Las Hadas Villas in Scottsdale AZ

On my second day of viewing Scottsdale condos I went without my husband to narrow down our list.  We planned on going out together the next day.  We had less than 5 days to view all the condos/townhomes and make a choice.

So my REALTOR and I had the Las Hadas Villas complex on the list.  This choice was an afterthought as our original search was only for 3 bedroom units.  I realized that some of the 2 bedroom units had an extra room (family room/den) and this one had a loft.  The pictures online were quite intriguing so I put it on the list.

Las Hadas Villas

This trip was heading north, away from downtown Scottsdale, the area I was hoping to find something.  I was going to an area of Scottsdale I had only visited briefly while watching our friend Steve Kostakes play piano at The Ocean Club, Maggianos and City Hall.  It was always at night and I never paid attention, but I knew it was quite a drive from Steve’s home in Gilbert.

So I was feeling a bit “lost” but was ready to view these north Scottsdale townhomes.  We pulled into a nice looking, ungated subdivision and I liked what I saw.  Stucco with tiled roofs and the pool located in the middle.

I’m not sure how my agent found this particular unit because it was set back and we had to walk past a couple of other units to get to this one – very private.  This is the only townhouse that had a garage and it was a two car garage.  That was a real plus, although most did have some kind of carport plus extra storage.  The pool was just around the corner and steps from the garage.

When we entered it was the most unique style we had seen so far.  And it was kind of beat up.  I learned what saltillo tiles were as they were on the entryway and inside.  There was a large, rectangular room that was the combination living room (with a fireplace) and dining area.  There was a galley kitchen, a laundry room and a main floor master bedroom with bathroom access plus a 2nd floor master bedroom with private bath.  The loft had it’s own closet.

There were many broken tiles on the floor which was a shame as I loved them.  There was no electricity on so it was difficult to see rooms without a window and the place just looked dark.  But there was something about this townhouse even though it needed some tlc.  It was unique and the bathrooms had beautiful original tile work.  The kitchen had beautiful tile but many were cracked.  I nicknamed this one the “bachelor pad” because the darkness made it look manly.

There was a private covered patio with a huge orange tree plus a little patio off the main floor bedroom and a small balcony off the 2nd floor bedroom.  There was ugly dark green carpet on the stairs and the upper level.

All in all, there was work to do on this one (as there was on others), but this was toward the top of our price range.  So I wasn’t sure if the work justified the price.  But I told my agent to put it on the list for a revisit with my husband.

Las Hadas Villas are located at 5640 E. Bell Rd., Scottsdale AZ  85254

Posted in Las Hadas Villas by judyo     

Village Four Condominiums, Scottsdale AZ

I wrote a post on how I prepared for my Scottsdale condo search.  Doing a Scottsdale property search online, I was able to get a really good feel for the city by viewing the maps showing the location of each different complex.  With today’s online mapping capabilities, I could also get a good idea of how close the pool was.  I felt I had an idea of what the buildings looked like, although I was surprised by a few of them (good and bad).  That’s why real estate agents will always be needed; you just can’t get a true idea of a property without seeing it in person.

I came prepared with my own print-outs where I put pictures of the location to the pool and wrote my own notes prior to even viewing the properties.  I started learning the different names of the Scottsdale condos that allowed pets and renting.  My REALTOR provided me with her print-outs and I combined them with my own paperwork.  When we viewed a property I wrote notes on my papers about each unit.

I have a note written for a Village Four condo located in McCormick Ranch at 9396 E. Purdue Ave., Scottsdale AZ  85258.  Yet for the life of me I cannot remember viewing this particular unit.  It was at the top of our price range and I wrote that it was a gorgeous area and unit but something (I’m guessing the pool) was a couple blocks away.

My mind is blank but the print-out states it was a 2nd floor condo (all rooms on the same level).  It also states that it was built in 1990 and had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  I don’t have any other paperwork on it and I’m wondering if I wrote notes on the wrong sheet.

It sounded like a nice unit but I sure don’t remember seeing it and it wasn’t on our short list.  If you’d like to search Scottsdale condominiums click the link.

