The Housechick Blog

I work with a lot of people relocating to the Tucson area.  Usually, that process looks a little something like this:

Lots of emails and houses are sent back and forth, as you explore the Tucson home marketplace and I learn what you like and don’t like.

You plan a trip to Tucson to go home shopping, of at least 4 days, if not a week.  I preview a multitude of homes for you.

We go explore Tucson and find the right area and the right home for you.

Normally at this point - it’s about the time you’ve got your return flight scheduled.  Luckily, we can do all kinds of stuff remotely, from negotiating the offer to closing.

Although - it is best if you can come back for the home inspection.  That’s where you’ll really learn about the home, how it works, where stuff is, and see the problems uncovered for yourself. 

Need help relocating to Tucson?  Send me an email and we’ll get the details worked out.

I don’t know if you know this, but Tucson sits in a desert.  The Sonoran Desert, to be precise.  Those of you relocating to Tucson from greener pastures may go through a little water-withdrawl.  But don’t worry - you don’t have to sell your boat before you move here.  We’ve got plenty of lakes for fishing and boating and jet-skiing and whatnot nearby.  Near, meaning anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours away. 

Closest to Tucson is Lake Patagonia.  Also here.  There’s no jet-skiing here, but you can camp, picnic, water ski, fish, and hike the area.  Half of the lake is a no-wake area for the fisherpeople.  It gets a little busy in summer months, when water skiing is prohibited on weeekends because of the high traffic on the lake.

Lake Roosevelt is one of the larger lakes in Arizona, and is East of Phoenix.  Created by damming the Salt River, Lake Roosevelt has plenty of recreational activities.

Lake Pleasant is Northwest of Phoenix.  The Lake Pleasant Harbor folks say you can scuba dive there, but I’m not too sure about the quality of that diving!  Lots of other things to do there, however.

There’s also Rose Canyon Lake, San Carlos Lake, Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake.   If you’re feeling frisky, you can drive the 3-4 hours to Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco en Español) down in Mexico and sit on a real beach by a natural body of water.

Just remember to drink lots of water and bring your sunscreen!

Photo via Flickr, by cdphoto

A good portion of my business comes from people who are relocating to Tucson.  Sometimes people call me two weeks before they move here, sometimes people call me two years before they move here.

Either way, I’m pretty good at teaching people the city and helping them find their new home in Tucson.

The first big step in relocating is figuring out your finances.  I wrote in this post about a couple who are moving and will find new jobs when they get here.  Since their jobs aren’t solid yet, the type of loan and amount of loan they can get has changed.

Lenders and lending practices can vary from state to state.  If you can be comfortable with the money part of your relocation to Tucson, the whole move will be less stressful.

Next, I advise a fact-finding trip, if you can manage one.  Plan out a couple day vacation to the area to explore the various types of housing and prices.  This is also a good time to look at the various school districts, if that’s a factor for you.  People that come to town for 3 days to explore, find, and purchase a house tend to be more stressed and unsure than those that can explore the area on one trip and then select and purchase a house on a second trip.

There are other considerations.  Should you sell your existing home first?  Should you rent here first?  Do you need to complete the purchase of a home without actually being here?  There’s no one answer to those questions.  It’s best to sit down with your agent and advisor and figure out what’s best for you.  Hey, you’ll have lots of things to discuss with your agent as you’re driving around town touring homes!

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Being in a new town and not knowing any service providers can be tough.  I know lots of helpful people, from dentists and vets to plumbers, accountants, and good restaurants.

Do you need help relocating to Tucson?  Let me know how I can help!

In the past month, I’ve either used or referred:

• a landscape clean up crew
• weed control services
• pool service guys
• carpet and tile guys
• concrete floors and countertop guys
• countertop and cabinet providers
• termite services
• pest and packrat control services
• painters
• roofers
• electricians
• plumbers
• sewer camera inspections
• home inspectors
• home cleaning services
• handymen
• licensed contractors
• dumpster providers
• property managers
• wall and fence builders
• window and glass replacement

After being in the business for a while, and having remodeled a couple of homes on my own, it’s amazing the number of quality resources that one accumulates.  Most of those folks know me by name, and I know that I can send them to a client’s house, and the job will be done impeccably, that they’ll show up on time, do what they say they’ll do, and clean up afterwards.

