My New House in Central Phoenix: Introduction and Quick Tour
Odometer (U-HAUL Truck): 52,122
Odometer (Legend coupe): 544,457
Odometer (Legend sedan): 150,595
Odometer (Vigor): 105,948
Odometer (Integra): 237,259
Odometer (ILX): 180,646
Odometer (NSX): I don’t know! It’s coming back from my brother’s place in a few weeks!
I’ve moved into a garage. Well, not literally, but pretty much.
On Friday, August 26th, I officially closed on a new house that has more garage space than living space, and I’m totally okay with that. Allow me to introduce my residence in central Phoenix. Conveniently located in the up-and-coming “Uptown” area, this 1949 place started life as a simple, brick, 3-bedroom, 1-bath home. It was later remodeled to incorporate an additional bedroom, bathroom, and laundry on the east end. Then finally – and most importantly – a massive multi-car garage was tacked on and the existing carport was enclosed as well. Here was the photo from the for-sale listing that I first saw.
My (2 or 3) avid blog followers may recall that it was Friday, May 27th when Jason and I drove to the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Later that same day, my friend Rob in Phoenix sent me a text message saying that there was a home with a 5-car garage for sale near him. My interest was piqued but I was far too busy road tripping to think about real estate transactions. Besides, I was perfectly content in Scottsdale even though it meant renting out storage units in other parts of town for a couple of my cars. I’d been doing it for over 7 years and was used to the routine. Here was Rob’s text convo (a screen shot from his phone, and the photo is now missing).
The Alaska trip concluded and I got back to my daily grind without thinking twice about the Phoenix home. About a week later, Rob sent another text. “Price drop of $20,000 on the 5-car garage.” “Oh yeah,” I thought. “I should at least do a drive-by.” And I did so that weekend. I liked the home. While sitting in the car – my Legend sedan, as it were – in front of the house, I pulled out my phone and shot a quick email over to my friend (and real estate agent) Leif. That was June 11th. Here’s what I said:
The rest of the story – and it’s full of twists and turns, I assure you – I’ll leave for another day if I end up sharing it at all. But hundreds of emails, thousands of dollars, and almost three months later, I own the home.
Or rather, my mortgage company owns it, but my name’s on the paperwork! Here’s a summary of the timeline:
- May 27 – Notified of the house
- June 5 – Return from Alaska
- June 6 – Price drop of $20k
- June 11 – Emailed my agent
- June 21 – Sellers accepted my contingent offer, my home listed
- June 29 – Lowered my price $4,500
- July 8 – Lowered my price $5,000
- July 18 – Lowered my price $5,000
- July 27 – Offer accepted
- August 4 – First buyer fell through
- August 8 – Back-up buyer’s offer accepted
- August 12 – Inspection performed
- August 26 – Final repairs completed, both properties closed!
It really was a miracle that things came together in the time that they did. I cannot say enough about the level of professionalism and skill of my real estate agent, Leif Swanson. He was so organized and on the ball. Every meeting we had, his paperwork was filled out in advance and he had the ultimate of respect for my time.
Here’s the verbatim summary from the for-sale listing of my new home:
Beautiful 4 Bed, 2 bath, 1552 sq ft, 5 car garage (split into 3 separate garage units, 2/2/1) lovingly remodeled by artist and engineer. Large back yard, fully landscaped with garden/utility shed, w/ irrigated lot. Split, open floor plan, neutral color palette, 6″ baseboards & crown molding. Large screened patio, breezeway, dusk to dawn outdoor lighting. Interior tile flooring, newer dual pane windows, shutters/blinds, soft water unit, electric hot water tank, and updated 200 Amp electric service. Renovations have been legally permitted & approved through the City of Phoenix. Open kitchen offers pantry, Granite Island, stainless French door refrigerator, and in-island convection oven. See Doc tab for list of additional items to convey.
The property itself is a corner lot with over 10,000 square feet in area — twice as large as the piece of land I sold in Scottsdale. Can you say yard maintenance? That will be a new experience for me! Guess it’s time to start shopping for a Honda lawnmower.
I wasted no time in having company over, as my friend Branson flew down from Salt Lake City to spend the weekend with me. Following are just a few of the many photos sharing the events of this exciting transaction!
Check the 6-minute video for a full tour. Be sure and watch to the very end for a fun blooper.
Home before remodel (taken from Google) – May 2014
After remodels – June 2016. Extreme makeover?
U-HAUL time! I put 78 miles on this thing and it took 2 trips to get my furniture transported.
Retrieving the last load from Scottsdale.
This is how my die-cast model cars were transported. More on that in a second!
Starting to get settled in.
Retrieving the Legend sedan from the storage unit where it had lived for the last 2 years.
Clean-up time at the Scottsdale home!
The banner was the last thing to come down.
Unloading at the new house, with some help from Rob and his Ford Escape.
James paid us a visit in his Fiat that day.
Visit from Lance from Seattle who I bought the Integra from.
Enjoying my back patio.
Saying goodbye to the Scottsdale place one last time.
