choose a 3-car garage neighborhood because it will minimize the number of neighborhood cars parked in the street. The fewer street cars, the nicer the neighborhood looks in my opinion.
- Buy a home that faces a north/south direction. You will be able to enjoy your yard more and it will help save money on your utility bills.
- Be careful comparing new builds to resale homes. Builders' base prices are not the final price. Most often you will spend a lot more money on a new build because there are more "surprise" costs with upgrades, etc. Landscaping a yard is expensive and complex in AZ, and is an additional expense too on top of the base price. It's complex because desert plants are very different from other plants and an irrigation system must be built to each individual plant/tree. We've learned a lot, and have planted quite a few beautiful flowering plants and trees. New builds are nice because you can choose what you want. In my opinion though, because there are so many homes on the market right now there's a good selection of resale homes, and you'll know exactly what the neighborhood looks like with no surprises of what might get built around each home/neighborhood.

Best wishes to you!

[Keehome]

I was thinking of rod iron window boxs with a spanish moss lining for window "box" look !! :-)

[Keehome]

Great Joy, these tips are so helpful. We are also looking into Trend Homes, either in Tartesso or Cortessa, at least for now. Because I have lived in the "box" type house for so long, I really would like to try a new different style, and might as well try it with the new relocation! Just when I think we have a certain area picked out to move to, I learn more about another area. I am wondering if maybe we should not rent first when we move, but I just do not like the idea of throwing away the money, when we could buy.

[Great Joy]

Keehome, thanks for your explanation of the window box. It's funny how sometimes people have different understandings.

IMO, renting for a few months is a good idea. It's even better if you can find a home to rent in a development you're considering to test commute times, to find out if you really want to stay in the that community, and continue to drive and get familiar with other areas around Phoenix you might consider living in too. Phoenix is so large and there are so many good areas. I agree though that I wouldn't rent too long because I think it's throwing money away and I would want to buy sometime soon before the housing market begins to climb again.

Oh, another tip I just though of because AC bills can be high here. Try to buy a home with 2X6 construction because they have more insulation and will save more money in your utility bills too. Many of the builders have standard 2X4 construction, but offer 2X6 as an upgrade....it's worth the upgrade cost.