Posted in Village Four Condominiums by judyo     

Presidio Condominiums, Scottsdale AZ

On day two of our showings my husband had to practice for the New Year’s Eve gig so I went out with my REALTOR to see if there was anything interesting.

Our first stop was to the Presidio Condominiums which was the only gated complex we viewed.  Our agent was very knowledgeable and professional but I chuckled when she couldn’t find the entry to the complex.  She had been there before and I guess we drove past it.  I was glad that I’m not the only one who has trouble finding condo complexes sometimes.  Buyers assume we’ve shown every single property out there and every single subdivision/complex.  But a single agent can only show so many properties and an agent like me, who works in a very large area, can only view so many properties every year.

The address for Presidio Condos is 9600 N. 96th St., Scottsdale, AZ  85258.  We viewed this because it allows renting and pets.

I loved the gated and well maintained community and it had the style I wanted.  The unit was beautiful (and also at the top of our price range).  It was updated and neutral and I’m sure someone else appreciated it.  But to me it had no charm.  Looked like something I’d show back in Illinois.  I don’t want to be in Illinois, I want to feel like I’m in Arizona, even on the inside of my place.

I passed up this beautiful unit and I think my agent understood that we preferred older and/or unique places with charm.

If you’d like to search Scottsdale condos or homes or properties in any state, use the search box below.

Posted in Exploring Arizona, Presidio Condominiums, Scottsdale, AZ, Searching for a Scottsdale condo by judyo     

Village One Townhomes in Scottsdale, AZ

Village One townhomes in Scottsdale AZBefore our appointment for a Village One townhouse we visited properties near the Old Town area.  We then headed north. Most of the units we viewed were older and not quite the southwest style I was expecting.

That is, until we arrived at the Village One complex. These were built in 1983 and I guess that’s when the “southwest style” was being accepted, vs. the “bring the Midwest to the Southwest” building styles of the 60′s.

I was delighted when we pulled into a more modern looking complex with stucco buildings and the southwest feel I was hoping to find (although from what I’m reading lately a lot of Arizona natives are trying to get away from). I was really excited to view the Village One townhome for sale.

I wasn’t too happy when I saw the high, exterior staircase we’d have to climb just to reach the 2nd floor unit that was available.  Once we went in I was falling in love.  This was a 2 bedroom unit with a living room, dining room plus a nice sized family room/den with a fireplace and two bathrooms.  The kitchen was nicely updated and the layout made this townhouse feel more like a single family home.

But when I went to the balcony my heart fell.  I realized that the unit’s balcony faced a busy street (Via Linda).  The traffic was enough to make me change my mind.  We loved the unit though so it wasn’t completely off our list.

Before we left I had to do the pool check.  It was farther away from the unit than I preferred so although the unit was lovely we passed it by.  This was a nice sized complex and not all units were on the busy street side.  Some units are farther from the pool, some are closer.  The one we looked at just wasn’t in a location we wanted and there weren’t any others available at the time.

We viewed Villages One townhomes (I’ve seen them printed with and without an “s”) because they allowed pets and renting. They were in a great location with close access to the 101 highway.

Use the search box below to search for Scottsdale homes and condos and townhomes, or any area in the United States! The zip code for Villa One townhomes is 85258. The address is 9275 E. Mission Ln., Scottsdale, AZ 85258.

Posted in Scottsdale, AZ, Searching for a Scottsdale condo, Village One Townhomes by judyo     

Casa Granada Townhomes

The last one on our list for our first viewing of Scottsdale condos for sale was a unit located in the Casa Granada Casa Granada townhomes in Scottsdale AZTownhomes complex.  We nicknamed this unit the “shoe” because the photo showed the park located outside the townhouse which had a children’s slide in what appeared to be a shoe (like the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe), although it could be a cowboy boot.  But to us, it was the “shoe”.

When we pulled into the complex I was drawn to the pinkish stucco and had mixed feelings of the fact that it reminded me of an old hamburger joint I grew up with called the Pink Castle.  That wasn’t a bad thing, although the stucco and buildings looked a bit old (built in 1965).  But there was definitely charm here and I liked it.

