Vail, Arizona a sleepy small suburb of Tucson is growing fast due to its master-planned community of Rancho Del Lago. Look for Vail to grow exponentially in years to come as Rancho Del Lago brings residents and businesses alike to the area.

Homes for sale in the Rancho Del Lago neighborhood for many in Tucson represent an affordable, classy, and somewhat sophisticated “Off the main drag”, place to call home. Located in Vail Arizona what most would call a suburb of Tucson, Rancho Del Lago offers newer (new homes are still available) homes, great prices, as well as a championship golf course always in near perfect condition.

-As a side note-
I used to play a lot of golf (and I mean a lot of golf, like every single day for about 3 years I was on a golf course playing/ practicing) and Rancho Del Lago is one of my favorite courses for under $50/ round, now during the winter the price goes up but it’s still one of the best values in the Tucson area.

The Homes in Rancho Del Lago For Sale-

Homes in Rancho Del Lago vary and homes for sale are always available. Price ranges generally start currently in the $150k’s and go up from their to a max out point of about the low $400k’s. On the starter home end of the range you can expect a clean, nice 3 bed, (sometimes 4) 2 bath, single story home with a tile roof, recently built, with 1,300sf and 1,500sf of space. One the higher end of the price range you can expect a well done 2,500sf up to 3,500sf home with, 3 car garage and possibly (probably) luxury features such as granite, extensive tile, pool, and high ceilings. Foreclosure homes and properties within the Rancho Del Lago neighborhood are also available and those homes can generally be purchased for a price 10%-15% below the price point where traditional sales sell for. The entire Rancho Del Lago area was originally developed and continues to be developed for a slightly higher end buyer who wants to be away from the busy city life yet still close enough to enjoy the benefits of living near by. On that level without a doubt the Rancho Del Lago neighborhood has and continues to succeed.

-Vail, Arizona-

Vail Arizona is located roughly 20 minutes (by freeway) from Downtown Tucson and is one of the fastest growing and in the future (15-20 years) will be one of southern Arizona’s next boom towns/ cities where people flock to. Vail is still somewhat underdeveloped which some people prefer however as time goes on the area will grow exponentially as major employment, shopping, and amenities sit adjacent to it in SE Tucson along the Houghton corridor. The Rancho Del Lago neighborhood really put Vail, Arizona on the map and is driving the entire areas real estate development.

If you would like help finding or selling a home within Rancho Del Lago feel free to contact me as I have experience selling homes within the neighborhood. All emails/ phone calls are returned generally within the hour or end of the day at most.

These new town homes and regular single family homes within the gated Villages At Riverwalk in the Foothills offers a premium residential development for a great price.

A.F. Sterling just opened a new development re-named “The Villages at Riverwalk” which they purchased from a lender after the Hacienda Del Sol town homes built by River Elk LLC  was foreclosed upon. The project was  originally scheduled for 140 upscale town homes of which 21 were actually developed when progress stopped as the market conditions forced the previous developer to stop all work and surrender the development to the lender. A.F. Sterling purchased the 108 remaining lots for sale from Arizona National Bank for $3.1 million which seems like an amazing price of $27,800 per lot…. For prime foothills real estate that’s an amazing price, yet probably also a good deal for the lender as finding developers ready and willing to take on previously failed real estate developments is far and few between in todays marketplace.

A.F. Sterling has made changes needed to make the development a success and are now officially open for sales with their renamed neighborhood of The Villages at Riverwalk. The new neighborhood has all of the A.F. Sterling hallmarks such as a River Sand Stucco finish, community pool, and premier location (A.F. Sterling communities are always in the best locations imaginable this one is no different.)

The town homes being offered are 3 stories tall with walk-out balconies on the third floor. Town home floor plans range in size with 3 plans available a 1357sf, 2/2 and also a 1,737sf, 3 (with optional 4th bed)/ 2.5 bath, and the largest an 1,811sf, 3 bed with optional 4th and 2.5 baths. Prices start in the high $100k’s and for the area and development in my mind easily beat out the Placitia Escondido development nearby (next door really) where smaller condo’s sell for just a little less with no where near the prestige and amenities of what Villages at Riverwalk offer.

