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Old 04-29-2015, 08:10 PM
 
498 posts, read 541,139 times
Reputation: 883

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ElleTea View Post
Yard does not necessarily equal grass. Just having space is nice. (and desert landscaping is the way to go here.)

Space for what? Pool and patio....what else do you need?
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Old 04-29-2015, 09:54 PM
 
570 posts, read 997,819 times
Reputation: 415
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday View Post

I really don't care what a builder thinks is best or cheapest - they are there to build it, not live in it. HUGE difference. I guess it's probably related to the busy-body cartels and trying to save costs with tiny lots, tiny streets and - one of my biggest peeves - having to walk 3 blocks to my mailbox (It's not an apartment FFS!!).

The mailbox thing isn't just in the Phoenix area. This is a nationwide trend:

No traditional mailboxes for new subdivisions

You've Got Mail . . . a Block Away

The Postal Service delivers the last mile, almost: Changing modes of delivery | Save the Post Office

No more mailman at the door under U.S. Postal Service plan | Reuters

What to Know About Cluster Mailboxes
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Old 04-29-2015, 09:57 PM
 
639 posts, read 966,858 times
Reputation: 1033
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wally Sconce View Post
Space for what? Pool and patio....what else do you need?
I'd like to not be able to hear my next door neighbor's conversations word for word she has when she's out on her patio because she's literally a few feet away....and have them not hear all of our conversations when we're outside too. Honestly - as another poster said - we own houses. We're not living in apartments. Although it feels like people are that close sometimes.

Last edited by sandy6879; 04-29-2015 at 10:07 PM..
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Old 04-29-2015, 10:17 PM
 
755 posts, read 672,656 times
Reputation: 1253
17k lot in S Phoenix with a backyard that overlooks the entire valley.....and new build My dog loves it!
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Old 04-30-2015, 10:58 AM
 
296 posts, read 362,579 times
Reputation: 494
Big house, small yard seems to be a trend out west. I remember it being especially bad in the Bay Area in California where land was expensive. Sometimes it was big house, TINY yard.

I'm one of those people that doesn't mind it so much as long as I have private yard space. I used to dream of having a big yard until I got a house on two acres and then had to deal with the nightmare of maintaining it. A bigger thing for me is privacy. I do want to have a private outdoor space and even would prefer if my entire yard was walled in. A smaller yard appeals to me because of less maintenance and less money to landscape.
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Old 04-30-2015, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Tempe, AZ
1,484 posts, read 3,127,583 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmac1 View Post
17k lot in S Phoenix with a backyard that overlooks the entire valley.....and new build My dog loves it!
There's quite a few new builds going on in S Phoenix with larger lots. It's good to see. I really like the looks of the Standard Pacific homes on Baseline just west of 32nd.
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Old 04-30-2015, 12:44 PM
 
Location: East Central Phoenix
8,028 posts, read 12,195,676 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajonesaz View Post
After an extensive weekend of looking at new homes throughout the valley, I have came to the conclusion that the back yard is dying. We looked at houses in all price ranges and the biggest back yard still wasn't "pool size". I understand this saves money for the builders, but why would you spend $300k on a house that is almost as big as your lot? If buyers demanded it, things would change. Do people not want backyards anymore?
Why limit your house hunting to newer builds? There are plenty of older neighborhoods with fairly large homes and spacious back yards. Besides, in many of the newer subdivisions, what little of a "yard" you get is mostly crushed rock. Yes, the builders/developers do this mostly for cost cutting measures. You also have to consider what you're getting for $300K in a new home: usually it's a stucco cookie cutter slab that was thrown together along with the rest of the subdivision.

I'd suggest looking around in some of the older, nicer areas, such as Arcadia, north central, parts of Scottsdale, and even some of the historic districts where you will likely find sizeable yards. Also, many of these older homes were constructed with greater quality than many of the newer ones. You might get more bang for your buck in the long run.
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Old 04-30-2015, 12:53 PM
 
Location: AriZona
5,229 posts, read 4,582,880 times
Reputation: 5508
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valley Native View Post
Why limit your house hunting to newer builds? There are plenty of older neighborhoods with fairly large homes and spacious back yards. Besides, in many of the newer subdivisions, what little of a "yard" you get is mostly crushed rock. Yes, the builders/developers do this mostly for cost cutting measures. You also have to consider what you're getting for $300K in a new home: usually it's a stucco cookie cutter slab that was thrown together along with the rest of the subdivision.

I'd suggest looking around in some of the older, nicer areas, such as Arcadia, north central, parts of Scottsdale, and even some of the historic districts where you will likely find sizeable yards. Also, many of these older homes were constructed with greater quality than many of the newer ones. You might get more bang for your buck in the long run.
It's incredible to me that these later contractors are allowed their build 'em fast, build 'em cheap shanties in the first place. My understanding is that there are checks & balances in place to prevent such shoddy workmanship.
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Old 04-30-2015, 01:11 PM
 
9,479 posts, read 12,240,728 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wally Sconce View Post
Space for what? Pool and patio....what else do you need?

Pool and patio, yes. I know someone who has a very nice outdoor bar and putting green. There are lots of things you can do with that outdoor space. Planting grass isn't one of them IMO.
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Old 04-30-2015, 01:19 PM
 
4,619 posts, read 9,239,125 times
Reputation: 4974
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy View Post
It's incredible to me that these later contractors are allowed their build 'em fast, build 'em cheap shanties in the first place. My understanding is that there are checks & balances in place to prevent such shoddy workmanship.
They are built to the climate and will hold up in the AZ climate. The biggest enemy to a house is water and we do not have to worry about that often.
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