Best of the Foothills and Central Tucson

You will be enchanted by this elegant, exquisite, extraordinary foothills home. Two bedrooms and two baths. 

Granite counters, mesquite shelves and high end stainless appliances in kitchen. The hand-made Mexican floor tiles are positively eye-candy. Remote-control gas insert in the stone-faced fireplace. 

If you never have enough room for your wardrobe, you will be won over by the palatial master closet with custom storage.

The guest room has a lovely Murphy bed, built-in desk and sliding door to the generous north-facing covered porch. 

Can't beat the location, near Rillito River Walk, St. Phillip's Plaza Farmer's Market, Trader Joe's. Half way between U of A and the upscale shopping and dining in and near La Encantada. 

End unit near pool and guest parking. The interactive floor plan is here. Sold March 3, 2017 for $212,500..

Is It Smart to Have Smart Devices?

The very skillful saleswoman at Verizon convinced me to buy a pair of light bulbs that I can control from my phone. I never installed them, because once I got home, I wondered why I needed to be able to turn on the lights when I'm not home, or even when I'm in the driveway. This saleswoman loved the smart light bulbs she had at home, and demonstrated how she could turn them off and on using her phone. She said her husband was at home, and I asked if he would be freaked out by her playing with the lights. She happily said he was used to it.

Today the New York Times has an article stating that home computers can be compromised by hackers who access smart devices like thermostats, light bulbs and televisions. Obviously, this could be really bad. One suggested work around is to have the smart devices on a separate network from the home computer. Another solution is to avoid smart devices.

Oro Valley Home for under $200,000

Sparkling clean and freshly painted in neutral colors. Turn-key ready so you can enjoy a relaxing lifestyle. 

Three bedrooms and two baths. Popular split floor plan provides privacy for master suite. Tile throughout. 

Sliding door from sunny eat-in kitchen to back porch. Recessed lighting. Kitchen is open to the dining area, which shares high ceiling with the living room. Cozy fireplace. 

Mature trees on a corner lot in the middle of the neighborhood. 

Low HOA fee includes community pool & spa. 

Access to a walking path along Canada del Oro River is just a few short blocks away. 

It's under half a mile to Canada del Oro Riverfront Park, with picnic ramadas, tables and grills, tennis and basketball courts, shaded playground and more. 

You may be eligible for down payment assistance and mortgage interest credit. Call for more information. Sold on February 22, 2017 for $166,335. We learned during the inspection period that the house needed roof repairs, termite treatment, and polybutylene plumbing replaced, hence the low price.