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Old 10-02-2014, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Tucson, AZ
612 posts, read 1,016,997 times
Reputation: 1153

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson View Post
BajaAZ,

Just had another question or two:

1) "An older adobe home" = 1945? (I am interested in 2728 East 6th Street.)
2) Would you buy a home on 6th? (I know it's a busy street.)
3) If you were to bid on 2728, what would you offer? It is a short-sale.
2) Can you explain what you mean by the "family orientation" of Sam Hughes and other such neighborhoods? Are there many families with young kids in that area? My daughter is 7. PS- thanks for the "places to visit" list. )

Did you grow up in Tucson? I know you mentioned Timrod at 18 yrs.

Anyway..... awesome chatting with you and thanks so much. My second list of questions will be coming soon... )
That house on 6th looks great. And I would definitely buy there - it's a neat area. Being right on 6th may pose on or two problems, but I'm assuming there's an alleyway for access. The real problem with 6th is that it may be being widened soon, so see how much you think you'll depend on that bit of land between your property and the street and keep that in mind. I don't "know" that's happening, but it is rumored. Once it is widened, if it is widened, it will likely have bike lanes, so that's a long-term plus.

I wouldn't be able to tell you what to offer for the house, though, sorry. I just got out from underneath two properties in Pittsburgh and am not looking to buy again just yet so I haven't gotten into pricing things.

Also, I saw your note about Barnes and Noble being nearby ... which is fine, but let me introduce you to Bookmans, which is not too far: Bookmans Grant | Bookmans Entertainment Exchange - great, locally owned used book store with a number of surprisingly large stores and amazing selection (great Children's sections as well - and awesome rare books sections if you are interested in that sort of thing).

What I meant about the family orientation of Sam Hughes is that it is a nicer, well-kept neighborhood that attracts families and consists of mostly single-family homes. It is, of course, surrounded by student-oriented housing, but that's not really a problem insofar as I've seen. I couldn't speak to how many families with youngsters live in the area, but when I ride my bike through I see the kids out and about on their bicycles or playing in the streets, so I presume they live there. I personally think it would be a great place to raise a family due to the proximity to great resources - when I was a kid I would have loved to live next to the Flandrau Science Center, for example.

And, yes, I grew up there, in Alvernon Heights (definitely not a recommended area). Lived in Tucson for 22 years, moved to Flagstaff, moved back to Tucson, then spent a decade in Pittsburgh, visiting often, and now I've returned. Great city with some "special" bumps and bruises that you have to contend with just like any city.

Last edited by beTucsonan; 10-02-2014 at 10:31 AM..

 
Old 10-02-2014, 11:25 AM
 
Location: Colorado - Oh, yeah!
833 posts, read 1,707,898 times
Reputation: 1034
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson View Post
Prodigal Native,

Does your name express that you left Tucson for awhile? If so, would love to hear more about that. (ie: Where you went and why you returned.... etc.) )

Anyway, thanks for the foodstore tips. I'm sure those places carry a lot of what my family cooks with!

Have a great day and thanks for the post!
You have the right general idea, but I left Denver and am actively trying to get back there. I could get into all of the whens and whys, but it would just derail this thread.
 
Old 10-02-2014, 05:35 PM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
Prodigal Native,

Thanks for posting. Definitely hope you're able to move soon. We're in the same situation (wanting to be elsewhere). )

I spent 2 days in Colorado while on a 32 day cross-country driving/camping trip. We slept under the stars, which was awesome. No mosquitoes that I recall. Enjoyed a Loveland park with iron (?) statues.... our day off after having been on route 70 (?) way too long the day before.

Anyway, all the best.
 
Old 10-02-2014, 09:35 PM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
BajaAz,

Just wanted to say thanks for being so positive in your posts. )

The road widening is definitely a concern, so I guess we'll have to eat breakfast or dinner at Rincon and see what rush-hour traffic is like.

Hearing about the "kids playing" in Sam Hughes was awesome. We'll have to drive around and try to locate some families with kids. I'd love to ask them a few questions.

