Since January 7, 2022, Tucson has welcomed a new era of housing possibilities with the approval of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), affectionately known as casitas. This significant shift in zoning laws has sparked a surge of interest among residents, keen to transform parts of their property or construct new units in their yards.
Easing the Path to Casita Ownership
Easing the Path to Casita OwnershipWhile zoning restrictions, once a significant hurdle for ADUs, have been relaxed, other factors can still limit buildability on certain lots. The city’s Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) has stepped up to the plate, dedicated to making casitas accessible and affordable for Tucson homeowners and residents. With two new building code clarifications, the journey to owning an ADU is simpler and more cost-effective than ever.
Feedback and Improvements: An Ongoing Process
The PDSD is committed to understanding the needs and obstacles of potential ADU owners. By gathering feedback from ADU applicants and engaging with stakeholders, the department aims to understand the trends, barriers, and potential tools or programs that could streamline the ADU application process.
In a pivotal meeting on March 7, 2023, Mayor & Council reviewed the first year of Tucson’s ADU Ordinance, including stakeholder and ADU applicant feedback. Recommendations from the review were presented to further ease the process of building ADUs, including reevaluating impact fees and developing an ADU ‘pre-approved’ model plan catalog, among other initiatives.
Building Your Own Casita: What You Need to Know
Building Your Own Casita: What You Need to KnowAs of now, ADUs or casitas are permitted on any residential lot in Tucson, subject to certain regulations. An ADU can be built on any residential lot in the city, and its size can be up to 10% of the lot size, with a maximum of 1,000 square feet. Other restrictions such as maximum height, parking, and requirements for a cool roof apply.
ADUs, self-contained housing units with their own kitchen, bathroom, and living spaces, typically occupy less than 1,000 square feet and serve as an extension to the primary residence. They can be detached, attached, or integrated within the main house, through conversions of garages, basements, or attics.
The benefits of ADUs are manifold. They increase the supply of affordable rental housing, provide flexible housing options for seniors, and support multi-generational households. For homeowners, they can provide a supplemental income and contribute to neighborhood stability. ADUs also support climate-resilient infill development, harmonizing with existing neighborhoods.
In a bid to make ADUs even more accessible, Tucson’s Housing and Community Department (HCD) launched a pilot program to assist low-income homeowners in improving their ADUs. This program supports rehabilitation projects to improve existing ADUs, including infrastructure and site upgrades. The initiative is part of a broader goal to expand affordable housing options in Tucson and benefit eligible homeowners.
Looking Ahead
As the city continues to innovate its housing landscape with ADUs, the HCD hopes that the program will successfully provide continued assistance to low-income homeowners in the future. With the steadfast commitment of city officials and the community, Tucson’s ADU revolution is only just beginning.
I can’t wait for the Zoppé Family Circus “Under The Big Top”! If you’re looking for an exciting and unforgettable night out, this is the event for you.
Located in the parking lot on the corner of Congress and Avenida del Convento in the Mercado District of Tucson, the Zoppé Family Circus is a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you wanting more.
The Zoppé Family Circus has been thrilling audiences for over 150 years with their incredible acrobatics, daring stunts, and heart-stopping acts. From high-wire walkers to clowns to aerialists, there’s something for everyone at this show.
But the Zoppé Family Circus is more than just a typical circus – it’s a celebration of family, tradition, and the joy of performing. The Zoppé Family has been performing together for generations, and it shows in their tight-knit camaraderie and stunning teamwork.
So come on down to the Zoppé Family Circus “Under The Big Top” and be prepared to be amazed. You won’t find a more exciting and entertaining night out in Tucson. See you at the circus!
It’s that time of year again where it’s hot hot HOT! We know most Tucsonans prefer to stay inside during the summer months, however, the Tucson Botanical Gardens has an ongoing event to tempt you out of the house. Enjoy the gorgeous gardens along with your furry best friend at the Dog Days of Summer!
From June through September the Tucson Botanical Gardens opens up their desert oasis to you and your Fido from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM daily. The gardens are conveniently located midtown near Grant and Alvernon, so wherever you’re coming from it’s not too far of a drive. You can literally spend hours walking the lush pathways with your canine companion. If you need a break there are plenty of benches to pause at or you can grab a bite to eat from Café Botanica.
