Arizona Vs. California?

[an]

[quote=spdrun]Looks pretty obvious from the bills and square footage.[/quote]
no it doesn’t.

[SK in CV]

[quote=AN][quote=spdrun]Looks pretty obvious from the bills and square footage.[/quote]
no it doesn’t.[/quote]

I agree, it’s not obvious. The smaller home was built 5 years ago (though I was the first buyer about a year ago). The bigger house in SD was built early 80’s. I have no idea which is better insultated though I suspect AZ homes have insulation that is appropriate for the weather here. I do know the most common stucco assembly here is never seen in CA. I don’t have any of my old bills, so I can’t compare the actual per therm cost of electricity. It may be a little cheaper here. Just speculation.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Want_to_Retire]…RV access is available for houses with bigger lots. I just bought a 3/2 – 1987 house as a rental – it has access for an RV because it’s on a corner lot. Most of the other houses at my price range didn’t.

….It’s above my own target market, but I would guess a 2500 sfr in a decent neighborhood, with pool, fairly new, good shape with a reasonably updated kitchen will rent for $1800 to $2400 depending on the neighborhood.

The area is about 8 miles east of I17 and 10 mies north of I10. It’s by the 51 and 101 FWYs. The 51 is the greatest as highways go – gets you south to central Phoenix in 10 minutes, and Tempe/Sky Harbor in 20. It’s also surprisingly quick to drive cross valley to the I17 on surface streets, about 15 minutes, lights and all.

…Going 15 miles north and west I would say a 2500 sf house, newer, pool sized lot, a nice neighborhood will go for mid $200,000 to low $300,000.[/quote]

Want_to_Retire, thank you again for your post. This 2500 sf house *newer* house with pool for <=$350K seems to be about 18 miles northwest of town. Does the mid $200K to low $300K area you mentioned here have lots with RV pkg/access? Is this part of PHX or a suburb/exurb of PHX? Not knowing about fwys other than the interstates and not having any navigation, I have "escaped" a stalled I-10 on the west side on several occasions and drove 14-20 mi north and then a few miles east to catch I-17 to meet my "late check in" in ABQ 🙂 Unlike SD, the surface streets in PHX seemed to be flat and straight and lead to an expected destination without a map 🙂 *************************** However, I still maintain that these FTB's can find a decent house in SD County with boat/RV pkg/access off the SR-52/SR-67 in Santee, Lakeside or even Ramona (and decent schools as well) for $350K (for example) and still make it to RB in 30 minutes. Acc to mapquest and using this address for a "work location": http://www.lbarealty.com/properties/san-diego/rancho-bernardo/san-diego/west-bernardo-business-park

Santee is 23 miles and 26 mins away, Lakeside is 20 miles and 30 mins away and Ramona is 20 miles and 32 mins away.

They could even find a suitable property in Esco for $350K with about the same length of drive to work!

"david" stated here that he was considering leaving SD County even though his spouse had a good job just because he couldn't find a house in or near RB for $350K! Uhh, what exactly was he expecting to find there??

And even if he COULD find a house in RB for ~$350K, most CC&R’s in 92127-28 strictly forbid a homeowner to park a boat in front of their fence line (front corner of house).

He could very well find the same restrictions in place in both the newer and established neighborhoods in PHX.

And WHY is “david” renting only 1000 sf for $2000 month and complaining here that his rent is causing them to live “paycheck to paycheck??” And is he paying for monthly boat storage in addition to that?

There are MUCH better deals than this ALL OVER this county. If he doesn’t like what he can buy for $350K, he might be shocked to learn that he can likely rent a 1400-1800 sf house with boat pkg/access in any of the above three towns/cities for $1400 – $1900 mo! His spouse can keep her job and he doesn’t have to move to AZ :=]

Dude could stay here and surf on wknds but he’s shopping (and renting) in the wrong place, IMO :=0

david, I’m just wondering if you and/or your spouse are native San Diegans ….

