Grayhawk vs. McDowell Mountain Ranch

Quick answer: Choose Grayhawk to be close to dining, shopping and the freeway, with two public golf courses and a mix of condos and larger homes. Choose McDowell Mountain Ranch for direct preserve and trail access, a strong community recreation center and a quieter location.

Grayhawk vs. McDowell Mountain Ranch

 

Grayhawk and McDowell Mountain Ranch are two of North Scottsdale’s best-known master-planned communities, and they share the same 85255 zip code, so buyers cross-shop them all the time. They aren’t the same kind of place, though. Grayhawk sits off the Loop 101 near the Scottsdale Airpark and is built around two public golf courses and quick access to shopping and dining. McDowell Mountain Ranch sits farther east at the base of the McDowell Mountains, pushed up against the Sonoran Preserve, with a quieter, more family-and-outdoors feel.

Both offer a wide mix of homes, from condos and townhomes up to larger single-family houses and guard-gated custom estates. The real differences come down to golf, price, the kind of neighborhood you want, and whether you’d rather be close to the action or close to the trails.

The right call usually comes down to budget, home style, how golf fits into your life, how much you value a gated neighborhood, and your day-to-day lifestyle. Here’s the deeper comparison.

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.

Grayhawk vs. McDowell Mountain Ranch at a Glance

Feature Grayhawk McDowell Mountain Ranch
Location North Scottsdale 85255, off Loop 101 near the Scottsdale Airpark North Scottsdale 85255, at the base of the McDowells by the Sonoran Preserve
Golf Grayhawk Golf Club, Talon and Raptor, two public daily-fee courses (no membership to own) McDowell Mountain Golf Club, one public daily-fee course that plays through the community
Gated options The Park is mostly open; The Retreat is 24/7 guard-gated Mostly open; Cimarron and One Hundred Hills are guard-gated
Home styles Condos, townhomes, single-family, and custom homes in The Retreat Single-family and townhomes, Southwest and Spanish styles; custom estates in One Hundred Hills
Price range Roughly high-$800Ks to $3M+; median near $905K Roughly mid-$800Ks to $4M+; median near $1.2M
HOA Master community association plus sub-HOA; guard-gated Retreat dues run higher Community association plus sub-HOA; Cimarron and estate enclaves run higher
Amenities 13-acre Grayhawk Park, trails and greenbelts, pools, tennis, two golf courses, near Kierland/Quarter Recreation and aquatic center, heated pools, tennis, pickleball, trails into the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Best suited for Buyers who want two public courses, shopping nearby, and a range of price points Families and outdoor buyers who want Preserve trails, a big rec center, and a public course


Inside Grayhawk: The Park and The Retreat

Grayhawk is really two communities under one name, and knowing which side you’re shopping makes a big difference.

Area Neighborhoods & Homes Gating
The Park The family-oriented side. Single-family neighborhoods like Ridgecrest, Monterey Park, Featherwind, Pinnacle at Grayhawk, Montevina, and Coventry, plus condos and townhomes in The Village, The Venu, Vintage, and The Edge. The most range on price. Mostly open; some enclaves have their own gates
The Retreat The higher-end, resort-style side. Talon Retreat and Raptor Retreat hold custom and semi-custom homes, generally from around 2,500 square feet up, in enclaves like Peregrine, Crown Point, Renaissance, Halcon, and Serenity. 24/7 guard-gated

So if you want a lower-maintenance condo or a mid-range family home, The Park is where most of that lives. If you want a larger home behind a manned gate, The Retreat is the target.


Inside McDowell Mountain Ranch: The Neighborhoods

MMR spreads about 4,000 homes across roughly two dozen neighborhoods, most of them open, with a couple of guard-gated pockets at the top.

Neighborhood Homes & Character Gating
Open single-family Sonoran Fairways, Sunset Point, Desert Cliffs, The Overlook, Montecito, Eagle Ridge, Discovery Trail and more, in Southwest and Spanish styles with many family floor plans Non-gated
Trovas Townhomes and lower-maintenance living Non-gated
Cimarron (Hills/Ridge) Established single-family homes behind a staffed gate 24-hour guard-gated
One Hundred Hills The upper-end custom-estate enclave with bigger lots and mountain views Gated, top of the market

Most of MMR is open and walkable between neighborhoods, so if a manned gate matters to you, Cimarron and One Hundred Hills are the places to focus.


