Green Valley or Saddlebrooke (Phoenix, Tucson: for sale, HOA fees, houses)

[franlowy]

I've been reading a lot on the forums and will be spending a month in Saddlebrooke looking for a new home in a retirement community. I've got Redfin sending me updates on homes available under $225,000 . Seems extremely little coming up on Redfin for Saddlebrooke. Looks like more affordable offerings in Green Valley, however, I am worried about the copper mines and the possibility of Rosemont Mine. Any suggestions or insights?

[azdr0710]

Saddlebrooke does have a slightly higher prestige rep than Green Valley, thus the higher prices....

Green Valley is virtually a small city nowadays, where as Saddlebrooke still feels like a very large planned development....

Rosemont will have pretty much NO effect on Green Valley as they are in entirely different watersheds....

if <$225K is your preference, Green Valley is an entirely perfect place to live.....it has a good solid rep, albeit as definitely a retirement place!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

Saddlebrooke does have a slightly higher prestige rep than Green Valley, thus the higher prices....

Green Valley is virtually a small city nowadays, where as Saddlebrooke still feels like a very large planned development....

It is not a small city by any means. It is an eight mile long and three mile wide community of nearly 75 neighborhoods. What unifies the community is Green Valley Recreation, which manages all of the communities centers, gym facilities, pools and other recreation activities EXCEPT golf. It has somewhat retail services as most of the major retail has migrated to Sahuarita as that city has grown..

It is an unincorporated community in Pima County and is generally deed restricted to 55+ although there are some exceptions. Being unincorporated means that the property taxes run about half of nearby Sahuarita due to the lack of schools in Green Valley.

The water and mine issues have been so beat to death and seem to be more a concern and more often raised by Realtors selling in other communities in the Tucson area. I have found the local mine to be quite transparent and involved in the community. Dust has not been a significant issue in recent years although it was 20-30 years ago.

[WilmaWildcat]

Although I really like the rich history of the area down I-19, I am wary of buying in a mining district, too. Personally, I would rather buy someplace where I am more confident there will never be future interest in mineral deposits.

I mean, if I inherited a nice casita down there, I would sure go live in it. But I'd rather be in Tucson myself, where no one is going to be digging up the property across the street and piling tailings.

Also if I were from a mining family from southeast Arizona, I'd probably have a different outlook about it. Copper companies opening a new mine in town, even if it destroys it, is frosted cake to them. So I guess it all depends.

[AlaskaErik]

We retired to Green Valley last year and we love it. There are so many things going on here that to be bored you really have to work at it. We live in a quiet neighborhood where everybody knows each other. We have a lot of pools to choose from and GVR has lots of clubs and every quarter there is a catalog of classes and other things to do.

[franlowy]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

We retired to Green Valley last year and we love it. There are so many things going on here that to be bored you really have to work at it. We live in a quiet neighborhood where everybody knows each other. We have a lot of pools to choose from and GVR has lots of clubs and every quarter there is a catalog of classes and other things to do.

We were seeking a 55+ community and we did see Quail Creek. I know the GVR has lots of clubs, but how does that work with the Quail Creek community? I know that if you are a member of Quail Creek that you don't use GVR. Does anyone know about Quail Creek?

[RCN55]

Saddlebrooke is at a higher elevation than Green Valley. A bit cooler in the summer. IMHO the views are much better in Saddlebrooke, and the proximity to shopping in Oro Valley is wonderful. Consider using Realtor.com rather than redfin for keeping abreast of what is for sale. You should take it upon yourself to "shop" online for houses, rather than waiting for updates.

I purchased last month in Saddlebrooke at the lower price range of available houses. I had narrowed my search to six possible houses out of about 15 in my price range. I found one I really like, and after installing new floors, taking down wall paper and popcorn ceilings, and some paint I am quite happy with my home. For me, it is worth having an older home to be in Saddlebrooke rather than down in Green Valley. To each his own. I happened to have a WONDERFUL agent who treated me like I was buying a million dollar home, I was lucky.

[Saguarogirl507]

We too thought about Green Valley. I loved the idea of being so close to my very favorite place on earth, Tubac. Love that place! But in the end we decided we wanted to be in the mountains so we chose the foothills.

We once drove up to the Biosphere and passed Saddlebrook. I didn't really like the lay of the land up that way. The desert didn't seem that lush to me. But I know people who live there and really love it. The only way to know is to visit all these places. And not just once either. You really need to get a feel for each place.

[GeneR]

We're in the end phase of a very intense investigation into 55+ communities in both Tucson and Phoenix areas. One of the deciding factors for us is property tax and hoa costs. We found communities north of Tucson (Saddlebrooke, Sun City Oro Valley, etc) to be very high in those costs compared to Green Valley. Quail Creek is also considerably higher in hoa fees and taxes than Green Valley.

The best bang for the buck statewide is the original Sun City near Phoenix. It also shines in several other categories such as lot size, financial health of hoa, and activities. I think Green Valley is also very good for activities and rec centers. Certainly GVR is superior in number of facilities and activities to any one community in the Tucson area.

Our search continues this month with yet another visit to the Sun Cities (original, west and Grand) and Green Valley Recreation communities. We've all but eliminated the other newer communities.

[RCN55]

Sun City near Phoenix may have more "bang for the buck" but really? Phoenix? IMHO it is worth the higher cost to be in an area I truly love. When considering an area, weather and air quality trumps saving a little on HOA costs. I am too old to bargain shop and compromise on the things that matter for quality of life. For some, saving a little money is what makes life worthwhile, I suppose. For us, looking out the windows of the house and seeing mountains and cooler evenings and morning is the real payoff.