January 21st, 2009 by Michael Oliver

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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