Friends Chandler, James, Jack, and Rob at the new pad
Following up with Charlie and Cindy, who I bought the new place from. They’d left me detailed (and laminated) notes on each of the plants on the back patio, with care instructions!
Charlie and Cindy were great. They’ve even now sent me photos from throughout the home’s remodel! There was a fireplace removed, a wall pulled down, and the original casement windows were repurposed as a gate in the backyard.
Original windows
Gate to alleyway
The final transaction details came to me via text. The deal was final as of 2:01 p.m. on Friday the 26th!
Making it official with a key handoff. My neighbor Drew took the photo for us.
This is now the first time in over 4 years of ILX ownership that the car will have a garage space.
Removal of the for-sale sign the following morning.
Visit from Justin
Climbing on top of the roof with Branson to find a new home for the model cars.
Perfect!
Pulling the Vigor out onto the back driveway for a day-trip.
James and his mom paid a visit, too.
Official change-of-address confirmation received! Pretty sweet!
Now, time to try out some of the neighborhood cuisine…
Come visit me!
drivetofive 
August 28, 2016 at 2:03 pm
Congrats Tyson, now that’s been a road trip!
August 29, 2016 at 7:57 am
Ha, thanks Cody! It sure has. We are BOTH in the market for lawnmowers it looks like. Your sod is looking fantastic.
August 29, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Thanks! Just got my new Honda mower! Nothing but the best!
August 28, 2016 at 3:28 pm
I am anxious to see it in person! It has a lot of character! That yard though…. 👍🏼👍🏼
August 29, 2016 at 7:58 am
Yeah! When will you be arriving?
August 30, 2016 at 5:45 am
Friday afternoon…likely 2 or 3 ish.
August 28, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Very nice house Tyson. Congratulations.
August 29, 2016 at 7:58 am
Thank you Carlos! I’m loving it so far!
August 28, 2016 at 4:52 pm
D’aww Mama Lee made the site. What a whirlwind to get this house. Now you can finally sit back and relax, and plan our your next road trip! 😉
August 29, 2016 at 7:59 am
Yes! I leave 2 weeks from tomorrow for Atlanta. Looking forward to getting out of town. I’ve been a little stir crazy 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 11:18 am
Are you driving to Atlanta, Tyson?
August 29, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Yes Pam I’m driving to Atlanta. Looking forward to it! It’s about 3,700 miles round trip and I’ll be taking the high-miler. 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Okay, nevermind I just watched your YouTube from July… thanks autoplay!
Enjoy the drive Tyson.
August 28, 2016 at 4:57 pm
TYSON!!! I am so happy for you and your Acuras!
The new home looks beautiful and those garages are such a necessity now. Excited to see your little touches and updates in the future. Love the back yard too, but I cannot get over the garage conveniences. Very happy for you knowing you get to sleep with all of your cars ‘next to you’ on your own property now. Haha.
Does this mean your driveway car wash parties are going to be 2 1/2 times more fun (and the size) since you now have 2 technical driveways and another spot behind the garage to wash?
Man. Congratulations Tyson! Send me an invite to your next cookout! lol
August 29, 2016 at 8:00 am
Thanks Dillon! Oh yes, the car wash parties will be a blast. The only thing left to figure out is how I can get a killer sound system for the backyard. No party is complete without the right tunes.
August 29, 2016 at 2:54 pm
Oooh! That’s fun. Are you looking to do just your screened in patio area or the back yard area too?
It’s hard for me to tell how big your yard really is but two outdoor loud speakers placed half way out from your back patio facing each other may be enough without being too loud with equal sound coverage. But if it’s a bigger yard you may do the two loud speakers up front by the patio facing out and two more near the middle-back portion.
I’m sure you’ll figure it out!
August 28, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Can’t wait to see it!! Save Vanessa a spot in one or the garages!
Congrats, Rex!!
August 29, 2016 at 8:00 am
Thanks Conor! Miss V (and you) are ALWAYS welcome!
August 28, 2016 at 7:41 pm
Congratulations on your new house purchase! Don’t spend any cash on a lawnmower – just put more garaging out back! Haha! Hope you’re not too sore after your swinging accident. Cheers Adam.
August 29, 2016 at 8:01 am
Ha, thankfully I’ve recovered fully from the swing incident! And don’t tempt me with additional garages!!
August 28, 2016 at 8:11 pm
Congratulations on your new house! I like the logbook idea. Will the NSX have a garage space?
August 29, 2016 at 8:02 am
Yes. I’ve measured the length of the large garage from end to end, and once the wall in the middle comes down, it’ll leave room for at least one more vehicle in there. Phew!
August 28, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Congratulations on your new home! That is really great!!!!
August 29, 2016 at 8:02 am
Thank you Sherry! If you ever make it to Arizona I’d love to show you around! Hope all is well in WA!
August 28, 2016 at 10:01 pm
Congrats HomeFry! It occurs to me that you now have garage for 5, but parking for 12! Time to complete the collection!
August 29, 2016 at 8:03 am
I know! The backyard has all sorts of room for project cars. But I’ll exercise some restraint. My friends already think I need rehab. Which is probably true.
