We have been stationed at DM for over 3 years now and love it here.  While it was difficult acclimating to the desert this really is a gem in the southwest.  Get out and travel and be sure to get to know the different disctricts. Also get as faw away from the main gate as possible when venturing off base--especilally housing.  I looked at housing on base and was offered a remodeled home. For the money I was able to rent in a beautiful location off base near I-10 for the same rate and in a great school district.  Before arriving to DM it is worth it to visit Tucson and explore the different areas over a week's time to get a feel for the different communities and they are all different.  It just depends what you want out of your community.

While the kids' sporting activities are shameful for this town it makes up for it in museums parks nature and other activities all across the city...even to the far north and far southeast. 

If you choose to live on base as many of my friends do be prepared to deal with the office of Soaring Heights.  I'll just leave it at this: they are running a business so don't expect them to understand what other bases have done or anything about the housing regulations as they know the very basic "rules" to which they strictly apply. 

Good luck in exploring this wonderful city!

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Adrienne says:
June 20, 2011 at 10:39 am

We haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t lived on base in the 5 years we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve been here, so I can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t comment too much bout on-base housing other than what our friends have said, we have friends in the old housing (built in the 60?¢‚Ǩ¬?s/70?¢‚Ǩ¬?s and they are completely remodeled, new floors, lights, carpet, fixtures etc) and they love it. We also have friends in the brand new housing and they said the way their floor plan was, they rarely heard their neighbors. Occasionally a door slam, but nothing more than that. The new houses are beautiful inside and out!
I would be careful looking at apartments though, ask a lot of questions before signing the lease (have there been many incident reports for crime, would they live there etc) if you can talk to other residents (sometimes you see them walking around while you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re there) do that as well. The Ridgepoint apartments on Pima we had a really hard time with my husband?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s car getting broken into (the neighborhood directly next to the apartment complex was ?¢‚Ǩ?ìless than desireable?¢‚Ǩ¬ù to say the least. And they did nothing about it other than make snide comments ?¢‚Ǩ?ìwell it sure looks like you guys are being targeted. Bad luck huh??¢‚Ǩ¬ù I wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t recommend these apartments at all! Talk to the housing office too, they may have a list of apartments complexes that they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve had reports/complaints etc. . . against.
We absolutely loved the apartments on Tanque Verde, its a better part of town (the 2nd lowest crime rating in the entire city) They were called the Coronado Villas (great military discount, and an awesome community) and is about 20 minutes North from base. We also had friends staying in Finisterra Luxury Apartments, also in the same area and about 15 minutes from base. We had NO problems at either location, military friendly, pet friendly and at Coronado Villas we were able to pay the deposit in 2 months, instead of it all being upfront.
Our family expanded so we moved to Rita Ranch (10-15 minutes south east of the base), which was rated as the 1st lowest crime rating in the city), and have loved it. The area is full of parks and kids, the schools are great, many of them in this area being in the Vail school district, which is much better than the Tucson school district. Many of the landlords are willing to work with military, especially when it comes to spreading your deposits over a couple of payments (we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve always paid our deposits/first months rent in 2-3 payments). Our rents have always been below our BAH (my husband is an E-5) so the difference has helped offset the cost of utilities. In our 1100 sq ft house in the winter we actually make money living off base, in the summer we pay a little out of pocket for a few months because the AC is on a lot then. Our average utilities run between $120-$220, depending on the time of year).
You can look at the Tucson Police Dept.?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s website for a current map of high crime areas, and areas that are not.


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Beth M says:
June 19, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Housing on installation?

I do live in base housing. I live in what is called ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSanoran Vista.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù The housing area I live in was built in 1996. Spacious compared to the housing on RAF Lakenheath. There are still some 1950?¢‚Ǩ¬?s housing but those are slowly coming down. The newest housing looks amazing and the space is outstanding, however, as we all agree, they were built too fast and too cheaply. The white picket fences and large living rooms don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t do much justice as the walls are paper thin. Even in these 1996 houses, you can hear and ?¢‚Ǩ?ìfeel?¢‚Ǩ¬ù everything. However, I would take my 96?¢‚Ǩ¬? house over the 2011 houses anyday. I do like the fact that there are parks all over this base. I actually have one right out my back door. It seemed as if there was an open space, they filled it with swings and slides. There are great area to go for walks and enjoy the community!
Housing off installation?
Right off base, the housing is pretty run down. You really have to travel east or south to find anything really comfortable. However, I have talked to numerous people who lived off base and then moved on base. No matter the area, how nice or run down, you still run into car jacking problems, robberies, etc. On base housing for sure would be my first and only choice.