The other portion of this development is available for true single family homes within The Villages at Riverwalk. These single family homes offered are two models a 1,748sf, 3/2.5 and a slightly larger 2,190sf, 3/2.5 starting for a purchase price of the mid $250k’s…. To be honest this also is a great price and most likely a much better deal then even the town homes as I didn’t think it was possible to get an A.F. Sterling quality brand new home in a gated neighborhood off of River Road and Hacienda Del Sol for the mid $250k’s. I have no doubts the home sites/ home lots are tight and there probably isn’t going to be a lot of extra space but the fact single family homes are available brand new under $300k within the Foothills is a great deal.

If you would like additional information about this new A.F. Sterling neighborhood/ new home community feel free to call or email. Since this development literally just opened today, I have not personally visited this development however when I do I am sure I will find additional features and benefits relevant and will either add to this post or start a new one so look for updates!

Eagle Crest Ranch developed by DR Horton for the past several years offers one of the best values for buyers looking to live on the far north side of the Tucson metro region. Eagle Crest Ranch is in Catalina Arizona, Catalina is a small but fast growing city within Pinal County. Catalina is growing with all of its recent new

Eagle Crest Ranch Offers A Great Value For Today's Home Buyers

home neighborhoods that have been developed recently (most notably Black Horse Ranch) Catalina offers buyers who may not want to be in Oro Valley affordable new home options.

For new homes within Eagle Crest Ranch in Catalina Arizona (AZ) DR Horton offers two different series of homes. The normal Eagle Crest Ranch new home product that starts in the $130k’s  for roughly a 1,345sf  2bed/ 2 bath, on the high side for the regular Eagle Crest Ranch a 2,502sf 3bed/ 2bath that comes in at just under $200k currently. For over 2,500 sf under $200k that would represent a good value for any buyer in today’s market.

What’s the other series available to be built in Eagle Crest Ranch?

The other series is what DR Horton calls “The Melange” series. These homes are much larger homes and full of luxury included options as a standard item. Homes with this series start with a 2,057sf 3bed/ 2bath, with a 2 car garage starting in the high $250k range. From there the homes get larger in size all the way up to a 3,578sf 5bed/3bath 2story available for purchase in the high $310k price point.

Since Eagle Crest Ranch has been developed for some time it also has a good amount of inventory of resale homes available for buyers. Eagle Crest Ranch Homes For Sale generally are not on the market for a long time as the Catalina market doesnt have a lot of newer home options for buyers available.

I think right now the Melange series probably isn’t a big seller for DR Horton as the market has shifted towards smaller more affordable homes with less luxury and more size. On the other end though the regular Eagle Crest Ranch that offers homes for sale all under $200k is a great value and one of the best for new homes on the north side of Tucson. While for many people Catalina seems too far away a distance to live for those that work/ need to be anywhere north of River road and anywhere near Oracle the drive is not bad as Oracle Rd will take you north and south quickly.

Buyers have many of new home options available to them within Rancho Sahuarita in Sahuarita Arizona. Over the past 2 years most of all of the new homes in Rancho Sahuarita have been re-tooled by there respective builders to allow them to build more home for the money. Richmond American, KB Home, and DR Horton rolled out brand new floor plans to compete in the ultr affordable segment of the Rancho Sahuarita market.

Right now in Rancho Sahuarita new homes can be purchased for under $80/sf. Richmond American currently has the best new home deals with many spec homes under $80/ft! To put this into what you get for the money in Rancho Sahuarita right now Richmond American has a spec home to be complete in April that is over 2500sf 4 bed, 2.5 bath, loft, with a large backyard for a finished price of $202,000! That price is BEFORE incentives that currently include Richmond American paying for a buyers closing costs and obtaining options money to have the home upgraded at no cost to the buyer. Other incentives are also available if you are interested in this home or others in Rancho Sahuarita call or email using the side form on the right.

