Newly Built Homes vs. Resale Homes (Phoenix, Mesa: sale, foreclosure, rentals)

[BigEinAz]

Resale homes usually come in at a lower tax rate.

[jimj]

Generally new builds have little to no yards as well as a price premium (I've heard up to 40%) over existing homes.

[Hal Roach]

Where I live, new build condos go for 2.8 times PSF as resale, but only command 1.8 times the rent...and they are on!y new once. YMMV. But, not all used are the same..different periods have their own issues, as well as the individual builders. The homes from 2004-2008, were horrible in quality, and also had bad locations and small lots. So I would take new over a 10-12 yo, but would take a 1950 or 60s home on a nice lot without an HOA over any of them. Focus on stuff that can't be changed. A good school district will sell better than a tennis court of granite. I never really used the word exurb till I lived in Phoenix...it is definitely surrounded by some. Many that babble on about how great they are, might not be so enthusiastic if they had to go to Thomas and Central five days week. Look at the soil maps. Clay soil is bad. An older home on good soil is a very safe bet, that you can visually inspect. Also, some of the smaller municipalities have high water/sewer.

[gbpakrfan]

If you build, avoid Pulte like the plague. Currently a huge class-action law suit going on against them.

[Hal Roach]

The builders are frequently being sued. The stucco case was dismissed last September in Florida..likely others pending.

[MalteseJane]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

The builders are frequently being sued. The stucco case was dismissed last September in Florida..likely others pending.

We are in a Pulte home and cannot complain. Stucco will crack no matter what. And the funny thing is that one day you will see a crack here and when you look at it a few days later it's not there anymore. We had our house repainted a couple of years ago, the company who did it repaired the few cracks we had before painting and since then I have not seen another crack. Don't know the specifics of the paint he used, but he did not water it down like some painters and probably Pulte does.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by patrick85395

I say buy used:

1. Mature landscape
2. Find one with a pool
3. Older home tend to be less efficient, but the money saved over new could be used for new windows, a/c and appliances.

Not sure of your price range, but look at homes by two lewis, cachet, Ashton woods, and shea.....most are well built and designed and tend to be in ice neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Unless you have pretty deep pockets, new builds tend to be further out. Determine a location that best suits you and then worry about the details.

Originally Posted by locolife

As Patrick said, there's a lot of good reasons to go older, being closer in and having a more mature area are two great reasons and why I personally chose to go with an older home. Do you know where you'll both be working? Where his daughter lives? And an idea of what your budget will be? If so we can narrow down some areas/neighborhoods that fit your needs. Arcadia is a great spot depending on the above, there are also older sections of North Central Phoenix that are beautiful and put you really close to tons of great food, entertainment, etc... It really depends on what you're looking for.

Tempe, Glendale and Scottsdale all have older/more established neighborhoods that have beautiful homes as well.

I can't speak too much on new builds, I've never considered living in an area that far outside of town so I didn't look into them much.

Good advice here. Good luck!

[Bird Street]

You can have all the stucco you want. I couldn't be any happier than to be in my 1950 red brick ranch house built on farmland with flood irrigation. It's equally close to Arcadia, Paradise Valley, Biltmore, downtown and Tempe. Anything you stick in the ground grows. I don't have to compete in rush hour traffic anymore. I feel sorry for the people in the cars on TV that are at a standstill on the freeways trying to get from one place to another. Location, location location.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Bird Street

You can have all the stucco you want. I couldn't be any happier than to be in my 1950 red brick ranch house built on farmland with flood irrigation. It's equally close to Arcadia, Paradise Valley, Biltmore, downtown and Tempe. Anything you stick in the ground grows. I don't have to compete in rush hour traffic anymore. I feel sorry for the people in the cars on TV that are at a standstill on the freeways trying to get from one place to another. Location, location location.

You don't have to be in a 1950's house to be in resale. My 2007 built semi custom home has all the benefits of newer homes (energy efficient, tall ceilings, modern floorplan, etc) but I got it as a short sale 4 years ago and saved on the new home premium. I'm all about resale as long as it's in a location you want and with the floor plan you want. Finishes can be changed. For instance I changed flooring, counter tops, put in a 48 inch built in fridge and wine chiller and remodeled the pool a bit to fit my preferences, still for much less than a new build. People don't realize the premium the builder has on all the options.

[MountainGuy74]

Originally Posted by CEBMurray

We love living in California, but we want to move to Arizona to be closer to my husband's daughter. Right now it's a 8-9 hour drive to see her

8-9 hour drive from Elsinore? Takes me less than 5 to drive from Phoenix to Rancho Cucamonga. You guys taking the scenic route or what?