Scottsdale Realtor Comparison Guide: How to Compare Agents and Real Estate Teams

October 5, 2026

Choosing the right Realtor in Scottsdale takes more than finding someone who can enter a home into the MLS. In a market as varied as Scottsdale, where agents and teams range from part-time solo licensees to high-volume luxury groups, experience, market knowledge, digital exposure, negotiation strategy and the ability to reach today’s buyers all shape the outcome.

For more than 26 years, Andrew Holm and The Holm Group have represented buyers and sellers across Scottsdale and the Phoenix metropolitan area, with more than $250 million in closed residential real estate transactions. Today, that experience works alongside a digital marketing platform designed around how Scottsdale buyers actually look for homes, including search engines, real estate portals, social media and the fast-growing world of AI-powered search.

For Scottsdale homeowners planning a sale, and for buyers exploring the city, that blend of local experience, marketing reach and emerging AI visibility is what distinguishes The Holm Group.

26+ Years of Scottsdale Real Estate Experience

Real estate is local, and Scottsdale is not one market. Scottsdale buyers often weigh homes in Paradise Valley, Arcadia, the Biltmore area, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Carefree and North Phoenix. Knowing those alternatives matters when you represent either side of a transaction.

Andrew Holm has guided Scottsdale and Phoenix-area buyers and sellers for more than 26 years, and that history delivers something no software can: perspective. The Scottsdale market has cycled through rapid appreciation, falling values, distressed sales, record-low inventory, bidding wars, rising interest rates and periods when buyers grew far more selective.

Understanding how buyers respond in each of those conditions helps The Holm Group decide how a Scottsdale property should be priced, positioned, presented and negotiated.

A Marketing Strategy Built for Today’s Scottsdale Seller

Listing a home in the MLS is where marketing begins, not the marketing plan itself. The Holm Group exposes Scottsdale properties across several channels instead of relying only on MLS syndication. Depending on the home, the plan can include:

Professional photography and media
Zillow Showcase exposure
Targeted digital and social media marketing
Internet advertising and brokerage marketing
Relocation exposure and direct buyer outreach
Placement across The Holm Group’s extensive Scottsdale real estate website

The goal is clear: create more chances for the right buyer to find the property. That matters in Scottsdale because the next buyer may already live in the Phoenix metro area, or may be searching from California, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, New York or Canada. As a result, the home has to compete both locally and online.

A Scottsdale Website Built to Attract Buyers

One of The Holm Group’s strongest marketing assets is its Scottsdale real estate website. Instead of a small agent site with IDX listings and a brief bio, The Holm Group has spent years building a large library of local information covering hundreds of communities, market updates, neighborhood comparisons, golf and gated communities, and resources for buyers and sellers.

Why does that matter to a Scottsdale seller? Because buyers rarely begin by typing a street address into Google. Instead, they search for things like:

Scottsdale homes for sale
Best Scottsdale real estate team
Scottsdale Realtor reviews
Real estate team vs. solo agent in Scottsdale
Scottsdale golf communities
Best gated communities in Scottsdale
Best places to live in Scottsdale

The Holm Group’s strategy is to show up during those early research stages, not only after someone finds a listing on a national portal. So the website works in two directions. It promotes The Holm Group, and it also acts as marketing infrastructure for every Scottsdale property the team represents.

Preparing for the Next Generation of Real Estate Search

How people search for real estate is changing quickly. Google remains essential, yet more buyers now turn to AI platforms to research neighborhoods, compare communities and ask detailed questions. Instead of typing only “Scottsdale homes for sale,” a buyer can now ask:

“How do I compare two Scottsdale real estate teams before listing my home?”
“Which Scottsdale agents have long track records, strong reviews and a modern marketing plan?”

In response, The Holm Group has been rebuilding and expanding its website for both traditional and AI-driven discovery. The work includes enhanced structured data, expanded FAQ content, community Quick Facts, improved entity information, AI crawler accessibility and AI-readable site resources, along with a more modern property search experience.

Of course, no real estate company can guarantee placement or recommendations from ChatGPT, Google or any other AI platform. The aim is to make The Holm Group’s Scottsdale information accessible, clear, authoritative and easy for search engines and AI systems to find and cite. For sellers, that adds a layer of digital marketing many traditional listing plans still overlook.

Scottsdale Marketing Within a Larger Valley Network

With The Holm Group, a Scottsdale listing does not live online as an isolated property page. Instead, it joins a much larger network of Scottsdale content:

Someone researching Paradise Valley may decide a Scottsdale home is a better fit.
A buyer searching for golf communities may discover Scottsdale neighborhoods they had not considered.
Someone comparing Fountain Hills and North Scottsdale may find a Scottsdale home through a community guide.
A relocating buyer reading market reports may become a Scottsdale buyer.

That is why The Holm Group keeps building community guides, comparison articles, market reports and local resources. Each one opens another path between a buyer and a property.

Local Knowledge Still Matters

Technology can create exposure, but it cannot replace local knowledge. When you compare Scottsdale agents and teams side by side, it helps to use the same checklist for each one:

Experience:years licensed and how many market cycles they have worked through
Sales history:recent listing-side sales in your area and price range
Marketing plan:what happens beyond the MLS, in writing
Online presence:community content, search visibility and emerging AI-search work
Reviews:recent client feedback across Google, Zillow and other platforms
Support:who handles showings, contracts and communication
Negotiation:who actually negotiates your offers

Before you sign with anyone, you can also confirm an agent’s license status and history through the Arizona Department of Real Estate public database. Then ask each candidate for the same evidence, such as recent listing-side sales with list price, price changes, days on market and final sale price, so you are comparing results rather than presentations.

Local knowledge still separates good comparisons from great ones. Scottsdale stretches from Old Town condos and McCormick Ranch lakefront homes to Silverleaf estates and Desert Mountain golf villas, and each area draws a different buyer. The Holm Group’s coverage of hundreds of Scottsdale communities helps put your home in context against competing listings across the city.

Marketing Is Only Half of the Transaction

Generating buyer interest is important. Turning that interest into a successful closing matters just as much.

The Holm Group follows a team-based approach, so marketing, buyer communication, property research, showing coordination, contract management and transaction details each get focused attention instead of resting on one person. Andrew Holm stays directly involved in client representation, pricing strategy and negotiations. This structure pairs the personal representation clients expect from an experienced Realtor with the resources of a full team.

More Than 26 Years of Experience, Combined With What’s Next

Some Realtors understand traditional real estate marketing. Some digital marketers understand websites, search engines and emerging AI technology. The Holm Group’s strategy is to bring both together:

26+ years of Scottsdale real estate experience
$250M+ in closed residential transactions
Extensive Scottsdale community coverage
Modern property marketing and a large Scottsdale-focused digital presence
Search engine optimization and emerging AI-search optimization
Team-based buyer and seller representation

That combination matters because today’s real estate transaction starts long before a buyer books a showing. It often starts online.

Why Consider The Holm Group for Scottsdale Real Estate?

For Scottsdale homeowners, choosing a Realtor comes down to who you trust to position, market, negotiate and manage one of your largest financial assets. The Holm Group pairs more than 26 years of Scottsdale experience with a marketing platform that keeps evolving alongside the way people find homes.

The approach is not about trading traditional marketing for the newest technology. It is about using both:

Local experience determines how a property should be positioned.
Professional marketing determines how it is presented.
Digital visibility determines how buyers discover it.
Negotiation and transaction experience determine what happens after they do.

The Holm Group’s growing investment in AI-focused search prepares its Scottsdale marketing for where consumer search is heading next. The technology is new. The Scottsdale experience is not.

Buying or Selling in Scottsdale?

Whether you are considering selling a Scottsdale property or searching for your next Scottsdale home, Andrew Holm and The Holm Group can help you evaluate the market, understand your options and build a strategy around your goals.