What other options are available for home buyers in Rancho Sahaurita?

Other builders are building homes at prices while not as low as Richmond’s homes they are still relatively great deals especially if a buyer and/or their Realtor knows how to negotiate with the builder to get additional incentives and money off. DR Horton with their “The Presidios” neighborhood offers homes up to 2500+sf for under $200k. For buyers needing a new home under $150k in Rancho Sahuarita I would suggest KB Home’s Presidio Del Cielo as a good option. All of KB’s floor plans offer single story with minimal included features so buyers can get the most home for the money. Several other builders also offer new housing neighborhoods including Maracay’s gated neighborhoods Entrada, and Pulte Homes is still building out its final phases of Tubac.

One Of The Floorplans Meritage Is Now Building In Sky Ranch

Meritage Homes is now pre-selling their new homes at Sky Ranch just off Thornydale and south of Tangerine. These homes start in the high $180’s with a 1652sf home. From there the homes range in size all the way up to a 3118sf 2 story floor plan named the Cathedral Rock. Between these two smallest and largest homes in the neighborhood Meritage builds six other plans. Plans range in both 1 and 2 story options as well as 3 to 5 bedrooms with additional options for more beds and baths combos as well as 3 car garages and other upgrades.

Sky Ranch was originally scheduled for some mid luxury $400k-$750k homes to be built by Pathway Developments during the real estate frenzy. Since that time many homes had been completed in the mid price range but the market has not been very strong for this product. This leads to Tucson (and national) builder Meritage to basically buy out the existing lots and build a higher value proposition for buyers in today’s market.

Meritage’s Sky Ranch should be a solid selling neighborhood as this area attracts buyers looking for the location (just south of Dove Mountain) and new homes under $400k. Since Sky Ranch did have an initial “higher end” nameplate hopefully buyers will respond to these homes better as they can now purchase a brand new Sky Ranch Home(s) for under $200k. Before Meritage started pre-selling their new homes under $200k for Sky Ranch just wasn’t an option. The Thornydale corridor is a transitioning area what once was once the outskirts with horse property everywhere is now turning into a mid to upper end new developing section of Tucson and Marana. The growth and desire for people to want to live near Dove Mountain along with the access to I-10, Oro Valley and the Foothills along with the natural beauty the areas provides makes it idea for new home development. While Dove Mountain still offers new housing other builders such as Richmond American Homes with their Tangerine Terrace and the addition of Sky Ranch by Meritage make for two large new home developments to cater to the mid market of Tucson.

My thoughts are that in 10-15 years the Tangerine and Thornydale intersection should look like an upscale and busy intersection a lot like you see in the newer upper end neighborhoods of Phoenix. The demand for upper end housing is there as buyer profiles that are buying in the area are above average for the Tucson Valley with Dove Mountain bringing in many multi-million dollar home buyers along with several other high end housing developments in close proximity. As the area grows look for it to continue to push the boundaries for responsible and higher end residential developments and neighborhoods.

Here is a video of The Rancho Sahuarita Neighborhood. This is my first video and to be honest this one could have been a lot better but at least for those out of town that want to get a good idea what Rancho Sahuarita is all about this video should be beneficial. Believe it or not (those that live in Tucson know it to be true) I shot all this video in early March ( 2008) and YES PEOPLE ARE SWIMMING IN THE POOL! That’s how great the weather is here in Tucson that people actually swim 10 months a year. The splash park you see in the video (kids area with slides and very shallow pool) only operates during the summer when all the kids are out of school but during the summer this entire pool area is packed with people. Some of the other footage shows the many “satellite ” pools and parks. Those are also closed during most of the year as there is only demand for the large main pool during the non-summer months.

