SaddleBrooke, Tucson, AZ

We moved here in 2002 and lived here 5 years, then my husband was transferred to a bigger market at the beginning of 2007. When he retired 5 years later, we came back to Saddlebrooke, bought a new energy efficient home, and could not be happier. There's a supermarket 5 minutes away, plenty of good doctors, an A-rated hospital, and so many great people and activity. We love it here and now have friends who have moved here from N. CA and Oregon.

There is also a large shopping center within 15 minutes. We would not want to live in Tucson.

After one year residing in SaddleBrooke HOA 1, the first section built, we thank the beautiful stars above everyday that we made the move.

The views and big open skies greet us almost everyday. The occasional rainfall refreshes. Our home was built in 1995 and is almost maintenance free due to the fine construction. Our utility bills are a third of what we use to day due to the fine insulation and home site placement.

Contrary to some comments, medical care is excellent. NW Physicians has an office in the neighborhood with top rated physicians and even one of Tucson's best cardiologist visits weekly. Ora Valley Hospital is minutes away. Golder Ranch Fire and EMT service arrive in less than five minutes when called.

There is virtually no crime with private patrol, Neighborhood Watch and Pinal Sheriff on site. Quiet yes, peaceful yes, Lots of activities and good neighbors. HOA rules are minor, just outside paint and landscape rules which keep the community beautiful. We are so grateful we found this place. Our home has become a destination for friends and family to visit and recharge in the desert.

Just got here so premature to tell if a permanent place. Little far out from everything with many HOA rules and regs not to mention club house closes down too early. Other than that neat concept with good mountain views.

We stayed a week in a rental casita last May. We fell in love with Saddlebrooke (as mentioned, this is different than Saddlebrooke Ranch). We wanted to live in a very quiet community and this is one. We also wanted a large community so it wouldn't feel like we were limited in meeting new people. We also anted to be able to bike and walk while still in our community. This community is far enough away from families with children and young adults to ensure a serene setting. Another reviewer said there isn't a hospital close by. That is not true. The Sierra Tucson Hospital is 2 or 3 miles away on S. Lago del Oro Parkway. Bashas grocery store is 6 or 7 miles away. We loved all three pools, and all the tennis courts. Heck, we are even tempted to take up golf. Having 3 restaurants within the community is wonderful. The grounds are pristine and we so enjoyed walking around the neighborhood near the casita. We have been looking at communities for 3 years and haven't found anything we like better.

My wife and I stayed at one of the try before you buy weekends. Saddlebrook is a lovely very large place to live. The property is virtually built out. The homes are top quality with great layouts. HOA fees are around $1500 a year last I heard. The facilities and grounds are top notch. It is not located in Tucson as listed. It is a bit of a drive to everything. The place is so large there are actually several outdoor pools located at strategic points. The main clubhouse and pools are beautiful. Don't confuse this place with Saddlebrook Ranch which is across the highway.

My wife and I stayed on one of there 3 night stays in a condo combined with a sales pitch. The place is very nice and very LARGE. My first impression was the facilities are wonderful and the grounds are beautiful. My second impression was that this place is far from everything. It's not really in Tucson it's closer to Oro Valley. You have to drive like 5 miles just to get to the highway. The scenery is spectacular. My only reservation with this place is you have to drive far to all shopping, restaurants, medical facilities etc. That being said if you never have to eat or buy groceries or get sick this is the perfect place to live.

I have been looking at this community and it seems that SaddleBrooke is in Tucson and the newer SaddleBrooke Ranch is in Oracle. Both are wonderful communities. The mountain views here are amazing and it's very quiet. After years of living in a large city we wanted to get away from it all and that's just what we found here. I really like that SaddleBrooke offers access to the Coronado Forest. I can imagine spending a lot of time enjoying the trails!

My husband and I visited Saddlebrooke for the month of January to explore the possibility of retiring there one day. The address is deceptive. It is NOT in Tucson. It is NOT NEAR Tucson. It is in Oracle -- FOUR towns away from Tucson. Very deceiving. It is an hour's drive from the Tucson airport. And, for a community that has nearly 5,000 homes, it has no supermarket!! You have to drive 25 min. to get to one. The restaurants that are in the community are marginal. Again, you have to drive 25 min. to get to a decent one. 45 min. if you want choices.

Positives: The homes are lovely, the people are very nice, the activities and golf are great. That said, the fitness center needs updating.

SaddleBrooke is an astonishingly wonderful place to live. Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the views are incredible. The elevation is high enough to make our temperatures about 8degrees cooler than Tucson and 15 degrees cooler than Phoenix. There are so many activities here that if you tried something new everyday, you wouldn't be able to try them all within the time frame of an average 25 year retirement. Unlike many of the other communities in the area, this is a year round community with the majority of the residents having this as their primary home which gives it the feeling of a real community, not just a winter resort. Having a theater, several restaurants, golf courses, tennis courts, and fitness centers all provide for real entertainment. One of the best aspects of the community is the very reasonable HOA dues which are some of the lowest in Arizona, despite the fact that this community has some of the best amenities. We looked for a place to settle for nearly two years, checking out about 15 communities, and SaddleBrooke was... hands down... the best of the lot.