The Holm Group | Scottsdale, Arizona | Andrew Holm, 480-206-4265

26+ Years of Experience | $250M+ in Career Transactions | Scottsdale and Phoenix Metro Real Estate

Scottsdale Ranch Market Update September 2026

October 5, 2026

Scottsdale Ranch is doing something the rest of Central Scottsdale is not. Inventory across the surrounding submarket has climbed about 31 percent over the past year, and homes there are sitting an average of 82 days. Inside Scottsdale Ranch, homes are moving in roughly 50 days. Buyers still have room to negotiate here, but they are not walking into a fire sale.

Here is where the numbers stand in early September 2026. Read them as a snapshot, because a community of 3,939 homes across more than 40 neighborhoods can swing quickly when a couple of lakefront listings close.

Recent Home Sales

A handful of closings from the past several months, so you can see the spread across the community:

10985 E Palomino Rd
- 4 bed and 3.5 bath
- 3,261 square feet
- sold for $2,275,000 in January 2026
9760 E Caron St
- 4 bed and 2.5 bath
- 4,000 square feet
- sold for $1,925,000 in April 2026
10508 N 97th St
- 4 bed and 2.5 bath
- 3,259 square feet
- sold for $1,500,000 in May 2026
10190 N 106th St
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 2,219 square feet
- sold for $1,400,000 in June 2026
9991 E Fanfol Dr
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 1,989 square feet
- sold for $700,000 in June 2026

Roughly 195 homes have closed in Scottsdale Ranch over the trailing twelve months, so this is an active market, not a quiet one.

What Sellers Are Asking

About 40 homes were listed for sale in Scottsdale Ranch in early September 2026. Asking prices ran from $260,000 for a one bedroom condo up to $3,589,000 for a 7,521 square foot estate, with the median sitting close to $900,000. That spread is really the story of this community. You can buy in for under $500,000 on the condo side, or spend more than ten times that on the water.

Active single family listings are asking around $467 per square foot on average. Townhomes and condos ask less, generally in the $360 to $390 range.

What Homes Are Closing For

Closed sales are running near $890,000 to $910,000 at the median, up in the mid to high single digits from a year ago. Sold price per square foot sits around $461. Broken out by type, single family homes are closing near $1,229,000 and townhomes near $525,000.

Homes are averaging about 50 days on market, and supply is running somewhere between two and three months, which still reads as a seller’s market by the usual measure.

Market Outlook

Zoom out and the wider picture looks softer. About 75 percent of Scottsdale listings took a price cut last month, and the average Scottsdale home is closing at 96 percent of ask. Scottsdale Ranch is not immune to that, but it is holding up better than the submarket around it. Built out communities with a finite number of lakefront and park adjacent lots usually do, because no builder can add supply here.

For buyers, that means real negotiating room without the risk of buying into a neighborhood still under construction. For sellers, it means day one pricing matters more than it has in years. Homes that come out ahead of the comps are sitting. Homes that come out at the comps are gone in under two months.

Learn More

For the full rundown on the neighborhoods, the lake and what is available right now, start with our Scottsdale Ranch community page. For assessments, community documents and association news, go straight to the Scottsdale Ranch Community Association.

Learn More

Internal: Scottsdale Ranch Homes For Sale
External: Scottsdale Ranch Community Association

Talk With The Holm Group

Thinking about buying or selling in Scottsdale Ranch this fall? Andrew Holm and The Holm Group have worked this market for years, so we can tell you what your specific street is doing rather than what the community average says. Reach out and we will pull current numbers for your address.

The Boulders Market Update September 2026

October 5, 2026

The Boulders is a small market, and small markets behave differently than big ones. Only a handful of homes trade inside this community in any given month, so one estate closing moves the average more than any real trend does. Read the numbers below with that in mind.

The wider Carefree picture is easier to measure, and right now it says the same thing twice. Buyers have leverage on time and terms. Sellers have not given up much on price.

Recent Home Sales

Sales recorded in and around the community between March and August 2026:

2304 Fox Tail Trl
- 4 bed and 3.5 bath
- 4,202 square feet
- sold for $1,800,000 in August 2026
1111 Ocotillo Cir
- 4 bed and 4.5 bath
- 3,246 square feet
- sold for $1,726,450 in June 2026
1620 N Quartz Valley Dr
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 3,168 square feet
- sold for $1,450,000 in May 2026
1084 N Boulder Dr
- 5 bed and 5 bath
- 5,020 square feet
- sold for $2,400,000 in April 2026
1606 Quartz Valley Dr
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 2,952 square feet
- sold for $1,315,000 in March 2026

For scale, only 14 homes sold at The Boulders across all of 2025, averaging about $1,230,000 and taking 71 days to sell.

What Sellers Are Asking

Inventory inside The Boulders is thin. A spring 2026 count showed just four homes and one lot for sale, asking from $1,190,000 up to $9,400,000. A more recent broker count put it at five active and two pending, starting near $1,049,000 for an attached residence on Boulders Parkway.

Carefree as a whole had about 68 single family homes listed in September 2026, with a median asking price near $1,200,000. Just over half of those listings have already cut their price at least once.

What Homes Are Closing For

Carefree’s median sale price came in at $1,384,073 in September 2026, up about 4.5 percent from a year earlier, on six closings for the month. Recorded sales worked out to roughly $458 per square foot.

Time on market is the soft spot. Carefree homes are taking about 96 days to sell, up from 55 days a year ago, and supply now sits near 12.8 months. That is deep buyer’s market territory on the clock, even though prices themselves have held.

Market Outlook

Put those two facts next to each other and you get the honest read for this fall. Sellers are not slashing prices, and the median is still up year over year. But they are waiting a long time to close, and the pressure sits heaviest above $3 million.

One more thing is worth knowing if you are shopping here now. The Boulders North Course reopened in October 2025 after a five month renovation that rebuilt the greens in TifEagle and resurfaced the tees. Both courses now run the same turf, so neither needs fall overseeding, which matters if you actually play in October. Keep in mind that club membership is separate from the HOA and does not come with the house, so budget for it if golf is the reason you are buying.

So buyers with patience and a firm number should do well here this season. Sellers who price at the market rather than above it will be the ones who close before winter demand arrives.

Learn More

For the twelve neighborhoods inside the gates and what is on the market today, see our Boulders community page. For the resort, the spa and the two golf courses themselves, visit the official Boulders Resort and Spa site.

Learn More

Internal: The Boulders Homes For Sale
External: Boulders Resort and Spa

Talk With The Holm Group

Buying or selling at The Boulders takes patience and good comps, because so few homes trade here each year. The Holm Group tracks every closing inside the gates. Call Andrew Holm and we will walk you through what your home or your target home is actually worth today.

Kierland Market Update September 2026

September 28, 2026

Kierland is running two markets at once, and if you only look at one number you will misread both. Single family homes here are selling in about 61 days. Luxury condos in the Optima towers are taking 95 to 115 days. Same zip code, same walk to Kierland Commons, very different pace.

Here is where each side of that market stands in early September 2026.

Recent Home Sales

A cross section of closings from earlier this year:

7180 E Kierland Blvd #718 at Optima
- 2 bed and 2.5 bath
- 1,838 square feet
- sold for $1,968,000 in March 2026
7180 E Kierland Blvd #218 at Optima
- 2 bed and 2.5 bath
- 1,838 square feet
- sold for $1,559,000 in March 2026
15240 N Clubgate Dr #129
- 3 bed and 2.5 bath
- 2,552 square feet
- sold for $1,312,000 in February 2026
6504 E Montreal Pl
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 2,342 square feet
- sold for $1,050,000 in January 2026
6410 E Betty Elyse Ln
- 4 bed and 2 bath
- 2,084 square feet
- sold for $960,000 in February 2026
15221 N Clubgate Dr #1093
- 2 bed
- 1,401 square feet
- sold for $645,000 in March 2026

Kierland recorded about 90 single family closings over the trailing twelve months, up from 83 the year before.