The main problem I see with this video is that the video is too shaky its downright “Bliar Witch Project” (Well if that had taken place in Rancho Sahuarita…) I apologize about that to my credit (excuse coming) it was ridiculously windy that day and in the video you can see the trees moving pretty decently. (That explains why the video’s shaky when the trees are moving but what about the parts when the trees are still and the video still moves around?) Well that I don’t have an answer for however now that we got this one out of the way the next ones will be better. (I hope, no guarantees)

I have been trying to come up with where I think the best values are for individual neighborhoods so it made me think of doing a post since I can’t be the only one wondering. For this “value” I’m considering more then just price in effect I’m objectively looking at the overall value a neighborhood brings to the residents who live there on the whole. Since it’s not realistic or simple to configure one individual neighborhood for “Best Neighborhood Value In Tucson” I thought I would name a few dependent upon price range and what the neighborhood offers residents. I would like to get some feedback on what others think represents good value in the Tucson area so your comments will be much appreciated.

Category: Over $1 Million: Cobblestone

In the “In excess of $1,000,000” Tucson neighborhoods I think there is one neighborhood that represents the top of the Tucson real estate market and that neighborhood would be Cobblestone. Cobblestone sits at the very north end of Campbell Avenue in The Catalina Foothills on the north side of Tucson. Within Cobblestone sits some of the most expensive, expansive, and dynamic homes in all of the west coast. The premier property that Cobblestone is famed for is the personal residence of Carry Marmis who’s company Empire Company actually developed the entire Cobblestone vision and neighborhood. His property named Campbell Cliffs is the most expensive and highest of high end luxury real estate in Tucson. When it was on the market Campbell Cliffs had an asking price of $22,000,000 easily making it the most expensive single family residence in Tucson and one of the most elite properties in all of the United States. If you have a multi-million dollar budget for a home in Tucson Cobblestone is as agreed by many in the real estate profession one of the best places in Tucson to reside. In this price range it’s less about “value” and more about buying into the “it” place to live. Cobblestone would fit that bill as in my mind (and many others) Cobblestone retains the highest “value” of any neighborhood in Tucson. (If your budget allows for $1,000,000++ property) Runner Up: Pima Canyon Estates

Category: $500,000- $1 Million: Cimarron Foothills Estates

Although this neighborhood is an older one very few neighborhoods offer views of Tucson like Cimarron Foothills Estates does. Many of the homes are older mainly being built in the 70’s but for those that own a property in Cimarron the views alone are almost priceless. Most homes in this neighborhood are perched high up in the Catalina Foothills on an acre and are single story. Since these homes were mostly build during the 70’s most are constructed of “slump block” and have a “territorial” style. (Lower ceilings not a lot of flair for the exterior but very livable.) In today’s Tucson Foothills properties as high up as where Cimarron sits are about impossible to buy for less then $1,000,000. This in my mind makes Cimarron Foothills Estates the best value in this price range because the foothills is essentially built out and to be able to have the views most of these homes have just isn’t possible for less then $1M. Now you maybe saying “For a million dollars I want an incredible home and these just don’t fit that bill.” Well that’s kind of true, a lot of the homes in Cimarron are not what you would consider “million dollar homes” BUT you would be wrong because the views are very desired and that’s the essence of “value”. The value of these home sites and the fact that you already get a finished and livable home with an incredible view is a great place to start. If you want to make changes and update the home or make additions that’s up to you but I believe the value of this neighborhood will only continue to raise as The Foothills will most likely always be the most “in demand” area in Tucson and to be as high up as Cimarron puts it at the top of my list for “value”. Runner Up: La Paloma

Category: $250,000-$500,000: Canada Hills

Canada Hills offers residents to get all the benefits of being located within walking distance of The El Conquistador its golf course along with great views, and a superb location within Oro Valley. Homes here in Canada Hills range in price but most fall within the $250k-$400k price. Located just beyond the NW corner of La Canada and Lambert lies the Canada Hills master planned neighborhood. Canada Hills was developed in the late 80’s and early 90’s as the Town of Oro Valley was expanding and affordable housing was in demand. (Oro Valley is always in demand) The homes in Canada Hills are both one and two story starting at about 1400sf to in excess of 3500sf. All of Canada Hills has been built out and quite a few of the homes offer golf course views and “on the course” golf property. If you’re looking for a great value in the 250k-500k price range I would give Canada Hills a serious look as it does offer estate sized Oro Valley golf course homes for under $500k. Residents can also get membership to The El Conquistador Golf Club and all the privileges membership offers. Runner Up: Sam Hughes