The Details
Don’t Forget To Bring Your Furry Friends to Dog Days of Summer
To attend all you have to do is pay your human admission of $15, (students, seniors, and military are $13), and an additional $3 for your pupper. If you’re already a member then your admission is free, as usual, you just pay the pet price. But, if you’re a huge fan of the Tucson Botanical Gardens like we are you can purchase a dog membership for the summer!
That’s right, for $20 your dog can have their own membership with unlimited daily admission to the gardens. Dog memberships also come with a personalized tag for the collar of your pet. Additional dog memberships are just $10 so you won’t break the bank if you have a large furry family.
Dog Days of Summer: Before You Go
There are a few rules to visiting the Tucson Botanical Gardens with your furry friends.
Only well-behaved dogs are welcome, if your pooch is anti-social, please leave them at home.
Dogs must be leashed at all times.
Stay on the designated pathways. We know it’s tempting to let your pet sniff to their heart’s content, but for the sake of the vegetation please don’t let them.
Bring doggie bags to clean up after your dog, it’s just a considerate thing to do.
The New York Times recently released an online, interactive list of 52 places around the world where travelers can be a part of the solution, rather than a problem. Because you know us, you know that we are only bringing this to your attention because they mention Tucson! Yep, the good Old Pueblo is in the media yet again. Okay, okay, more specifically they mention the beautiful Saguaro National Park.
This national treasure can be found on both the east and west sides of Tucson. Nearly 2 million of the namesake cacti call these 2 parcels of land home and give our desert its distinctive look.
A trail plaque from the Saguaro National Park.
As alluded to by the NYT article all 52 places on their list must have a problem to need a solution. In our case, the problem is that we have very few new saguaros, a species that is a notoriously slow grower. Think 75 years old to get its first arm, and not reaching its full height of 45 feet until 200 years old. So, a declining population of these stoic giants is a problem, not just for Tucson but for an entire ecosystem.
The article highlights a local conservation project where volunteers work year-round pulling buffalo grass. Why does 1 weed need so much attention you might ask? There are a couple of reasons. The first is because it’s a non-native species that takes much-needed nutrients to other native plants. And secondly because due to climate change, we’ve been experiencing hotter summers. These withering temperatures dry out the buffelgrass and provide ample kindling for wildfires.
Saguaro National Park volunteers get ready to tackle buffalo grass. Emma Gibson/AZPM
You can help mitigate the buffalo grass by volunteering with the Saguaro National Park. They organize clear-ups year-round. If you don’t want to be outside but still help out, that’s ok too! Find all volunteer opportunities here.
Hi, my name is Michelle and I have been in and around the real estate world since 1985. I have worked in the title, mortgage/lending, building and fixing up homes, to helping families with buying and selling their homes. I loved each aspect of this world but helping families find where they were going to call home filled a piece of my soul like none of the others. Calling somewhere home is sacred. It’s our safe place, where we build families and deepen connections. Home is the one place we are meant to fully be ourselves and birth to life all our deepest dreams.
Finding Your Sacred Space
Tony Ray & Darren have the Tucson real estate updates.
Finding a home can bring up all the scariest parts of ourselves and create all of the deepest fears within us to come to the surface, especially if it’s our first home. So the first thing you need is a dynamite real estate team to help navigate the process by offering you the container to answer all your questions and provide the truth about the process of purchasing a home. You need a team who actually takes the time to really listen to what is important to you. Lucky for you I just happen to know one 😉 – Tony Ray Baker real estate team. If you want the best real estate agents Tucson has to offer, it’s them.
In all my years of being in the real estate world finding a team that actually listens is a must-have at the beginning of creating sacred space and a vital part as it’s the foundation that all is built upon. Listening isn’t just with ears and words it’s also by being able to read the energy of the person or family you’re serving. I can’t tell you how many times families would say we don’t want this or we want that but after a couple of homes, you realize that isn’t what lights their soul up when they enter the home at all. So the first step to building a sacred home is having the space light you up just by thinking about it and then building upon that like when you drive into the neighborhood your energy heightens as you get closer to the place you call home.
