Areas near Phoenix for economical retirement costs? (Sun City: HOA, condos)

[observer53]

A friend of mine lives very economically in a duplex in the original Sun City. He is thrilled with the lifestyle there. Lots to do for little or no expense, reasonable monthly fees. As someone upthread said, some of those older homes are more energy efficient in terms of cooling and heating than newer ones, and many have had upgrades in kitchens and baths.

[jack1231]

Even though I have no plans on having a lot of medical expenses or hospitalizations, one disadvantage of moving to Arizona would be losing Kaiser HMO medical insurance coverage I have in California. Since Kaiser is unavailable in Arizona, I would have to switch to a Blue Cross PPO and the PPO I'm eligible for has a $500 deductible and $5000 year max out of pocket limit on 20% copayments vs only small fixed copays and no deductibles with Kaiser.
Any year I spent more than $2000 or so on out of pocket medical expenses (such as for a surgery or other hospitalization) would wipe out all the property tax savings I would have gained by moving to Arizona and into lower cost housing. Every year I had low medical expenses such as only a few simple office visits per year, I could save over $2000 per year just in property taxes though.
Worst case scenario, I would be hospitalized in late December through January and have to pay the yearly out of pocket maximum twice ($5,000 each year) within a few weeks due to coverage resetting for the calendar year.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by jack1231

OK, maybe I will look at some of the original Sun City homes if I would be able buy cheap enough that I have left over money to renovate.
I doubt water heaters bills will be an issue, but the cost of keeping the place cool during several months of 100-120 degree days is what I'm concern about.
When you looking at 1960/70's construction, you also have to think about reroofing and dealing with outdated electrical, plumbing, popcorn ceilings and asbestos etc..
Are they wired up with high speed internet access in those old neighborhoods?

A high percentage of the Sun City homes have been renovated or up-dated. Especially if you buy in phase 2 & 3. COL is cheaper in Sun City and Sun City West than in Surprise or most other cities. They have the lowest taxes too. Surprise has one of the highest sales and property taxes in the state.
If you get on the APS econo plan your utility rate will be quite low on a monthly basis. Our 2000 sq. ft. house the electric cost is $141.00 a month year around with AC temps kept at a constant 74 degrees.
Shopping and all other amenities are all close by, some within walking distance depending on location. There is no city tax as the 2 Sun Cities are in Maricopa County. You can get around to most places by bicycle, golf car, or your regular vehicle. And getting a doctor or medical services bar none are they very very plentiful.
Home prices are very reasonable, anywhere from around $50,000 for a duplex and up. Most residential individual homes average around the $150,000 range. Many lower, many higher.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Newer doesn't mean more efficient, especially here. Many newer homes were built to substandard quality. Don't write off Sun City just yet. Those old block homes tend to be well insulated against the heat.

Block homes often have no insulation at all except roof. Block is a lousy insulator. Newer homes are much, much better insulated because energy standards are now enforced in the building codes.

The condo rows in Sun City are reasonably cheap to cool, though, as they have common walls, small windows, and low ceilings. Newer homes tend to have huge window areas and higher ceilings which are not energy friendly.

[Jkgourmet]

A quick search for those Sun Ciry areas turns up pretty slim pickings at $150k and under. Lots if 2 bedroom apartments. Even less in Surprise.

OP increasing your budget by $50k would make a HUGE difference.

[jlawrence01]

If the OP is not ties to the Phoenix area, Green Valley would also meet his needs.

You can find a 975 sq ft home (2 BR/2 BA) for $70-90k. The homes are well insulated although you might replace some windows depending on the unit.

[jack1231]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

If the OP is not ties to the Phoenix area, Green Valley would also meet his needs.

You can find a 975 sq ft home (2 BR/2 BA) for $70-90k. The homes are well insulated although you might replace some windows depending on the unit.

Not tied to Phoenix other than that I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere in a place with bad internet service and having to drive long distances to the nearest major shopping center, medical.dental etc,. I also need to be somewhere close enough to Phoenix so flying out of town once or twice a year is not s huge ordeal getting to the airport (at least have regular shuttle service to Phoenix Sky Harbor).
Ideally, everything I would normally need to live all year would be near the neighborhood I live in and only really need to leave the area to go to the airport.
I'd also like to be close enough to Phoenix to pick up all the major TV networks with an over the air antenna so I can get HD locals without an expensive cable TV package..

[jack1231]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

A quick search for those Sun Ciry areas turns up pretty slim pickings at $150k and under. Lots if 2 bedroom apartments. Even less in Surprise.

OP increasing your budget by $50k would make a HUGE difference.

I do see "livable" places under $150K and even under $100K, but I just don't like most of them.

There seem to be a few that look good in photos at least.
This place is listed at $115K and looks move-in ready cosmetically.
10854 W Clair Dr, Sun City, AZ 85351 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
$240 monthly HOA fee is the only turn off.


Then there is also an option of getting something under $100K that needs work and spending up to $50K on the work so it's like new with total expenditure still under $150K.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by jack1231

I do see "livable" places under $150K and even under $100K, but I just don't like most of them.

There seem to be a few that look good in photos at least.
This place is listed at $115K and looks move-in ready cosmetically.
10854 W Clair Dr, Sun City, AZ 85351 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
$240 monthly HOA fee is the only turn off.


Then there is also an option of getting something under $100K that needs work and spending up to $50K on the work so it's like new with total expenditure still under $150K.

It's a duplex ("twinhome"). If that HOA fee covers exterior building maitenance (roof, paint, etc), exterior insurance (fire, etc), landscape maitenance and the SC clubhouses, that $240/mo looks pretty good.

[Suzatlarge]

I've been looking at listings of Sun City homes (single family and townhouses/condos) on realtor.com, among other research.

It seems that every home in SC of any type pays an annual "main" Sun City HOA fee of just under $500. Then, the condo/townhome/duplex/row house type properties, have a separate HOA with monthly fees. Those will vary from HOA to HOA so you have to check each one specifically.

But AFAIK, single family homes in Sun City only have that annual "main" Sun City HOA fee, as they aren't in any other "subgroup" HOAs.

As noted, the individual HOA fees will cover, generally speaking, external maintenance such as grounds, roofs, paint, and I think garbage pickup. Depending on the HOA it may cover more than that but never assume anything, always get the specific info.

The "main" SC HOA annual fee is what gets you admitted to the recreational facilities.

The above is what I *think* I know. If I'm incorrect, I hope someone will correct me. Thanks!