Category: $175,000-$250,000: Rancho Sahuarita

Rancho Sahuarita in the $175k-$250k price range in my mind CANNOT BE BEAT for overall value! Now you as reader may say “it’s too far away” or “there’s nothing out there” (If you think that you should take a ride out and physically see it because in the past even 2 years a LOT has changed.) For this value argument were just looking at what you get for the money and Rancho Sahuarita is at the top of my list for the $175k-$250k category. The entire neighborhood is essentially brand new, new homes, new schools, new shopping, new parks, new public buildings (I think you get the point). Rancho Sahuarita was a creation straight out of Bob Sharp’s mind (the developer of this neighborhood) from 2001 when it was opened until today it remains one of the Tucson valley’s most desired neighborhoods and best selling master-planned community BY FAR! I believe it still ranks as one of the top 25 best selling master planned communities in America. (No small feat considering the number of projects and quality of a lot of them across the entire United States.) This neighborhood has parks, splash parks, pools, basketball courts, soccer, baseball, walking trails, a LAKE (stocked with fish), I could go on but for the person who wants family amenities this neighborhood simply cannot be beat on a value basis. The homes range in price. Some foreclosure homes can be bought for a little as $125k while the “high end” of Rancho Sahuarita offers homes in the $400k’s most homes can be purchased in the $175k-$250k range. If you’re at all looking in this price range and can afford to live in Sahuarita (about 20-25 minutes south of Downtown Tucson) it is surly worth taking a look at and seeing if this neighborhood could work for you. Runner Up: Continental Ranch/ Reserve

Category: Under $175,000: Heritage Hills

Heritage Hills is a mega neighborhood on the NW side of Tucson and for buyers looking for a lot of value Heritage Hills should be seriously considered. All of the homes are single story and all made out of slump block but the fact you can purchase a nice home on a decent lot for under $175k makes a lot of sense. Heritage Hills is large in size taking up the general area/ boundaries from La Cholla (west) to Cortaro (North) to Orange Grove (South)and as far east as Old Father (east). Now not all this area is “Heritage Hills” but a good majority of this area is or has homes just like Heritage Hills and at prices very close. This neighborhood gives you close access to everything in Northwest Tucson and allows you to own your own home for what today can easily be less then rent in a nice apartment complex. Furthermore if you’re looking for it Heritage Hills has no HOA meaning owners are free to do what they want with their homes. You would think chaos would rein however the vast majority of the owners take good care of their properties and the neighborhood is pretty well maintained. Give Heritage Hills a chance if you’re looking for maximum value on the NW side. Runner Up: Rita Ranch

Red Rock AZ was supposed to be the next extension of the satellite cities that ring the Tucson region. If you have never ever been to Red Rock it’s essentially a blank canvass from which a new city could be easily built from. In time I am sure Red Rock will be a viable option for those that want to be north of Tucson and south of Phoenix. Established smaller towns/ cities such as Casa Grande, Marana, Oro Valley, Queen Creek, Gilbert, and Chandler all fit into this description as towns just off of I-10 and between the two large metro regions. Red Rock currently I think is still quite a ways from being a real option for Arizona residents. Presently Pulte homes is a large landholder and has plans to build out a major 10-15 year mega-development called Red Rock Village. Red Rock Village is built in the “Anthem” inspired community that Pulte discovered was a huge success in “Anthem Arizona”, that community offers residents who purchase within the Pulte master planned community access to water parks, fitness centers, large neighborhood parks, tennis, baseball, etc. Tucson’s version of this same mega community would be Rancho Sahuarita, in my opinion Rancho Sahuarita beats out Pulte’s “Anthem” by a long ways however they both have raised the bar dramatically for what a new home development can become.