The unit was nice and interesting with an open staircase that had space under it for a blow-up bed (when needed) or bookcase or other furniture.  I believe the kitchen was updated.    It had 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms and was again located within walking distance to Old Town Scottsdale.  Although I don’t remember it well since we only saw it the one time, I do remember that we both liked it and it was on the list along with the Chateau De Vie townhomes.

Not only did we like the unit itself, but it was located right outside the large greenspace with the playground, which would be great for the grandkids.  On the other hand, did we want to be that close to the playground, especially when we didn’t have our grandkids around?  The pool was close to the greenspace to the left.

The unit was priced right and we found out afterwards that it was already sold.  Which brought us to a sore spot viewing Scottsdale real estate.  In our MLS in Northern IL, we are required to mark a listing as no longer being active (deal pending or a choice of contingencies) within 72 hours of an accepted contract.  It is ethical to also alert anyone setting appointments if a contract has been accepted.  Yet I found out it doesn’t work that way in AZ, or they do not uphold their rules.  Seems like we viewed more than one unit that had already been sold.

I guess in AZ back-up offers might be popular and we have them here once in a while, but to me it’s a waste of time for the buyers and their agents when they’re viewing properties they think are active only to find out that they would have to be a back-up offer.  We didn’t have the time frame to be a back-up offer.  We needed to find something during our visit.

Posted in Casa Granada Townhomes by judyo     

Chateau De Vie Townhomes

Viewing the Scottsdale townhouse at Heatherbrae House 2 gave us hope that we could find something we’d like.  But we didn’t like that one enough to call off the search.  So our next stop was to view a Chateau De Vie townhouse. 

The funny thing is, this was another one I threw in towards the end because I wasn’t attracted to the exterior when I first viewed it online.  I thought it looked like older apartments we have here in the southwest Chicago suburbs that have mansard style roofs and I just had a feeling that it was going to be junky looking.

So I did not have high expectations when we pulled in.  However, I did like the area as it was well kept and located on a dead-end street.  This unit was steps away from the pool but not right on top of it like the Heatherbrae townhouse was.  This was the first complex that made me feel good from the outside.

We nicknamed this unit the “coyote” townhouse because in the picture it showed a white storm door with a coyote on it.  It was actually a double door and the other one had pots.  I thought these doors were original and although they were cute I also thought it was a bit cheesy, even though I had no plans on changing them since I liked them.  Little did I know that these are special order storm doors that cost close to $1,000 each!

Not only did I love the exterior of the place, but I fell in love with the interior.  It did have a weird raised foyer where you had to step down into the living room and this step took up space and was a bit awkward.  The living room had a newer, neutral tile and there was a huge hallway from the living room to the kitchen that could fit a desk or something.  It would be perfect for a blow-up bed for extra guests.

The kitchen cooking area was open to the dinette area which opened to the large private cement patio that actually had a couple trees and plants.  There was a carport and storage.  The kitchen was somewhat updated with laminate floors and countertops that were tiled to look like granite.  There were white cabinets that weren’t too old like the ones in the Heatherbrae unit.  And there was a cute big window from the kitchen that slid open to the patio so you could actually pass food and beverages out.  Another plus was a cute half bath on the main level.

Upstairs were 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms, including a 3/4 master bath.  Although the carpet was said to be newer it must have been cheap as the stairs looked worn.  Each bedroom had stains on the floor so we would have wanted to change the carpet out.  The master bedroom had a vanity and was very large with a mountain view.

The place wasn’t perfect by any means and was the lowest priced place we were viewing as it was a foreclosure.  The windows were original metal and there was a big crack under the window in the master bedroom.  But it had a nice floor plan and good square footage and it was very charming.  We both loved it.

The pool was well kept and there was some kind of clubhouse.  It was located on Orange Blossom Ln. and was within walking distance of Chaparral Park and minutes from the downtown, Waterfront and Old Town areas of Scottsdale.  So it was a nice older unit (built in 1969) that was close to a lot of great places.

This was our favorite and our disenchantment dwindled and we could see ourselves living and entertaining in this unit.

Posted in Chateau De Vie Townhouse by judyo  1 comment   

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