North Phoenix · Downsizing
Downsizing in North Phoenix
Selling the long-time family home and finding the next one, handled by the same agent, in that order.
You can do this without leaving the area, which is unusual
In most parts of the valley, downsizing means leaving the community you have lived in. Here it does not have to, because the attached-home options sit inside the same master plan as the houses.
Toscana is gated luxury condominiums immediately beside High Street, and it is the most walkable address in this part of the city, with restaurants and events outside the gate rather than a drive away. Villages at Aviano is the attached version of Aviano, roughly 1,200 to just over 2,000 square feet. Bella Monte is condominiums and townhomes from the mid 2000s into the 2010s, generally 1,400 to 1,900 square feet.
So you can keep the same grocery store, the same doctor, the same drive to everything, and stop maintaining a yard. For a lot of people that combination is the entire point, and they did not know it was available.
Talk to me about downsizing
What changes about your monthly cost, in both directions
Downsizing here usually means moving from one association structure into a different one, and the number does not always go the way people assume.
An attached home in a second association frequently covers the exterior and the roof and all the landscaping. That is a larger monthly figure buying considerably more, and comparing it against what you pay now without accounting for what it replaces is how people talk themselves out of the right move.
Work out what you currently spend on landscaping, exterior maintenance and the roof reserve you are quietly carrying. Then compare totals rather than dues. I will do that arithmetic with you properly before you rule anything out.
Ask the stairs question properly
People ask it as one question and it is four, with different answers in the same property.
How many steps from where a car actually stops to your door. Whether the primary bedroom, the laundry and the kitchen are all on one floor. In a townhome, whether the living space is upstairs, which is common and is the thing that catches people. And in a condominium building, what happens on the day the elevator is out of service.
I walk it and give you the real numbers before you spend a Saturday on something that was never going to work.
Which end to do first
Selling the current house and buying the next one are two transactions, and the order is what people worry about.
Selling first gives you a real number and a strong position when you write an offer, and removes the risk of carrying two properties. The cost is you may need somewhere to be in between.
Buying first is more comfortable and more expensive and depends on what your lender will let you carry.
There is no universally right answer, only the right one for your finances and your tolerance for the uncomfortable middle. Because I handle both ends, the timelines get built against each other from the start rather than run by two people who never speak.
The contents, which is where moves stall
Twenty or thirty years in one house produces more than anybody plans for, and this is the part that stops people for months.
I connect sellers with a senior move company that walks the house room by room before it goes on the market and plans what stays, what comes along, what is sold and what is donated. You pay the mover directly. I am not marking it up and I take nothing from it.
Doing this before the photographer arrives rather than after you are under contract is the single biggest thing that keeps a move from becoming stressful. A house with less in it photographs better, and a family that has already made these decisions is not making them against a closing date.
How the whole thing runs
We start with what the current house is worth, because every other decision depends on that number being real rather than estimated.
Then we look at the attached options properly, and I pull the actual governing documents so you know what each association covers rather than guessing from the monthly figure.
Then we sequence the two transactions, and I go and see the next place with you rather than sending you listings.
You can call me on (480) 203-6605 whenever you want to talk it through. Plenty of people call a year or two before they do anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I downsize without leaving Desert Ridge?
Yes, and that is unusual for the valley. The attached-home options sit inside the same master plan as the houses. Toscana is gated condominiums beside High Street and the most walkable address here. Villages at Aviano is the attached version of Aviano. Bella Monte is condominiums and townhomes from the mid 2000s into the 2010s.
Will my monthly costs go up if I move to a condominium?
The dues usually do, and the total often does not. An attached home in a second association frequently covers the exterior, the roof and all the landscaping. Work out what you currently spend on landscaping, exterior maintenance and the roof reserve you are quietly carrying, then compare totals rather than dues.
What should I ask about stairs in a townhome?
Whether the living space is upstairs, which is common here and is the thing that catches people. Also steps from where a car actually stops to your door, whether the primary bedroom, laundry and kitchen are on one floor, and in a condominium building what happens the day the elevator is out.
Do I sell first or buy first?
Selling first gives you a real number and a strong offer position and removes the risk of carrying two properties, but you may need somewhere to be in between. Buying first is more comfortable and more expensive and depends on what your lender will let you carry. We work out which fits your finances at the start.
North Phoenix
What downsizing looks like in North Phoenix
Desert neighborhoods with mountain views and more home for the money than comparable addresses further east.
This part of North Phoenix sits right against the Scottsdale line, and that one fact is most of the argument for living here. Kierland, Scottsdale Quarter, the Airpark, Grayhawk, DC Ranch and Mayo Clinic are all an easy drive. You get to use north Scottsdale without paying for a Scottsdale address.
Most of what people mean by North Phoenix here is Desert Ridge, which is larger than it sounds at roughly 5,700 acres. It came out of a City of Phoenix plan adopted in 1991, on state land held under ground lease, and the first homes were occupied in 1995. Everything in it was decided before any of it was built.
- The homes
- One name covering a very wide range. Amenity communities with their own residents' centers, Aviano and Fireside chief among them. Newer construction inside an established area, Sanctuary from around 2015 and Talinn from about 2022. Lock-and-leave condominiums and townhomes at Toscana, Bella Monte and Villages at Aviano. Established single-family from the late 1990s at Stonecrest, Lockwood Estates, Sierra Pass and Ironwood Greens. And entry points without a private clubhouse at Wildcat Ridge, Fiesta and Glen Eagle. Sky Crossing and Tatum Highlands sit just outside and belong in the same search.
- Why people choose it
- The common thread is people who worked out that the things they drive to are mostly east of here, and that they did not need the address to use them. The other draw is that the houses stop about fifteen minutes north and the desert starts.
- Schools people ask about
- Paradise Valley Unified serves much of this area. District boundaries here do not follow neighborhood names, and a listing is not a reliable source for the assignment, so confirm it for the specific address before it matters to you.
- Getting around
- The freeway position is better than almost anywhere further north. The Loop 101 runs along the south side, State Route 51 meets it just to the west, and the 101 carries you west to the I-17 for Sedona or Flagstaff. Sky Harbor, downtown Phoenix and north Scottsdale are all reachable without any of them being a project.
- Nearby
- Desert Ridge Marketplace with more than a hundred brands in an open-air layout, High Street next to it, the JW Marriott resort campus and Wildfire Golf Club. Mayo Clinic is a short drive east. Tatum Highlands has John W. Teets Park, a City of Phoenix park with grass, basketball, sand volleyball, playgrounds, fitness stations and paths, instead of a private clubhouse.
- The trade-off
- Against north Scottsdale you get much of the same access for less money, and you give up the Scottsdale address and Scottsdale city services. Against the newer communities further out you give up land and get a far better freeway position. And against a single-association community anywhere, you take on the work of checking what the total across two associations actually buys at your specific address.
The method
How we do it in North Phoenix
Downsizing: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Jen Keene?