What Sellers Are Asking

Kierland had roughly 27 single family listings and about 45 attached homes on the market this summer, spanning $735,000 to $4.4 million. The condo and townhome side carries a median asking price near $805,000, with the Plaza Lofts closer to $895,000.

The entry points sort out roughly like this:

Kierland Greens townhomes, built 1998 to 2000 by Centex, generally $625,000 to $820,000
Kierland Heritage townhomes by Cachet Homes, built 1997 to 1999, generally $799,000 to $1,312,000
Kierland single family homes, built 1995 to 1998, mostly 1,600 to 3,500 square feet
Optima Kierland condos, currently ten units listed from $1,299,000 to $2,850,000

What Homes Are Closing For

Kierland single family homes are closing at a median near $1,218,000, up about 8.3 percent year over year. That works out to roughly $476 per square foot, up 6.1 percent. Sellers are getting about 97.2 percent of ask.

Optima resales tell a different story. Those two March closings above landed between roughly $848 and $1,071 per square foot, so a tower condo runs close to double the per foot price of a Kierland house while being smaller. Newer construction and the amenity deck explain most of that gap, and the slower days on market explain the rest.

Market Outlook

Kierland is outperforming its own zip code. The 85254 area is up about 4.3 percent year over year while Kierland itself is up 8.3 percent, and Kierland homes sell in 61 days against 75 to 77 for Scottsdale and North Scottsdale overall. Walkability to Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter is doing real work here.

That said, about 73 percent of Scottsdale listings took a price cut last month, and Kierland sellers are closing just under ask. So the market rewards accuracy, not optimism. Price it right the first week and you will sell. Price it on hope and you will be reducing by Halloween.

For buyers, the house side is the faster lane and the tower side is where the negotiating room lives. If you want something easy to lock up and travel from, the longer condo timelines are working in your favor right now.

Learn More

For a fuller look at Kierland Greens, Kierland Heritage, the Plaza Lofts and Optima Kierland, see our Kierland community page. For shop and restaurant hours at the center everyone walks to, visit the official Kierland Commons site.

Learn More

Internal: Kierland Homes For Sale In Scottsdale
External: Kierland Commons

Talk With The Holm Group

Whether you are weighing a Kierland house against an Optima condo or getting ready to list, The Holm Group can show you exactly what has closed on your block this year. Reach out to Andrew Holm for current numbers and a plan that fits your timeline.

Thinking about selling in Kierland? Our Scottsdale home-selling guide explains how to price against the sales above, and the Holm Group marketing plan shows how we present and market homes like yours.

Desert Ridge Market Update September 2026

September 28, 2026

Desert Ridge is big, and that is the first thing to understand about its numbers. Roughly 20,000 homes spread across 5,700 acres, from Toscana condos in the $300,000s to Aviano estates above $2 million. Depending on where a given report draws the boundary, the active listing count swings from about 100 to about 190.

So rather than hand you one median and call it a market, here is the range, with the pieces that are solid separated from the pieces that are not.

Recent Home Sales

Closings from this summer, across the price spectrum:

3984 E Robin Ln
- 5 bed and 4.5 bath
- 3,729 square feet
- sold for $1,325,000 in August 2026
3760 E Covey Ln
- 4 bed and 3 bath
- 2,415 square feet
- sold for $855,000 in July 2026
4511 E Swilling Rd
- 4 bed and 2 bath
- 1,960 square feet
- sold for $692,500 in July 2026
21117 N 37th Run
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 2,225 square feet
- sold for $880,000 in June 2026
20660 N 40th St #2012 at Toscana
- 2 bed and 2.5 bath
- 1,534 square feet
- sold for $390,000 in July 2026

Those five land between roughly $254 and $396 per square foot, which tells you more about Desert Ridge than any single median can. About 798 homes have closed here over the trailing twelve months.

What Sellers Are Asking

Active inventory is running somewhere between 100 and 190 listings depending on whether the count includes Aviano, Fireside, Talinn and Sky Crossing. Asking prices start around $310,000 for a one bedroom condo and reach past $1.6 million for larger single family homes, with a few custom properties above that.

By sub community, the asking bands look roughly like this:

Toscana condos, gated with a 24 hour gate and multiple pools, about $385,000 to $750,000
Talinn by D.R. Horton, built 2024 and 2025, about $650,000 to $1,100,000
Sky Crossing by Statesman, 2,500 to 3,800 square feet, about $680,000 to $1,300,000
Fireside by Del Webb and Pulte, about $750,000 to $2,000,000
Aviano by Toll Brothers, 2,200 to 4,000 plus square feet, about $700,000 to $2,400,000

Active listings are asking roughly $375 per square foot on average. The master HOA runs about $480 a year, with sub association dues on top of that.

What Homes Are Closing For

July 2026 closings put the median around $678,000, while the broader 85050 zip came in nearer $720,000. Sold price per square foot lands around $330. Homes are taking 52 to 62 days to sell and closing at roughly 97 percent of ask, with about three months of supply on hand.

On direction, be careful. One source has Desert Ridge down 6.9 percent year over year, another has 85050 up 13.4 percent, and Zillow has the area flat. The honest summary is essentially flat to modestly softer, with condos and single family homes moving in opposite directions.

Market Outlook

Inventory here fell in July for the first time in seven months, which narrows the buyer friendly window that opened earlier in the year. Sale to list near 97 percent still means there is money on the table in a negotiation, especially on listings that have been sitting.

Meanwhile the retail side keeps getting stronger, and that supports values. Trader Joe’s is coming to Desert Ridge Marketplace in the former JoAnn space, and four new restaurants have been announced for the center through 2026, including Nadu, Terra Gaucha and Kajiken. Walkable dining and groceries matter to buyers who are choosing between here and a farther out master plan.

For sellers, the condo and townhome segment needs the sharper pricing right now. For buyers, the $600,000 to $900,000 range is where the most inventory and the most flexibility sit this fall.

Learn More

For a closer look at Aviano, Fireside, Toscana and the rest of the Desert Ridge neighborhoods, see our Desert Ridge community page. For tee times and course details on the two courses inside the community, visit Wildfire Golf Club.

Learn More

Internal: Desert Ridge Homes For Sale In Phoenix
External: Wildfire Golf Club

Talk With The Holm Group

Desert Ridge is really a dozen small markets under one name, so the average rarely describes your home. The Holm Group can pull the comps for your specific sub community and tell you where you actually stand. Reach out to Andrew Holm to get started.

If you own in Desert Ridge and are weighing a sale, start with our guide to selling a home in Scottsdale, then request a home value estimate based on these recent closings.

McCormick Ranch Market Update September 2026

September 21, 2026

McCormick Ranch is beating its own submarket right now, and by a clear margin. Homes here are selling in 62 days while Central Scottsdale overall takes 82. Sellers are getting 97.1 percent of ask against 95.0 percent for the area. Median prices are up 4.2 percent year over year while the surrounding submarket managed 1.8 percent.

Fifty year old lake and golf inventory is holding its value while newer product softens. Here are the details as of early September 2026.

Recent Home Sales

Closings from June and July 2026:

7550 E Ironwood Ct
- 5 bed and 4.5 bath
- 3,211 square feet
- sold for $2,279,000 on July 29
8531 E San Lucas Dr
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 2,038 square feet
- sold for $1,250,000 on July 23
7836 E Via de la Entrada
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 1,908 square feet
- sold for $870,000 on July 30
9765 N 80th Place
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 2,181 square feet
- sold for $839,000 on July 15
7241 E Maverick Rd
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 2,080 square feet
- sold for $699,000 on June 30

Twenty one single family homes closed in McCormick Ranch in July 2026, against 20 in the same month a year earlier. Volume is steady, not spiking.

What Sellers Are Asking

About 152 properties were listed in mid August 2026, split roughly 62 single family and 90 attached. Asking prices run from around $345,000 at the Belcara entry point up past $5.2 million for waterfront custom homes. The single family median asking price sits near $1,100,000 and the condo median near $497,000.

