How We Helped Travis and Kelli Fagerness Find Their Lake Lot in The Enclave at Ocotillo Lakes

Travis and Kelli Fagerness were living in Tucson but had been visiting Kelli’s dad in Sun Lakes for years. Both of them work remotely, so nothing tied them to a specific city. Ocotillo is where they kept coming back to. In one day of showings, we found their water lot in The Enclave at Ocotillo Lakes in South Chandler, and closed 31 days later at $1.1 million.

What were they looking for in Ocotillo?

They wanted water, and not a water view from two streets over. They wanted an actual water lot, with the lake in the backyard. That single requirement did most of the work of narrowing the search before we ever left the house.

How did one day of showings find the right home?

We looked at five to seven homes in a single day, and this one was the clear front-runner by the end of it. One home we saw had water across the street in the front yard, not the backyard. It was a fine house, but not what they wanted. They wanted to look out the back and see the lake, not look at it from the driveway. Another home in a similar price range backed to the water but also sided a stretch of Jacaranda Parkway. That’s a busier road for Ocotillo, and they couldn’t get past hearing it from the backyard. The home they landed on had the backyard water view without the road noise. It didn’t have a pool. They decided they would rather build the pool they wanted than inherit someone else’s, and the lot gave them the room to do it.

Why did Travis and Kelli leave Tucson for Chandler?

There wasn’t one single reason pushing them out of Tucson so much as a reason pulling them toward Chandler. Kelli’s dad lives in Sun Lakes, and years of visiting him gave them a real feel for South Chandler before they ever started looking to buy a home here. Since they both work remotely, they could live anywhere. Once that was true, Ocotillo is the area they kept coming back to on those visits.

Why The Enclave and Retreat at Ocotillo Lakes specifically?

This is one of my favorite pockets inside Ocotillo, and it’s not just the water. It’s gated, which isn’t unusual for this part of Chandler, but the streets have grass front yards and mature trees that canopy over the road. Driving in feels less like the desert and more like the Midwest. Gated, tree-lined, and backed up to water is a combination that’s hard to find together anywhere else in South Chandler.

What happened after the showing?

They didn’t rush it. They flew back to Tucson and made the decision to move forward from there before we wrote the offer. They weren’t in a hurry. They had found what they wanted and didn’t see a reason to wait on it.

What did you handle once they were under contract?

Since they were back in Tucson for most of the transaction, I met their interior designer at the house and got a pool designer access to the property so they could start planning before they ever moved in. The closing itself was clean. No repair fights, no surprises. The offer included a $10,000 credit for the kind of repair items that come up on any home over 20 years old, and that took care of itself without drama. We closed on schedule, 31 days after the offer was accepted.

What would you tell someone chasing a water lot in Ocotillo?

Waterfront doesn’t mean one thing in Ocotillo. Some lots only get a peekaboo view or a glimpse from the street. Some sit across the street from the water, with the view out the front. Some, like this one, back straight up to it. Even among the true backyard water lots, the water itself isn’t the same from house to house. Some back to a slice of water twenty or thirty feet across to the neighbor’s yard. Others open up to a hundred-yard lake or golf course view. Figure out which one you actually want before you start touring, because the word waterfront by itself won’t tell you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does waterfront actually mean in Ocotillo?

It covers a wide range. Some homes get a peekaboo glimpse of water, some sit across the street from it, and some back straight up to it. The Enclave and Retreat at Ocotillo Lakes has some of the best true backyard water lots in the area, and pricing reflects that range.

How long does it take to find the right home in a market like Ocotillo?

It depends on how clear you are on what you want. Travis and Kelli had one non-negotiable, a real water lot, and that let us narrow the field fast. We found their home in a single day of showings.

What if the home I want doesn’t have a pool?

A missing pool isn’t a dealbreaker on a water lot. Plenty of buyers build their own once they close. Get a pool designer out early. I set that up for Travis and Kelli before they even moved in, so planning started right away.

Do I need to move from out of state to make sense of a Chandler relocation?

No. Travis and Kelli moved from Tucson, not across the country. It’s a common move for people who already have family ties or history in Chandler and want a change of pace without leaving Arizona. If that sounds like your situation, here’s how I help buyers relocate into South Tempe and South Chandler.

How much more does a water lot cost than an interior lot in Ocotillo?

Expect a premium, typically 15 to 30 percent over a comparable interior lot in the same community, depending on the lot and the view.