Should You Buy an Arizona Second Home Before You Retire?

For years, the plan might have sounded something like this:

Someday, when we retire, we'll get a place in Arizona.

It makes sense.

Work first.

Raise the kids.

Pay down the house.

Build the retirement accounts.

And then, eventually, you're allowed to start living that sunny Arizona life you've been talking about.

But somewhere in your 50s, an interesting thing can happen.

The kids are grown.

Your finances look different.

Maybe your work has become more flexible.

You find yourself thinking more seriously about how you want the next ten or twenty years to look.

And suddenly you start asking a different question:

Why are we waiting until retirement?

I think that's a question worth exploring.

Not because everyone should rush out and buy a second home.

But because retirement doesn't necessarily have to be the starting line for the life you've been planning.

What If You Bought the Lifestyle Before You Retired?

This is the idea I wish more people considered.

Instead of retiring one day and saying:

"Okay, now where should we live?"

What if you gave yourself several years to figure it out?

Buy a second home.

Spend a few weeks there.

Then a month.

Maybe eventually two or three months.

Learn the community.

Make friends.

Find your favorite restaurants.

Figure out whether you actually like golfing three times a week—or whether you mostly like the idea of golfing three times a week.

Discover what Arizona feels like when it isn't vacation.

By the time retirement arrives, you aren't starting from scratch.

You've already begun building the life.

This Is Exactly How a Second Home Can Be Different From a Home After Retirement

When people hear "Arizona house," they sometimes immediately picture a permanent retirement move.

Sell the Washington house.

Pack everything.

Say goodbye to the rain.

Move south.

But it doesn't have to happen that way.

For many people, a second home creates a bridge between the life they have now and the life they may want later.

You keep Washington.

You keep your community.

You keep the summers you love.

And you add Arizona. I love this part!

Over time, you discover what balance works for you.

Maybe you eventually spend six months in each state.

Maybe Arizona remains your winter escape.

Maybe you decide Washington will always be home base.

Or maybe one day you realize Arizona has become home.

You don't have to know the final answer before you begin.

Why Your 50s Can Be an Interesting Time to Consider It

For many buyers, their 50s look dramatically different from their 30s and 40s.

The intense child-raising years may be behind them.

Their careers may be established.

They may have substantial equity in their primary residence.

Their income may be stronger than it was earlier in life.

And they're beginning to think less about accumulation and more about:

What do we actually want our life to look like?

That's a meaningful shift.

Because at some point, financial planning isn't only about maximizing the number on a statement.

It's also about deciding what you want your money to do for you.

For some people, that means travel.

For others, it's helping their children.

Maybe it's buying a boat.

Or taking the entire family on vacation.

And for some, it's creating a second home somewhere sunny.

None of those decisions are automatically right.

But they're worth considering.

There May Be an Advantage to Buying While You're Still Working

Here's one practical reason buyers sometimes consider purchasing before retirement:

Your financial picture may look different while you're employed.

Mortgage qualification can depend on documented income, assets, debt and the particular loan program you're using.

Retirement doesn't necessarily prevent you from getting a mortgage, of course.

But if financing will be part of your purchase, it's worth having a conversation with a qualified lender before you retire rather than assuming the timing doesn't matter.

This doesn't mean:

"Quick! Buy a house before you stop working!"

It means:

Understand your options before making the decision.

A good lender can help you compare scenarios.

Perhaps you don’t need a mortgage.

Maybe buying now makes sense.

Maybe paying cash later makes more sense.

Maybe waiting is clearly the better option.

Information gives you choices.

But Don't Buy a Second Home Because You're Afraid Prices Will Go Up

This is where I want to slow things down.

Fear is not a great reason to buy a house.

"If we don't buy now, we'll never be able to afford it."

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Nobody knows exactly what Verrado home prices will do over the next five or ten years.

The same is true for interest rates.

Trying to perfectly time the market can turn into a full-time job.

I'd rather focus on something we can actually evaluate:

Does owning the home make sense for your life and finances today?

If yes, then we can look for the right opportunity.

If no, Arizona isn't going anywhere.