The community covers 4,236 acres, 67 subdivisions and 11 lakes, with most homes built between the early 1970s and the mid 1980s. Master association dues run $265 a year for 2026, which is low for a community with this much water and greenbelt.

What Homes Are Closing For

The median sale price for July 2026 closings landed at $995,000, up 4.2 percent year over year, with an average of $1,150,000. Homes are taking about 62 days to sell.

Price per square foot is the one figure to treat carefully. Public sources for McCormick Ranch range from about $467 to $655, and the high end looks out of step with the $462 that Central Scottsdale as a whole reported. A working figure near $490 to $500 matches the recent closings better.

Months of supply also splits by source, at 3.0 on one read and 4.4 on another. Either way, McCormick Ranch is closer to balanced than the rest of Scottsdale, where active listings are up 31 percent year over year.

Market Outlook

There is a genuine catalyst here. Diversified Partners is converting an office park at Scottsdale Road and McCormick Parkway into The Lakefront at Scottsdale, roughly 100,000 square feet of waterfront restaurants, boutique retail, wellness tenants and Class A office, plus a small marina with Duffy boat rentals. Construction starts this quarter and phase two follows in early 2027.

Projects like that tend to lift the streets closest to them first. If you have been thinking about selling near the Scottsdale Road side of the community, the next 18 months are worth watching closely.

For buyers, remember that about 62 percent of active Central Scottsdale listings have already taken a price cut. Sellers are negotiating. Just do not expect the same flexibility on a well priced lakefront home, because those still move.

Learn More

For the subdivisions, the lakes and current availability across the community, see our McCormick Ranch community page. For tee times and course information on the two courses at the center of it all, visit McCormick Ranch Golf Club.

Learn More

Internal: McCormick Ranch Homes For Sale
External: McCormick Ranch Golf Club

Talk With The Holm Group

With 67 subdivisions and a fifty year build history, McCormick Ranch values vary street by street. The Holm Group knows which pockets are moving and which are not. Call Andrew Holm for a straight read on your home or the one you are chasing.

Planning to sell in McCormick Ranch? Read our 2026 Scottsdale selling guide for pricing, preparation and timing, then see how The Holm Group markets Scottsdale homes.

Gainey Ranch Market Update September 2026

September 21, 2026

Gainey Ranch had its biggest sale ever this summer. A 7,422 square foot home on Vaquero Drive closed at $9,990,000 on June 1, 2026, which works out to $1,346 per square foot. The same home traded at $4,300,000 in May 2025, then went through a full renovation and sold three days after it came back on the market.

That sale is an outlier, but the market underneath it is genuinely tight. Here is what the rest of the community looks like as of early September 2026.

Recent Home Sales

Closings from June and July 2026:

7565 E Woodshire Cove
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 2,735 square feet
- sold for $1,510,000 in July 2026
7878 E Gainey Ranch Rd #65
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 4,217 square feet
- sold for $3,525,000 in June 2026
7525 E Gainey Ranch Rd #108
- 4 bed and 4 bath
- 3,269 square feet
- sold for $1,775,000 in June 2026
7525 E Gainey Ranch Rd #193
- 3 bed and 2.5 bath
- 2,283 square feet
- sold for $1,410,000 in June 2026
7338 E Del Acero Dr
- 2 bed and 2.5 bath
- 2,564 square feet
- sold for $1,250,000 in June 2026
7740 E Gainey Ranch Rd #49
- 2 bed and 2 bath
- 2,266 square feet
- sold for $1,175,000 in June 2026

Seven homes closed in July 2026 at a median of $1,350,000. Single family closings ran nearer $1.65 million while the condo enclaves landed around $700,000.

What Sellers Are Asking

Only about 13 to 16 homes were on the market inside the gates this summer, asking from $485,000 up to $7,495,000. Public sources disagree sharply on the median asking price, ranging from $1,000,000 to $1,607,500, so treat any single figure with caution.

Pricing sorts by enclave more than by anything else:

Vaquero Drive estates, roughly $3 million to $7 million and up
The Legend, roughly $2.2 million to $5 million
Condo enclaves including Sunset Cove, roughly $550,000 to $1.1 million

Worth knowing before you shop: the master association runs about $211 a month and covers the guard gate plus Estate Club access, and each enclave adds its own dues on top. Sunset Cove runs about $729 a month and The Enclave about $642. Golf club membership is separate again, it is optional, and it does not come with the house.

What Homes Are Closing For

The median sale price is up roughly 8 percent over the past year, from about $1.18 million to $1.35 million. Some measures put the increase higher, near 16 percent, so call it strong appreciation without pinning it to one number.

Price per square foot lands somewhere between $610 and $725 depending on the period and the enclave mix. Homes took about 80 days to sell in July, which is longer than a year ago. Supply sits at roughly 1.9 months, well under the 3.5 months Central Scottsdale is carrying.

Market Outlook

Gainey Ranch is tighter and appreciating faster than the submarket around it. That is the headline. But there is an honest footnote: transaction volume is down about 41 percent year over year, so part of that low supply reflects fewer people trading, not just heavy demand.

The resort next door reopened as the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale after a $115 million renovation, and that helps the whole neighborhood’s profile. Meanwhile the Vaquero sale showed what a well executed renovation can pull out of a Gainey Ranch estate lot, which is likely to bring more investor attention to the older custom homes here.

For sellers, this is a good market with a slower clock, so plan for a couple of months rather than a couple of weeks. For buyers, the condo enclaves remain the most accessible way in, and the dues structure is the thing most people underestimate. Get the full picture on both association levels before you write an offer.

Learn More

For a walk through the enclaves, the Estate Club and current availability, see our Gainey Ranch community page. For association rules, resident information and community documents, visit the Gainey Ranch Community Association.

Learn More

Internal: Gainey Ranch Homes For Sale
External: Gainey Ranch Community Association

Talk With The Holm Group

Gainey Ranch has 19 sub communities and two layers of dues, so the right answer depends heavily on which gate you are behind. The Holm Group can explain the differences and show you what has actually closed. Reach out to Andrew Holm for current numbers.

Considering selling in Gainey Ranch? Review the numbers above, then see our Scottsdale home-selling guide and how The Holm Group prices and markets Scottsdale homes.

Something Big Is Coming to The Holm Group

September 18, 2026

A brand new website, built for buyers, built for sellers, and built for the future of how people search for real estate.

After months of planning, development, testing, and optimization, I am excited to announce that our brand new Holm Group website is coming soon.

This is not simply a new look. We rebuilt the entire experience around one goal: making it easier and faster for Scottsdale and Phoenix area buyers and sellers to get the information they actually need.

For Buyers

Our new website is designed to make finding the right home, and the right community, easier than ever.

Smarter, faster property search
In depth information on 800+ Scottsdale and Phoenix area communities
Community Quick Facts, amenities, lifestyle information, and local insights
A better mobile experience for searching on the go
More useful neighborhood and real estate market information
Easier ways to connect directly with The Holm Group the moment you find something you love

For Sellers

We also built the new site to give our listings and our sellers greater digital exposure.

Enhanced property and community content
Improved search engine optimization
Advanced structured data that helps search engines better understand our content
Optimization for emerging AI powered search platforms
Faster, cleaner pages designed around the way today’s buyers actually search for homes
A stronger digital platform for showcasing our listings across Scottsdale and the Phoenix metro area

Built for the Next Generation of Search

The way people search for real estate is changing quickly. Buyers and sellers are no longer relying only on traditional search engines. They are increasingly using AI powered tools to research homes, communities, market conditions, and the real estate professionals they want to work with.

That shift is real. National Association of Realtors research has shown for years that the vast majority of buyers begin their search online, and that share keeps climbing as new tools arrive. That is why we spent so much time building the new Holm Group website to be SEO friendly, AI search friendly, mobile friendly, and designed for the future of real estate search.

