Need advice about area in Tucson Arizona (Oro Valley: extended stay, real estate)

[J3anaka]

I just got i job offer in Tucson, AZ. Me and my wife will move there next 2 weeks. I'll work in Tucson Airport. I dont know where is the good place to live, price for apt ... all i need is:
1/ SAFE to live and raise kids
2/ Under 30 mins of driving to the airport.
3/ Close to University of Arizona, easy to take bus to University of Arizona.
4/ Fun (Lots of house, apt, people around)
5/ Under 1100/month for 1 bedroom apt.

Most importance thing is SAFE. Im from LA and really tired of criminal here, just wanna get out of it.

Thanks a lot for your time to read and reply this. Have a nice day

[Bummer]

That shouldn't be a problem at all, J3anaka.

The 2 Bedroom and 2 Bath Patio Homes where I live (very convenient, relatively safe and within walking distance to Restaurants, Bars and The Tucson Mall) rent for about $800 or $900 a month. Depending on the time of day, a drive to the airport should be under 30 minutes.

Good Luck

[J3anaka]

Originally Posted by Bummer

That shouldn't be a problem at all, J3anaka.

The 2 Bedroom and 2 Bath Patio Homes where I live (very convenient, relatively safe and within walking distance to Restaurants, Bars and The Tucson Mall) rent for about $800 or $900 a month. Depending on the time of day, a drive to the airport should be under 30 minutes.

Good Luck

Hmm, which area??? And is it hard to find apt for rent with short term (6 months)
Thanks.

[azdr0710]

have you already looked at an online map of Tucson to start scouting out the layout?....

the airport (TIA - don't confuse it with DM AFB when looking at the map) is in the far south central part of town and the U is very near the center of town....driving distance between the two is maybe 25 minutes...Tucson Mall, the largest in the city, is maybe 5-10 minutes beyond the U from the airport....

the bus system is very good in Tucson.....
Welcome to Sun Tran - Tucson, Arizona

$1100 for a 1 BR is very do-able in Tucson...you may even want to go less and save up a bit for the kids education.....many, many apartments, condos, and homes for rent now.....I hope you can come out a few days early and find a place that works for you....as with any town, there are decent areas and areas with not-so-good reps.....if you decide to stay in a medium-long term type hotel, at least the rates are lowest right now as it's summer....may be able to find a two-week stay for about $450-500 at an Extended Stay or Motel 6 Suites-like place while you get your bearings and find the right place for yourself (recommended)

[J3anaka]

Can you recommended some area so i can drive around to take a look?
I hear that Oro Vally, Foothill area is good. How long to drive to the Airport, bus to school???

[mdtoaz]

Oro Valley and the Foothills are nice, but you're a pretty long drive to the airport. Definitely over a half an hour (unless you work the night shift when there's no traffic). I live on the far SW side (which may make some cringe) in a neighborhood called Star Valley. We're far out enough that it's very safe and quiet, and it's usually a 15 minute drive to the airport. We're probably 20-25 minutes from UA depending on traffic. I don't know specifics on the bus routes, but I think they come down here somewhere. I've seen signs in the neighborhood for rental houses, but I don't know how much on that either.

[JillBoBill]

I almost forgot to add: If I'm wrong about something, please correct me (nicely).

I think, now that I consider it, it sounds like you'd like the Tucson Mall area. I've been up there. It's nice. Kind of McMansion-y, but I only saw part of it, so not all of it might be that way.

It's kind of hard to give 'areas' as most of everything is just 'Tucson' with slight variation. From what I understand, Oro Valley is FAR from ... well, everything. I think I remember reading once that all the retired old folks go to Oro Valley. I could be wrong.

If you're wanting to live that far out, don't stray too far from the I-10 'cause that's what is going to get you to work in any decent amount of time.

There are some real estate agencies that will work with renters and help them find places (sort of like regular selling realtors). Here's a list of some property companies that list houses for rent that I looked at when we moved:

Werth Realty - Home
Peach Properties – Tucson, AZ Real Estate
The Property Management Group
Tucson Property Management – Real Property Management
Grijalva Realty - Tucson Real Estate (I didn't find this one so helpful, it might mostly list, mmm... 'less than wonderful' properties)
"prestige property management" "tucson rentals" "tucson property management"
Property Management -Silver Home Rental - Tucson Arizona
Tucson MLS (make sure you specify RENTAL under the 'Residential' options - each of the listings has it's own realtor)

Call these people and ask questions! They're there to help you and if they don't want to, MAKE them. Explain that you're out of state and are looking to rent sight-unseen. Ask for extra pictures, floorplans, any other info not readily available on their website.

If you have AAA, you can go online or call and request that they send you FREE city maps. I got one for Tucson before we moved and marked apartments on the map with tacks to get a visual. If you don't have AAA, BUY A MAP. Seriously. Get a map. You'll need/want it.

Good luck!

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by J3anaka

Hmm, which area??? And is it hard to find apt for rent with short term (6 months)
Thanks.

I am near River and First Avenue . . . plenty of Apartment Complexes in the area but I was referring to smaller townhouses and/or condos available for rent.

As for short term lease . . . anything is possible especially during these less than ideal times.

DM me if you want more details.

[blackcaboftucson]

If I was trying to stay between the UA and the airport. I would be doing a google maps search for apartments/house rentals in zip codes 85709, 85716, 85719. 85709, 85701 are downtown which is closer to the University. The buses are cool but, I try to limit my trips to 1 to 2 route lines. Or else a bus ride could be 2 hours each way which gets frustrating in a school year.

[szupergipsy]

Check out the Tucson crime map online, that should give you a pretty good idea...