Remodel older property in more central Phoenix or buy newer house in outskirts (Glendale: for sale, real estate)

[Fit_girl]

What we want to know is your opinion on buying an older property in perhaps Perry Park area (just east and a bit north of downtown Phoenix) or Lake Biltmore Area or the Moon Valley Area, the Pleasant Valley Estates and also Glendale and Preoria. I generally prefer character to the soulless boxes that define the new neighborhoods of Avondale, Goodyear and some of the other 'new neighborhoods'. But I also want to be in an area that is safe. Looking at the crime statistics on azcentral only gives lists of crimes and I don't see a per capita breakdown. Having never been to Phoenix and trying to buy a home there has some challenges. So the big question is - are you truly safer in those new neighborhoods?

I find that if you are not involved in the things that involve violence, it's unlikely that you will be a victim of such, but what worries me more is property theft and burglary. This seems to occur throughout the city, so it doesn't really make one area stand out as safest or worst. (interestingly though, the fancy Biltmore area with million dollar homes has a high incidence rate of murder)

Also if we are looking to do a remodel (or buy a remodelled older home)
What are somethings to look out for?
I'm assuming most roofs will need to be replaced on anything built before 1980. What is the average cost of replacing a roof? Generally speaking on a ranch style home of about 1500 sq ft.

AC - how long do they last in Phoenix? what's the cost to replace?

Pools is another big question. Should we buy one with a pool, or should we install our own? What age does a pool start to require major repairs?
Whats the inside info on pebble tec, splash pool, diving pool, self cleaning systems, etc.

I appreciate any and all comments. Right now the only thing getting my husband and I through this -12 degree weather is the prospect of owning a property in sunny, warm Phoenix.

[khuntrevor]

What's your budget?

[Ritchie_az]

If you are thinking "new" but want homes that are not "soulless boxes" (as you put it... persoanlly I prefer the "soulless box" but that's just me....) have you looked at Verrado?
Verrado Homes For Sale in Buckeye, Arizona | West Phoenix Real Estate

[Fit_girl]

My budget is anything from $35,000 to $130,000. I should mention that I'm not afraid to personally tackle renovation projects. We completely reno'd our current place including kitchen, fireplace, floors and bathroom. We only kept the kitchen sink and bathtub. But somethings are outside my comfort range for reno, including roofing and pools. Also the prospect of Lead paint also scares me. But then again so does Chinese drywall.

I guess I see homes that were bought up for around $40,000 last year and are now being sold for $89,000 to $120,000 I'm assuming that they must be making money on this. I think I'd rather do the work myself to know what materials were used, beneath the finished product. But I also don't want a money pit.

[AZJoeD]

I think this decision is more of a lifestyle question than a type of building question. You can find newer homes (not many, but there are some) in the central part of town and you can find older homes on the outskirts.

The question is do you want to be in suburbs, where it is quite, lots of young families, loads of driving, low crime, and all of the characteristics associated with it? Do you want to be in the city where you hear cars and sirens and public transportation, walk-ability, but maybe more crime and pollution, etc.?

One advantage of a new home is that everything is new. The roof, the plumbing, the AC, etc. In an older home you will have to evaluate each component (the AC may be new, the roof old).

As for the pool, having purchased new and had a pool installed, I can say that pools do not add value to a home commensurate with their cost. A $30K pool will not add $30K value to a home. I would buy a home with a pool already installed, assuming you like the design and functionality.

There is no average cost of a roof, because we have so many roof styles here, shingle, fiberglass, tile, cement, foam, etc.

If you choose to tackle a remodel job, it will also be a lifestyle choice. You may have to live with construction, noise, dust and unanticipated costs.

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by Fit_girl

My budget is anything from $35,000 to $130,000. I should mention that I'm not afraid to personally tackle renovation projects. We completely reno'd our current place including kitchen, fireplace, floors and bathroom. We only kept the kitchen sink and bathtub. But somethings are outside my comfort range for reno, including roofing and pools. Also the prospect of Lead paint also scares me. But then again so does Chinese drywall.

I guess I see homes that were bought up for around $40,000 last year and are now being sold for $89,000 to $120,000 I'm assuming that they must be making money on this. I think I'd rather do the work myself to know what materials were used, beneath the finished product. But I also don't want a money pit.

It's great that you like to get your hands dirty. Here is one I would consider.1355 E Weldon Ave Foreclosure for Sale - MLS #4534803 - Realtor.com® I live in the Longview West Neighborhood, there is huge upside here, as gas prices reach uncharted levels.

Post WWII is going to give you a slab foundation....I will also recommend you get AZJoe to show it to you.

[Fit_girl]

AZJoeD - I would have to agree with you, its definitely a lifestyle choice. But there are so many 'suburbs' in Phoenix, it's hard to tell if its still considered a suburb or not. I should mention that is is a vacation home for us. But I am not looking to hang with retirees in Sun City. We are in our early 30's and want to enjoy the culture of the area, go hiking, hang out by our pool, but not just retreat into a 2nd version of our house back home. That is what those 'soulless boxes' make me feel like. It's b/c builders build the maximum sized house allowable on the smallest lots. And so they all turn out to be rectangular boxes. I prefer variance in the setbacks in the facade, and clerestory lighting and atriums and creative uses of space and light. Ideally I would love a FLW house, but alas I cannot afford that.

But because this is a vacation home, it also means we can get away from the renos and don't have to live in the mess. (we reno'd our house and it only has ONE bathroom. So when we did the tile floors - well that was a couple days we were without a bathroom! not a fun experience I want to repeat) I would likely hire a contractor for some of the work as well. I'm assuming there must be some great tile guys down there.

And thanks khuntrevor for your input! I kind of like the idea too of making a jewel shine from the dullest of settings! What do you mean about Post WWII is going to give you a slab foundation? I assume you would suggest to have a slab foundation?

[khuntrevor]

Someone borrowed 147,200 on the above house in 4-2006 (don't know how much down they put). He had a 2-28 adjustable loan at 6.375 and then reset to 6 mo libor plus 2.75, so now he would be paying about 4% interest. Pay Cash and go in low.

[Ritchie_az]

If the house is going to be empty for long periods of time, that might be another reason to look out in the suburbs. That's not to say the odds are high that your home will get broken into mid-town, but I would think it would be higher than in one of the very-low-crime suburbs. It's something to consider, anyway....

[scratchNsniff]

I visited a house for rent in that area (13th st/Weldon) a couple years ago (because it's a cheap area) and was truly frightened. First off, it was about 8 at night, so it was very dark, we were given the lockbox code to get in and check it out. It had 3 bedrooms, the doors to 2 of the bedrooms were windowed doors (on the inside) and they both had locks on the 'outside'--meaning somebody was locking somebody inside the rooms. The only plausible explanations my roommate and I could come up with were straight out of a horror movie... And then we went to the back yard and it was small yet had multiple ramshackle DIY "outbuildings" with locks on the doors.

It just screamed that something was going on there that we did NOT want to know about!! We got the H out of there!!

So the moral of this story is that things are cheap for a reason in the central corridor and be careful of whatever you decide to purchase!!