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My husband and I are seriously considering a move from the suburbs of Chicago to the Tucson area. We actually were out there last May to buy a house, but I chickened out. Luckily, we had a loophole in the sale of our house here in IL and were able to stay put. Well, I've regretted it since. Here are my questions and I thank anyone in advance that has any input:
We spent a few days in March with our now 7 and 9 year old boys looking at houses. We have narrowed it down to, in order of preference:
1. Vail - the schools seem to mirror the schools we have here with class sizes, test scores and ratings on Greatschools.org. Our hesitation is that we nicknamed the area "Farville" because a lot of homes were located south of Sahuarita Rd around Houghton. It felt like the middle of nowhere. So, we would stay north of Sahurarita.
2. Oro Valley - the houses were smaller and a little older than Vail and had a higher price per square foot. We loved the convenience of shopping and found it to be a beautiful area. The Amphi schools looked pretty decent as well.
3. Marana - we found this area to be appealing since it was north of Tucson and closer to Phoenix. I have some family there and we are a baseball family and imagine some weekend trips to the Camelback during Spring Training. The problem here is that the schools were rated lower than I'd like and there were some areas around the Gladden Farms area that were obviously very poor.
4. Rancho Sahuarita -We LOVED the community, but didn't care for the 1% transfer fee if we sell. Also, the schools were lower rated than we would like.
If anyone can give me some thoughts on those areas, schools, neighborhoods, anything. I would really appreciate it. We are headed back out in November with the boys to decide once and for all if this is a move for us. We plan on visiting the schools in the areas we narrow it down to.
Some information on us:
- Both my husband and I work from home, so commute is not a factor. We will be keeping our Chicago jobs when we move.
- We are looking for a single family, two story (no basements out there?!) house in a neighborhood with kids. We have an amazing Realtor out there already.
- We have a German Shepherd dog and an indoor cat.
- I admit, I'm a little freaked about the scorpions and rattlers.
Ever taken a look at Tanque Verde School District? That would be really high in my list with two kids. After that I look the original Civano. People tend to dismiss Tucson but what would be wrong with being in the attendance area of Sabino High School? I could see living in the area of Fructhendler elementary school and having kids going through the Tucson schools and doing very well. I dont believe some of the "scores" posted for the schools. If I had to dismiss Tucson then it would be Tanque Verde and Marano or maybe Civano and Vail. I live in a small Tucson neighborhood and the bus comes in and picks the kids up almost at the front door and takes them to Fructhendler. The argurment against Fructhnedler is the neighborhoods dont have a lot of kids. Thats true for much of Tucson which closed 13 schools.
I lived in Rancho Sahuarita for several years and finally got out. The 1% fee is no fun....especially if you don't have equity in your home or are upside down. In the early years, it was an awesome community. Now, the neighborhood is just way too big. The pools and gym are always overcrowded. Your HOA fee increases yearly yet it seems your amenities decrease due to the crowds. Traffic sucks in the morning as the developer didn't fully think out a decent road plan. There are not a whole lot of amenities such as dining/shopping nearby. I was fine with that, but most people are not. Personally, I would stick with the other options you listed. I really like Oro Valley and would probably pick that location. Many of my coworkers live there and love it for their families. I really like Vail but like you said, it's out in the boonies. You would have to decide if that is something you could live with. Good luck!
Thank you both! We (actually it's me) are not city people per se. I've lived in the suburbs my whole life and we plan on maintaining that if we move. Thank you for the Ranch Sahuarita advice...it's a beautiful community but the 1% was an issue for us. That's the exact type of advice I'm looking for. Thanks again.
I'm also a rural type person and stayed in the area after I left Rancho. Another option is Sahuarita Highlands. It is about an 8 min drive east of Rancho. Quiet and beautiful 1 acre lots in the desert. HOA fee is $39/mo but they don't offer a pool or gym.
We are looking at 3000+ SF and would like to stay under $325K.
That shouldn't be too hard to find at all. And at that price point you're very likely to end up in a nice area just by the home price alone. Why are you looking to relo?
I'm not a huge fan of Marana although of course that's rather regionalized within the town. It feels more east-coast than the other areas you've mentioned - just a different vibe and more crime according to stats I checked prior to my own move here (no offense intended to the Marana contingent). It just feels crowded and congested [is the Chicago native laughing at me yet?], but saying that, I'm sure someone will post an example of how it's not. Like most towns here, Marana is diverse in its realty from older homes on huge lots to new subdivisions with postage stamp yards and everything in between. In all honesty one can't make a sweeping generalization about any town because there's always an exception, but Marana in particular is very different depending on where you are.