Which Community Has Better Golf?

This is the clearest split, and it’s worth getting right. Both communities are built around public, daily-fee golf, so you do not need to buy a private membership to play, and buying a home here does not include golf privileges either.

Grayhawk Golf Club has two courses, the Talon and the Raptor, and it’s one of the bigger-name daily-fee destinations in Scottsdale, with its own clubhouse dining. McDowell Mountain Golf Club is a single 18-hole public course that plays right through the community at the base of the mountains. Both are run by Arcis Golf, and both offer an optional Arcis players’ card for preferred rates if you golf often, but neither requires it to own a home.

Short version: Grayhawk is a two-course, marquee public-golf destination, while McDowell Mountain Ranch gives you one community-integrated public course. If golf variety is the priority, Grayhawk wins. If you want a quieter course woven into a family community, MMR fits.

Ownership Costs

Both communities use a layered HOA: a master community association plus a sub-HOA for your specific neighborhood. The guard-gated pockets, Grayhawk’s Retreat and MMR’s Cimarron and One Hundred Hills, carry higher dues to pay for staffed gatehouses. Open neighborhoods run lighter. Because the stack changes from one address to the next, ask for the master plus sub-HOA dues (and any special assessments) in writing for any home you’re serious about.

On price, the two have drifted apart. Grayhawk’s median sits near $905,000, with most of the market running from the high $800Ks into the low millions and Retreat custom homes reaching $3M and up. McDowell Mountain Ranch has climbed faster lately, with a median around $1.2 million and homes ranging from the mid-$800Ks to roughly $4M for the larger estates. Both numbers move with inventory, so treat them as a snapshot, not a quote.

Which Has Better Amenities?

McDowell Mountain Ranch leans harder into recreation. It has a community recreation and aquatic center, heated pools and spas, tennis, pickleball and basketball, playgrounds and picnic areas, and direct access into the McDowell Sonoran Preserve’s trail network right out of the neighborhood. Grayhawk counters with the 13-acre Grayhawk Park, walking and biking trails and greenbelts that tie the community together, community pools and tennis, and two golf courses. Grayhawk’s other edge is location: it’s a short drive to Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter for upscale shopping and dining. If you want resort-style recreation and trails at your door, MMR leads. If you want golf and shopping close by, Grayhawk does.

Gated Options & Privacy

Neither community is gated end to end. Grayhawk splits cleanly: The Park is mostly open and connected to the surrounding streets, while The Retreat is fully 24/7 guard-gated with its own custom-home enclaves. McDowell Mountain Ranch is mostly open neighborhoods, with Cimarron and the One Hundred Hills estates sitting behind staffed gates. So in both places, privacy depends on the specific neighborhood, not the community name. Tell your agent how much a manned gate matters and you can target the right pocket.

Who Each Community Is Best For

Grayhawk fits buyers who want two public golf courses, a range of price points from condos to custom homes, and quick access to Kierland and Scottsdale Quarter shopping and dining, with the option of a guard-gated home in The Retreat.

McDowell Mountain Ranch fits families and outdoor-focused buyers who want direct Preserve trail access, a full recreation and aquatic center, and a public course woven into the community, with guard-gated choices in Cimarron and One Hundred Hills.


Learn More

Compare current listings and neighborhoods on both of The Holm Group’s community pages: Grayhawk homes for sale and McDowell Mountain Ranch homes for sale. For the courses themselves, see Grayhawk Golf Club and McDowell Mountain Golf Club.

Trying to decide between Grayhawk and McDowell Mountain Ranch, or weighing a specific neighborhood in either? Reach out to Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll walk you through the options.

DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf

Quick answer: Choose the broader DC Ranch community for luxury master-planned living with range, from townhomes and single-family homes up to estates, plus parks, trails and community centers. Choose Silverleaf for top-tier custom estates in a fully guard-gated setting with a private club lifestyle.

DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf

 

DC Ranch and Silverleaf come up together constantly, and it helps to clear up one thing first: Silverleaf isn’t a separate community down the road. It’s one of the four villages inside the DC Ranch master plan in North Scottsdale (85255), and it sits at the top of the price ladder. So when buyers say they’re choosing between DC Ranch and Silverleaf, what they’re really deciding is whether to buy somewhere in the broader DC Ranch community or specifically in its guard-gated, ultra-luxury Silverleaf village.

DC Ranch covers about 4,400 acres and more than 40 neighborhoods across four villages, with homes that run from condos and townhomes up to large custom estates. Silverleaf is the estate tier: 24/7 guard-gated, built around the private Silverleaf Club and its Tom Weiskopf golf course, with custom homes on golf, hillside, and canyon lots.

The right call comes down to budget, the kind of home you want, how private you need to be, which club (if any) you’d join, and how the layered HOA dues shake out. Here’s the full picture.

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.

DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf at a Glance

Feature DC Ranch (broader community) Silverleaf (village within DC Ranch)
Location ~4,400-acre master plan, four villages, North Scottsdale 85255 Guard-gated village inside DC Ranch, running into the McDowell foothills
Golf The Country Club at DC Ranch — private, member-owned; membership separate from your home Silverleaf Club — private Tom Weiskopf course, one of the Valley’s most exclusive; membership separate
Gated options Mix of non-gated, card/code-gated, and guard-gated (Silverleaf) Fully 24/7 guard-gated, with separately gated enclaves inside
Home styles Condos, townhomes, patio homes, single-family, and custom estates Large custom estates on golf, hillside, and canyon lots; Spanish and Mediterranean Revival
Price range Roughly $800K to $6M; most sales $2M–$4M, median near $2.6M Roughly $3M to $20M+, median around $5M
HOA Layered: Community Council master (~$82/mo in 2025) plus neighborhood/sub-association dues Same master assessment plus higher Silverleaf neighborhood dues for guard gates and parks
Amenities Desert Camp & The Homestead centers, pools, ~33 miles of trails, parks, Market Street shopping All of DC Ranch’s, plus the private Silverleaf Club (clubhouse, spa, dining, fitness, tennis)
Best suited for Buyers who want range in price and home style inside one master-planned community Buyers who want a top-tier custom estate, maximum privacy, and a private club


The Four Villages of DC Ranch

DC Ranch calls itself “one community, four villages,” and the villages really do feel different. Knowing them makes the whole community easier to shop.

Village Homes & Character Gating
Country Club Village The original village (first residents in 1997), wrapped around The Country Club at DC Ranch. Single-family homes in desert, ranch, and Spanish styles, toward the higher end outside of Silverleaf. Some gated sub-neighborhoods
Desert Camp Village The most varied and most accessible on price. Condos, townhomes, patio homes, and single-family homes, plus Market Street, the walkable shopping and dining hub. Mix of gated and non-gated
Desert Parks Village Custom and production single-family homes and attached homes, with a park and play area in each neighborhood. Each neighborhood is gated (card/code)
Silverleaf Village The luxury estate village against the McDowell Mountains, built around the Silverleaf Club. Large custom homes on golf, hillside, and canyon lots. 24/7 guard-gated

If budget is the main lever, Desert Camp is usually where buyers start. If a big custom estate is the goal, the search moves toward Silverleaf.

Gated & Guard-Gated Neighborhoods

Not all of DC Ranch is gated, and the kind of gate matters. Market Street and the community centers are open to everyone. Desert Parks Village neighborhoods are gated with card or code entry. Country Club Village mixes gated sub-neighborhoods with open streets. Silverleaf is the only part with 24/7 guard gates, and it’s broken into several separately gated enclaves:

Upper Canyon — the most exclusive, with hillside lots from roughly one to ten acres and the largest estates.

Horseshoe Canyon — custom estates on big lots, many with golf or mountain views.

Arcadia at Silverleaf — about 130 half-acre lots in Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean, ranch, and farmhouse styles.

