Review of Red Rock Village (Phoenix, Tucson: for sale, real estate, 2015)

[Rudydog1]

Hello...

I am interested in hearing any current reviews of the Red Rock Village community. By the time we get out of Virginia our home purchase budget will be stretched.

After reviewing the resale market in northwest Tucson which appears to be gaining momentum, I came across Red Rock Village.

When we lived in Tucson many years ago this area was just a bump in the road kinda like Casa Grande. However looking at the New Home's websites Pulte got my attention.

We are not young and with children, however we are not in bad repair and are still active and wish to travel. Red Rock Village looks very convenient to Phoenix, San Diego etc..but at what cost.

Another area we might consider is Marana and Vail...newer construction, amenities, golf etc.. but again at a higher cost including taxes.

Do not mind driving some distance for basics but need golf, dining and shopping other than Walmart and Wendys and of course some medical.

Price range tops would be 240K. Oh..which county does RRV report to?

Thanks..

[jksn75]

I personally don't know much about RRV, but I know two people who lived there and left because it was really far from amenities. But, if you travel quite a bit to Phoenix it may be a good option for you. I would pick a couple of other neighborhoods from Marana & Vail and check them all out when you travel here for your house hunting trip. And I believe it is a few miles inside of Pinal Co.

[azdr0710]

you'll have to look at it in person and decide if the lower price justifies the somewhat-remote location.....

this development was started in the early-mid 2000s as real estate prices at in-town locations became very expensive....Pulte was looking for cheaper land to build on in an effort to appeal to those who couldn't afford Tucson prices anymore.....I remember Pulte calling it as being in "Northwest Tucson" in ads....hardly!....it's several miles from even "old" Marana, which itself is separated a few miles from urban Tucson.....

check very recent comps, % that are now rentals, health of the HOA, weird neighbors, neighborhood pride of ownership, quality complaints, and if there is any smell from the large feed lot a few miles west of the development.....

[Jukesgrrl]

Originally Posted by Rudydog1

...

When we lived in Tucson many years ago this area was just a bump in the road kinda like Casa Grande. However looking at the New Home's websites Pulte got my attention.

Thanks..

From my way of looking at it, that area is still just a bump in the road. According to the 2010 U.S. census, Red Rock's population was still barely over 2,000. To get to any amenities you would still have to travel south to Marana or north to Casa Grande. Your best bet is the fact that Chandler, to my mind one of Phoenix's nicest suburbs, is about an hour from there.

That might seem do-able to you now. But if you plan to age in Red Rock Village, how many years from now would it not be advisable to be spending that much time on I-10? Personally, I find that that highway to be very unpleasant to drive on. Also, Red Rock is in one of the worst areas around for haboobs. If you're even close to age 65, I'd check into whether or not Red Rock has any public transportation to shopping and other essentials. Would you be prepared to be that isolated if you can no longer drive? Most people find it so inconceivable to think about giving up their cars they don't plan appropriately for their aging process.

I don't have anything against Red Rock Village, per se. I live in a Pulte Home myself and I can't complain about it. But if your budget tops out at $240,000 you could get a barely used Pulte house in a nice area of Tucson's NW suburb for much less than that. There you would have amenities galore.

If you want quieter, there are also plenty of places in your price range in Marana, which is a bit more rural. You can get a very nice home in Continental Ranch close to 2,000 sq. ft. for under $200,000. There's a brand new Pulte home in Gladden Farms listed at slightly under your top price (although probably without many upgrades). There are also new Pulte Homes listed in Rancho del Lago and Sierra Morado for under your budget. Those developments are near Vail, southeast of Tucson. Vail has a highly rated school district and is very popular with people working at Raytheon or Davis-Monthan AFB (so good resale value).

In my neighborhood (unincorporated Pima Co., so no Marana, Oro Valley, or City of Tucson taxes and very low HOA dues), there's a three bedroom, two bath Pulte Home for sale for $169,900. There's also a 4/2 listed for $195,000. If you want pools and tennis courts in your development, North Ranch currently has 10 homes for sale with the highest asking price being $184,900. North Ranch is right across the street from Arthur Pack Park, a huge Pima County park with a public golf course.

If you haven't been here for awhile, you will find that our real estate prices are still rather depressed compared to Virginia. No need to go so far out as Red Rock to get something nice in your price range.