And we are not done. We will keep adding new tools, market data, community information, and technology designed to give our clients an advantage whether they are buying, selling, relocating, or investing in Arizona real estate.

• •

26+ years of local experience. A completely new digital experience.

The new Holm Group website is coming soon. Stay tuned. I cannot wait to show you what we have built.

Andrew Holm | The Holm Group | Citiea

Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley and surrounding areas

• •

About Andrew Holm and The Holm Group

Andrew Holm (ABR, CDPE) leads The Holm Group, a Scottsdale and Phoenix luxury real estate team serving the Valley for more than 26 years. With over $250 million in closed sales, 200+ closings, Backed by a brokerage/network with 2,100+ five-star reviews, and a spot in the top 2% of Arizona listing agents, The Holm Group pairs deep local expertise with a marketing approach built for how buyers search today.

Contact The Holm Group

Andrew Holm | Cell: 480-206-4265

Web: theholmgroupaz.com

Serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Windgate Ranch Market Update September 2026

September 18, 2026

Windgate Ranch has the clearest story of any Scottsdale community we track this month, and it is a pricing story. Sellers are asking about $598 per square foot. Buyers are closing near $536. That roughly 11 percent gap explains almost everything else happening inside these gates.

With only about 700 homes and ten listings on the market, one mispriced house skews the whole picture, so the detail matters here more than the average.

Recent Home Sales

Nineteen homes closed between March 30 and August 24, 2026. A representative sample, listed by collection because street addresses were not publicly available:

Desert Willow
- 5 bed and 4 bath
- 4,259 square feet
- sold for $2,050,000 on August 24
Desert Willow
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 3,248 square feet
- sold for $1,700,000 on August 12
Mesquite
- 3 bed and 3.5 bath
- 2,792 square feet
- sold for $1,505,000 on July 24
Mesquite
- 4 bed and 5.5 bath
- 4,933 square feet
- sold for $3,000,000 on June 30
Desert Willow
- 5 bed and 4.5 bath
- 4,990 square feet
- sold for $2,875,000 on June 9

Across all 19 sales, prices ran from $750,000 for a 1,837 square foot attached home in Villas Altozano up to $3,000,000. The average sale price came in near $1,933,529, and sold homes averaged 89 days on market.

What Sellers Are Asking

Ten homes were active on September 8, 2026, asking from $1,599,900 to $4,800,000, with a median list price of $2,174,500. Another four homes sit under contract. Active listings average about $598 per square foot and have been on the market an average of 111 days.

Toll Brothers built the community in collections, and they still define the price tiers:

Villas Altozano, attached homes near 1,837 square feet, the only way in under $1 million
Cassia, roughly 2,693 to 2,896 square feet
Ocotillo, roughly 2,784 to 3,871 square feet
Mesquite, roughly 2,792 to 4,960 square feet
Desert Willow, roughly 2,952 to 4,990 square feet and the volume leader in recent sales
Cottonwood, roughly 3,402 to 4,639 square feet in one and two story plans

Homes date from roughly 2005 through 2017 across 29 floor plans, and HOA dues run about $435 a month as of January 2026.

What Homes Are Closing For

Recent sales work out to roughly $536 per square foot, with individual closings landing between about $406 and $758. Sold homes averaged 89 days on market, and about 17 to 19 homes have closed in the past six months.

With ten homes available against that pace, supply computes to roughly 2.6 to 3.5 months. Compare that to 3.6 months for Scottsdale overall and 4.5 months for North Scottsdale, and Windgate Ranch is the tighter market.

Market Outlook

Look at the active listings and the split is obvious. Three homes have been on the market fewer than 45 days. Five have been sitting between 177 and 205 days. Correctly priced homes are moving quickly here, and aspirational ones are not moving at all. The 111 day average for active listings against 89 days for sold homes confirms it.

For sellers, the message is simple. The gap between asking and closing is real, so build your price off actual closings in your collection rather than off what your neighbor is asking. For buyers, those five long sitting listings are where the negotiating leverage lives this fall.

For broader context, the 85255 zip is up somewhere between 2 and 10 percent year over year depending on the measure used, and North Scottsdale overall closed at $1,325,000 median with sellers getting 96.2 percent of ask.

Learn More

For the collections, floor plans, amenities and what is available today, see our Windgate Ranch community page. For trail maps and conditions at the Gateway Trailhead just outside the gates, visit the City of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve page.

Learn More

Internal: Windgate Ranch Homes For Sale In Scottsdale
External: McDowell Sonoran Preserve, City of Scottsdale

Talk With The Holm Group

Pricing a Windgate Ranch home correctly takes collection level comps, not community averages. The Holm Group tracks every closing behind these gates. Reach out to Andrew Holm and we will show you where your home actually sits in today’s market.

Windgate Ranch owners thinking about listing can use our Scottsdale selling guide to plan pricing and preparation, or get a value estimate for your home.

McDowell Mountain Ranch Market Update September 2026

September 18, 2026

Here is the number that jumps out of McDowell Mountain Ranch this month: zero. That is how many townhomes and condos are listed for sale across the whole community. The attached product in Cachet and The Ridge has effectively sold out, and everything on the market right now is a single family home.

Supply is tight on the house side too. Roughly 17 to 22 active listings sit against about 15 closings a month, which is the tightest ratio of any North Scottsdale community we follow.

Recent Home Sales

Closings from this summer:

15984 N 106th Way
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 1,972 square feet
- sold for $850,000 in September 2026
15734 N 102nd St
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 1,478 square feet
- sold for $757,500 in August 2026
9705 E Mountain Peak Dr
- 3 bed and 3 bath
- 3,248 square feet
- sold for $1,700,000 in August 2026
10272 E Mallow Cir
- 3 bed and 2 bath
- 1,358 square feet
- sold for $799,000 in July 2026
16600 N Thompson Peak Pkwy #1083
- 2 bed and 2 bath
- 1,674 square feet
- sold for $575,000 in June 2026

About 89 homes have closed here in the past six months, roughly 15 a month, at an average sale price near $1,269,946. That last listing is worth noting, because it shows what the condo entry point looked like before the attached inventory ran dry.

What Sellers Are Asking

Counts run from 17 to 26 active listings depending on where a source draws the community boundary. The narrower reads put asking prices between about $736,900 and $1,795,000. Wider reads that include the custom estate pocket stretch the top to $4,000,000. Median asking price lands somewhere between $1.1 million and $1.3 million.

Active listings are asking around $542 per square foot. Beyond the actives, eight homes are under contract and four are coming soon, so there is more inventory in the pipeline than the raw count suggests.

The community spans 3,200 acres and about 4,000 homes across 26 villages, most built between 1995 and 2003 by Shea, Centex, Toll Brothers, Cachet, T.W. Lewis, Engle and others. Dues are billed quarterly and vary by village.

What Homes Are Closing For

The median sale price sits near $1,150,000, up roughly 3 to 5 percent year over year. Sold price per square foot averages about $504, and individual closings this summer ranged from $343 to $664.

Homes are selling in about 48 to 52 days, notably faster than the 66 days North Scottsdale is averaging. Months of supply computes to roughly 1 to 2, against 4.5 months for North Scottsdale as a whole. By any standard measure that is a seller’s market.

Market Outlook

There is an interesting tension in these numbers. Supply is very tight and homes sell fast, yet prices here are up only 3 to 5 percent while North Scottsdale overall is up 8.9 percent. In other words, McDowell Mountain Ranch is trading briskly without running away on price, which is arguably the healthiest place a market can be.

The golf side is stable. McDowell Mountain Golf Club, a 7,118 yard par 72 course that Arcis Golf bought from Phil Mickelson’s group in 2021, continues to operate as a daily fee club with the Rossa Kitchen and Patio on site. No closure or redevelopment news to report, which is worth saying plainly since rumors circulate about every valley course eventually.