The Parks, The Village at Silverleaf, The Casitas, Canyon Villas, and Sterling — lower-maintenance villas and cottages for buyers who want the Silverleaf address without a large custom home.

If a crewed gate is a must-have, Silverleaf is the part of DC Ranch built for it. Elsewhere you’re choosing between card-gated and open neighborhoods.


Private Clubs & Golf

This trips people up, so here it is plainly: buying a home in DC Ranch or Silverleaf does not make you a club member. Membership is a separate application, initiation fee, and monthly dues, apart from the home and the HOA.

The Country Club at DC Ranch is a private, 18-hole championship course at the base of the McDowells, designed by Tom Lehman and John Fought, with a Lehman redesign planned for 2026. It’s now member-owned — the developer turned ownership over to the membership — and it offers golf, sports/social, and clubhouse membership tiers. It’s open to residents and non-residents.

The Silverleaf Club is built around a Tom Weiskopf par-72 course that opened in 2004, and it’s one of the most exclusive private clubs in the Valley. The roughly 50,000-square-foot clubhouse adds a spa, pools, fitness, tennis, and dining. Silverleaf offers golf and clubhouse (non-golf) memberships, and golf membership has historically carried a waitlist. Initiation runs into the high five or six figures, so confirm current terms and availability with the club before you count on it.

Short version: a private club at the base of the McDowells that’s now member-owned at DC Ranch, and the Valley’s more exclusive private club and course at Silverleaf.

HOA Structure & Fees

DC Ranch dues come in layers, and it’s worth understanding the stack before you buy:

Community Council (master) — funds the Desert Camp and Homestead centers, trails, paths, and programming. The 2025 assessment was about $82 a month.

Ranch Association — covers common areas outside the gates, sidewalks, and the Community Patrol.

Neighborhood dues — set by each neighborhood, these fund gates, guards (where there are any), parks, and water features, so they vary a lot.

Sub-association dues — attached-home and condo owners pay their own association instead of a neighborhood fee.

Silverleaf pays the same master assessment but carries higher neighborhood dues for its 24/7 guard gates and extensive parks. And again, every one of these HOA layers is separate from club membership dues. A Silverleaf owner can be paying the Community Council assessment, Silverleaf neighborhood dues, and a Silverleaf Club membership all at once. Ask for the exact dues stack in writing for any specific home.

Amenities

Everything DC Ranch builds for the whole community is open to Silverleaf owners too. That includes the Desert Camp and Homestead community centers with pools, fitness, and event space, around 33 miles of paths and trails, parks in every village, and Market Street for shopping, dining, and services you can walk to. Silverleaf then layers its private club on top: the clubhouse, spa, golf, tennis, dining, and a long list of neighborhood parks. DC Ranch gives you a strong community amenity base; Silverleaf gives you that plus a private club, if you join.

Buyer Considerations

Club membership is a separate cost and decision. Budget initiation and monthly dues on top of the purchase price and HOA, and confirm any waitlist with the club directly.

The HOA dues are layered. Expect a master assessment plus neighborhood or sub-association dues, higher inside Silverleaf. Get the full stack in writing for any specific home.

Guard-gated vs. gated. Silverleaf is 24/7 crewed; most of DC Ranch is card-gated or open. Match the security level to what you actually want.

New build vs. resale. Silverleaf still has custom lots, especially in Upper Canyon and Horseshoe Canyon, if you want to build. The rest of DC Ranch is mostly resale, and view, golf-frontage, and hillside lots carry steep premiums.

Liquidity. Villas and condos in Desert Camp and The Village move faster and cost less to get into. Large custom estates take longer to sell and swing more in price.

Who Each Community Is Best For

The broader DC Ranch community fits buyers who want one master-planned community with real range — from townhomes and single-family homes up to estates — plus strong parks, trails, and community centers, without necessarily jumping to the top of the market.

Silverleaf fits buyers set on a top-tier custom estate, a 24/7 guard-gated setting, and a private club lifestyle, who have the budget for homes that generally start around $3M and climb well into the eight figures.