[spdrun]

For what it’s worth … my friend paid high $200k’s in 2007 for a 3 bdr/2 bath house with garage and pool, due south of the Deer Valley airfield (and just inside the 101 beltway). I suspect it’s worth high $100s to low $200s right now, and it was built in the mid 90s.

No HOA thugs to harass her either, the neighborhood has no HOA nor deed covenants.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=spdrun]For what it’s worth … my friend paid high $200k’s in 2007 for a 3 bdr/2 bath house with garage and pool, due south of the Deer Valley airfield (and just inside the 101 beltway). I suspect it’s worth high $100s to low $200s right now, and it was built in the mid 90s.

No HOA thugs to harass her either, the neighborhood has no HOA nor deed covenants.[/quote]

This is what I fear most about buying property in all but the very best areas of AZ. Unless one paid cash in about the summer of 2010 and rec’d a very deep discount (likely from an “institutional” seller), I feel it would be so easy to lose money upon sale of one’s property investment there. And I don’t think the supply of reliable tenants is as endless there as it is in CA coastal counties.

Mostly, I don’t feel a buyer today could recover the cost of the improvements upon sale that they made to a typical AZ residential property, ESP in the $350K and below price range. Even properties a few years old need repairs and improvements, especially if they have had distressed owners or were past rentals.

There just isn’t the “captive audience” there that we are used to having here.

[Anonymous]

[quote=bearishgurl]Want_to_Retire, thank you again for your post. This 2500 sf house *newer* house with pool for <=$350K seems to be about 18 miles northwest of town. Does the mid $200K to low $300K area you mentioned here have lots with RV pkg/access? Is this part of PHX or a suburb/exurb of PHX?[/quote] BG the houses at that price range are about 15 miles outside of central Phoenix, which I define as Central and Camelback. Going north you would be around the 101 loop - which is still Phoenix but with many new developments. Going west they would be in the burb cities. I'm partial to the eastern parts of the valley myself - closer to everything and much less traffic. RV access depends on the lots. RVs are pretty popular from what I've seen and properties with bigger lots often have them. My rental, in north central Phoenix, has a 6400 sf lot and it has RV access because it's on a single loaded corner. The next house doesn't. I've even seen people build RV "hangers" in their yards (in older Phoenix and Scottsdale neighborhoods).

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Want_to_Retire][quote=bearishgurl]Want_to_Retire, thank you again for your post. This 2500 sf house *newer* house with pool for <=$350K seems to be about 18 miles northwest of town. Does the mid $200K to low $300K area you mentioned here have lots with RV pkg/access? Is this part of PHX or a suburb/exurb of PHX?[/quote] BG the houses at that price range are about 15 miles outside of central Phoenix, which I define as Central and Camelback. Going north you would be around the 101 loop – which is still Phoenix but with many new developments. Going west they would be in the burb cities. I’m partial to the eastern parts of the valley myself – closer to everything and much less traffic.

RV access depends on the lots. RVs are pretty popular from what I’ve seen and properties with bigger lots often have them. My rental, in north central Phoenix, has a 6400 sf lot and it has RV access because it’s on a single loaded corner. The next house doesn’t. I’ve even seen people build RV “hangers” in their yards (in older Phoenix and Scottsdale neighborhoods).[/quote]

The reason I asked is because the OP’s friend, “david,” stated he found *new* or *newer* homes for <=$350K in PHX which were 4-5/3/3 with a pool and RV pkg/access.

Sorry if I sound a bit repetitive here, but are new or newer homes available in PHX of this size and appointments for <=$350K, and if so, how far are they from the I-10/I-17 intersection and how big are the lots?

Obviously, an owner wouldn’t be able to build an “RV hangar” in a *newer* subdivision which has CC&R’s prohibiting this.

I realize this type of lot is far more common in the established areas (ESP with a ranch-style home built on it) but is not common in new or newer construction, which tends to be much further away from city centers.

Sorry for any confusion.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=bearishgurl]And sdduuuude and other “experts” forgot to mention silverfish infestation … just another fun fact about living in the desert :=][/quote]

I didn’t forget. I lived in the desert for 21 years and didn’t know what a silverfish was until I moved to California.