[Rudydog1]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

From my way of looking at it, that area is still just a bump in the road. According to the 2010 U.S. census, Red Rock's population was still barely over 2,000. To get to any amenities you would still have to travel south to Marana or north to Casa Grande. Your best bet is the fact that Chandler, to my mind one of Phoenix's nicest suburbs, is about an hour from there.

Jukesgrrl...as usual you have great info! Thank you..
Yes...we are already driving a spell to get to anything other than Walmart and Wendy's. Our little town has some unique dining choices however they are seasonal.


That might seem do-able to you now. But if you plan to age in Red Rock Village, how many years from now would it not be advisable to be spending that much time on I-10? Personally, I find that that highway to be very unpleasant to drive on. Also, Red Rock is in one of the worst areas around for haboobs. If you're even close to age 65, I'd check into whether or not Red Rock has any public transportation to shopping and other essentials. Would you be prepared to be that isolated if you can no longer drive? Most people find it so inconceivable to think about giving up their cars they don't plan appropriately for their aging process.

I guess we need to be realistic...we are both in our early 60's..My husbands brother lives in Casa Grande and another brother lives in San Diego. Being closer to both seemed appealing however the level of living there it appears might be more backward there then where I live now!


If you want quieter, there are also plenty of places in your price range in Marana, which is a bit more rural. You can get a very nice home in Continental Ranch close to 2,000 sq. ft. for under $200,000. There's a brand new Pulte home in Gladden Farms listed at slightly under your top price (although probably without many upgrades). There are also new Pulte Homes listed in Rancho del Lago and Sierra Morado for under your budget. Those developments are near Vail, southeast of Tucson. Vail has a highly rated school district and is very popular with people working at Raytheon or Davis-Monthan AFB (so good resale value).

Is Continental Ranch in Marana? I see it listed alot but can not remember where it is located. We do want more sense of community at our age with amenities and but prefer not right next door to someone else nor alot of pass through traffic.

In my neighborhood (unincorporated Pima Co., so no Marana, Oro Valley, or City of Tucson taxes and very low HOA dues), there's a three bedroom, two bath Pulte Home for sale for $169,900. There's also a 4/2 listed for $195,000. If you want pools and tennis courts in your development, North Ranch currently has 10 homes for sale with the highest asking price being $184,900. North Ranch is right across the street from Arthur Pack Park, a huge Pima County park with a public golf course.

I would love to know where you can live unincorporated...taxes in Tucson are more than double to what we pay here. As for HOA...that is why I do not want to live in a senior community. Do not mind a small amount...I have none here, no water or sewage bill either and almost 3 acres.

If you haven't been here for awhile, you will find that our real estate prices are still rather depressed compared to Virginia. No need to go so far out as Red Rock to get something nice in your price range.

I will be scratching RRV off my list...I guess I had a case of auto showroom syndrome! No wonder there is no info on this place. Thanks again for your views..

[sh9730]

Hi there - not a big Tucson forum participant but this thread caught my eye - if you have family in Casa Grande AND San Diego, why are you not considering Casa Grande? Or Robson Ranch development just outside of town in Eloy?

For 240K you could get a VERY nice place - or only spend 175K and have some fun with the rest of that money?

CG puts you almost an hour closer to SD, and is still a little over an hour to Tucson, PLUS you are closer to sporting events in Phx etc if that interests you. Golf is plentiful here - though admittedly not the highest end courses that Tucson offers....

[Rudydog1]

Originally Posted by sh9730

Hi there - not a big Tucson forum participant but this thread caught my eye - if you have family in Casa Grande AND San Diego, why are you not considering Casa Grande? Or Robson Ranch development just outside of town in Eloy?

For 240K you could get a VERY nice place - or only spend 175K and have some fun with the rest of that money?

CG puts you almost an hour closer to SD, and is still a little over an hour to Tucson, PLUS you are closer to sporting events in Phx etc if that interests you. Golf is plentiful here - though admittedly not the highest end courses that Tucson offers....

SH9730..good things to think about. I guess I was leaning towards Tucson as we used to live there however were planning on being further north.

So do you live in CG now? We have visited the area and it does have more shopping then RRV I would guess. Interesting you mentioned Eloy...my brother-in-law suggested that too stated he has seen supper low home prices however I would think it is similar to RRV?

Since there really isn't any Pro sports in Tucson..being closer to Phoenix maybe should be a strong consideration. We had previously looked into Anthem however that is expensive from what I remembered and Buckeye is too hot I think. Thanks you for the info..

