..back to Tucson. (Tanque Verde: rental market, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[bobuddy12345]

I lived in Tucson years ago...mid '70's.

I lived on E. Monte Vista, Tucson Blvd, and Tanque Verde Rd.
(Wow...still have some brain cells!)

...anyway, I live in western New York and seriously thinking of moving back to Tucson. I am SO over the mud, slush, freezing temperatures and scraping car windows. Enough!!!

I plan on flying out in August (I have friends there)...and taking a look-see.

I am looking for a small house to rent in a decent neighborhood.

Questions:

1.) What are the "safe" areas of Tucson these days?
2.) What would the price range be per month for a small house.
3.) Do the "drug cartel" problems of Mexico have any effect in Tucson?

...any help with these questions would be appreciated.
JB

[coatimundi]

Originally Posted by bobuddy12345

1.) What are the "safe" areas of Tucson these days?

The neighborhoods immediately surrounding Downtown are nice. North is nice past about Roger. East is okay past about Swan. South is generally not good. West is mostly college students up to some wealthier neighborhoods in the mountains. That's a vast generalization though. It's really, really spotty though. Street-to-street, really. It would help to know the area of town you'll be working.

Originally Posted by bobuddy12345

2.) What would the price range be per month for a small house.

$1100 if you're talking detached. It depends on the neighborhood though. Most houses are going to be 2br, minimum. If you open yourself to townhomes, which are flooding the rental market right now, then it goes to around $800-900, and you still get the yard.

Originally Posted by bobuddy12345

3.) Do the "drug cartel" problems of Mexico have any effect in Tucson?

"Cartels?" People just think Southern Arizona is like Sierra Leone, huh?
There's drugs, but no cartels really. They find drop houses every once in a while, for both drugs and people smuggling, but it's rare, and it honestly doesn't seem to affect the neighborhood a whole lot because they're always gone. It's the actual dealers that are more a problem. I had a friend that lived across from a drop house and you would have never known until they raided the place one night.