You need a dumpster?  Jack’s your man. 

Weeds need to be pulled, and the plants trimmed?  Alberto and Iscela do the best work I’ve ever seen in that department.  Send in Ron afterwards to make sure those weeds don’t come back.

Plumbing gone askew?  You need Wayne.

Feeling good about picking a Realtor who can help you with the house after the sale?  Well… maybe not priceless, but pretty darn close.

Because I help a lot of people move to the Tucson area from elsewhere around the country, I’m often asked about the schools.

Now, I’m not going to tell you which school is best for your kids.  I don’t know your kids, and I don’t know every school.  You really need to do your own homework in the school-selection arena.  However, let me give you some really good resources, to set you down the right path.

Starting at the top, the Arizona Department of Education is a good first resource.  Arizona schools are rated and have yearly report cards issued to give a comprehensive, yet concise overview of the school’s goals and performance.  You can search report cards here.

The main district in Tucson is Tucson Unified School District.  There’s a boundary map here, so you can see which area serves which TUSD school and how far the boundaries extend.  The last time I checked, TUSD wasn’t open enrollment, unless you are attending a magnet school, but check with the district to get a current answer. 

On the North side of town is District 16, the Catalina Foothills School  District.  Here’s their school boundary map.

On the Northeast side is the Tanque Verde School District.  Here’s their boundary map.

Southeast has the Vail School District.  The boundary map doesn’t appear to be working on their site, so check the main district page.  I believe the high schools in the district are open enrollment, but you should always check for the latest information from the district itself.

South has the Sunnyside Unified School District.  Their boundary map is a PDF file, here.

The Flowing Wells School District is sort of on the Western Central, Western, Northwestern-ish side of town.  Unfortunately, I can’t find a boundary map on their site, they seem to be having some technical difficulties.

Also Northwest and Western Centralish is Amphitheater School District, called Amphi, with a boundary map here.

Finally, there’s the Marana School District, on the Northwest side, with boundary map here. 

Take some time to visit the schools, and consider your options.  There’s a lot of schools out there, with a myriad of pros and cons.  Take the time to visit and find the best one for your child.

Thanks Jay, for the idea!

I do quite a bit of business with people who are relocating to the Tucson area.  Many have never been to Tucson, or have only been here briefly.  It’s always my pleasure to help someone discover this fair city, and to teach people about the different areas of town.

This is an MLS map of Tucson, which divides the city into various areas: West, Central, East, Northwest, North, Northeast, Southwest, South, and Southeast.  There are farther, more remote areas, but those are the big nine.

Click on the image of the map to download the full PDF mapRight click on the map and select “Save Target As” to save the PDF to your desktop.

Each area has a different look and feel.  It is a worthwhile investment to spend the time driving around the various areas of Tucson to find the place that feels like home to you.

Here’s some information for each area of town, for the last 6 months, single family homes only:

Northwest

• Average Sales Price is $336,266, Median Sales Price is $279,900
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1970 square feet
• Northwest has had an explosion of new home construction over the past few years.  Oro Valley and Marana are part of what I consider Northwestern Tucson.  There’s a lot of good infrastructure here, with grocery stores, small shopping areas, and other nice amenities never far away.
• Find Northwest Tucson Homes

North

• Average Sales Price is $690,714, Median Sales Price is $548,000
• Average Home is 4 bedroom, 3 baths, and 2780 square feet
• North Tucson is a rather ritzy area, check out that average sales price!  North is bounded by the Catalina Mountains, and would be what people call the Catalina Foothills.  There’s a good amount of older housing on large lots, intermixed with the newer custom homes on the infill lots.
• Search for North Tucson Homes

Northeast

• Average Sales Price is $446,770, Median Sales Price is $387,500
• Average Home is 4 bedroom, 2 baths, and 2379 square feet
• Northeast Tucson seems more peaceful and laid back than the North, to me.  This is the Tanque Verde Valley, with mesquite bosques, gracious older homes on acreage, and a reasonable amount of new construction as well.
• Search Northeast Tucson Homes