Learn More

For current listings and neighborhood detail across the master plan, see The Holm Group’s DC Ranch homes for sale page and Silverleaf homes for sale page. For community background from the source, visit the official DC Ranch community site.

Thinking about a home somewhere in DC Ranch, or specifically a Silverleaf estate? Reach out to Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll walk you through the villages, the clubs, and the dues for any home you’re considering.

How to Choose a Realtor in DC Ranch, Scottsdale

How to Choose a DC Ranch Realtor: What to Ask Before You List or Buy


Ask ten DC Ranch owners where they live and you may hear ten different answers. One says Desert Camp, another says the Courtyards at Market Street, a third says Silverleaf. That is how the community was designed: a master plan built from distinct villages and enclaves, each with its own character, setting and buyer. So when you choose a Realtor here, the first question is simple. Does this person understand which DC Ranch you actually own?

The answer shapes everything that follows. A villa near Market Street and a golf home in The Country Club at DC Ranch share a community name, yet they speak to different motivations, compete against different listings and deserve different marketing stories. A generic “DC Ranch home for sale” pitch tends to flatten those differences, and buyers notice.

Andrew Holm and The Holm Group approach DC Ranch village first. The aim is to match the story to the address, then sell the lifestyle that surrounds it: Market Street, the community centers, the trails and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve at the community’s edge.

Why the Village on Your Address Changes the Pitch

DC Ranch opened in 1997 and covers about 4,400 acres at the base of the McDowell Mountains, and its developer set aside about 4,600 more acres for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Inside that footprint, buyers move between several villages and enclaves:

    • Desert Camp
    • Desert Parks
    • The Courtyards at Market Street
    • Tapadero Villas
    • The Country Club at DC Ranch
    • Silverleaf, the guard-gated enclave with its own private club

Some of these areas are gated and some are not. Product types range from townhomes and villas to custom estates. Active listings on The Holm Group’s DC Ranch page recently ran from about $1.7 million to $6.6 million (as of September 2026), and where a home lands in that range depends heavily on its village, views, lot size, floor plan, updates and club access.

For a seller, the practical takeaway is that the most relevant comparable sale may be two streets away or across the community, depending on the village. Likewise, the most persuasive photo may be a fairway, a trailhead or a short walk to dinner. A Realtor who treats DC Ranch as one uniform market can miss both.

Related: DC Ranch Homes for Sale  |  Desert Camp Village Homes for Sale

Selling the Lifestyle Around the Home

Buyers rarely fall for square footage alone in DC Ranch. More often, they fall for a daily routine they can picture. Through the DC Ranch Community Council, residents share two community centers (Desert Camp and The Homestead), tennis and pickleball courts, parks and a web of paths and trails. Market Street, meanwhile, serves as the community’s hub for dining, shopping and services.

Good listing marketing puts those pieces into the story. A home near Market Street can lead with an easy evening out. A home close to the trail network can lead with morning hikes and preserve views. A Country Club or Silverleaf property can lead with private golf and club life. In each case, the lifestyle frames the home, and the home then has to deliver on the promise.

That is also why The Holm Group plans photography and media around the setting, not just the rooms. Mountain light, open desert, community gathering spaces and the walk to Market Street all belong in the visual story when they fit the property.

Pricing Each Village on Its Own Terms

Pricing in DC Ranch rewards patience and local context. Andrew Holm has represented Scottsdale and Phoenix-area buyers and sellers for more than 26 years, with more than $250 million in closed residential transactions. Over that time he has watched buyers respond to fast appreciation, falling values, thin inventory, bidding wars and stretches when they became far more selective.

That history helps when a DC Ranch home sits between categories. A buyer may compare a Desert Parks home with a Silverleaf property one day and with Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, Windgate Ranch or Troon the next. Andrew’s job is to read where your home truly competes, then set a price and positioning that hold up against those alternatives.

