A newer home in South Chandler or an older custom home in South Tempe? It comes down to which surprise you'd rather have. A newer home usually means fewer repairs and a cleaner inspection. An older custom gives you mature trees, character and a finished street, but the roof and the air conditioners are on the clock.
The choice my family made
We faced this exact decision on our first home. We wanted South Tempe. We had an offer in on a home in 85284, right by Cielo, the Kyrene school my wife Sarah went to as a kid. It needed a complete remodel, floor to ceiling.
We were so sure about it that we bought the flooring before we closed, because we found a good deal. Driving it home, it wasn't secured right. Part of it slid out of my truck and across an intersection. Super embarrassing.
We pulled the plug on that house. For a first home, we just weren't ready for a project that size.
So we pivoted to the Ocotillo area in South Chandler. For the same price at the time, we could buy a home almost double the size and about 25 years newer. It felt like a new home. The inspection report was literally one page. In my entire career, I've never seen an inspection report as clean as that one.
What a newer home gives you
More house for the money, more often than not, and fewer surprises. The typical home in South Chandler (85248) was built around 2003. In South Tempe (85284), it's closer to 1989. That gap shows up in the inspection report.
A brand-new build adds its own trade-offs. You get a warranty and new systems, but also a bare yard, a wait, and a lot you picked from a plat map instead of the street.
What an older custom gives you
Mature trees, bigger lots and homes that don't look like the one next door. South Tempe is full of them, and here's why South Tempe homes look so different from each other.
The trade is age. A house this size often has two to four air conditioners, and a roof replacement runs about $30,000 when it's time. If you're taking on a remodel, be honest with yourself about the time and the money. We weren't ready. Plenty of people are, and they end up with exactly the house they wanted on the street they wanted.
How I'd decide
Ask yourself which surprise you'd rather deal with. If you want a finished neighborhood with character now, and you're ready for some projects, the older custom usually wins. If you want to avoid big checks in the first few years, the newer home usually does.
Either way, know what you're looking at before you write the offer. Here's what I check before buying a home in Arizona, and a breakdown of custom versus production homes in Chandler and Tempe.
Weighing a newer home against an older custom? Call or text me at 480-448-2020 and I'll tell you which one I'd pick, even if the answer is neither.
