Buying a condo in/near Phoenix...where to live... (Tucson: 2013, apartment complex)

[imagineAA]

You may want to check into the AZ legalities of condominiums too. I owned a condo in NY and loved it, then wanted to buy one here. My real estate agent talked me out of it because it seemed the laws were not in the condo owner's favor. I can't remember many details, but it's something to check out.

[Marv101]

Is there a particular reason why there appear to be very few condos for rent in either Chandler, Mesa or Gilbert?

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by Marv101

Is there a particular reason why there appear to be very few condos for rent in either Chandler, Mesa or Gilbert?

Because the snowbirds have already gotten them? It's in season right now. . .

But I'm not finding a shortage. Hotpads shows 75 in Chandler, 172 in Mesa, 30 in gilbert.

[Marv101]

For those of you who currently do or previously have lived in a condo recently, are you essentially confined to having cable TV or is DirecTV an option having had the latter for over 8 years and being very happy with it?

[AZJoeD]

Originally Posted by Marv101

For those of you who currently do or previously have lived in a condo recently, are you essentially confined to having cable TV or is DirecTV an option having had the latter for over 8 years and being very happy with it?

There is no standard answer to this question. You will have to check the CC&Rs for the complex. Some will allow satellite dishes, others may not. Even better some complexes got out ahead of the trend and placed dishes on there roofs that the satellite companies can share so that you don't have 100 separate dishes (you still get your own boxes and bill).

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by Marv101

For those of you who currently do or previously have lived in a condo recently, are you essentially confined to having cable TV or is DirecTV an option having had the latter for over 8 years and being very happy with it?

You cannot be prevented from having a dish. That is federal law. There may be restrictions on where the dish can be placed.

Some old condo documents may have a ban on dishes but that is where the words " notwithstanding any provision" comes into play in the Condominium Act.

[AZJoeD]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

You cannot be prevented from having a dish. That is federal law. There may be restrictions on where the dish can be placed.

Some old condo documents may have a ban on dishes but that is where the words " notwithstanding any provision" comes into play in the Condominium Act.

Actually it was the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (later amended) that Preempted Rules against satellite dishes and other "over the air reception devices".

But remember that law only applies to "exclusive use areas". In the case of a condominium that would be a patio, deck, etc.. If the particular condo unit does not have line-of-site alignment from your "exclusive use area" you may be stuck unless the complex allows dishes in other areas, such as a roof top (which is not exclusive use).

https://www.fcc.gov/media/over-air-r...n-devices-rule

So the bottom line is, if you know you want a satellite dish check it out first before you buy.

[smoochaz]

Originally Posted by Marv101

For those of you who currently do or previously have lived in a condo recently, are you essentially confined to having cable TV or is DirecTV an option having had the latter for over 8 years and being very happy with it?

I just had to deal with this - seller has cable box and asked buyer if they want the box - buyer has dish so asked property manager/hoa - and they said can have it within your boundaries and not visible from any position - (I have the detail voicemail still! lol) - my buyer decides to take his chances and will bring the dish - so hopefully he'll have signal -

[Marv101]

Thanks to all of you for your very helpful replies; I really appreciated all of them. There are a few items I'd like to clarify.

Although I'd like to live within 20 minutes of both Sky Harbor Airport as well as those new movie theatres at the Scottsdale Mall, I've driven much farther to see movies at other 'art house' theatres in & around the LA/OC area from time to time, so that's not an iron clad rule, and having lived within 20 minutes of LAX for over five decades, driving a little farther is certainly no issue either.

In addition to the steady stream of rave reviews regarding Chandler as well as south Tempe (or more recently south Scottsdale, which I'd assume includes the area near the Comfort Suites on Drinkwater where I stayed the last time I visited AZ in 2014), Chandler has been dubbed "Silicon Desert' by various media entities due to the influx of Bay-area tech companies who've been expanding their operations outside of CA due to the lack of truly affordable housing brought on by the nannies in Sacramento and their 'open space' mandates combined with zoning restrictions.

While Scottsdale is an internationally known resort city (duh!), I merely thought that condos in Chandler and/or south Tempe would likely be cheaper on a square footage basis, and consequently I'd be able to get more bang for my buck; by combining that with Chandler's rep for having great schools and being a very desirable community, I felt that the constant influx of newcomers would help propel RE prices upward in Chandler, whether that referred to condos or SFRs.

Boosting my budget from $125K to $150K (ore even rent if necessary) sounds reasonable.

More tips and opinions are definitely welcome---thanks again, including the laws regarding satellite dishes.

[Marv101]

I've decided to rent an apartment or condo before committing to buying, so any recommendations on condos or apartment complexes in South Tucson, Chandler or possibly Gilbert would be appreciated.

I'll be visiting the area for a week starting on May 9th, so all tips are welcome.

Thanks!