Related: The Country Club at DC Ranch Homes for Sale  |  Silverleaf Homes for Sale

Putting the Right DC Ranch Story in Front of Buyers

Once the story is clear, the next step is getting it seen by the people most likely to respond. DC Ranch buyers may already live in North Scottsdale, or they may be searching from California, Washington, Illinois, Colorado or New York. With that mix in mind, The Holm Group can build a plan around:

    • Professional photography and media that capture the village setting
    • Zillow Showcase exposure for a richer online presentation
    • Targeted digital and social campaigns aimed at likely buyers
    • Relocation exposure and direct outreach to buyers already in the market

A golf property and a villa near Market Street call for different emphasis, so the plan follows the village and the buyer rather than a fixed checklist.

Related: The Holm Group Marketing Plan

Where DC Ranch Buyers Begin Their Research

Many buyers start with the lifestyle question long before they pick a property. They type searches such as:

    • Homes near Market Street at DC Ranch
    • DC Ranch vs. Silverleaf
    • DC Ranch vs. Grayhawk
    • Private golf club communities in North Scottsdale
    • Homes near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve

The Holm Group’s website is built to meet them at that stage. Over the years the team has published a deep library of Scottsdale community guides, market updates, comparisons and golf and gated community resources. As a result, a buyer reading about Grayhawk, a private club or preserve access can follow a path straight to a DC Ranch listing the team represents. Each village page and comparison article becomes extra marketing for the homes in it.

Related: DC Ranch vs. Grayhawk  |  North Scottsdale’s Best Golf Course Communities  |  Featured Scottsdale Communities  |  The Holm Group Blog

When Buyers Ask an AI About DC Ranch

A growing share of buyers now put their questions to AI tools, asking things like “Which North Scottsdale communities combine trails, private golf and walkable dining?” To give those systems clear, accurate answers to draw from, The Holm Group organizes its DC Ranch content with structured data, FAQ sections and community Quick Facts. That said, no brokerage controls what an AI platform chooses to recommend, and no company can guarantee AI placement. The goal is simply to make reliable DC Ranch information easy to find and cite.

The Team Behind the Story, With Andrew at the Table

Village-level marketing takes coordination. The Holm Group works as a team, so marketing, buyer communication, property research, showing schedules, contracts and transaction details each have someone focused on them. Meanwhile, Andrew Holm personally handles pricing strategy and negotiations, drawing on 26+ years of Scottsdale experience to protect your position when offers arrive.

Related: About Andrew Holm and The Holm Group

DC Ranch Realtor FAQs: Villages, Lifestyle and Selling Strategy

1. Should my Realtor market my home by village or by DC Ranch as a whole?

Both, but the village should lead. Buyers often search for a specific setting, such as Market Street, private golf or a guard gate, so marketing that names your village and its surroundings tends to reach the right people faster.

2. Which DC Ranch villages and enclaves do buyers compare most?

Buyers often weigh Desert Camp, Desert Parks, the Courtyards at Market Street, Tapadero Villas, The Country Club at DC Ranch and Silverleaf against one another. Each has its own setting and product mix, which is why a village-level pricing review matters.

3. What price range are DC Ranch homes listed at right now?

As of September 2026, active listings on The Holm Group’s DC Ranch page ran from about $1.7 million to $6.6 million. Townhomes, villas and custom estates sit at very different points, so ask for an analysis specific to your village and home type.

4. How does Silverleaf fit into DC Ranch?

Silverleaf is a guard-gated enclave within DC Ranch with its own private club. The wider community mixes gated and non-gated villages, so buyers often compare the two closely before deciding.

5. Which lifestyle features should a DC Ranch listing highlight?

It depends on the home. Common highlights include Market Street dining and shopping, the Desert Camp and Homestead community centers, tennis and pickleball, trail access and nearby McDowell Sonoran Preserve open space, plus private golf for Country Club and Silverleaf properties.

6. How does The Holm Group get a DC Ranch home in front of buyers?

The plan can combine professional photography and media, Zillow Showcase, targeted digital and social campaigns, relocation exposure, direct buyer outreach and placement across The Holm Group’s Scottsdale website. The mix follows the village and the most likely buyer.