Within Red Rock the only real option for homebuyers to make a new home purchase is Red Rock Village. Red Rock Village is a very nice community that will in time be seen as the forefather of what got Red Rock on the map and actually the basis of getting a population to relocate to the city of Red Rock. Prices are very low for the amount of home you can buy to give you an idea home prices start at $119,900 for a 1280sf 2 bed 2 bath the home sizes go up dramatically from there topping out at over 4000sf (4081sf to be exact) for a base price of $265,400. I’m not sure these prices are truly low enough given the fact that Red Rock is about 45 minutes from downtown Tucson. At this time within Tucson there is still a lot of inventory on hand that buyers can buy in established communities for roughly the same prices with exception to the very large homes in Red Rock. Pulte still has huge plans for Red Rock Village regardless of how hard it maybe to actually make home sales in the current real estate market. Pulte is planning for thousands of homes to be eventually built in Red Rock and from there they believe Red Rock will eventually grow into a small city complete with shopping, services, and other amenities. About the only thing that exists currently in the Red Rock area are Pulte Homes, a new school, and some farm land. Residents have to drive about 10-12 miles for simple needs such as groceries or anything for that matter making people that move to Red Rock most likely feel more like “pioneers” then homeowners.

Will Red Rock ever be viable? I think the merit of Red Rock is there, however Pulte (In my opinion) jumped the gun by at least 5 years by setting this gigantic new development up in the last 6 months of the real estate boom. At this point they just have to stick with the plan and hope eventually the real estate markets go up in value enough to where moving to Red Rock makes financial sense as people must move further away for affordable housing. Since oil prices have fallen drastically Red Rock is much more appealing now then 3-5 months ago, but to also be honest buyers have so many choices closer to town it doesn’t make a lot of sense to move an additional 10-15 miles north if they don’t have to. Communities such as Gladden Farms, Continental Ranch, Continental Reserve, and also Countryside homes can be bought (while not brand new and without every amenity Pulte says will be available “someday” in Red Rock Village.) for just a little more then having to live up in Red Rock. I guess what I’m trying to get at is the value proposition just isn’t there (in my mind) for Red Rock to be a reasonable place to live. On a side note areas just like Casa Grande, Marana, Queen Creek, Chandler, and Gilbert had the same story and a smart student of how the Arizona population grows dramatically would be able to reason that buying a decent chunk of land in Red Rock could be a wise investment. Land historically in these “new areas” has always paid big returns. I know that doesn’t seem like a wise decision “now” however imagine being able to buy 30-50 acres of Marana real estate in 1975….Or maybe 25-40 acres of land in Oro Valley in the 1960’s the amount of money almost any parcel would be worth today in these areas is astronomical. While no one will be getting rich tomorrow or even 5 or 10 years from now, if you’re still holding title to 25-50 acres in Red Rock 20-25 years from now it may seem like the simplest and most predictable investment one could make.

In Marana there is a new upcoming area located at the intersection of Tangerine and Thornydale a lot of new construction and development is going on. Within a couple minutes of this intersection is the master-planned development of Dove Mountain. Dove Mountain offers an assortment of mid to high end housing options and as many know it is also home to The Gallery Golf Course the current home of the World Match Play Championship. This area is exploding with high end growth at a rate a lot of people do not perceive or comprehend. At the intersection of Tangerine and Thornydale within a couple minutes north is the extreme high end property/ development named Saguaro Ranch which will be home to properties all in excess of $2M and beyond. This high end development is not alone within Dove Mountain along The Gallery’s courses are neighborhoods also featuring many multi-million dollar homes street after street. Neighborhoods like Dos Lagos at Dove Mountain, Gallery Parcel 1 ”Cottages” (The), Canyon Pass At Dove Mountain, Saguaro Ranch, Sonoran Preserve, Hidden Springs, Gallery Parcel 4A, Dove Mountain Resort, Gallery (The) Parcel 2, Butterfly Mountain, and The Residences At Ritz Carlton. All of these multi-million dollar relatively new neighborhoods are within minutes of this (what will become)”prestigious” Tangerine/Thornydale intersection.