I will keep Bookmans in mind. We love Barnes and Noble because they always have full book series and they let kids read freely (like a library). Last Sunday, the kids area was a sea of families with their kids.... READING. ) So nice. Tonight was some party celebrating a movie (frost?).... crafts, people in costume, storytelling... etc. A lot of fun. I really hope the Tucson B&N is similar. My daughter is an avid reader, so we rely heavily on B&N right now. She often reads for 2-3 hours when we go. I'm so proud of her.

Anyway, you've traveled quite a bit. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of Tucson with people like us who are trying to navigate a potential relocation. ) Much appreciated.
 
Old 10-03-2014, 02:18 AM
 
Location: Tucson, AZ
612 posts, read 1,016,997 times
Reputation: 1153
Based on your posts, I think you have the right frame of mind to come here and do well. You will find your way, regardless of what the placement is. Thus far, by the questions you've asked and the responses you've given, I'd say you are already Tucsonan in nature. Please come.
 
Old 10-03-2014, 05:24 AM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
How do I rate everyone's posts positively? It says I must first spread Reputation. What happens when I press the "add to (so and so's) reputation" button in the top right corner"? Definitely want to rate everyone's posts positively. )
 
Old 10-03-2014, 12:48 PM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
borregokid,

I am re-posting your last message myself because I accidentally deleted it. So sorry. I was trying to send you a private response and then tried to delete my private response (ie: to start over) but didn't realize I was deleting YOUR MESSAGE. ) So sorry about that. Am still wet behind the ears on this site. I don't even know how to Rate the Posts Positively (ie: give reputation... or something). )

Anyway, here is your last post to me. Hope all my readers enjoy it. Very helpful. ) PS- I included my response to your post at the end.... so please scroll down, borregokid! )

(from borrego kid...)

Central Tucson where you are looking both north and south of Speedway tend to be fairly expensive. You pay for the location. The short sale might go as high as $240K. There are about 12 Historic neighborhoods including Catalina Vista which only has one house in it for sale. One of my favorites is Indian Ridge near Tanque Verde. I think its the furthest east. There are several homes for sale now in Indian Ridge. Across the street is a smaller neighborhood of Colonia Verde where there is a home for $175K right next to the community pool at the end of a culdesac. They remodeled the kitchen but could have done a better job. The address is 7219 E Camino Vecino. You can walk out your back gate to a year round heated pool. There are very few children in the neighborhood either this one or Indian Ridge which probably had hundreds of kids 40 years ago. This would still be a great place to raise kids. Sabino High School is rated a 9 and is one of the top high schools in the state. Fruchthendler elementary is only a 6 but I think its better than that.

A couple of the tools I used to look at houses were google street view and google earth which gives you an idea of what the house looks like from above and the spacing between houses. With google street view you can drive around the neighborhood before you actually do drive around.

All of the older homes with masonry construction will have higher air conditioning and heating bills than new construction. The winter bills are as bad as the summer bills if it gets really cold. $200-$250 per month in the summer and almost that much for the two coldest winter months.

When you come here to visit you should check out Civano just to check it out. Its a planned community very well laid out. There is a lot to like about it. Its further east. The homes are well built and well insulated.

Couple of things to consider is how old is the roof and how old is the air-conditioner. A new AC unit will cut the bills quite a bit. A Seer 13 is almost 50% more efficient than a Seer 9. A Seer 16 would be pretty much the gold standard for new AC units.

Hope this wasnt too much information

(end of post from borregokid)

Borregokid,

) I love long posts. Thanks for sharing!

We have to live in an area with kids and things going on. My daughter is a brain, but an active brain. She is presently doing cartwheels around the house. ) She loves to swim, bike, play drums, piano, read, socialize... etc. This child needs activities... and lots of people. ) I've heard that Sahuarita is very social and active. It would probably be perfect. It's just that so much of what we'd UTILIZE would be closer to Central Tucson (ie: restaurants, music/percussion lessons, Barnes and Noble, library, church, Alan's Organics, UofA stuff, museums, etc.

