Leaving Winter Home Vacant for 7 Months in Queen Creek- Opinions?

[azjack]

"Plus you give up any of the price appreciation that will inevitable occur over the next 5-10 yrs."

There is no such thing as inevitable appreciation.

Especially in the Queen Creek area.


If you had some constants like regular neighbors who will be there in a year, two, or more, maybe it would be safe to leave it empty more than half of the year. Or maybe a master-planned community like Anthem/Florence would be safer. But these regular Pinal County subdivisions have heavy turnover and high number of vacancies. Anthem/Florence has plenty of foreclosures too, but it seems slightly more monitored than other areas.

[wit-nit]

If you rent you may find it trashed when you return offsetting any gains.
When we leave for the summer, we turn off the water, have a neighbor that watches the house, set the air conditioner at 78 to keep the place from drying out and warping cupboards, walls, furniture, etc; turn on our in-expensive alarm system and go.
When we return everything looks just as when we left.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by nitram

If you rent you may find it trashed when you return offsetting any gains.
When we leave for the summer, we turn off the water, have a neighbor that watches the house, set the air conditioner at 78 to keep the place from drying out and warping cupboards, walls, furniture, etc; turn on our in-expensive alarm system and go.
When we return everything looks just as when we left.

78? Is that a typo?

[altus2006]

Originally Posted by thedreamteam

i would disagree with this.. problem with rent is that you can't leave your personal items there and it won't feel like "home". Do you really want to be hauling all your belongings in and out every 6 months? I surely wouldn't want to be sleeping in someone elses bed. Plus you give up any of the price appreciation that will inevitable occur over the next 5-10 yrs. why wouldn't you buy at prices that are 30-50% off their peaks?? this way not only do you get to enjoy YOUR property, but it also acts an investment.

If my choices were to rent a house for the winter vs worrying about a vacant property in QC, I would rent something. Also, I do not consider a property in QC an investment for "inevitable appreciation".

altus2006

[Bob's Burgers]

Why all the worry? Buy homeowners insurance, install an alarm system and tell the neighbors to park in your driveway occasionally. Enjoy the area. It is a beautiful city and has beautiful mountain views.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by nitram

If you rent you may find it trashed when you return offsetting any gains.
When we leave for the summer, we turn off the water, have a neighbor that watches the house, set the air conditioner at 78 to keep the place from drying out and warping cupboards, walls, furniture, etc; turn on our in-expensive alarm system and go.
When we return everything looks just as when we left.

78? If you really mean that, there is NO reason to set your ac that low all summer. Some say the whole cabinet warping thing is not really a concern, but you could avoid worrying about it, if you do, and save hundreds of dollars, with it set 6-10 degrees higher than that. I haven't been living in my house all summer, set it at 84-85 so that when I do go there I can stand the heat. Cabinets are just fine.

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

78? Is that a typo?

I hope so.

[pbenjamin]

We have a guest house with only a wall unit for A/C. We have been using it a lot this summer and have kept the A/C running, but last summer we only turned on the unit when we knew we were going to use it, often weeks apart. It would get into the high 90s in there and I have not seen any ill effects.

[Two-K]

Thanks for the valuable comments. We've given a lot of thought to every opinion presented. Our decision was to cancel the contract, and to rent a house for at least this coming winter. After a bunch of self analysis I realized my concerns about crime may be a bit overblown, so I'm having mixed feelings about not going through with the purchase, but it's done. When we get back there in a month or two, we still plan to explore different areas with purchasing in mind, but we're going to spend a lot of time getting to know the community first. And if it turns out we can't find a house or area we're happy with and end up renting for the winters, we're OK with that too.

Looking back on this experience, it was incredibly naive to think we could comfortably complete a house purchase as part of our 7 day first visit. A suggestion to other potential snowbirds looking to buy... allow yourself at least a month if you've never been to the greater Phoenix area before.

Thanks again, everyone!

[tarrachristensen]

Skywayy
I just have to say I LOVED your reply and I couldn't agree more.

Well back to the winter home? Hate to ask but how old are you? There are some great active retirement subdivisions in that area. Did you check out the Solera right next to San Tan Heights? Moderator cut: no advertising, must have more than 10 posts to make specific recommendations

[diadins]

My family actually just bought a vacation home in Queen Creek. Though it won't be empty for an entire 7 months it will be empty on and off throughout the year. We also have had family live in the area before. As long as the house isn't left to LOOK abandoned as in yard upkeep and such I think it will be fine. Especially since you said you will have security precautions. Also buying in this area is by far the better option what with the low markets and all. If you plan to make Queen Creek your home whether part time or not for any extended period in the future BUY! In the long run you will make your money well back.