What Do You Want
Once you have found your perfect home and you have been handed the keys it’s time to claim your space from the place of love and all that makes your soul dance and laugh. I always recommend to my clients to decide what do you want to accomplish in this home? What’s the dream you see in it? Get clear about how you feel or see things being. Dream big! The second thing to consider is just as you want your home to be physically clean when you first step foot in it you also want the energy around and within to feel fresh and new too.
Sweetgrass braids for sacred cleansing
More Than Clean
Another recommendation is just as you want the property to be physically clean when you take ownership you also want the space to be energetically clean as well. Since everything is the energy you want to start from a clean environment and not mix past histories with your new one from an energetic standpoint. So I always encourage before you start moving all your stuff in to clean the space of the old energy and invite the new energy of your dreams and your family to now taking space in this place you will be calling home. You can use traditional tools such as sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. Also, there are palo santo, essential oils, or sea salt. Lastly don’t forget about music and prayer. Honestly pure gratitude for this amazing space works as well.
There really is no right or wrong necessarily. It’s all about the intention of what you would like to create. Many of the tools I have suggested are very sacred medicine and change the energy purely on their own. Please know though your clear and direct heart can create a sacred space all on its own too. So again there is no right or wrong choice as it’s your sacred space to create as you choose. The only offer I would give is that the more in alignment to your sovereignty in your choice you have the more joy you can instill and create in your new home.
Remember
Once in the home, the fun can begin… If you’re starting from nothing to already owning everything you need there are many ways to create and arrange a space that feels sacred, joyful, and filled with love. As Feng Shu is a beautiful practice many find it challenging to understand. So if creating from the Feng shu energy is too complicated you can choose a simpler approach. What are you wanting to accomplish in your new space? Do you have a family? Are you hoping to start one, are you single, are you planning on not being single anymore? Do you have pets?
This is just the beginning of creating a sacred space within your home. Personal things, colors, natural living pieces, water, fire, animals, etc …. all play a part in this creation.
So remember so within so without. Let’s get clear on what sacred means to you. Begin building a place you feel safe, comfortable, and totally ok just being in to completely rejuvenate yourself every day.
If you’re native to Tucson, you have most likely heard about the Titan Missile Museum. It’s just 25 miles outside of our beloved Old Pueblo but have you actually gone there? A lot of people haven’t, and we think that’s a shame. This museum is not just a fun thing to check out while in Tucson. It’s history from the not-so-distant past.
Titan Missile Museum Logo
The History
The Titan II missile is a remnant of the Cold War. When the whole world watched the “will they/won’t they” relationship between the USA and Russia. In preparation for the worst the US placed missile silos around the country and stocked them Atlas F’s, Titan I’s, and the final version, the Titan II.
54 of these missiles were sent to 3 Airforce bases with an anticipated decade of active duty. That deadline was extended for upgrades and modifications. In 1984, 24 years after its initial deployment, the last Titan II missile was deactivated. Many of the missiles were converted into satellite carrying vessels for the space program. Tucson has not just a silo left but the missile inside it as well.
Visiting
Today you can visit the Titan Missile Museum and take a tour of Cold War history. You can choose the self-guided topside tour or the 45-minute guided tour. There is plenty to see topside if you don’t want to or can’t descend the 55 steps required for the guided tour. Additionally, school and group tours are also available.
Get an up-close and personal look at the missile and engine, still standing alert and tall to this day. While visiting mission control you can experience a simulated launch and get a feeling of the paranoia experienced during the Cold War era.
Hours and days vary so make sure to double check their website before planning your trip. This museum is a great choice if you’re a fan of military history or just history in general. Stop by the museum shop on the way out for a souvenir for yourself or a gift for the war buff in your life.
This is going on the market this afternoon and it’s a flash sale, like a pop up! We just got it this morning so we are putting it up right away, you gotta come see it! This is a 1950’s bungalow with two entrances, one of those entrances is the 3rd bedroom. The really cool thing about that is you could put somebody in there as a roommate or a renter. So let’s go in, ‘m going to show you that bedroom in a few minutes.
1107 E. Lester Tucson, AZ 85719
This Bungalow was completely remodeled just at the beginning of this year, we’ve been waiting for it, we are so excited. It’s got a beautiful large living space. As you can see it’s furnished right now, it’s being used as a AirBNB. So this property could be a turnkey vacation rental for you or it’s ready to move in. Also, just so, you know, the artwork and all the furnishings are negotiable and can stay with this property if you do want to do a vacation rental.