West 

• Average Sales Price is $271,553, Median Sales Price is $220,000
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1660 square feet
• When people think of West Tucson, they think of larger lots than what is found in other parts of the city.  The nice homes have city and mountain views.  West is a fairly small area, comparatively, because it is bounded by the Tucson Mountains.  West doesn’t have as much grocery shopping or dining, but it’s usually an easy trip to find those things.
• Search West Tucson Homes

Central 

• Average Sales Price is $238,815, Median Sales Price is $210,250
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 1.75 baths, and 1483 square feet
• I’m a Central gal, a sucker for the 1950’s double brick ranch style homes.  Central is home to the University of Arizona, and housing in that particular section is pricey.  Otherwise, Central is characterized by older homes, good sized lots, and established neighborhoods.  Central is probably the least homogenous part of Tucson. 
• Search Central Tucson Houses

East 

• Average Sales Price is $252,249, Median Sales Price is $225,000
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1752 square feet
• There’s something about East Tucson that makes people who live East, stay East.  Much of the East is an easy drive to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and there’s a lot of cycling in the area.  East is a unique mix of older homes with smaller, infill neighborhoods.  There’s no huge master planned communities, but there’s a nice mix of housing. 
• Search East Tucson Homes

Southwest 

• Average Sales Price is $210,607, Median Sales Price is $198,450
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1693 square feet
• The Southwest exploded with new construction about 3 years ago.  It’s a very affordable area of town.  Most of the new homes are on the far side of the Southwest area, but all of the new housing is sure to draw development of the infrastructure: grocery stores, shopping, and dining.
• Search for Homes in Southwest Tucson

South 

• Average Sales Price is $185,434, Median Sales Price is $185,000
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1572 square feet
• South tends to be a mix of industrial and housing areas, and is home to the Tucson International Airport and a good portion of the railroad.  There are good buys to be had here, for occupying as well as investment property.
• Find Homes in South Tucson

Southeast 

• Average Sales Price is $258,706, Median Sales Price is $222,300
• Average Home is 3 bedroom, 2 baths, and 1779 square feet
• Southeast is also very close to Davis-Monthan AFB, and is largely homes built in the last 10 years.  Southeast includes the city of Vail, which is booming with new construction as the city pushes it’s way along the I-10 corridor.  Parts of the Southeast are well developed by retail and commercial properties, and some parts are still too new to have those amenities close by.
• Find a Home in Southeast Tucson

That’s my city, and the short version of the long tour around town.  Whatever brings you to Tucson, I’d love to show you the city and help you figure out your housing needs. 

This weekend, I met with a nice couple from Florida who are considering moving to Tucson. I’ve met them before, we got together a couple years ago when they visited to check out the area. Now, with their youngest child graduating high school, they are seriously considering making the move to the Desert Southwest.

We looked at several pieces of real estate in Northwestern Tucson, discussed the varying styles, views, and amenities of several neighborhoods, and generally agreed that if they decide to move here, we can find them a home that they will love in Tucson.

Finding the right home is probably the least important aspect of making the move to Tucson, or to anywhere new, really.

One huge consideration is that they don’t have jobs lined up here. Surely, they are highly employable, but they have no offers, have not even begun to look for a job here. This affects the type of financing that they can get.

Because they would be moving across the country, the lender cannot consider their income that they made back home in Florida. To get a loan here, in Tucson, without a job in Tucson, those folks would have to get a “stated income” loan, or “no documentation” loan. These types of loans typically come with a higher interest rate, which means payment-oriented buyers have less buying power.

Back in Florida, my buyers easily qualify for the $400,000 range, while they can only buy a house around $250,000 here.

Luckily, we can find acceptable homes in their price range. Because they did the smart thing and talked to a local lender first, we were able to answer their housing questions, look at areas and homes that they could afford, and make them much more comfortable with the big move across the country.

Step One? Talk to a local lender.

Just as houses and markets are vastly different from state to state, so are lenders and lending practices. Changes in jobs and incomes, not to mention changes in cost of living, can have a huge impact on what type of home you want to buy.

Thinking about relocating? Start with a good real estate agent and get their lender recommendations. Make yourself comfortable with financing a home in a new area by calling local lenders and see what kind of financing is available to you.

Photo via Flickr, Courtesy of Paul-W