Your Second Home Should Not Steal From Your Retirement

This is probably the most important financial point in the entire article.

I love second homes.

But I do not love second homes that make people financially anxious.

Before buying, consider how the purchase affects:

your retirement savings,

your monthly cash flow,

your emergency reserves,

your travel plans,

your primary residence,

and the other things you want to do with your money.

And remember that the purchase price isn't the entire expense.

You'll also have ongoing costs such as property taxes, insurance, HOA assessments, utilities and maintenance.

If you're buying a Verrado second home, I've written an entire guide about what it really costs to own one because I want buyers looking at the complete picture.

The goal isn't simply:

Can we buy it?

It's:

Can we own it comfortably and still live the rest of our life?

That's the number I care about.

Think About Time as Part of the Return

This is where second-home math gets interesting.

Suppose you're 55.

You plan to retire at 65.

And you've always imagined owning an Arizona home once you retire.

If you wait, you preserve ten years of not having second-home expenses.

That's real.

But you're also giving up ten potential winters of using that home.

That's real too.

Maybe waiting is absolutely the correct financial choice.

But I think time belongs in the equation.

A second home isn't an index fund.

Part of its return is measured in:

January mornings outside.

Golf with your spouse.

Your adult kids visiting.

Friends coming down for the weekend.

Thanksgiving in Arizona.

Working remotely from the patio for a week.

Exploring a new community together.

Those experiences don't appear on a spreadsheet.

But they aren't worth zero.

This Is Why I Talk About Buying a Life, Not Just a House

When my husband and I chose Verrado, we weren't simply comparing bedrooms and square footage.

We were thinking about what we wanted more of.

Sunshine.

Community.

Golf.

Time outside.

And proximity to people we love.

The house was part of that.

But the life around the house was the real reason.

That's one of the biggest things I want my second-home buyers to think about.

Don't start with:

"How much house can we get?"

Start with:

"What are we hoping this house gives us?"

Then we find the property that supports that.

You Also Get to “Test Drive” Arizona

This might be one of the biggest benefits of buying before retirement.

Arizona can become part of your life gradually.

You learn what winter is like.

Then maybe you spend part of spring there.

You experience different seasons.

You learn what you love.

You learn what you don't.

You discover whether you prefer Verrado or Victory at Verrado.

Maybe you realize a private pool isn't nearly as important as you thought.

Perhaps you decide golf-course living matters more than expected.

You make friends.

You build routines.

You're gathering information about your future while you're living it.

That's very different from retiring, selling your longtime home and making one enormous decision all at once.

What If You Can Work Remotely?

This has changed the second-home conversation for some buyers.

If you don't need to be physically present in Washington every day, your Arizona home may be usable well before traditional retirement.

Maybe you spend two weeks working from Verrado.

Then three.

Maybe you extend a holiday trip.

Instead of waiting until you're completely finished working, you start blending work and the lifestyle you want.

Of course, your employer's policies, tax situation and other considerations matter.

But if you have flexibility, it's worth thinking about how you'd actually use it.

What About the Kids?

This can be one of the emotional hurdles.

Maybe your adult kids are still in Washington.

Maybe they're in California.

Maybe they're scattered all over.

There's often an underlying feeling that buying another home means somehow leaving your family behind.

But sometimes the opposite happens.

The Arizona house becomes the gathering place.

Suddenly everyone is surprisingly available for a February visit.

Funny how that works.

Think about the home through that lens too.

Do you need a guest room?

Two?

Would a casita be valuable?

A pool?

A great outdoor entertaining area?

Maybe the second home isn't where you go away from your family.

Maybe it's another place your family comes together.

You Don't Need to Decide Where You'll Retire Yet

This is another reason I like the second-home approach.

You aren't necessarily making a forever decision.

You may think you'll eventually live in Arizona full-time.

Then after several years, you realize:

"Actually, I love spending five months here and seven months in Washington."

Perfect.

Or maybe you're ready to spend more and more time in Arizona.

Also perfect.

The second home gives you information.

And information is incredibly valuable before making a permanent relocation decision.

When I Would Tell You to Wait

There are absolutely situations where I would say:

Not yet.

