TUCSON CITIZEN: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The lure of the outskirts
Cheaper land, lower fees and taxes pushing Tucsonans across county lines for their new homes
Shane Van Deren and his wife, Meridee, can't afford a new house in Tucson, so they are buying their first home some 40 miles east, on the outskirts of Benson.
"Homes around Tucson are just a little too expensive," Van Deren, 23, said. "We are so happy to be able to get into a good-sized home that is priced well on an acre of land, rather than a cookie-cutter house in a tight subdivision."
The Van Derens are part of a growing trend. Cheaper land, a rural ambiance and easy interstate access to Tucson jobs are creating new bedroom communities outside Pima County . The new hot spots are Benson in Cochise County and Red Rock in Pinal County . But the move outside Pima County for people who work in Tucson means lost revenue for the area in property, sales taxes and development fees.
"These people will live outside Pima County , but they will drive to Tucson to work," said Tucson housing expert John Strobeck. "Tax revenue from these developments will go to Cochise and Pinal counties, but the costs for roads and services will be borne in Pima County ."
Full story at: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/local/010706a1_outlying