[Jukesgrrl]

Here are replies to questions asked of me by Rudydog1. I don't know why, but I can't get the italics button to go off. The OP's questions to me are in bold. My replies are in non-bold italics.

Jukesgrrl...as usual you have great info! Thank you..
Yes...we are already driving a spell to get to anything other than Walmart and Wendy's. Our little town has some unique dining choices however they are seasonal.

I guess we need to be realistic...we are both in our early 60's..My husbands brother lives in Casa Grande and another brother lives in San Diego. Being closer to both seemed appealing however the level of living there it appears might be more backward there then where I live now!

I'm sure being only in your early sixties the need for some kind of public transportation might seem a long way off. But I truly believe we have to plan for that. I got a real wake-up call about it when I fell and broke my leg almost 10 years ago. It took a long time to heal and I had one of those casts that made me have to have my leg up like a flamingo. I couldn't carry a glass of water across the room unless I was in a wheelchair. I got a taste of the prisoner life being in a rural house and not being able to drive or even get down the porch stairs to leave the house without assistance. My mother was always very healthy, too, and now she's had two hip replacements and still can't get around without a walker and doesn't drive anymore at all ... I say we all have to plan in advance for these thing. The special transportation bus is our friend. Don't buy a house anywhere too far away from one.

Is Continental Ranch in Marana? I see it listed alot but can not remember where it is located. We do want more sense of community at our age with amenities and but prefer not right next door to someone else nor alot of pass through traffic.

Yes, Continental Ranch is in Marana. There are many different subdivisions within Continental Ranch of various price ranges, but they all feed into some streets that have a supermarket and other amenities. There's a thread on C-D about Marana and I posted a lot about the attractive things Marana has done in recent years to upgrade what was once a totally rural community. Gladden Farms in another big developed area that is in Marana. I'll give you a link of a good, easy to use, and up-to-date site that shows the properties for sale in Marana or any other neighborhood in or town around Tucson. To see anything for sale in Marana, just hit the drop-down menu called City and highlight Marana. You can narrow it down to specific subdivisions using the menu on the far left. The drop-down list called Communities shows various developments that have many different subdivisions (such as Continental Ranch or Gladden Farms. If you highlight only town or community names it will show you every house for sale there. But you can narrow it down putting your info into other fields (your top price, for instance). Don't narrow it down too much though, or you might not see things that could be do-able. You were talking about new construction re: Red Rock. In most of the newer subdivisions house are built close to each other. No way will you get a wide lot unless you go far out of your price range. But most houses have a lot of privacy since they have backyards with tall block walls that the patios open on to. As for traffic, it's always very light within a subdivision. No one comes here at night except people who live here. Where I live I'm even on a corner lot and traffic is no issue whatsoever. The loudest things I hear are the garbage truck and UPS.
Create Your own Tucson Home Search

I would love to know where you can live unincorporated...taxes in Tucson are more than double to what we pay here. As for HOA...that is why I do not want to live in a senior community. Do not mind a small amount...I have none here, no water or sewage bill either and almost 3 acres.

I can't imagine you getting anywhere close to what you have in AZ in your price range except far out in the desert. Taxes are a range in various communities. In the NW suburb I'm guessing Oro Valley is the highest. It's a planned community with many amenities, including its own police department. That costs money. In the unincorporated part of Pima Co. what you'll get if you call 911 is the County Sheriff's Department. I've found them to be very responsive and professional. We pay property tax to the county (which includes fire protection, which is an expensive absolute necessity in Arizona). I think I actually get a lot for my Pima Co. taxes. The local community center, parks, and libraries are first-rate, the Pima Council on Aging has been very helpful to me in caregiving for my mom. The fire departments also seem excellent and I've never heard any complaints about the EMTs.

Surprisingly, I pay a lower water bill here than I paid in Pittsburgh, where it rains or snows half the days of year! Go figure. My utilities are lower in total. My electric bill is most expensive due to the A/C, but the newer houses here are built specifically for A/C so it doesn't cost nearly as much as it did to cool my houses back East. And the gas bill is next to nothing as it is used only for the water heater and the stove. The development I live in has no community pool and no tennis, so the HOA fee is only $29 per month. That goes to keep the community clean, including the streets, for signage and lighting (which is minimal as we are a Dark Skies community), for the attractive landscaping that is all over the community, and for a playground and picnic ramada. It's set away from the houses so we don't have to deal with noise. There really aren't that many families with kids even living here. On my cul de sac there are only two houses with children. Everyone else is retired or a part-time resident.