If buying requires you to drain your emergency savings.

If the monthly costs will make you anxious.

If you need to compromise your retirement plan significantly.

If you're not sure you even like Arizona outside of a weeklong vacation.

If you and your spouse have very different visions of what you want.

If owning another property sounds more exhausting than exciting.

Wait.

Rent for a month.

Visit again.

Explore other communities.

Run the numbers.

There is no prize for buying your second home first.

The goal is to make a decision you're excited to live with.

When I Would Start Looking

On the other hand, I'd start exploring if:

You've been talking about an Arizona home for years.

You can comfortably afford the purchase and ongoing expenses.

You know you'll use it.

You have flexibility to spend meaningful time there.

You're curious about whether Arizona might become part of your retirement.

And the idea feels less like an impulse and more like:

"This is the next version of our life."

Notice I said start exploring.

You don't need to make an offer next week.

Start learning.

Here's What I'd Do First

If you're sitting in Washington thinking:

"Maybe we should actually do this..."

I wouldn't start on Zillow.

I'd start with a conversation between the two of you.

Ask:

Why do we want an Arizona home?

How many months would we realistically use it?

What would we want to do while we're there?

Who would visit us?

How much do we comfortably want to spend—not just to buy, but to own it?

Would we want this to become part of our retirement someday?

Then we can start talking about houses.

Because once I understand those answers, I can help you decide whether we're looking for:

A lock-and-leave home.

A golf property.

A house with room for family.

A home in Victory.

A place closer to Main Street.

New construction.

A resale with everything already finished.

A private pool.

No pool.

The lifestyle tells us what house to buy.

Not the other way around.

Come to Verrado Before You Decide

And please don't make this decision entirely from your laptop in Washington.

Come down.

Stay for several days.

Walk Main Street.

Play golf.

Tour Verrado.

Tour Victory if you're eligible.

Look at new construction.

Look at resales.

Have lunch with me.

Drive around at different times of day.

Sit outside in the evening.

And instead of asking:

"Do we like this house?"

ask:

"Can we picture ourselves having a life here?"

That's the question that matters. And that’s exactly how we finally made our decision to make Verrado home.

Maybe “Someday” Is Closer Than You Think

I think a lot of us spend our younger years postponing things.

When the kids are older.

When work slows down.

When the house is paid off.

When we retire.

Someday.

And postponing is sometimes exactly the right choice.

But every once in a while, it's worth revisiting the plan.

Maybe the circumstances that created the original timeline have changed.

Maybe you don't have to wait until 65.

Maybe you don't have to move permanently.

Maybe you don't have to know exactly what retirement will look like.

Maybe you can simply start building a little piece of that life now.

Not recklessly.

Not because Instagram told you to.

And not because you're afraid you'll miss the market.

Because you've looked at the numbers, thought about the life you want and decided:

We're ready for this.

That's a very different reason to buy a house.

And I think it's a pretty good one.

Thinking About Buying a Second Home in Verrado Before Retirement?

If you're beginning your research, start with my Complete Guide to Buying a Second Home in Verrado from Washington.

Then explore When Is the Best Time to Buy a Home in Verrado?

If you're 55+, read Verrado vs. Victory at Verrado: Which Community Is Right for You?

I've also written guides comparing New Construction vs. Resale Homes in Verrado, explaining What It Really Costs to Own a Second Home in Verrado, considering Whether You Need a Private Pool, and showing you How to Prepare Your Verrado Home When You Leave for the Summer.

I'm Tammy Cannon, a real estate agent licensed in Washington and Arizona, and I specialize in helping Washington buyers explore second-home opportunities in Verrado. I’ve done it and can help you to.

If Arizona has been sitting on your "someday" list for a while, let's have a conversation.

Not about whether you should buy a house next week.

About what you'd like the next ten years of your life to look like.

Because sometimes the first step toward retirement isn't retiring. It's starting to build the life you want before you get there. Follow me on Instagram for more insight into how we maintain this lifestyle @thetammycannon. Send me a DM if you’re ready to explore Arizona and Verrado specifically.