Now each one of these neighborhoods justify there own feature post to describe what you get for the money. For this post I wanted to show that a lot of high end growth is going on in the region and unless you live in the area most people have no clue about what’s happening in the immediate region. I think a lot of high end buyers are deciding to buy out here do to the fact that the region is quite new with many new housing options to choose from. The Ritz-Carlton has determined to open their super luxury hotel in this locale and that stamped approval on the area as a high end destination. I think Tucson’s “Catalina Foothills” will always be a high (if not the highest) desired area for luxury homes since it is home to many world class resorts, and also offers easy/quick access to downtown Tucson . However for those buyers in which being “close” to downtown is not a concern this, (what I’m going to call) “New Foothills” situated essentially up against the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains is in time going to start to become the pinnacle of high end homes and luxury living in Southern Arizona. For validation the PGA has awarded Tucson with The World Match Play Championship Golf Event (one of the most desired championships to win for a professional golfer outside the Majors.) that will be moved to the new Ritz Carlton Jack Nicklaus 27 hole Championship Golf Course in 2009. This is really a huge thing for the area, people will soon realize that this new area is (along with parts of Oro Valley, and the traditional Catalina Foothills) going to vie as the best Tucson and Southern Arizona have to offer for high end living. For buyers who maybe cannot afford these super high end neighborhoods it would be recommended that they purchase a home in Dove Mountain (where some homes can be purchased for a little as 200k) or the brand new home development Richmond American is developing called Tangerine Terrace. As another option the mid high end (What I would call low 500k’s) Sky Ranch is still available however most of the homes were to be developed by now default Pathway Developments and I’m not sure they have all the ideas lined up yet who will be taking over etc. These less expensive homes should be a nice alternative to the ultra high end locale that this area is bound to become over the next 25-40 years.

As I see this area develop and taking into consideration the caliber of property developments planned I think this area will in time start to emulate Phoenix’s ultra high end satellite city of Scottsdale. Scottsdale is world renowned, but many high end buyers want a “new” place for a high desert home other then what has in some people minds become a cliché to have a property located in Scottsdale. Can the Tangerine/Thornydale region become known as another absolutely viable option for these buyers and their elevated demands? I think so, in fact I think it very much already has. Don Diamond in some circles perceived as one of the richest best raw land real estate developers in the world also thinks so. Don Diamond’s company Diamond Ventures owns a high percentage of all this land and they were the masterminds behind Dove Mountain. Dove Mountain when the original concept was unveiled seemed like a for sure complete disaster they were going to build world class golf courses and million dollar homes in a region much better known for grazing cattle and horse property? 20 years ago Marana was considered a little rancher town that only country-folk lived in. Today people put Marana on the top of their list as “the place to live”, much of this due to Don Diamond’s efforts to prove that in Arizona Marana is a viable city for high end development and the Dove Mountain area rich in scenery and nature is a natural spot to develop into a high end retreat for high net worth individuals. Diamond has already proven that much. That being said, I’m thinking with all the land Diamond Ventures still posses in the region they are going to completely enlarge this “High-end” village that they started with Dove Mountain into the true ”New Foothills” and premier location for Tucson’s and Arizona’s high end/ high net worth individuals.

Madera Highlands is a new home master planned development in which several national homebuilders have decided to each offer affordable homes set in a unique setting of a Pecan Grove. Prior to Madera Highlands being a large new home development it was home to a grove of Pecan Trees which grow extremely well in Southern AZ. (as long as they get water!) When the land developers were developing the land for home building, part of the plan was to leave some of the large mature Pecan Trees and incorporate them into the neighborhood. This allows for residents in a way to have a distinctive and unique neighborhood that you can bet no other neighborhood has in the Tucson area. Large mature Pecan trees dot the 16 acre park area where there are also several large grassed parks. A large community pool with a small children area, and spa surrounded by reclining chairs and patio tables make for a very nice community pool area for all residents. Also within in the centrally located recreation area there is an enclosed tennis court and basketball court for residents. The actual neighborhood of Madera Highlands is well laid out and obviously had great designers to make for a large neighborhood that has each individual neighborhood feel separate and close-nit.