The bummers about the Sam Hughes area is that the heated year-round pools are separate from where we'd live. I saw online that many are closed because of the economy. Catalina Pool stood out as nice and potentially open... and close. Not sure if you know anything about this.

Do you know anything about the Tucson Botanical Gardens? We were able to walk through an amazing Botanical Garden in New Zealand about 3 years back. Amazing stuff. They have huge ferns that grow all over .... and trees that have flowers like roses, yet heartier (thicker petals). We plucked one of those flowers off and left it in our car for a day or two and it stayed just as beautiful without water. I assume those thick petals helped with that. Amazing.

Anyway... I have to run, but wanted to apologize for deleting your post.... but thankfully the "go back" arrow brought your deleted post back up and I was able to copy and paste it back into a new post. )

Thanks again.
 
Old 10-03-2014, 01:15 PM
 
2,672 posts, read 2,711,112 times
Reputation: 1041
I have been only once to the Botanical Gardens. Its a good place to go to get ideas. A lot of the gardening in Tucson is done on patios and courtyards. Where I live almost everyone has a courtyard and a large patio. They have a number of different themes for the different patio and courtyard garden. You can get an idea of what might work with sun, water, shade, etc. .
 
Old 10-04-2014, 11:03 AM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
Thank you, borregokid. That is an excellent idea. )

I'm a bit busy lately, but I'll get a second list out soon. Hope you weigh in then.

Sincerely, Moving to Tucson

PS- the home I was interested in is 'off market".... and I'm hoping it's not because it sold! My realtor will find out and let me know.
 
Old 10-04-2014, 05:54 PM
 
162 posts, read 261,549 times
Reputation: 54
Questions:

1) East 6th street: how busy is rush hour, and how long does rush hour last?
2) Would you buy a home on East 6th?
3) Evaporative cooling systems: my realtor said they are a bit "muggy". Are they good? A natural humidifier? Are they popular in Tucson? My realtor says they're cheaper.
4) Is the parking area beside the alley part of the home's "lot"? Google map shows that some people seem to have that area enclosed .... and others don't. Is it the home-owner's choice to have more "yard" or more "parking"?
5) Is off-street parking an issue in Sam Hughes (ie: if we have a lot of guests, will they easily find parking... especially if the easement at the front is removed in order to add an extra lane?).
6) Why do so many homes have tiny homes behind them? (Rental income? Guests? Kids that get on your nerves?... LOL.)
7) Some bypasses have bike lanes with what looks like a barrier wall for protection. Is this safety feature common, and is this part of a "bicycle boulevard"? I assume bicycle boulevards are the safest form of bike path? (they had 3-4 kinds listed on a general info website for Tucson)
7) 6th seems to be a distinguishing road (ie: east/south/north/west). Any info regarding how this came to be? It's really interesting.
8) Is it possible to cycle safely to work on 6th (westward on 6th for about 10 minutes, then south on 6th for about 10 minutes)? Or is there a safer route?
9) Are there any women/moms posting to my thread? I would love to have a chat over the phone at some point. I would also love to eventually have a family we can meet with while we're there. We may have more questions after spending a few days looking around. Anyway... would appreciate hearing from some women.... (mom or not). Thanks. )
10) Is it difficult to get jobs? My hubby will try for a job transfer, but ultimately is willing to change careers if a transfer won't work. He has considered applying for a teaching position (math/science) with a school that doesn't need certification.
11) What are the best jobs for an Engineer (Civil/Environmental) to switch over to? (ie: a career change) We may need to keep some of these in mind as well.
12) Anyone who hasn't weighed in yet.... what would you pay for 2728 East 6th Street (if you wanted to buy it). And if you simply don't like it at all, why?

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to dive into these questions. ) And I hope to hear from a few women/moms as well. Thanks again ~ Moving To Tucson.
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