What to Look for in a Real Estate Development

Finding a new home is kind of like putting together a puzzle. It’s exciting, it takes time, and ultimately, you need all the pieces to fit together. You need to make sure your next home fits you (and your family) as perfectly as possible.

It’s pretty easy to find a luxury home you adore and fall in love with the idea of living there. It’s sometimes more challenging to look at the bigger picture. Saguaro Ranch is here to help you take a step back and think about the real estate development itself. Consider each of these real estate development factors while you’re looking for your next home.

Location

Location practically goes without saying in terms of looking for a house. You want the real estate development itself to be in a spot that best suits your needs and lifestyle. 

But one of the more overlooked considerations is location within the development. Is the house or lot positioned in a way that’s conducive to heating and cooling (i.e. south-facing vs. west-facing)? Will those gorgeous views still be there five years from now? Or are a bunch of other new home builds going to block those perfect vistas? Is there a lot with existing partial shade that you know your garden will love?

These are just some of the questions to ask yourself (and the real estate development) as you’re searching for a new home. While Saguaro Ranch prides itself on leaving 80 percent of the land untouched — ensuring those breathtaking views remain intact for every homeowner — that’s not usually the case for other developments.

Age Demographic

The age demographic of a real estate development is another important factor to consider. Families with young kids typically want a real estate development where there are other kids of similar ages in the neighborhood. Adults whose kids are out of the house might want to downsize (or upgrade to a luxury home — you deserve it!). Grandparents might want a spot to host the grandkids (like the Owners Club at Saguaro Ranch), but otherwise are looking for some peace and quiet.

Figure out what it is that you’re looking for in a real estate development, and take time looking for one that can truly meet your needs. Again, don’t be afraid to ask your agent or tour the area to get a sense of what the community is like.

Security

For some homebuyers, security doesn’t pose much of an issue past locking their doors at night and maybe installing a home security system. Others want an added sense of security and safety. If you fall into the latter category, you probably want to look into a development that’s also a private gated community.

Real estate developments should have no issue answering your questions about security. In fact, they should be fully transparent. At Saguaro Ranch, we have 24-hour front desk staff and security, not to mention you can only access our real estate development by driving through a 600-foot long tunnel! We don’t let unexpected visitors pop in — everyone is welcomed first at the entrance gate. Very few (if any) real estate developments can compete with the levels of security we offer.

Amenities & Add-Ons

Who doesn’t love some perks? Average real estate developments or subdivisions don’t typically offer a ton of amenities, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Things like a pool, fitness center, or even proximity to hiking trails are all a bonus — they can even help your resale value later. 

It’s also good to check if you’ll be part of an HOA before buying, and to get a sense for what those fees will look like.

We’ve mentioned it several times now, but only because it’s so important: keep on asking questions when you’re looking to buy or build in a real estate development! You want the best possible place and it never hurts to ask. If a real estate development is reluctant or even refuses to answer any of your questions, that could very well be a sign of underlying issues.

Surprises are great for birthday parties or your boss telling everyone they can go home early on a Friday. They’re not nearly as fun when purchasing your next home. For as much research you take on for building or buying a house itself, give real estate developments the same amount of attention.

Building a House on Developed vs. Undeveloped Land

Building a House on Developed vs. Undeveloped Land

If you’ve decided you’re going to build a house instead of buy, you will first need some land. You have two options to choose from: land that is developed or undeveloped. 

A developed plot of land is often found in a subdivision or real estate community, in which the land is mostly prepared for building to take place. Undeveloped land is essentially buying land as-is, like a 20-acre plot out in the desert.

Before you start looking at Tucson land for sale, you should narrow down which of these two land types best suits your needs. Ask yourself the following questions to get a clearer answer.

How much work do you want to take on?

Undeveloped, raw land is often less expensive upfront (but not necessarily in the long haul) than a developed plot of land. But one of the biggest things to consider when building a house is that undeveloped land will nearly always take more work.

Here are a few things you might have to deal with when trying to build on undeveloped land:

Land Prep

To build on undeveloped land, you’ll likely have to clear and level the ground. This is time-consuming (and expensive) on its own, but it can take even longer in places like Tucson. In Arizona, there are a number of rules regarding the destruction or removal of certain native plants (saguaro cacti are a prime example). 

Water & Electric

When buying raw land, there’s a good chance you’ll need to hook up to the city grid for water and electric. It will be your responsibility to make this happen, though in some rural areas, connecting to the city’s water line isn’t even an option.

Connecting to the city water is typically less complicated for developed land purchases, particularly if you’re purchasing in a subdivision or real estate community. The lines are often in place and the connection happens during the building process.

Building Permits

No matter what, you’ll need a building permit to build a house. It’s generally easier to acquire one when building on developed land, mainly because that land is already zoned for (residential) construction. You could run into zoning issues when trying to build on raw or undeveloped land to complicate the process. Worst-case scenario, you could even end up buying land that can’t be built upon.

Building a house is an involved process no matter what, but building on undeveloped land involves a lot more hoops to jump through. If taking on a lot of work isn’t in your interests then buying developed land is your best bet.

What’s your timeline?

It takes an average of 9 months to build a new house, not counting the prep work and planning beforehand. When thinking about all the work that goes into building on undeveloped land, it’s safe to say that your home build could take longer than if you build on a developed lot.

This might not mean much if you’re in no rush to move in, but it could make all the difference if you want to move in sooner rather than later. If time is of the essence, look for developed options in your search for Tucson land for sale.

What’s your price range?

Costs for undeveloped land are generally lower per acre upfront, but this does not mean that building on undeveloped land is cheaper. Thinking back to the amount of work and steps that must be taken to prepare raw land for building, you could very well end up spending more than if you bought a lot in a real estate development.

To prepare raw land for building, here are just some of the expenses you could encounter:

• Land grading: $5-$10 per square foot

• Land clearing: $200-$6,000 per square foot

• Laying a new sewer line: $50-$250 per square foot

Build with Saguaro Ranch

In weighing all the options, it’s pretty clear that building on developed land is less time-consuming, less of a hassle, and could even be less expensive. 

When you’re looking for land for sale in Tucson, AZ to build a house on, our estate lots are the perfect solution. Homebuilders at Saguaro Ranch need to pay for driveway grading, a utilities trench and build pad at their expense, as well as install an alternative septic system but our lots are connected to Tucson city water with a 100-year assured water supply. Dealing with water access on a rural plot of Tucson land for sale in the desert is much riskier.

Not to mention, our estate lots come with unbeatable amenities — building here gives you access to the Owners Clubhouse, a beautiful pool, workout facility, hiking trails, and so much more. Contact us to set up a driving tour!