How Many Units Are There, Really
Three sources that should agree don’t. Optima’s own project page and a real-estate aggregator both cite 700 units. A separate East Valley Urban listing states 720. The HOA’s own amenities page states 688, describing eleven six- and seven-story terraced towers. The gap likely comes from counting live/work or business suites differently across sources, not from a change in the physical building. For a buyer, the number that matters is the current HOA roster your title company or realtor pulls at closing, not any of these public figures. The completion date has the same problem: one aggregator lists 2010, but the American Institute of Architects and AZRE magazine recognized the project in 2007, and the Crescordia Award followed in 2008, timings that only make sense if construction was substantially finished well before 2010.
What Drives the HOA Fee Range
A $550 unit and a $2,200 unit are paying for different things, not different service levels.
| Driver | Effect on monthly dues | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Unit size (sf) | Dues scale with square footage | A studio near 800 sf sits near the low end; a 3,000+ sf unit sits near the top |
| Floor level / view | Higher, view-facing units carry a larger assigned common-area share | Premium floors push dues toward the $1,500 to $2,200 band |
| Parking / storage allocation | Extra assigned garage or storage space adds to the base | Multiple parking spaces raise the monthly figure independent of unit size |
| What’s bundled | Water, gas, trash, and cable are included for all units | A “low” number already includes utilities a renter elsewhere pays separately |
Comparing a quoted “$900 HOA fee” against a separate listing’s “$1,800 HOA fee” without checking square footage and parking allocation means comparing two different products, not two prices for the same one.
Does the HOA fee include utilities? Yes. Dues cover water, gas, trash, and basic cable; owners in several units report summer electric bills under $100 thanks to the building’s tinted glazing and sunshades.
Unit Sizes and Typical Cost
| Unit type | Size range | Typical monthly rent | Typical HOA dues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | ~780 to 800 sf | Not separately reported | Low end, near $550 to $700 |
| 1 bedroom | 780 to 1,174 sf | ~$2,400 | ~$700 to $1,000 |
| 2 bedroom | ~1,200 to 2,300 sf | Not separately reported | ~$1,000 to $1,600 |
| 3 bedroom+ | Up to 3,066 sf | Not separately reported | Upper end, near $1,600 to $2,200 |
Rent figures beyond the one-bedroom band weren’t published with enough consistency across sources to state as fact here; treat the studio and larger-unit rent cells as an open research task rather than an estimate.
The 90-Day Minimum Lease
Every unit, regardless of ownership structure, carries a 90-day minimum lease term. For an investor, that rules out nightly or weekly short-term rental income entirely: this is a seasonal-rental building, not a vacation-rental one. It also explains the property’s October-through-March demand surge from snowbirds and visiting professional athletes, since a 90-day floor lines up naturally with a winter-season lease, not a short weekend stay.
Can I rent out my Optima Camelview unit short-term, like on Airbnb? No. The HOA enforces a 90-day minimum lease, which excludes nightly or weekly rentals.
Buy or Rent Here: The Actual Tradeoffs
| Factor | Favors buying | Favors renting |
|---|---|---|
| Time horizon | 5+ years, HOA dues offset by no separate utility bills | Under 2 years, avoids assessment exposure |
| Lease flexibility needed | N/A, the 90-day floor applies either way | Same 90-day floor applies to renters too |
| Capital for reserve risk | Willing to absorb a special assessment if reserves fall short | Prefers dues risk to sit with the owner |
| Seasonal use pattern | Snowbird owner who values equity growth | Short-season visitor who doesn’t want a purchase |
What the Marketing Pages Don’t Mention
Every widely available Optima Camelview write-up leads with the architecture story: David Hovey’s terraced towers, the AIA recognition, the Crescordia Award. None of them flag the two things that affect a buyer’s risk. First, request the HOA’s current reserve study before closing: condo reserve adequacy, not the marketing copy, determines whether you’ll face a special assessment for roof, elevator, or pool repairs. Second, no public source in this research turned up a formal LEED certification record for the property despite one realtor site describing it that way; the verifiable sustainability credentials are the 2007 AIA honor and the 2008 Crescordia Award, not a USGBC certification.
Has Optima Camelview had any major special assessments? No public record of one was found in this research; ask the HOA management company, DCH Management, directly for the current reserve study and assessment history before purchase.
Location
Optima Camelview Village sits at Scottsdale Road and Highland Avenue, a short walk from Scottsdale Fashion Square and Old Town’s restaurant corridor.
Is It Worth the Price
A resident who lived at Optima Camelview from 2014 to 2020 described the buildings as consistently locked and staffed, with an on-site concierge and gated underground parking. That kind of multi-year, named account carries more weight than a listing description, and it lines up with the dues structure above: the money buys security staffing, utility bundling, and amenity upkeep, not just a number on a listing page. Whether that’s worth $550 a month or $2,200 a month depends on which unit size and floor you’re actually comparing.
Is Optima Camelview dog-friendly? Yes, with no weight limit, ground-floor units with private yards, and a dedicated dog park.
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