Lennar Homes in Sahuarita AZ (Phoenix, Tucson: real estate market, purchase, closing)

[twojulybabies]

Originally Posted by brrrinmass

oops sorry I meant the west side of town seemed a little shady, not the east side

Whoa. Thanks for the clarification! I'd have to move!

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by brrrinmass

I was really hoping to have some people who have recently bought new homes in the area to talk about their satisfaction or lack thereof with their new homes and their builders.

I've got a Pulte home. It's only 9 months old, though (I did live in another one for a short while which was OK). Well, I decided to buy a new house to avoid any problems. The reality is there are still problems... most of them are cosmetic and Pulte does fix everything in a timely manner, but it's still a hassle. However, you can't make a true assessment without comparison... I've heard of people who had a backed-up sewer in another builder's house... (don't know which one).

The standard features are good. For instance, Horton has 3 legal pages worth of upgrades. Finished garage was an upgrade as well as hardware on the doors. The standard was that hideous goldish brass you don't even see in apartment complexes anymore. Same crap with KB. Definitely pay attention to the standard features and the upgrades. For a KB house to look half-as* decent you have to spend at least 60K on upgrades! I have seen a bare-bones KB. It's scary!

Pulte used 2x6 framing in my subdivision. I'm not sure, but I believe they don't do that in all their neighborhoods. Billy can chime in on this one. The house IS extremely energy-efficient. I've got an 80-gallon solar water heater (again, only in my neighborhood). Also, many 2-story houses have one thermostat. Mine has two even though the unit is only one. I had an inspector at pre-drywall stage and right before closing. He said he was impressed with the quality. I'm pondering now whether or not to spend the money on another inspection before the warranty runs out...

Are there any other forums that would discuss these issues that you "guys" are aware of.

I don't believe so. I've come across one about RE, but it's dead.

[brrrinmass]

We did look at KB and DR Horton while we were in Tucson last May and were not impressed at all. We went to one KB model home and the guy talked to us for an hour before he would even let us get into the models to check them out. They looked very low quality once we finally got in.
He was like a used car salesman. He thought we were going to buy that day even though we told him we were just on a "fact finding" tour. I think that was at Star Valley which was East on Valencia. We also looked at Lennar over there which we liked. The neighborhood was nice but the ride to the area seemed a little bit shady.

We did look at Rancho Sahuarita which we liked but again no Lennar there that I can remember. I think the only thing we liked there was Pulte. I don't remember anything about Richmond American , DR Horton or KB Home that stood out and would make me want to buy one other than floor plans available. The quality looked shabby with those builders.

Is it possible to find a new home on 1/4 to 1/2 acre for under $350,000?

You guys never did tell me what the different style of houses were called.
The fort?????? The contemporary (with the red clay tile roofs)?????

[michael krotchie]

Originally Posted by brrrinmass

You guys never did tell me what the different style of houses were called.
The fort?????? The contemporary (with the red clay tile roofs)?????

Missed this question earlier. The "fort"-like houses you're referring to are probably the Santa Fe style, something like this.

Most newer homes in subdivisions are just the basic southwestern style with the typical red clay tile roofs. Builders also use flat, darker tile to mix it up a bit.

You'll also see Contemporary styled homes around but not too often in subdivisions. Once you get into the semi-custom and custom home markets they show up more frequently along with Mediterranean style homes.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

I've got a Pulte home. It's only 9 months old, though (I did live in another one for a short while which was OK).

If you sold today what type of hit would you take approximately?

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by actinic

If you sold today what type of hit would you take approximately?

It's hard to say. Probably will lose, though. There aren't any resales of my model. Well, we signed a contract agreeing not to sell within a year of purchase anyway. The builder tries to keep the prices somewhat stable, but I think it’s at the expense of many more freebies being thrown in.

[actinic]

I've never understood the 'buy new' mentality. There's lots of homes on the market within subdivisions selling for considerably less than what they're going for new.

Ultimately a home's value is determined by the market, not by what a builder thinks its worth. That difference can be considerable and used to make improvements or repairs that otherwise would go toward the higher purchase price of something new.

[brrrinmass]

But why go into something that needs repairs right away. I own a house which I have done a considerable amount of work to, not because it needed it but just to get it to where we wanted it to be. My next move will be to a new house where there will be little repair work to do for the first few years. I used to enjoy working on the house but after you have done it for 15 or 20 years the novelty wears off and you just want to relax and enjoy your purchase. That is one of the reasons for moving to AZ is to enjoy the sunshine and not have to do too much maintenance on the house. So sick of raking leaves, cutting the lawn, snowblowing the blizzards which are soon to come here on the east coast. I understand that the gravel in AZ doesn't require too much maintenance. I wish this stupid housing market would turn around so we could be out there enjoying the 70 degree weather you are currently enjoying. Enjoy your weekend everyone.......

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by brrrinmass

But why go into something that needs repairs right away. I own a house which I have done a considerable amount of work to, not because it needed it but just to get it to where we wanted it to be. My next move will be to a new house where there will be little repair work to do for the first few years. I used to enjoy working on the house but after you have done it for 15 or 20 years the novelty wears off and you just want to relax and enjoy your purchase. That is one of the reasons for moving to AZ is to enjoy the sunshine and not have to do too much maintenance on the house. So sick of raking leaves, cutting the lawn, snowblowing the blizzards which are soon to come here on the east coast. I understand that the gravel in AZ doesn't require too much maintenance. I wish this stupid housing market would turn around so we could be out there enjoying the 70 degree weather you are currently enjoying. Enjoy your weekend everyone.......

When I was driving by yesterday, I thought of you. This development looks finished by now, but there might be some spec houses available. They are on 1 acre lots - Sierra Pantano, at Houghton & Escalante. Could be outside of the price range, though.

Premier Homes

[actinic]

Originally Posted by brrrinmass

But why go into something that needs repairs right away.

Simple, as I said earlier the considerable savings in purchasing a used home will more than offset the repair bill for whoever you hire, plus you've purchased at a price which more accurately reflects market conditions. Unless spending more money than need be isn't an issue.