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susanna says:
January 21, 2011 at 9:57 am

Eligibility

Military personnel with accompanying family members and assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) are eligible to apply for base housing.

Availabilty

Davis-Monthan is currently building new units under housing privatization and the number of units available will fluctuate until the project is complete.

Floor Plans

Floor plans for all base housing may be viewed online. Click on ?¢‚Ǩ?ìOur Homes?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, choose model, then click on ?¢‚Ǩ?ìlearn more about?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, and finally click on floor plan options (most are on the left side of the screen, however, you may need to scroll down if several designs are available).

Application

In order to apply for base housing and be placed on the waiting list in advance, contact your local housing office and complete DD Form 1746 (Application for Assignment to Housing). A Privacy Act Release Statement must be submitted with application. Send the completed DD Form 1746, along with a copy of your Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, to the Davis-Monthan AFB housing office at:

Housing Referral Office
3245 South Tenth Street
Davis-Monthan, AZ 85707
520-228-3687, DSN 312-228-3687, FAX 520-228-3688
Single Service Member Housing

There are 9 permanent dormitories on base. E-4 over 3 years and above are granted single rate basic allowance for quarters and are required to reside in the community. There is plenty of affordable apartment/homes off-base; contact DMAFB HMO for guidance. Single or geographically separated E-1s through E-4s and under 3 years of service are required to visit the Unaccompanied Housing Manager to receive additional housing guidance. For further information call DSN 312-228-6319 or commercial 520-228-6319.

Non-government Housing

Rental Options

There are several apartment complexes to choose from ranging from single-room studies to lavishly constructed units in luxurious complexes complete with pools, fitness centers and tennis courts.

Apartments may be furnished or unfurnished and utility costs may or may not be included in rental price. Rental availability is itself seasonal, with availability falling and rents rising during winter when Tucson?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s tourist and student populations are highest. The median rent on an unfurnished one-bedroom $550 to $600, two-bedroom $650 to $750, three-bedroom $800 to $995.

There are single-family homes available for rent in the Tucson, area. However, the supply varies throughout the year. The median rent on an unfurnished 3 bedroom-house is $900 to $1,300 and 4 bedroom from $1,300 to $1,600, depending on area. Typically, rentals require a first and last month?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s rent and security deposit upon moving in. Additional deposit will be required for pets.

Purchase Options

There are many options to purchase a house and many areas and factors to consider. For assistance please see the HRO or come by the Airman and Family Readiness Center.

For Information regarding Real Estate (homes for sale) in the Tucson area contact the Tucson Association of Realtors at 520-327-4218 or visit the MLS website.

Mobile Homes

Davis-Monthan AFB does not have a mobile home park on base. Most mobile home parks in the Tucson area are senior communities (age 55+). The few all-ages parks are quite a distance from the base and would entail a lengthy commute.

Housing Referral Office (HRO) ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Your contact for any problems you may encounter (discrimination complaints, tenant/landlord disputes, or any questions/problems about off post housing) is the HRO. Staff are available to assist you in a person to person basis to make your move to this installation an easy and pleasant one. They can provide a list of rentals with corresponding locator maps and give you information regarding the area in which rentals are located.

DoD Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN)?¢‚Ǩ‚ÄúVisit AHRN.com or ask at your local housing office to learn about this DoD program that is currently available for most installations. The program allows military members and families to:

* Search listings and pictures of available rentals near military installations * Find out about shared rentals * List their own properties for rent to other military families * List their homes for sale by owner (FSBO) to other military members * Contact installation housing offices

AHRN is not currently available at all installations but the phased program is adding new installations every month. Check the AHRN website to see if your next assignment is an AHRN base and check out other features to assist you in your home search.

Local Utilities and Services

* Electricity ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Tucson Electric Power Company 220 West 6th Street Tucson, AZ 85701; 520-623-7711.
* Gas ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Southwest Gas Corporation 3401 E. Gas Road Tucson, AZ 85714; 520-889-1888. * Telephone ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Qwest Communications 520-670-2355; 800-244-1111.
* Water ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Tucson Water Department 310 West Alameda Street Tucson, AZ 85701; 520-791-3242.


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