It's no secret I'm a fan of OV with the low crime, convenient access to shopping, friendly people (even with ridiculously terrible snowbird drivers, you don't actually hear much angry honking), beautiful scenery, parks, bike trails and hiking. A tip to home-searching online for OV homes is to search by zip code or map, not just by the town name. Some homes listed as "Tucson" are actually in OV. So if your search result gives you a home in "Tucson" there's no need to discount it (for a multitude of reasons, actually... as there's nothing wrong with Tucson proper) In OV I'd avoid living very near Oracle Rd just for your own sanity. You'll have to drive it enough, no need having it in your backyard.
Consider proximity to a dog park if your GSD plays well with others. There are city parks and also a few HOA dog parks. We live a half mile's walk from a dog park and our GSD loves it. Dog parks are super-handy with the weather extremes. We have to drive to a lighted park in the summer when it's only cool enough after dark. Walking at night sometimes introduces you to wildlife, so it's to the dog park we go!
Is proximity to the airport a concern? When flying for work, flying out of Tucson is a breeze. When flying for pleasure, it's often cheaper to fly from PHX. You'd want to locate yourself appropriately if either situation will occur frequently.
Good luck on your home search. If you don't already have one, I encourage you to find a realtor to help you identify neighborhoods and narrow down your priority list a bit more. (I am not a realtor, just making the suggestion.)
And don't sweat the critters. You'll get a regular exterminator for the house and for the wild ones you'll learn to give them a healthy distance. They don't want anything to do with you and prefer "flight" over "fight".
I live in the Northwest suburb, in what is currently classified as unincorporated Pima County. My area sits in a sliver of land east of Marana and west of Oro Valley, so we are in neither of those towns. I spend a lot of time in both of them, however, for everything from shopping, doctors (I have a disabled elder in my household), entertainment, restaurants, and public services such as the libraries. I see differences and similarities between the two.
-Populations are not that different. OV has approximately 41,000 residents to Marana's 38,000.
-Marana is, however, almost four times as large in size (35.6 sq. mi. vs. 121.1 sq. mi.), so Marana residents are spread out over a far greater area.
-In spite of OV's reputation as a well-to-do place, the census reports median FAMILY income to be not hugely different. Marana's is $75,281 and OV's is $80,807. This is a guess on my part, but from my observations there is wider income disparity in Marana. You might have richer people than any in OV living in places like Dove Mountain, but you also have plenty of old Arizona families in Marana eking out a living on a family farm or raising livestock for a living. But you could live in Continental Ranch or in Gladden Farms and never realize you're in an agricultural area. The far smaller OV also has more stringent zoning regulations; for example, the only mobile home park in the city was grandfathered in long ago and I've heard no new ones are allowed.
-OV has made a concerted effort to turn its small community into a regional center for biotech businesses. Marana's economic base is far more diversified, with agriculture, some manufacturers, and a regional airport in the mix. Both towns are bedroom communities for people who earn their livings outside the area and both have a significant population of retirees.
-Many of the same builders constructed the housing developments in both places, so you will find residential neighborhoods where the homes are much alike.
-There are more children in Marana, in spite of its smaller population. 32.5% of Marana households have children under 18 while OV's stat is 27%.
-Both towns have used set-asides from builders to construct modern and attractive amenities such as town halls, fire stations, public parks, medical centers, etc. Of course these things are more spread out in Marana, so they are less noticeable.
-Both areas have strong public schools, good libraries, and parks for kids. This opinion of mine will no doubt generate some controversy, but I don't see a ton of difference between the Marana and Amphitheater school districts, and I know people who teach in both. There is no doubt a greater income range in the families utilizing the Marana district, but personally I don't see that as a detriment. Many of the things the Marana district is doing are quite progressive, although you will hear less about it given that OV is more dedicated to promoting itself.
-Both towns are in Pima County, so many of the same services are available to both communities (sheriff's department, county parks money, social services, libraries).
-Taxes and fees will be higher in Oro Valley and HOA fees are said to be higher there on average, too. Fees include water and fire protections bills, which are not consistent all over Pima County, and in my experience Realtors aren't eager to point that out unless you ask. As a result, homes per square foot seem to be on average lower in Marana and the cost of living will be less. Oro Valley is known, however, for fabulous amenities, so residents are definitely getting something for their money.