We had crickets, though.

Good info from Want_to_retire about Phoenix. That is exactly what I meant about he benefits of a big city.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=bearishgurl]And if you don’t mind indulging me, I have several questions about these “theoretical” 4/3 2500 sf homes for ~$350K in PHX:[/quote]

Been in this house. For $325K plus another $20K in improvements, they are living in something nicer than the $900K places we are looking at in Carmel Valley AND it is a huge lot. Same type of location as CV, too, with one of the best school districts.

http://www.redfin.com/AZ/Phoenix/2106-E-Taxidea-Way-85048/home/28112471

The Pix are horrible, and it is updated now. Plus, they have seen appreciation. Probably $450K now.

[SK in CV]

[quote=sdduuuude]
Been in this house. For $325K plus another $20K in improvements, they are living in something nicer than the $900K places we are looking at in Carmel Valley AND it is a huge lot. Same type of location as CV, too, with one of the best school districts.

http://www.redfin.com/AZ/Phoenix/2106-E-Taxidea-Way-85048/home/28112471

[/quote]

That area is not like CV. And the school districts are decent. Nowhere near as good the CV districts.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=bearishgurl]And if you don’t mind indulging me, I have several questions about these “theoretical” 4/3 2500 sf homes for ~$350K in PHX:[/quote]

Been in this house. For $325K plus another $20K in improvements, they are living in something nicer than the $900K places we are looking at in Carmel Valley AND it is a huge lot. Same type of location as CV, too, with one of the best school districts.

http://www.redfin.com/AZ/Phoenix/2106-E-Taxidea-Way-85048/home/28112471

The Pix are horrible, and it is updated now. Plus, they have seen appreciation. Probably $450K now.[/quote]

sdduuuude, I can’t see the pics because I don’t belong to Redfin. But you just made my point. The type of property the OP’s friend is looking for TODAY IN Phoenix proper (NOT out in the stix) is approx $450K.

Thus it is likely out of his price range.

…which leaves him back to consideration of Santee, Lakeside and Ramona, where “david” can freely park his boat :=]

[bearishgurl]

[quote=SK in CV]That area is not like CV. And the school districts are decent. Nowhere near as good the CV districts.[/quote]

I don’t know about the schools but I agree with this statement. “Well-irrigated and lushly landscaped” CV (SD) and this (relatively barren) PHX subdivision are night and day :=]

[bearishgurl]

Homeowners Association Information
Association Fee: $144
Association Fee Paid Semi-Annually
Has Homeowners Association
Association Transfer Fee: $150
Fee Includes Common Area Maintenance
Association Name: Mountain Park Ranch
No Visible Trucks/Trailers/RVs/Boats Allowed, Professionally Managed, Pets OK (See Remarks)

http://www.redfin.com/AZ/Phoenix/2106-E-Taxidea-Way-85048/home/28112471

I rest my case ;=]

edit: I can’t see too much from the photos but the “RV gate” described in the listing looks barely wide enough for a jetski to fit thru.

In any case, a trailered boat cannot be visible above the fence line. Depending on the boat, this “RV access” could be problematic :=0

[bearishgurl]

Okay, I just joined Redfin and looked at sdduuuude’s two-year old “short-sale” listing in PHX and have a few comments.

– yes, it is very well-appointed for the $325K sold price;

– it is a two story, not a sprawling ranch;

– the pool appears to be very nicely appointed;

– there are block walls around the subdivision (HOA present?);

– the location appears to be fairly central;

– two years is eons ago in the PHX RE market;

– it very well could have been an all-cash sale;

– I agree that whoever bought it as a SS probably had to make repairs and some improvements and wouldn’t know how much they spent to do this; and

– I agree that it could likely be worth $450K today or maybe more.

*****

This post later edited to show link to likely value today, below:

http://www.redfin.com/what-is-your-home-worth?estPropertyId=28112471&src=ldp-estimates

[bearishgurl]

Wow, Redfin has some handy tools …. 🙂

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