I love this property because the floor plan makes it very versatile. You can have a roommate easily because of the split bedroom, you could use this as a vacation rental. You could use it as a second home, it could be a long-term / short-term rental. There’s just this is a great floor plan. I also love that it’s a double red brick, it’s solid build. You don’t find these very often in this condition. It also has a big property in the back with covered parking and storage and with and a patio we’re going to show you that as well.
The kitchen has been remodeled right at the beginning. That means the appliances are newer. Everything in here is newer. This is a really cool feature to me, if you’re in the living room or you have guests, all you have to do is hop over here, grab a soda. Or as Marta would say, una cerveza. Then you can pop back over there, and you don’t have to get involved in the kitchen. So if someone’s in here cooking, you’re not interfering, which is really, really cool.
The kitchen has gas, which I love, it has a built-in microwave, it does have a dishwasher which is also something you don’t find a lot in these older homes and I love a kitchen with a window when you’re doing dishes or your cooking, I just really like the light. They did install Solar Tubes. Those are in the ceiling. You can see the extra light pointing down, so you but they don’t be lights in this house during the day, so it’s really awesome. They also did the new upgraded flat square lighting, which I also love. It brings a touch of modern to this property.
Down at this side of the house, you have two bedrooms with closets and Marta is going to walk you over there, you’re going to see that they’re generous in size. Both of the bedrooms would fit a queen-size, or a king size bed. And still have plenty of room for a dresser or sitting chair, or whatever you need. One of the other cool things is they have semi walk-in closets. so, I can literally walk inside this…
Really cool, right? These little old houses, usually have little tiny… How do you say it? They are very generous compared to other 1950s homes, they have a little teeny tiny door with a little teeny tiny closets. Yeah, these are good size.
It has a linen closet in the hallway. And then you have a beautiful second bedroom and again, I can walk in this closet. It’s actually got great space, I’m all they way back here. So if you put double racks across both sides here, you can fit a lot of clothes in this bedroom, nice, right? Love this house.
I love the calmness of the decor, it certainly feels really nice in this house. This bathroom was also updated. As you can see, it’s got a tub and the shower. They also put a solar tube to create light for this bathroom. I think I want to do that now at my house and these are Bluetooth speaker systems which are really cool, so you can play music while you sing in the shower.
Notice the ledge, great for babies and dogs 🙂
Bathroom number two is the same. We have a completely remodeled bathroom over here. This is a walk-in shower and it’s beautifully tiled. I really like what they did with that. They even went to to the point of putting seating in the shower at, for shaving your legs or just taking a rest, I suppose. Also great to wash babies and dogs.
If we go over here, there’s a bonus room on this property, and this is perfect for an office or a yoga room, it’s great Flex space. You can do anything with this. It could be a guest bedroom since you don’t need a closet for a guest, typically. If you need a closet for guess, they’re saying too long. That’s my theory. So this can be a really great room. I can see having a Murphy bed here and then making it an office or combination or something. It also has an entrance out to the patio in the backyard. So that’s another really neat part of this room. So, let me show you the other the last bedroom and then we’ll go outside.
This this originally was most likely a carport because there is a step down. It has been remodeled and converted into a laundry room and a bedroom with its own private entrance. It’s a good size laundry room, lots of light in the laundry room, which I love, and you could do a lot with this, because it’s got storage and it’s got lots of space.
Great for Guest or Roommate Who Needs Their Own Entrance, Teenagers is Still Up for Debate
Then we have this bedroom again, a good-sized closet and a very nice size room. A king-size bed would fit in here very easily. I love this room because of the double windows, I like a lot of light. There’s also windows on this side and, this is really cool because, you’ve got an entrance to the outside. This is back at the front where we started.
That is really cool because you could have a guest stay here or a roommate or somebody who needs their own entrance, which is neat. I don’t suggest teenagers live in this room. They could run away, they can get into trouble.
We’re going to go back out there and I’m going to show you the outside. One of the neat things about this property is it’s got a big spacious lot. And you gotta love it because there’s a good-sized front yard, but the backyard, you can do so much with. And if you’ve got toys or campers like we do, you want to park those with your cars. You’ve got plenty of space inside these gates.
