Is $150,000 enough for a decent place in Tucson? (Oro Valley, Marana: for sale, real estate)

[Dino1]

Is $160,000 enough for a decent small private home in Tucson? Just my wife and I, retired, no kids. Just us and a dog. Not a handy man special, in a safe area. Any advice would be appreciated.

[tom4416]

If interested in a 55+ community, look at Sunflower. The smaller homes in there (1200-1300sf) are well within your budget, 1600-1700sf will go closer to 180K. Lots of amenities but a bit further out than some would prefer (20 minutes to downtown instead of 10 ). During our whirlwind tour of Tucson real estate back in July, seems like there was a quite a bit in your price range and we stayed north and east/west of town in our searches.

[Sasifrass]

We were lucky enough to snag a 2b2b in Rancho Sahuarita for 85000 last year, really nice planned community 15 miles south of tucson. Great amenities, and so far, very safe. There are gated areas, and 55+ areas as well. Lots of community events and a large stocked lake. We have been very happy here.

[Jukesgrrl]

Absolutely. That's enough for move-in-ready in a lot of nice areas, especially given you don't need a lot of square footage.

What areas are you interested in? I'm giving you a link to an easy-to-use search engine that includes photos with the listings. If there's a particular development that you like, you can even look for houses for sale in that specific development or subdivisions. Just click on the name in the alphabetized drop-down menu, but don't list any other parameters. I check on my own neighborhood all the time, just to keep track of what people are asking for homes for sale immediately around my own. Obviously, the more parameters you check, the fewer options will come up. Do a broad search and you'll get hundreds. Just be aware that if you're searching by zipcode, then leave the "area" section on "all" or it screws up the search.
Create Your own Tucson Home Search

Here are some examples, less than $160,000:

How about a pool, an outdoor fireplace and stainless appliances in Continental Ranch?
Property Details - 8078 N Kearny Dr Tucson Arizona 85743

This is in North Ranch, an established neighborhood close to tons of shopping, easy access to I-10, and across the street from Arthur Pack Park, a county park with amenities including a desert-landscaped public golf course:
Property Details - 3180 W Northern Cross Tr Tucson Arizona 85742

Here's a stacked stone fireplace in a subdivision with a lot of amenities:
Property Details - 5140 W Citrine Pl Tucson Arizona 85742

You can even get into pricey Oro Valley:
Property Details - 2334 E Mortar Pestle Dr Oro Valley Arizona 85755

That's just in NW, which I picked since it's a popular, safe suburb. It's near Pima Community College, a huge YMCA, some great public libraries, plenty of parks, every church you could name, and arguably Tucson's best shopping. There will be hundreds of under-$160,000 homes to pick from city-wide. The closer you get to the U of A, the more expensive the houses are, but you're looking for quieter anyway, aren't you?

[AzHuny]

A few years ago we might of said "No, but right now you have a lot of options under $150,000 like Jukesgirl said. The hardest decision is deciding what part of Tucson to live in, as they all have their pros and cons. For myself, I prefer the just outside of Tucson on the East side. Everyone refers to it as Vail, but Vail implies everything East of Houghton Road in a strip 20 miles long North to South. There is a big difference "Vail" off Old Spanish Trail, and "Vail" off Sahuarita Rd.

Sorry, I went on a Vail tangent there. But like I said, once you find the area of town you prefer, Northwest, Oro Valley, Midtown, East side, then you can find specific homes under 150,000. Again, like Jukesgirl said, the closer to U of A, the more expensive the house.

[swbell6]

I did a quick search of current listings in the Tucson area (including parts of Marana and Oro Valley. There are about 200 homes priced between $125,000 and $150,000.

Ask your Realtor to focus on move-in ready homes, although the photos should give you a pretty good indication of condition. Also, you might want to consider town homes - Tucson has some really nice town home properties with community pools where you won't have to deal with major landscaping chores. And they tend to be less expensive than single-family homes. Good luck & have fun.

[Salpointe59]

putting it bluntly, yes, it is still a buyers market.