January 27th, 2009 by Michael Oliver

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Are you in the market for Tucson real estate and want to know what the top 10 things to know about the Tucson area? Ok here is my breakdown:

#1 It’s hot here in the Summer! Imagine this; you take your hairdryer turn it on and point it towards yourself (don’t try this at home) but if that hairdryer is about let’s call it 12-15 inches from you that’s what Tucson Arizona is like during the summer, IT’S HOT! You will burn your hands on the steering wheel of your car, asphalt can become very sticky, and when you walk from air conditioning to the outside (well go get the hairdryer again and there you go.). WHY would anyone put up with that? Well eventually comes the night and when the sun goes down people actually come outside and the nights are very nice, cool, and comfortable. It doesn’t rain here (very much) so almost any day or night event you want to do can be done and weather isn’t much of a concern.

#2 Winter is almost absolutely perfect again sunny and any day you want you could wear a tee-shirt, shorts, with flip flops and would not be cold. It’s that nice during the winter and I do this weekly.

#3 Were in the Sonoran Desert NOT the Sahara. People from other areas think “desert” and think of huge sand dunes, and no vegetation. That’s not Tucson we have cacti, trees, bushes, and lots of wildlife. In fact I think the Tucson’s surroundings are very diverse and extremely easy to go and do hikes and other wildlife activities. Other people think Tucson is like Las Vegas with just small cacti and lots of very small scrub brush again that’s not Tucson either. Las Vegas is in the Mojave Desert and that’s a different deal altogether. Believe me many of people love the Tucson desert in my opinion next to the weather our natural desert is our biggest asset to making people want to move here.

#4 Tucson is roughly 6 hours from The Pacific Ocean via San Diego, or you can go to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico that’s about 6.5 hours (drive time). Or let’s say you have a gambling itch you can drive to Las Vegas in 6.5 hours (I have done it in less but….) OR Tucson also has 3 very nice large casinos within it.(On Native American Lands) Plus about an hour and a half north you can get to Phoenix which offers Professional sports, and anything else you could want.

#5 Tucson is NOT AS HOT AS PHOENIX! During the summer Phoenix Arizona is typically 10-12 degrees hotter then Tucson due to elevation and urban sprawl. At night this same rough average stays meaning that while at 10PM at night Tucson maybe 75-80 degrees Phoenix on the other hand is still just shy of 100 degrees and that makes a BIG difference. I have been in Phoenix at 11PM and still saw triple digit temperatures this doesn’t happen in Tucson.

#6 If your looking for a cooler destination (or skiing) you can go to Mt Lemmon in the Catalina Foothills (45 minutes away)or you can go to the White Mountains about 3-4 hours away to escape the heat in the summer or go skiing during the winter.

#7 Tucson is a large area just to get from the NW side of Tucson to the SE takes approximately 45 minutes by interstate! So the good news is that within this giant area known as Tucson you can find almost any lifestyle you would like.

#8 Tucson is an avid “outdoors” city every weekend you will see people biking along all streets, hiking, doing outdoor activities. If you’re from a colder climate and you live in Tucson after a month or two you will never understand why 3-4 months a year you sat inside your home during the winter when you could have been living in Tucson enjoying the outdoors. Whatever outdoor activity interests you, you will be able to quickly find several people that also have the same interests within weeks of being brand new. The reason why is because in every park/ public area there is every outdoor activity you can imagine taking place. Horse riding, hiking, mountain biking, anything happens every weekend throughout the year. (During the summer all these events just start much, much sooner at like 6am and are finished promptly by 10am.)

#9 Since Tucson is home of The University of Arizona there is always a sports season where Tucson residents can watch a game. During the spring Tucson hosts spring training and brings in crowds from all over the country. In February Tucson hosts “The Gem Show” this show is the premier “Gem Show” in the world and people from literally all over the world come to Tucson to buy and look at Gems. During the Tucson Gem show the city is packed with people, vendors, and onlookers it’s a very busy time to be in Tucson during early spring/ late winter.

#10 World Class Golf: Tucson Arizona is home to some without a doubt World Class Golf. In February the World Match Play Championship is played on the NW side of town. This tournament is one of the most prestigious championships in the world to win and the top 64 professional players come to play the event. Even beyond that event Tucson courses, views, and conditions make for arguably the best golf on Earth. Several courses in the Tucson area have been former PGA tour stops and the resorts that host some of the best courses also are rated as some of the most luxurious and accommodating resorts in North America. Whether it’s La Paloma, Ventana Canyon, Canyon Ranch, Starr Pass, Tucson National, or Westward Look Tucson has a top resort and golf developments that will make the most demanding person feel accommodated nicely. In all of these resorts there is also real estate developments attached to them so that if a person chooses they can live within the resort and take advantage of all that the resort offers. (Membership to the resort is additional however many people think of the membership costs as “part of living expenses”

So there you have it the top 10 things to know about Tucson. If I left some out or if you think you can add to the list post a comment. Few people that I ever talk too come to Tucson for the first time and “hate it” most fall in love with the natural surroundings, the people, and the lifestyle Tucson provides.