This is a really cool little patio right here, so you’re covered. Then you can see, over there, you’ve got a storage shed in the back. You’ve got two-car carport, you could easily fit, wow you could easily fit a couple campers, a boat, Sea-Doos and still have your pool. So I think then you would just add some privacy to the fencing and you’re all good to go. So that’s what we would do.
This area is permit street parking. So your guests, you give them your permit. If you’re living here, you’d get a permit to put in their windows. The cool thing about this property is it actually has plenty of parking for guests, so that’s nice too. If you want to have a little get-together, you don’t have to worry about the permitted street parking.
We’re super close to the U of A, so this is a great house for a rental if you have a professor or students or somebody who wanted to go to the UArizoa. Or Banner Hospital is down the road. The location is fantastic just from the fact that there’s so much around here.
Call Tony Ray Today at (520) 631-TONY and Schedule Your Walkthrough
We did this on the fly because we want to get this out to you right away because we are going to list it this afternoon, we have paper signed, we’re getting photographs and video done right now, and we are getting ready to go.
Call me and (520) 631-TONY (8669) and I can get you in ASAP or call Marta, what is your phone number Marta? (520) 265-5625 So if you speak Spanish and you need a Spanish speaker, you just think she’s prettier than me. Whatever then call Marta!
Let’s finish off in the great room so you can get a feel for this one more time, it’s a lot of house to take in. Three bedrooms, two baths, extra bonus room, covered parking, large lot for lots of toys and guests and it has been remodeled and it just was finished at the very beginning of this year. If you have any questions, call me I’m Tony Ray with RE/MAX Select. Thank you so much. I hope you guys have a great day!
More Amazing Photos of 1107 E. Lester Tucson, AZ 85719
The real estate industry is constantly evolving. Realtors must keep up with the latest laws and bring new marketing and advertising techniques to the industry every year based on consumer demands. Agents with experience shape the real estate sector and influence the direction of its growth. So, what are the emerging real estate trends to look for in 2021? Let us learn about it from a 2021 ThreeBestRated® award-winning realtor.
Tony Ray Baker is a ThreeBestRated® award-winning real estate agent from Tucson, Arizona. He points out a few emerging trends that influence the real estate sector in 2021:
More listing agents are adopting 360° virtual tours and video walk-throughs.
Likewise, more buyer’s agents prefer virtual live showings.
Many creative clauses to Help sellers negotiate a more risk-free move in a market with low inventory.
About Tony Ray Baker ThreeBestRated® – RE/MAX Select
Tony Ray Baker is one of the friendliest and most enthusiastic REALTORS® anyone can meet. He has been helping his friends, family, and clients buy and sell properties in Tucson since 1994. He loves every aspect of his job. Tony Ray says,
“Real estate allows me to do everything I love. From Marketing and advertising to negotiations and meeting new people, I find real joy in all aspects of today’s real estate industry. It allows me to be constantly learning, challenging myself, and so much more.”
Tony Ray is very successful in his field and is into real estate because of his mom. She is the one who suggested that he should pursue a career in the industry. Soon after, Tony Ray realized his passion for real estate and started his journey. After over 25 years, he has grown into one of the prominent REALTORS® in Tucson.
Tony Ray has a proven track record of serving his clientele with fantastic results. He always commits to helping his clients realize their real estate goals. On being named as one of the best real estate agents in Tucson, Tony Ray says, “The Tucson real estate community has a lot of top professionals who truly dedicate themselves to their clientele and their community. It is definitely humbling to be chosen as one of the three best in Tucson.” For more information about him, go to his website – https://seetucsonhomes.com/about/.
You will Love the Peaceful Quiet Nights and Amazing Lifestyle this Home Offers. Nestled on over 1 acre of Sonoran Desert, this is the perfect retreat. 4651 N Paseo de Los Rancheros Tucson AZ 85745 is located in the popular Rancho Del Cerro neighborhood.
Beautiful travertine floors welcome you into the art gallery entrance which highlights your favorite collection perfectly. The open floor plan offers plenty of room to relax and entertain with large living room, separate dining area, breakfast counter, family room and kitchen.