For buyers, move quickly and bring your best terms, because well priced homes here are not sitting. For sellers, this is a good window, particularly if you own attached product. With zero townhomes and condos listed community wide, a well presented one would land in an empty field.

Learn More

For the 26 villages, the amenities and current availability, see our McDowell Mountain Ranch community page. For course details, rates and tee times at the club inside the community, visit McDowell Mountain Golf Club.

Learn More

Internal: McDowell Mountain Ranch Homes For Sale
External: McDowell Mountain Golf Club

Talk With The Holm Group

With inventory this thin, timing and preparation decide outcomes in McDowell Mountain Ranch. The Holm Group knows which villages are moving and what buyers are paying for them. Reach out to Andrew Holm for a current read on your home or your search.

Selling in McDowell Mountain Ranch? Our step-by-step Scottsdale selling guide covers costs and timeline, and our home-marketing plan explains what we do once your home is listed.

Plumbing Checks Every Homeowner Should Run Before Listing a House

September 13, 2026

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Thinking about putting your house on the market this year?

Here’s some useful knowledge to have before that first buyer walks through your front door: Home inspections are killing more deals than anything else these days. According to a recent survey from Redfin agents, 70.4% of aborted purchases were due to inspection or repair problems.

Not financing. Not cold feet. Repairs.

And plumbing sits right near the top of that list.

The good news?

Nearly every homebuyer-turning-plumber problem you see scaring away buyers exists — and can be fixed — weeks before the listing pictures are taken.

What you’ll uncover:

Why plumbing kills more deals than you think
The leak detection tests to run first
A fixture-by-fixture walkthrough of the house
What to repair and what to leave alone

Why Plumbing Scares Buyers More Than Anything Else

A buyer can look past a tired kitchen. Paint is cheap. Carpet is cheap.

Water is not.

Buyers don’t think, “Oh good, water damage!” When their inspector writes “possible active leak” or “signs of past water damage” on his report. They think mould, rotten subfloor and a repair bill that’s going to have no ceiling. Water damage/frost accounts for about 22% of home insurance claims. Which average slightly above $15k. Buyers know that. Their agents know that too.

That’s precisely why a thorough round of residential plumbing maintenance is one of the highest ROI tasks a seller can perform before listing. A certified crew like Integrity plumbing and maintenance can perform a whole leak detection check up of the supply lines, drains, fixtures and water heater, then provide you with a written report on what was discovered and repaired. When you do this, 2 things happen. Little leaks are repaired before they become expensive. You also enter into negotiation with documentation that the plumbing passed inspection.

That paperwork is worth far more than most sellers realise.

Start With The Water Meter Test

Before touching a single tap, do this…

Turn off all water-using appliances in your home. Dishwasher? Off. Washer? Off. Ice maker? Off. Flushing? Anyone? Nope. Now read your water meter and record the number.

Come back two hours later and read it again.

If that number changes, water is leaking somewhere. Seriously, that is how simple it is. This is the best leak detection method for the homeowner who doesn’t want to use any tools.

Quick tip: compare your last few water bills. If one bill seems to be creeping up while your water usage habits haven’t changed, you most likely have a stealthy leak.

Why you should care: the typical home wastes nearly 10,000 gallons per year due to leaks and about 1 in 10 homes leak 90+ gallons daily. That is lost revenue and hidden damage lurking behind your walls.

Check Every Toilet In The House

Toilets are the sneakiest water wasters in any home.

Put some food colouring in the tank of each toilet. Wait 15 minutes without flushing. If the bowl is coloured, you have a silent leak caused by a worn flapper.

Flappers cost almost nothing and take minutes to swap out.

While you are down there, check:

The base for any rocking or movement
Discolouration on the floor around the pan
Damp patches or staining on the ceiling below
How quickly the tank refills after a flush

If your toilet rocks, chances are you have a failed wax seal. That’s exactly what an inspector is going to write up BIG TIME.

Look Under Every Sink

Grab a torch and open every cabinet in the house.

You’re looking for twisted wood, white mineral buildup on the fixtures, rust circles, spongy areas and that smell of mildew that indicates moisture has been trapped for awhile. Turn the faucet on for a minute and closely observe the trap and supply lines.

Then dry everything with paper towel and check again a day later.

If you see fresh stains on dry materials, you have an active leak. Older staining with no fresh water likely means a leak that happened years ago and was repaired — but be prepared to explain why, because they will ask.

Test The Water Pressure And Drainage

Here is something most sellers never think about…

Home inspectors look at taps. They stroll through a home and flick switches on. Low pressure or a sluggish drain creates an immediate feeling that pipes are worn out and overlooked.

Walk through the house and make sure that:

Hot and cold both come through strongly
Two fixtures can run at once without the pressure dropping
Sinks, showers and baths drain away without pooling
Nothing gurgles, knocks or bangs when a tap is shut off

Gurgling drains usually indicate a venting issue. Knocking pipes typically mean loose brackets or water hammer. Neither problem is costly to repair but both can be alarming to the untrained ear.

Inspect The Water Heater

The water heater tells a story, and buyers read it.

Check the date sticker first. Most tanks have an expected life of about 8-12 years so if it’s older you are already red flagged. Then look the base over for rust, look for corrosion at the connections and ensure the temp/pressure relief valve isn’t weeping.

Don’t forget sediment build up either. A rumbling tank or tank that drips rusty hot water needs to be flushed. An easy DIY project compared to explaining a shower that runs cold mid-stream during a showing.

Do Not Forget The Outside

Plumbing does not stop at the back door.

Circle the yard and inspect outdoor faucets for drips and fittings. Observe the ground over the main line for unusually green or soggy grass during dry spells. That’s always a tell-tale sign of a buried leak.

If your home is older or if you have big trees on your property then you owe yourself every penny of the cost of a sewer camera inspection. Tree root intrusion is one of the few plumbing conditions that can kill a sale outright, and discovering it first puts you in control.

What To Fix And What To Leave Alone

Not everything needs doing.

Leaks that should be fixed ASAP: active leaks of any size, running toilets, dripping taps, slow drains, corroded shut-off valves, water stains and anything else that has already caused damage.

Consider twice: whole house repiping, tossing out a perfectly good water heater just because it is old, or changing fixtures just for cosmetic reasons.

The goal isn’t a perfect plumbing system. The goal is an inspection report that doesn’t have scary stuff written on it.

Tying It All Together

Listing your house for sale is stressful enough without losing a buyer due to an undiscovered leak.

Test the meter for a weekend, flush toilets, run sinks, check pressure and test the water heater. Hire a licensed plumber to do anything you don’t feel comfortable testing yourself. Place all receipts in one folder.

Then hand that folder over when the offers start arriving.

Buyers breathe easy when a seller can demonstrate that the boring tasks have already been taken care of — and a buyer who breathes easy is much less likely to walk away.

Desert Mountain vs. Troon North

September 12, 2026

Desert Mountain and Troon North are both golf communities in far North Scottsdale, and buyers who want desert golf and big views often compare the two. They share the same 85262 zip code, the same Sonoran Desert setting near Pinnacle Peak, and a reputation for luxury homes. But how they’re set up is very different, and that difference drives price, privacy, and how you’d actually use the place.

Desert Mountain is a large guard-gated, member-owned private club community spread across roughly 8,000 acres. It has seven golf courses, six designed by Jack Nicklaus plus a par-54 course called No. 7. Homes run from patio homes to large custom estates, and the club membership is a big part of the appeal. Troon North is built around the public Troon North Golf Club, with its Monument and Pinnacle courses that anyone can book. The homes here are a patchwork of gated and non-gated neighborhoods, from townhomes up to large custom estates.

The right choice comes down to budget, home style, how you want to golf, how much privacy you want behind a guard gate, and the lifestyle you’re after. Here’s the side-by-side.

Andrew Holm and The Holm Group have worked with Scottsdale and Phoenix-area buyers and sellers for more than 26 years, with over $250 million in closed transactions and a focus on luxury and golf-community real estate.

