You Pick: Dated and Established, or New and Undeveloped?

May 13, 2009 | By Kelley Koehler | Filed Under Tucson Homes Explained 

dated fixture on a mirror I’ve been working with a buyer lately who is looking for newer housing.  We started up in North Tucson, gradually working our way East, down the Houghton corridor.

In this buyer’s price range, the options for newer housing in North Tucson are mostly from the mid 1990s, up near Sunrise and Kolb.  And they are perfectly nice houses, though usually on smaller lots than what my buyer desired.  Some awesome views though, and a nice community.

Working our way down East, we ran into much newer homes – from the 2000s and earlier, and could get a newer home on a larger lot for the same money.  Out in that Houghton corridor though, there are still bare patches where the commercial development has yet to fill in.

So do you pick area with a house that feels dated?  Or do you pick the nicer house on the nicer lot in an area that isn’t fully developed?

Sometimes, a home feeling dated is all about the smaller cues.  The gold accents instead of the more popular silver of today.  The whitewashed cabinets instead of a darker wood grain.  The living areas sectioned off into more distinct regions than the popular great room plans today.  The lower ceilings.  The longer hallways and closed off kitchens.  Recessed lighting with yellowed or dark plastics.  Odd tile transitions between an original tile area and one where the carpet was replaced with tile, but an exact match couldn’t be found.  Popcorn ceilings.  A lot of that, fixable.

The undeveloped area has plans to widen Houghton, maybe even eventually to six lanes.  Granted, that could easily be 10-15 years off.  How will that road noise effect a property?  What kind of commercial building will be built adjacent to the community?  How will that impact the lifestyle of the residents?

So which do you choose?

Comments

2 Responses to “You Pick: Dated and Established, or New and Undeveloped?”

  1. Scott on May 13th, 2009 7:48 pm

    Personally, it always seems to end up being an emotional reponse. I’m sure a psychologist could break that response down into 20 or 30 very specific component factors. But when the realtor asks me “why this place and not that place”, I have to shrug. I’ve fallen in love with old places. I’ve fallen in love with new places. I loved a former house on a 100′ x 200′ lot. I love my current home on 18 acres. Who can figure?

    There is one thing I’d do before making my decision, though. I’d go to the Tucson police website and check out their online map of crime activity for both neighborhoods. Your realtor can’t ethically steer you away from a neighborhood, but that map sure can…

  2. Jim Reppond on May 14th, 2009 1:28 am

    As a real estate agent, sometimes a client’s tastes and preferences will shock you. The key is to make it about them, not you. It’s not about YOUR opinion, you are there to help them find the right match for them.

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