-Statistics will show Oro Valley to be safer, but the residents are paying for that, too. I don't know whether or not this is still the case, but at one point OV had the highest police-officer-to-resident ratio in the entire state of Arizona. I have heard multiple OV residents complain that the police are too intrusive. OV Police have a reputation for stringently enforcing traffic rules. I have met teenagers driving alone who were stopped for drug checks without any apparent provocation other than they were driving-while-young. Because of Marana's size, the time for police response is likely higher. And as I noted before, Marana is not composed entirely of relatively new residents, so some of the older, poorer, communities with youthful residents will have statistically higher crime rates.
Of the things you have told us about your wants, it seems to me the hardest one you will face is getting a 3,000 square foot house for less than $325.000. You can get a gorgeous and spacious house for that amount of money in many Arizona suburbs. But given the metrics used by, 3,000 square feet is more likely to fall in the half-million price range.
I looked and I only currently see four 3,000-sf houses in Oro Valley available for your top price, and one of them is a Richmond American house that hasn't been built yet, so who knows if it would still be $325,000 once you add your desired amenities. There is a nice looking 3,071-sf house in Rancho Vistoso on offer that was recently reduced to $324,900. But it's a rarity and in a more active market probably would have already been sold at a higher price. You can get many nice 2,500-sf homes in both Marana and OV for your price, even with amenities like pools and three-car garages. But given the metrics most local builders use, houses over that size rarely fall in the under-$400,000 category.
As for your desire for a basement, you're not likely to find one here. Houses in the desert Southwest are constructed far differently than homes where you live now. Because of the lack of need for them, basements are uncommon in much of the west and south. We don't use furnaces for most of the year, we rarely have hard freezes, and it seldom rains, so furnaces and water heaters do fine in garages or attic crawl spaces. Why spend the money digging out a basement if it's not needed for the stability of the house? Suburbanites who crave storage usually purchase a three-car garage and use one of the spaces for storage.
Last edited by Jukesgrrl; 10-11-2014 at 09:22 PM..
I can't thank you all enough. The information and opinions are exactly what I was looking for. I should have noted that we are looking for around a 3000SF house, and not 3000+ SF. That was my error as I was thinking of one house my husband has found online and keeps referring back to. As with most couples, we have a different "wants" in a house. My husband is looking towards bigger and I'm looking more towards having a pool.
Since the first time I visited out West, I've wanted to live there. But, getting married, family, kids and jobs have kept me in IL. Our reason for the possible move is obviously the weather. I've lived in the Chicago area my whole life (41 years) and the winters are just taking their toll. We have friends in warmer parts of the country (Phoenix, San Diego and Austin/Dallas area) and seeing their kids playing sports and outside all year is appealing. In Chicago, we spend 5-6 months of the year saying "when it gets warmer out..." Our winter starts in November and we can't open our pool until the end of May. We literally wish away 1/2 of our lives waiting for it to get nice out.
Yes, I know it's hot in AZ. We've been out west in the heat. July in Vegas and in Phoenix when it was 115 and so hot we couldn't touch anything outside. I was out in Phoenix a couple of weekends ago and was even able to witness one of the "monsoons" talked about. I'll take 3 months of that over the weather we have here. It actually flurried last Saturday here.
Another reason is our great state of Illinois isn't that great. The cost of living is high and it gets draining to pay more for gas and go to WI and have it be so much less. Our property taxes in our 1300SF home (we have a full finished basement bringing our SF to 2600) are $7800 a year. So, even when we pay this house off, we will be sending $650 a month to the state.
There are reasons for staying - which is why I chickened out in May. The area we live in has amazing schools. We live in a small town with a close net of friends that know everyone (Although that has a downside, too. Lol.) We only have one elementary school and one junior high totalling about 500 students combined. Our oldest son has ADHD and we have worked hard with the school staff to get him to a great point. He's pulling almost straight A's and, being such a small community, we have a great relationship with the teachers he has had. Many of the teachers actually live in the town and have a vested interest in making our schools as great as they can be.
We both have the opportunity to keep our jobs and relocate and our boys are young enough to be open to the idea and not glued to the friendships they have. So, we are thinking "Why not?". We only live once and this is a great oppotunity to live where I have always wanted to live.
So, again, I thank you all for taking the time to respond. We will focus on the areas mentioned above and will visit the schools. While we know it will be very different that the small town we have here, we just need to get a feeling and hear some answers to the questions we have.
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Dog parks are super-handy with the weather extremes. We have to drive to a lighted park in the summer when it's only cool enough after dark. Walking at night sometimes introduces you to wildlife, so it's to the dog park we go! 