Desert Mountain vs. Troon North at a Glance

Feature	Desert Mountain	Troon North
Location	85262, far North Scottsdale, ~8,000 guard-gated acres	85262, North Scottsdale around Pinnacle Peak
Golf	Seven private courses (six Nicklaus + par-54 No. 7); members only	Troon North Golf Club (Monument & Pinnacle), public/daily-fee
Gated options	Entire community is guard-gated, with gated sub-neighborhoods	Mix of gated and non-gated neighborhoods
Home styles	Patio homes to large custom estates, desert contemporary and Southwest	Townhomes, single-family, and large custom estates
Price range	Roughly $1.3M to $5M+, with estates well beyond; median around $2.4M	Roughly $700K condos/townhomes to $8M estates; median around $1.34M
HOA	Community HOA plus a separate club membership with initiation and dues	Master HOA plus sub-association dues; golf membership optional
Amenities	Private clubhouses, dining, spa, fitness, tennis, hiking on-property	Public golf, trails, parks, nearby Pinnacle Peak dining and shopping
Best suited for	Buyers who want a private club, guard gate, and full-service lifestyle	Buyers who want desert golf without a club, and more price flexibility

Which Community Has Better Golf?

Your preferred style of play will shape the better choice. Desert Mountain offers seven private golf courses exclusively for club members. Buyers purchase club membership separately from their homes and pay additional initiation fees and dues.

Troon North offers public golf through its Monument and Pinnacle courses, where anyone can book a tee time. Tom Weiskopf designed both courses, and recent renovations have enhanced the playing experience.

Golfers who want a private club lifestyle with access to multiple courses will likely prefer Desert Mountain. Golfers who want highly rated desert golf without joining a club will find Troon North especially appealing.

Which Has Better Amenities?

Desert Mountain is a full-service private community. Members get multiple clubhouses, restaurants, a spa, fitness, tennis and pickleball, and miles of private hiking trails inside the gates. Troon North keeps it simpler: the draw is the public golf, the trail access near Pinnacle Peak and Brown’s Ranch, and the shops and restaurants a short drive away. Desert Mountain gives you more on-property, but you pay for it through the club. Troon North leans on public and nearby amenities, which keeps costs down.

Gated Options & Privacy

Desert Mountain provides guard-gated access at the community entrance and adds gated sub-neighborhoods throughout, giving residents a consistent level of privacy. Troon North offers a mix of gated and non-gated neighborhoods, allowing buyers to choose the level of privacy and price that best fits their needs.

Buyers who consider a guard gate and controlled access essential will likely prefer Desert Mountain. Buyers who want a wider range of options can explore the variety of neighborhoods available in Troon North.

Who Each Community Is Best For

Desert Mountain is best for buyers who want a guard-gated private club, seven courses, full amenities, and a full-service lifestyle, and who are comfortable with club fees.

Troon North is best for buyers who want great public desert golf, more flexibility on price and home type, and the option of a gated or non-gated neighborhood without a required club membership.

Already own in Desert Mountain or Troon North and thinking about selling? Our Scottsdale home-selling guide covers pricing, preparation and timing.

Learn More

See what’s available on The Holm Group’s Troon North page, or book a round and learn about the courses at the official Troon North Golf Club site.

Want help weighing a private club against public golf? Andrew Holm and The Holm Group can talk you through both.

North Scottsdale vs. Central Scottsdale

September 11, 2026

If you’re buying in Scottsdale, one of the first choices you’ll make is which part of the city fits you. North Scottsdale and Central Scottsdale are both inside the same city line, but they feel like two different places. North is newer, more spread out, and built around golf and the desert. Central is older, closer-in, and built around Old Town, the lakes, and walkable neighborhoods.

Buyers weigh these two areas because they pull in opposite directions on a few things that matter: how new the home is, whether you want a golf-community setup, how private or gated you want to be, and whether you’d rather walk to dinner or drive to a trailhead. Price plays into it too, though the gap is smaller than most people expect once you compare like-for-like homes.

There’s no wrong answer here. The right pick comes down to your budget, the home style and age you want, whether golf matters, how much you value walkability versus seclusion, and the day-to-day lifestyle you’re after.

North Scottsdale vs. Central Scottsdale at a Glance

Feature	North Scottsdale	Central Scottsdale
Location	North of the Loop 101 toward Pinnacle Peak, Troon, and Carefree Hwy (85255, 85262, 85266)	Closer-in around Old Town, the Waterfront, and the canal (85250, 85251, 85253, 85258, 85254)
Golf	High concentration of golf communities and private clubs	A few strong options, more mixed with non-golf neighborhoods
Gated options	Many gated and guard-gated communities	Fewer gates; more open, connected streets
Home styles	Newer master-planned and custom desert homes, generally larger	Mix of condos, townhomes, and single-family, plus some luxury; older and more established
Price range	Median around $1.2M; roughly $600K for attached homes up to $10M+ in Silverleaf and Desert Mountain	Blended median around $1.1M; condos from the $300Ks up to $3M+ for luxury and custom homes
HOA	Common, often higher, sometimes with club or guard-gate costs	Ranges from none to moderate; lower on many older neighborhoods
Amenities	Golf, hiking and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Kierland and Scottsdale Quarter shopping	Old Town, the Waterfront, Fashion Square, lakes, dining and nightlife
Best suited for	Buyers who want newer homes, golf, space, and privacy	Buyers who want to be central, walkable, and close to the action

Which Area Has Better Golf?

North Scottsdale wins on sheer concentration. Troon North is a well-known public option, and the private clubs stack up fast: DC Ranch, Silverleaf, Desert Mountain, and Estancia are all up here. Central Scottsdale still has real golf, mainly McCormick Ranch (public) and the private club at Gainey Ranch. One thing to keep in mind on the private clubs in either area: a golf or club membership is usually separate from owning the home, so budget for that on top of the purchase.

Which Has Better Amenities?

This one flips depending on what you want. Central Scottsdale is the walkable, social side: Old Town’s dining and nightlife, the Waterfront, Scottsdale Fashion Square, the art galleries, and the lakes and mature landscaping through McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch, and Scottsdale Ranch. North Scottsdale leans into the outdoors and newer retail: direct access to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and its trail system, golf, and upscale shopping and dining at Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter. If you want to walk out your door to a restaurant, Central has the edge. If you want a trailhead or a fairway out your door, North does.

Gated Options & Privacy

North Scottsdale has far more gated and guard-gated communities, and a lot of the newer master-planned developments were built that way from the start. If privacy and a controlled entry matter to you, you’ll find more of it up north. Central Scottsdale has some gated pockets, but most of it is older, more open, and connected by regular streets and sidewalks, which is part of what makes it walkable in the first place. It’s a trade-off: more seclusion up north, more connection and foot traffic in the center.

Who Each Area Is Best For

North Scottsdale is best for buyers who want a newer or custom home with more space, are drawn to golf-community living, and value privacy and desert scenery over being in the middle of things. It fits people who don’t mind driving a bit for dinner or shopping.

Central Scottsdale is best for buyers who want to be close-in and walkable, like the idea of Old Town, the Waterfront, and the lakes nearby, and want a wider range of price points, including condos and townhomes that are harder to find up north.

If you are selling in North Scottsdale or Central Scottsdale, see how The Holm Group prices and markets homes in these communities, or request a home value estimate.

Learn More

Browse current homes across the city on the Scottsdale homes for sale page, and check zoning, permits, and city services through the City of Scottsdale official site.

Not sure which area fits your budget and how you want to live? Reach out to Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll help you narrow it down.

Carefree vs. Cave Creek

September 10, 2026

Carefree and Cave Creek sit right next to each other in the high Sonoran Desert just north of Scottsdale, and buyers almost always look at them together. They share the same dark skies, big desert views, saguaro-covered land, and a slower pace than the city. But the two towns feel different once you spend time in each.

