New Job in Tucson? Let’s Figure Out Where You Want to Live

Congratulations—you landed a new job in Tucson!

Now comes another big decision:

Where are you going to live?

If you're relocating to the Tucson area, you may pull up a map and immediately start looking at homes. But before we start talking about bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, or countertops, I think there's a better place to begin.

Let's figure out how you want to live.

Start With Your New Workplace

Where will you be working?

Tucson is spread out, and where you work can have a major influence on where you might want to live. A home may look perfect online, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll enjoy driving back and forth from it every day.

That's why one of my first questions for someone relocating for a new job is:

How much of a commute are you comfortable with?

Some people want to be 10 or 15 minutes from work. Others are perfectly willing to drive farther if it gets them the home, neighborhood, views, or lifestyle they want.

There isn't one correct answer. There is only the answer that works for you.

What Do You Want Around You?

Your workplace is only part of the equation.

What do you want your life to look like when you're not working?

Would you rather be closer to restaurants, entertainment, and the activity of Downtown Tucson or the University area? Tucson's Sun Link Streetcar connects the University of Arizona, Fourth Avenue, Downtown, and the Mercado District.

Maybe that's not your lifestyle at all.

Perhaps you'd rather be farther north near Oro Valley, Northwest Tucson, or the Catalina Foothills. Maybe you'd prefer the Eastside, Westside, Vail, Marana, Sahuarita, or another part of the Tucson metro area.

Tucson offers very different environments depending on which direction you travel—from the Catalina Foothills and Santa Catalina Mountains to the east and west sides of the valley and the communities stretching northwest and south.

That's why I don't believe someone relocating to Tucson should simply be handed a list of houses.

First, let's narrow down the parts of Tucson that fit your life.

What Kind of Home Fits Your Life?

Next, we'll talk about the home itself.

Do you want:

• A newer home or something with more character?

• A single-story home?

• A larger yard or something low maintenance?

• A swimming pool?

• A gated community?

• An HOA or no HOA?

• Room for an RV, boat, workshop, or extra vehicles?

• Mountain or desert views?

• A condominium or townhome that requires less upkeep?

• More house farther from work, or a smaller home with a shorter commute?

These questions help us move beyond simply searching by price.

You Don't Have to Know Tucson Yet

One of the biggest challenges with relocating is that you may have no idea what someone means when they say "Foothills," "Northwest," "Vail," "Oro Valley," or "Westside."

That's perfectly fine.

You don't need to become a Tucson expert before you start looking for a home.

That's part of my job.

We can start with the location of your new employer, your housing budget, your preferred commute, and the things that matter most to your lifestyle. From there, we can identify areas worth exploring and eliminate areas that don't make sense for you.

Tucson covers a large geographic area, and distances between different parts of the community can be substantial, making location an important part of a relocation decision.

Before You Buy, Let's Learn the Area

If you're able to make a house-hunting trip before your move, I recommend spending some time learning the community—not just touring houses.

Let's drive through different areas.

Let's look at what surrounds them.

Let's see what the commute feels like.

Let's determine whether the neighborhood and location feel right before you fall in love with a particular house.

Because you can change flooring.

You can repaint walls.

You can remodel a kitchen.

You can't move the house to another part of Tucson.

Relocating to Tucson? Let's Start With a Conversation

If you're moving to Tucson because of a new job, you don't need to begin your home search by scrolling through hundreds of listings.

Start with a conversation.

Tell me where you're going to work, what you want your commute to look like, what type of home you're looking for, your approximate budget, and what matters to you outside of work.

Then we'll start figuring out where you want to live.

Wes StolsekOMNI

Homes International

520-404-9773

www.wesleystolsek.com

Serving home buyers, sellers, and people relocating to the Tucson Metro area.