RAMS Pass 3BR Getaway

Not Ready for Prime TimeWe have been renting houses in the Oro Valley area for more than 20 years. This particlar property has potential, great location,great layout and is well apportioned. Unfortunately, it was exceedingly dirty when we moved in. When advised, the owner did have it superficially cleaned. Then we--and our guests--spent the next full morning recleaning it. It was obvious that such things as carpeting, windows and window blinds, ceiling fans, kitchen ovencabinets, baseboards and BBQ grill; as well as exterior landscaping have been ignored for years. We left a list of no fewer than 20 issues that need attention– from a dripping faucet to missing kitchen tools. To his credit, when asked, the owner did repair two of the more urgent issues. But the list is long enough to warrant some serious investment in both the house and landscaping.Finally, visitors should note that while the master bedroom is quite comfortable, the smaller bedrooms are oddly furnished. The choice and arrangement of the furniture in both rooms left almost no floor space. In one room, one literally could not walk between the dresser and the bed.Given it's cost to rent, the condition of this house ranked well below our previous Oro Valley experiences. Frankly, we expected far better from a VRBO property.Accordingly, we will be asking for a FULL refund of (at least) the cleaning fee from VRBO.

We stayed for six weeks in Jan/Feb 2024, and the time flew quickly. The host was responsive, and the home was clean, comfy, and modern. Loved the quiet, clean subdivision. The hot tub in the backyard felt great after a long walk or a round of excellent golf at the nearby El Conquistador courses (3 of them!). The fully walled backyard was small but worked perfectly for our older doggie who also loved her many walks to the small park a block away. Bring your hiking shoes for some longer trails running past the Honeywell plant to the south, along a causeway to the north, or up into the mountains to the east. Two minutes west by car takes you to civilization, with dozens of stores and restaurants within easy access. Grandma Tony's pizza! I'd give the house 9.5 stars out of 10, leaving off that last half-star merely because the neighborhood doesn't have any walking trails leading to the restaurants on the other side of the busy (Oracle) highway. Also, midnight walks aren't recommended due to the battles between the coyotes and javelinas - which, on the positive side, means you'll see lots of wildlife. Another huge plus is the access to downtown Tucson. I attended a conference near UA while in town, and the half-hour drive couldn't have been easier. Turn left on Oracle, drive, park. Golf courses on the west and south sides of town (Fred Enke, Starr Pass, and Sewailo) were awesome! All are within an hour's drive. We loved Tucson in January but would probably avoid the summer.

Nice house and neighborhood. Personable and responsive owner.

We enjoyed the quiet area, sidewalks for walking our dogs, and the raised berm walking path for bird watching.