Carefree is the more planned, upscale town. You’ll find larger custom homes, a walkable town center with galleries and restaurants, the Carefree Desert Gardens and the big sundial, and The Boulders resort and golf. Cave Creek is more rustic and Western. Think horse properties, larger desert lots, a funkier main street with saloons and live music, and a wider spread of home prices. There’s more open land and more variety here.

The right choice usually comes down to budget, the kind of home you want, whether golf matters, how much privacy and land you’re after, and which vibe fits you. Below is a side-by-side to help you sort it out.

Carefree vs. Cave Creek at a Glance

Feature	Carefree	Cave Creek
Location	85377, planned town center just north of Scottsdale	85331, adjacent to Carefree, more spread out
Golf	The Boulders (private resort courses), plus nearby daily-fee play	Rancho Manana and Dove Valley Ranch (public/daily-fee)
Gated options	Several guard-gated and gated communities, including Boulders enclaves	Mostly open acreage; some gated subdivisions
Home styles	Larger custom homes, patio homes, desert contemporary and Southwest	Ranch, Santa Fe, custom desert homes, horse properties
Price range	Roughly $700K patio homes to $9M+ estates; median around $1.29M	Roughly $300K to $10M+; median around $1M
HOA	Varies by community; gated enclaves carry HOA dues, many custom lots don’t	Many acreage properties have no HOA; some subdivisions do
Amenities	Town center shops and galleries, Desert Gardens, resort dining, trails	Western main street, saloons, art, Spur Cross trails, equestrian
Best suited for	Buyers who want a polished small town, walkability, and resort golf	Buyers who want land, horses, privacy, and a Western feel

Which Community Has Better Golf?

Carefree has the edge if resort golf is the draw. The Boulders runs two courses tied to the resort, and membership there is separate from owning a home. Cave Creek leans public: Rancho Manana is a daily-fee desert course right by town, and Dove Valley Ranch sits just to the north, both open to anyone booking a tee time. So Carefree is stronger for private-club and resort play, while Cave Creek is easier if you just want to walk on and play without a membership.

Which Has Better Amenities?

Carefree’s town center is compact and walkable, with galleries, restaurants, the Desert Gardens, the giant sundial, and events on the town green. The Boulders adds resort dining and a spa. Cave Creek is more about its Western main street, with saloons, live music, local shops, and art, plus strong equestrian and trail access at Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. Both towns put you close to hiking and open desert. Carefree feels more curated; Cave Creek feels more local and low-key.

Gated Options & Privacy

Carefree has more formal gated and guard-gated options, including enclaves around The Boulders, so buyers who want a controlled entrance have real choices. Cave Creek is mostly open acreage, where privacy comes from lot size and desert buffers rather than a gate. If you want a guard at the entrance, look at Carefree first. If you want space, horses, and no one close by, Cave Creek delivers that.

Who Each Community Is Best For

Carefree is best for buyers who want a polished, walkable small town, larger custom homes, resort golf at The Boulders, and the option of a gated community.

Cave Creek is best for buyers who want land, horse properties, a Western small-town feel, and more room to choose across a wide price range.

Homeowners in Carefree and Cave Creek who are planning a move can start with our 2026 guide to selling a home in Scottsdale.

Learn More

Browse current homes on The Holm Group’s Cave Creek page, or read up on the town itself at the official Town of Carefree website.

Not sure which town fits? Reach out to Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll walk you through both.

DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf

September 9, 2026

This one needs a quick clarification up front, because DC Ranch and Silverleaf aren’t really two separate communities side by side. Silverleaf is a guard-gated luxury enclave that sits inside the larger DC Ranch master plan in North Scottsdale (85255). So the real question most buyers are asking is: do I want a home somewhere in the broader DC Ranch community, or do I want to buy into Silverleaf specifically, the ultra-luxury tier within it?

DC Ranch is a roughly 4,400-acre master-planned community made up of four villages, with a wide range of homes, from townhomes and single-family houses up to large estates. Silverleaf is DC Ranch’s top tier: guard-gated, built around the private Silverleaf Club and its Tom Weiskopf golf course, with big custom estates that run well into the eight figures.

The choice really comes down to budget, home style, how private you want to be, and whether a private club membership is part of the plan. Here’s how they stack up.

DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf at a Glance

Feature	DC Ranch (broader community)	Silverleaf (enclave within DC Ranch)
Location	North Scottsdale 85255, ~4,400-acre master plan with four villages against the McDowell Mountains	A guard-gated enclave inside DC Ranch, running up into the McDowell foothills and Upper Canyon
Golf	Country Club at DC Ranch (private) plus proximity to other North Scottsdale courses	Silverleaf Club — private Tom Weiskopf-designed course, membership separate from home purchase
Gated options	Mix of gated and non-gated villages and neighborhoods	Fully guard-gated, with additional gated sub-enclaves inside
Home styles	Townhomes, single-family homes, and estates; a range of sizes and price points	Large custom estates, many hillside; Spanish Colonial, Andalusian, and Santa Barbara architecture
Price range	Roughly $1.5M to $8M for most homes, with entry condos/townhomes lower and estates higher; median around $2.3M	Roughly $2.7M to $25M+, with a median list price around $7.5M
HOA	DC Ranch community council dues plus village/neighborhood dues	Higher community and enclave dues; private Silverleaf Club membership is a separate cost
Amenities	Two community centers, parks, pools, tennis/pickleball, and a large trail network	Private Silverleaf Club (golf, dining, spa, fitness), plus access to DC Ranch’s trails and parks
Best suited for	Buyers who want a luxury master-planned community with range in price and home style	Buyers focused on top-tier custom estates, maximum privacy, and a private club lifestyle

Which Community Has Better Golf?

Both communities offer private-club golf, which sets them apart from Scottsdale’s public courses. The broader DC Ranch community features the Country Club at DC Ranch, a private club with its own golf course. Silverleaf features the Silverleaf Club, which centers around a private Tom Weiskopf-designed course known for its exclusivity.

Homebuyers must purchase golf memberships separately from their homes. The Silverleaf Club also limits membership and charges a premium for access. Buyers who prioritize a private, high-end golf experience will likely find Silverleaf more appealing, but they should confirm current membership availability and costs during their search.

Which Has Better Amenities?

The broader DC Ranch community is built for everyday living: two community centers, neighborhood parks, pools, tennis and pickleball, and an extensive trail system that connects the villages and links into the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Silverleaf residents get access to those DC Ranch amenities too, plus the private Silverleaf Club, which adds club dining, a spa, fitness, and social programming on top of golf. So Silverleaf isn’t an either/or, it’s DC Ranch’s amenities plus a private club layer. Whether that extra layer is worth it depends on how much you’ll use the club.

Gated Options & Privacy

DC Ranch offers a mix of gated and non-gated villages and neighborhoods, so the area you choose determines your level of privacy. Silverleaf provides full guard-gated access with a staffed entry and adds several gated sub-enclaves for even greater privacy, including custom estates in Upper Canyon.

Buyers who consider maximum privacy and a staffed gate essential will find Silverleaf especially appealing. Buyers who want more flexibility in price and access can explore both gated and non-gated options throughout the broader DC Ranch community.

Who Each Community Is Best For

The broader DC Ranch community is best for buyers who want a luxury master-planned community with real range, from more attainable townhomes and single-family homes up to estates, plus strong parks, trails, and community centers.

Silverleaf best suits buyers who prioritize top-tier custom estates, a fully guard-gated setting, and a private club lifestyle, and who can comfortably afford homes that typically start in the multi-millions and rise well beyond.

Thinking of listing a home in DC Ranch or Silverleaf? Read our Scottsdale selling guide, then review our home-marketing plan.

Learn More

For pricing, neighborhoods, and current listings across the master plan, see our DC Ranch homes for sale page. For community background straight from the source, visit the official DC Ranch community site.

Trying to decide between a home in DC Ranch and a Silverleaf estate? Reach out to Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll help you weigh the trade-offs.