August 29, 2016 at 4:16 am
Awesome, Tyson! Congratulations!!
August 29, 2016 at 8:03 am
Thanks Tim!
August 29, 2016 at 5:29 am
Ha – LOVE the guest book! Thanks for the tour and Congrats!
P.S. – Can we expect to see a Honda mower in one of those garages soon?
August 29, 2016 at 8:04 am
Ha – DUH! I’ll be a Honda lawnmower owner in no time. And I just happen to have a spare Acura emblem and TYPE II badge for it…
August 29, 2016 at 6:26 am
Good to see you guys on Saturday. Guess it’s time to hold a contest to name the new domicile… how about “Tyson Corners?”
Anyway I think you’ll need to come up with a “rotation schedule” now that all the cars are at one location. Don’t want them squabbling over who gets the prime parking spot 😉
BTW, knowing you I’ll bet the collection is bound to expand in the future so you might consider adding an awning or covering the area outside the 4 car garage? Would definitely give you a “cool” spot for detailing since garage space will be at a premium…
Congratulations again and hope your work commute is always short!
August 29, 2016 at 8:05 am
I really love that awning idea! Yes! Thanks for suggesting that. As for a name for the domicile, that’s yet to be determined. However, my Wifi network is named “Acuraddiction.”
August 29, 2016 at 8:06 am
Wow. I just saw the video. This has to be the first time in history that a new home owner focuses on the garages at the very beginning before anything else!!! I also noticed that guest book you keep when friends visit. Did you also keep a guest book at your previous home or is this a new thing? In any event, I love it. And finally, that super slow motion video of you on the swing as it breaks is something else. I am glad the stuntman was not hurt. 😉
August 29, 2016 at 8:35 am
I did not have a guest book at my last house, but I figured this is a great chance to start one! I’ve almost filled up the entire first page already. Maybe someday you’ll add your name to it.
August 29, 2016 at 8:55 am
Very nice house! Congrats on the move to a place where cars have accommodations just as good as people. I bet you’re excited to get out in that lawn each week! So it sounds like you have a big mower decision to make… HRR or HRX series? 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 9:02 am
Ugh, decisions! Time to start researching. Tell me what you recommend! I remember you telling me recently about how reliable your Honda mower has been…. I’m looking forward to putting a lot of miles on one.
August 29, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Dude! Talk about a perfect find of a house. The “four car” garage is going to be amazing with the center wall knocked down – great place to work on/clean/park cars, plus one more tucked away by herself on the other end of the house.
Didn’t know homes *had* grass in Arizona, btw 😉
I’m moving in a few weeks and will have to at least take some photos, if not a video. Won’t be nearly as extensive as I’m downsizing but I suspect you and I both looked at the garages first…
Big big congrats!! I’ll have to check out flights this fall/winter!
August 29, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Haha YES! Car wash parties shall be held! Yeah, I can’t wait to see how the space looks after the wall comes down. First question I asked the seller when I did my walk-through: “Is this wall load bearing?” I’m ALLLLL about decking that out in vintage Acura signage and garb. I might even have someone build a little counter for all my brochures and literature. Muahahahaha 😉 Good luck with your move too!!
August 29, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Wow wow wow… My dream home 🏡. Many, many felicitations and good wishes for your future in the new place!
I’d love to stop by on my way to Orlando in late October. There’ll probably be a huge group of us now that you’re famous 😉
On another note, where is your NSX? Surely it deserves garage space!!
August 29, 2016 at 5:12 pm
Hi Pam, yes, come see me! Would love to have you pay me a visit. My NSX is finally coming back from my brother’s place in southern Utah the weekend of October 7th. And yes, it will be a center piece in the big garage as soon as that center wall comes down. I have a vision in my head of what the space will look like 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Wow congratulations Tyson!! Your house looks so nice and a lot of space. I love it! 🙂
August 29, 2016 at 7:27 pm
Thanks Josh! I’m really loving all the space. Tonight I learned more about the irrigation process. I can already tell it’s going to be a lot of work keeping up with the yard, but it’s worth it 🙂 Hope your day went well.
August 30, 2016 at 9:42 pm
Congratulations Tyson!!!
The ILX will have a place to live before the sun gets it…
I’ll watch the video next time I have data…
One again, congratulations!!!
August 31, 2016 at 5:44 am
Thanks very much! Yeah it’s nice to finally have an indoor spot for the ILX after all these years. Hope you enjoy the video.
August 31, 2016 at 4:40 pm
Congrats! I hope to come check out the new place soon!!!!!!!
August 31, 2016 at 4:59 pm
Thanks Dave! I hope you can get down here soon too! I’m really loving the new place and it’s only going to get better with time. I have lofty plans for those garages 🙂
September 1, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Congrats on the house! Now I need to get out there and be the first New Mexican in that guest book. 😀
September 1, 2016 at 4:08 pm
Absolutely! I look forward to that! I’ll even reserve you a space in the guest book that’s large enough for you to make a small dedication or share a few words if you wish. Haha