Kitchen is tastefully updated with granite counter tops, custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and beautiful glass tile back splash. Outside, you’ll love the Amazing Tucson sunsets from the covered patio! Or hangout by the sparkling pool as you smell the fragrance of the citrus blossoms.
When you do want to go out and explore, you are only a few minutes away from: I-10 Freeway, Downtown Tucson, the Loop, Restaurants, Theater, Events, Hiking, the MSA Annex and the Mercado. Some of our favorite restaurant nearby are Kukai, which has the best ramen in Tucson, Maynards Market and Kitchen, Senae Thai Bistro, and Charro Del Ray, just to name a few! For more amazing things to do in Tucson, check out Fun Things to do and Amazing Places to Go!
We’re seeing because of all this fun stuff happening and all the new Resurgence, people want to live here and they’re coming into these old neighborhoods that have been sitting here actually just ignored for years. And they’re coming in now and they’re seeing that there’s value here.
Come on in see I’m going to show you a beautiful house that’s about a block from the Mercado. This house has been completely renovated from the ground up. I mean, everything is brand new.
This was an old hip roof Bungalow from the 1930s. It looked like what it does now, which is really cool. The builder wants to keep the Integrity of the neighborhood, so he’s staying with the design of the original home.
So the owner had the idea to get a metal artist to come in and she wanted a feng shui beautiful feeling to the property. So she had the idea with him to create what you see right now, which is the metal front.
So you’re going to see a very grand open great room when we walk in and then a split where you see bedroom to the right and the bedrooms to the left. Kitchen is open, I love that kitchen. It’s bright and open, its part of the room.
You’re going to see some very cool designer pops of orange that the owner has put in there and the dining room is part of the kitchen. There’s a place there for gathering guest.
Well, they actually got it out the master bath. They took that and made that a beautiful walk-in shower. So it’s very convenient for the the people living in that sweet. And the guest bathroom is also pretty as well. This is just one example here of something that’s just really extraordinary. And you can see that the owner just put so much love into this already and we’re seeing this happening one after another.
Lots of Fun in Downtown Tucson
Well, even though it seems like a lot of what we’ve seen happen in downtown Tucson happened kind of overnight, it’s really been like 30 years in the making. People have been working for a long time to work out a viable downtown for Tucson because it did get to a point where there really wasn’t a good reason to come downtown.
However, with some private funding and some positive individuals a lots happened over the last five to ten years and we’re seeing a lot of development in Tucson has now become a real center and a model for that Trend across the country.
This is a prime example of some of the development that’s happened in downtown Tucson. Maynard’s Market was certainly not here. The cafe was not here. It was a basic train station. The building was not great. None of the infrastructure, the parking, everything that you’d see out from the streetscape now, none of that existed and so they’ve created this beautiful park-like setting and in the evenings you come out here you can have a nice cocktail, you can have a snack dinner with friends. They put out the heaters if it’s cold and you have this great environment, you have the beautiful Amtrak train station and the market and it’s a great space for craft shows and other types of events.
The Hotel Congress has been there for many many years as probably one of the oldest. well it’s the oldest continuously running hotel in Tucson. It’s mostly famous for having captured the Dillinger gang and so, you know, it was a thriving Hotel back in the 20s. It’s still operational today and it’s a great central point. They have a great breakfast there. They have a nice Lounge area there.
So with the light rail which landed around four years ago, the city came back to life with new chefs and new excitement, with new retail and there’s restaurants that have all different flavors and craft Cocktails.
So if you’re visiting Tucson and you need to come downtown, you need to see the Congress Hotel. You need to visit some of the great restaurants. You need to visit our museums. And also we happen to be an award-winning Festival City. We tied this last year with Abu Dhabi. Okay. So, you know, there’s a lot going on. We have the International Gem Show. We have so many festivals throughout the year. Check your calendar!
There really is no right or wrong necessarily. It’s all about the intention of what you would like to create. Many of the tools I have suggested are very sacred medicine and change the energy purely on their own. Please know though your clear and direct heart can create a sacred space all on its own too. So again there is no right or wrong choice as it’s your sacred space to create as you choose. The only offer I would give is that the more in alignment to your sovereignty in your choice you have the more joy you can instill and create in your new home.