To address your question about where is "unincorporated Pima Co.?" I can only speak to the area that falls in the Northwest suburb of Tucson, as there are a LOT of unincorporated areas throughout the county. If you look at the little map of Pima Co. that is at the bottom right of the Pima Wikipedia page, the area I'm familiar with is shown in white. The biggest blue blob is the City of Tucson. The blue area above it to the northwest is Marana and the area above it to the northeast is Oro Valley. That tiny white area between those two towns is unincorporated, as is much of the Tucson Foothills in the Northeast suburb. As to what the borders of that little white area are, I'm guessing roughly west of Oracle Road (Route 77), east of Thornydale Road (the west side of that road falls in Marana). I'd guess the south border might be north of River Road. And the north border might be south of Tangerine Road. That's very approximate however. I can't find a map that shows the area with streets shown, so that's not exact. The big square in the middle of that map that juts north into Pinal County is a tribal reservation. Perhaps someone else can educate us both about what those borders are. I would also advise you to keep in mind that anything that's unincorporated might eventually become incorporated someday.
Pima County, Arizona - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you haven't been here for awhile, you will find that our real estate prices are still rather depressed compared to Virginia. No need to go so far out as Red Rock to get something nice in your price range.

Given your particular situation, wanting low taxes and having relatives in Casa Grande and San Diego, I agree with sh9730 that you might want to take a second look at Casa Grande. I don't know when you were there last but it's grown a lot in the past five years. The newest mall, the Promenade at Casa Grande has a Dillard's, Kohl's, Target, Cost Plus World Market, and a ton of other stores and restaurants. I've been there and it's your typical suburban mega mall, nothing rural about it. It's at the Florence Blvd. exit of I-10. The old Outlet Mall on the other side of I-10 has new owners who plan to make it into a home improvement center. Ground has also been broken on another center that will be called the Phoenix Mart. It's supposedly going to have a convention center and a hotel in addition to wholesale shopping.

San Diego is such an easy drive from Casa Grande. Just a straight shot west. Takes about five hours to the ocean and you can stop in Yuma for gas and food. CG is also close to the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. If I were going to live in a suburb in Maricopa Co., I'd pick Chandler, hands down. It's close to ASU in Tempe and it's easy to navigate. I go up there once in awhile to shop at IKEA. If you're still thinking new construction, there is new construction in Casa Grande in your price range. See the link below and hit the button that says "Cheapest" to see them in ascending order of price:
Casa Grande AZ New Homes & Casa Grande AZ Home Builders - Zillow

[sh9730]

Rudy,

Yes, I have lived in CG for the last 6 years or so - there are many threads with information on CG in the Phoenix Forum since CG is slightly closer to Phoenix than Tucson...

But, a quick overview is that CG now has a full time population of about 55K, and with winter visitors we get up to about 75K or little more...as Jukesgrl said we have a full service urban mall with movie theatre complex, several restaurants of various levels, and the stores she mentioned. We also have both Lowes and Home Depot, a Sams Club will be opening next month, a full walmart and then lots of local stores in the old downtown.

She also mentioned the Phoenixmart project - there are also separate threads on that project in the Phoenix forum - but as that project moves ahead (should be completed by fall 2015) it will bring at least several thousand jobs to town and that in turn will bring the "next level" of amenities to CG such as a little higher end restaurants and hotels etc. Most of our hotels are business level or casual traveler at best and we don't have any Red Lobster or higher level eating yet, much less a high end steak house....but Phoenixmart should start to change all that. See www.phoenixmart.com for information on that project....

But again the appeal I think for your situation is that you have family here, are closer to SD, yet are still close enough to BOTH Tucson and Phoenix, and prices will be cheaper....

As for Eloy, the only place I would suggest to you is the Robson golf community - but I re-read your earlier posts and you seem to be leaning against a 55+ community....which Robson is....

Best of luck...

[Rudydog1]

Thank you everyone for your great insight. Casa Grande looks like a good spot to look especially with all the new infrastructure coming. I did not think any areas economy could support such a huge development however looks like the Phoenixmart will be something. Up will go the housing prices so I better get selling and moving!