Madera Highlands is located in the small but fast-growing town of Sahuarita Arizona. A short 10 years ago Sahuarita was little more then a small town that was just north of Green Valley, however once Bob Sharpe opened his mega community Rancho Sahuarita the town has been in a high growth mode and will most likely will become a community a lot like Marana on Tucson’s NW side in decades to come. The actual Madera Highlands is the anti- Rancho Sahuarita although Madera Highlands does offer a lot to residents (unlike Rancho Sahuarita) the homes are not super close to each other. The HOA dues are much less. Due to the areas natural terrain a lot of the communities within Madera Highlands are situated on hill sides and upon hills so that the neighborhood has a expansive feel and buyers have a lot of choice as to what kind of home/ homesite they would like.  If you have the opportunity to take a drive and walk around the neighborhoods of Madera Highlands you will also feel (maybe it’s the tall Pecan Trees) but the neighborhood has a very “In the country” feel and doesn’t feel like some big mega-community where your just one of a 1000 homes. I think all these reasons have made Madera Highlands a good selling and attractive master-planned community within the Tucson region.

There are 3 main homebuilders within Madera Highland. These would include Richmond American Homes, Lennar, and Meritage Homes. Of the three builders Meritage is currently the one with the most developments going and offers the most options in homes, lot sizes, and price. Richmond American Homes has a very nice development however they brought over the same basic plans from Rancho Sahuarita and that makes their communities feel a little over-bearing in my opinion. The Lennar homes/neighborhoods are very attractive as their “EI” (Everything Included) way of building is very popular the only downside I think of buying a Lennar (or the old US Home) homes is they NEVER change there home plans. The same homes Lennar builds in Tucson now have been build essentially forever, some buyers/ homeowners don’t care about that but it kind of makes (well not kind of it absolutely does) any of their neighborhoods all look the exact same. I think this hurts the owners a little in resale time because if two (or more) US/ Lennar neighborhoods are close then buyers are looking at two of the SAME EXACT HOME and pretty much only price and possibly owner improvements will come into play on which one of the two neighbors sells their home first. (In case anyone’s wondering Lennar Corp. owns US Home and was a different division of Lennar for quite some time recently Lennar made the decision all of Lennar would just be Lennar and only build the “EI” homes…) That’s kind of the tough part about buying a Lennar (in my mind) that no one thinks about until later when it’s time to sell. The good side is the actual pricing and what you get for the money if you can handle every neighbor’s home that has your model looking the exact same minus color is good.

One last think about Madera Highland Meritage Homes is building what I will call (might be an oversell here so tread carefully) BUT I would call their new development they are opening of “Encore” By Meritage Homes I think is going to be a masterpiece for a nice upper-end new home development. Just going up there (It’s on top of a large terrace) and getting to the gates (it’s going to be gated) is very impressive. Then once you get into the community and your literally on top of a bluff you can see for miles and miles. The lots are huge, and the way they have the community set up it should attract the $350k-$500k buyers, which is what current prices are set at. I will be most likely doing a more in depth post about Encore once there models are done and maybe when a few homes are completed but from what I saw when I was there will be nothing short of a 5 star community given the price range in which they are targeting. To say the least the land of the development and the amount of open space looks like it should draw some buyers and be very popular. Pricing could be an issue though as this development will be the most expensive homes in the immediate area. As a sticking point DR Horton tried a community called “Sahuarita Highlands” about 3-4 years ago with a big price tag outside of Rancho Sahuarita and it fell flat. That development was a complete disaster and from what I understand they sold very little of anything and could never make the development work. However that being said I have seen what Sahuarita Highlands offered and what Encore does and I think Encore has a much better chance of success. Also as a point of mentioning Sahuarita Highlands was in a not so inspiring area for the product they were trying to build. It really shouldn’t even come up but I see large “estate” homes with Encore and I can’t help but thinking what a disaster DR Horton made of itself in a different location in Sahuarita a couple years ago.