Thinking of buying a house in South Tempe - buy or wait?

[Flavia84]

Originally Posted by observer53

The homes are older, (built before HOAs became the norm),but I think it's a pretty safe area. I know a few people who live down there. I don't think an HOA has much to do with safety, actually. I I don't know what your price point is, but there are other areas, still non HOA, that are a bit newer that you might look at.

Thanks, observer. Which areas would you recommend looking at?

[smoochaz]

Flavia I would say since you travel a lot and it'll be your first home that you should consider a condo, townhome or patio home so you don't have to worry about yard maintenance and still have amenities such as pool, gym etc.... supply is high so you can get a great price!! Go for it - take the plunge! If you change your mind and don't want to live in it you can rent it out and make additional monthly income!!

First things first, it's always good to speak with a mortgage lender to see how much buying power you have and what your monthly payments will be.This will give you more info and help you make an educated decision on whether or not it's the right time for you to buy.

Best of luck!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by smoochaz

Flavia I would say since you travel a lot and it'll be your first home that you should consider a condo, townhome or patio home so you don't have to worry about yard maintenance and still have amenities such as pool, gym etc.... supply is high so you can get a great price!! Go for it - take the plunge! If you change your mind and don't want to live in it you can rent it out and make additional monthly income!!

First things first, it's always good to speak with a mortgage lender to see how much buying power you have and what your monthly payments will be.This will give you more info and help you make an educated decision on whether or not it's the right time for you to buy.

Best of luck!

Smoochaz makes a good point. Not having to worry about yard maintenance can be a big deal.


There are websites you can go on with your price range and other parameters to narrow the search and get an idea of what's available in 85283 or 85284. You could throw in 85282 as well, though it's not exactly south Tempe, the southern part of that might have some options.

[ShampooBanana]

To me, South Tempe would be anything south of Guadalupe Rd. It has a different feel than north of there. The Lakes is a nice community of course, but if you want to actually be in it it's more expensive than what's around it plus you'll pay a pretty hefty HOA fee. I really like the area south of Elliot and east of McClintock if you could get into it. Anything around Warner is going to be good but more expensive. I wouldn't count out the north part of Ahwatukee, also, which is just on the other side of I-10 from South Tempe and closer to South Mountain. You just need to make sure when you're looking that you're not looking at an age-restricted area when over there (which is most of the area within Warner-Elliot Loop).


If you had a price range you were looking in that would help narrow it down.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

To me, South Tempe would be anything south of Guadalupe Rd. It has a different feel than north of there. The Lakes is a nice community of course, but if you want to actually be in it it's more expensive than what's around it plus you'll pay a pretty hefty HOA fee. I really like the area south of Elliot and east of McClintock if you could get into it. Anything around Warner is going to be good but more expensive. I wouldn't count out the north part of Ahwatukee, also, which is just on the other side of I-10 from South Tempe and closer to South Mountain. You just need to make sure when you're looking that you're not looking at an age-restricted area when over there (which is most of the area within Warner-Elliot Loop).


If you had a price range you were looking in that would help narrow it down.

You are talking about my 'hood, so I agree. There are some areas in there (like mine) that have no HOA. For those parts that have an HOA (like the very nice patio home development right across from me) I doubt that the fees are very high. And, you can't tell whether people are home or not, as the garages are in the back.