Not everyone can spend $1 million or more on a second home, even if it’s with the idea that eventually you’ll retire there. So when MoneyWise’s list of 40 places to retire that are more budget-friendly came out, we were curious — what kind of homes could you find in these towns?
We decided to take a look. Number 40 on the list? Scottsdale, Arizona. Just east of Phoenix, the town of about 200,000 or so is home to a lot of golfing, a lot of shopping, and warm weather pretty much year around.
It’s also (for a few months every year) a baseball lover’s paradise, since the Major League Baseball spring training camps of the Cactus League are sprinkled around Arizona, with two in Scottsdale proper.
“This community of a little more than 200,000 people offers gorgeous warm weather, beautiful parks, and immaculate streets,” MoneyWise explained. “Its proximity to Phoenix makes it a fantastic place for shopping, restaurant, and entertainment.”
“Owing in a large part to the year-round arid weather, Scottsdale and Phoenix are home to world-famous golf courses,” the story continued. “Healthcare in Scottsdale is known to be excellent. It should be noted that the Mayo Clinic has one of its three major branches in Scottsdale.”
So what did we find in Scottsdale? We found some frugal, some fairly frugal, and some not really frugal at all options. Today, we’ll look at two homes in two different price points, so you can get an idea of what your second home dollar can buy.