Retiring in Tucson, Wants Very Specific (Phoenix, Oro Valley: sale, townhouse, neighborhood)

[suaz]

I'd like to retire in Tucson for a max of 250k, house or townhouse, one story, lower HOAs. I would like a newish place or remodeled in the northwest or north area of Tucson with a community pool. It does not have to be a retirement development. Does anything like this exist? It seems that all of the retirement communities within my price range are older. Please help!

[tom4416]

Look at Sunflower in Marana (northwest of the city center). Still technically in Tucson but out of the congestion. The new interchange off I-10 (Twin Peaks) has made access excellent and I can get just about anywhere in Tucson within thirty minutes. All single family southwest style homes, built between 1999-2002 as a Del Webb community. Homes range in size from 1200sf to 1950sf and in price from $140K0-$250K (but steadily increasing since last summer). All single story, all yards low or no maintenance. It's an active adult community, 55+ and probably 1/2 of the residents are REALLY active, 1/4 moderately so (like me ) and 1/4 mostly shut-ins for health or other reasons.

HOA's are $85 a month, haven't every had a special assessment, strong financials (wherever you buy, please review the financials - nothing like moving in and find out there is a $5000 special assessment pending). Sunflower actually has some fees that get collected upon the sale of a house that don't go into the general fund so the balance sheet is actually stronger than it appears which is already strong.

The amenities are pretty comprehensive. Large clubhouse with fitness facility, card rooms, computer center, large commercial kitchen, billiards, regular pool and lap lane pool and an outdoor hot tub/spa. Numerous social opportunities each month that you can choose to indulge in or ignore. If you like cycling, the "loop" bike path is right behind the development and goes on forever while staying off roads.

The downside is no golf. Now, to us it's an upside since I have no desire to pay dues to maintain a golf course as it is a HUGE expense in the desert. Most golf communities had HOA's of $250-$400 a month which took them immediately off our list. If you really want to play, Continental Ranch (of which Sunflower is a sub-division) has courses and you can play them with greens fees.

I'm obviously prejudiced but we did look all over Tucson before settling on Sunflower. Initially I was strongly opposed to a retirement community - didn't want to live with all those feeble cotton tops until I realized most of those "feeble" cotton tops are in far better shape then I've ever been and I need to condition myself to keep up with them.

Shopping - Safeway and a few retail stores right across the street, Fry's, Super Wal-Mart, Kohl's and other major retail stores are about a seven minute drive down to the next exit on I-10. Lowes/HD/Costco all one more exit down but very close to the exit so you aren't heading down into the main traffic. We belong but I haven't found the Sam's Club yet but haven't really looked. Also, the only BIG furniture store is located at those exits as well but it's pretty low quality furniture, may have to go to Phoenix to get some high end stuff.

And finally, gas in Tucson is cheaper than anywhere in Arizona - don't know why unless it's local taxation in different locales.

[suaz]

Thanks for the info. I'll keep it in mind. $85 sounds great for HOAs. I don't care about golf either. I really want a newer home. You've really been helpful!

[gomexico]

$250K? The world (Tucson) is your oyster.

[LittleGirly]

tom - that's some excellent info there. bravo!

[Jukesgrrl]

You can certainly have a relatively new house in my neighborhood in the NW suburb for $250,000 or less, as long as you don't want a huge lot or more than 2,000 sq. ft. I'm in unincorporated Pima County between Marana and Oro Valley (enjoying the proximity of both and, for now, paying taxes in neither). Within a five mile radius of my home are: an excellent medical center with every specialty I can think of covered, the newest branch of Pima Community College, a county park with a public golf course, Tucson's second largest mall, two excellent county libraries, schools in a solid system, a branch of every major supermarket and two natural food stores, bike paths and hiking trails, houses of worship of most denominations, and every kind of commercial business and restaurant I can imagine a person wanting.

When I was looking for a home in Tucson, this is a search engine I found helpful. It even allows you to search by subdivision name:
Create Your own Tucson Home Search