7. Do AI tools affect how DC Ranch homes are found?

They can add another path. Buyers increasingly ask AI tools to compare communities, and The Holm Group structures its content so those tools can read it clearly. No company can guarantee AI placement or recommendations.

8. Why does a team approach help with a DC Ranch sale?

Specialists handle marketing, showings, contracts and communication so nothing slips. At The Holm Group, Andrew Holm stays personally responsible for pricing strategy and negotiations.

9. How do I find out what my DC Ranch home is worth?

Request a home value and selling analysis that looks at recent DC Ranch sales, current competition and your home’s village, views, lot and updates. The Holm Group pairs it with a recommended pricing and marketing plan.

10. Why work with The Holm Group?

Andrew Holm offers 26+ years of Scottsdale experience, $250M+ in closed transactions, an extensive library of community content and a full team behind every sale. Call or text Andrew at 480-206-4265 to talk through buying or selling in DC Ranch.


Ready to Tell Your DC Ranch Story?

Whether you own in one of DC Ranch’s villages or hope to buy into one, Andrew Holm and The Holm Group can help you read the market at the village level and build a plan 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

How to Choose a Realtor in Grayhawk, Scottsdale

How to Choose a Grayhawk Realtor: What to Ask Before You List or Buy


In Grayhawk, your home rarely hits the market alone. With close to 3,800 homes across one North Scottsdale community, there is a good chance a buyer will tour a similar floor plan, in a similar neighborhood, at a similar price during the same weekend. When that happens, the listing that wins is usually the one that was priced most precisely and presented most clearly.

That is the real test for a Grayhawk Realtor. Anyone can enter a home into the MLS. The harder skill is reading the competing listings, finding what genuinely sets your home apart and making sure buyers see that difference in the first few seconds of scrolling.

Andrew Holm and The Holm Group build their Grayhawk approach around exactly that problem: price with care, present with intent and give buyers a reason to choose your home over the one down the street.

When Your Grayhawk Home Has a Twin Down the Street

Grayhawk covers roughly 1,600 acres in the 85255 ZIP code, split into two main areas, The Park and The Retreat. Its neighborhoods include Featherwind, Monterey Park, Pinnacle at Grayhawk, Ridgecrest, Los Vientos and Coventry, some gated and some not. Housing runs from villas and townhomes to single-family homes and golf course estates.

That variety exists across the community as a whole, yet within a given neighborhood, homes often share a lot in common. So buyers do what buyers always do. They line up the options and compare. In practice, the differences that decide a sale tend to be specific:

  • Gate status
  • Golf or mountain views
  • Lot size and position
  • Updates and condition
  • How the home stacks up against active inventory that week

A Realtor who knows the individual Grayhawk neighborhoods can spot those differences quickly and build the marketing around them.

Related: Grayhawk Homes for Sale

Pricing Precision When Comparables Sit Next Door

Close comparables cut both ways. On one hand, they make value easier to estimate. On the other, they leave very little room for error. Price a little high and buyers simply move on to the similar home that looks like a better deal. Price without a clear rationale and you may leave money on the table.

Recent active listings on The Holm Group’s Grayhawk page stretched from about $995,000 to $2.05 million (as of September 2026). Within that range, small factors can move a home’s position, which is why Andrew Holm studies the active competition as closely as the recent sales.

He brings more than 26 years of Scottsdale and Phoenix-area experience to that work, along with more than $250 million in closed residential transactions. Over those years he has seen buyers act quickly in tight markets and slow down when rates rose or inventory grew. That perspective helps him judge how much a view, an upgrade or a gate is worth to today’s Grayhawk buyer, not last year’s.

Related: About Andrew Holm and The Holm Group

Presentation That Wins the Side-by-Side Comparison

Most buyers meet your home on a screen first, often in a row of similar listings. Presentation therefore carries real weight. For a Grayhawk sale, The Holm Group can draw on:

  • Professional photography and media that put your home’s strongest feature up front, whether that is a fairway view, a mountain backdrop or a remodeled kitchen
  • Zillow Showcase exposure, which gives the listing a richer presentation than a standard portal page
  • Targeted digital and social campaigns that reach active buyers in and beyond North Scottsdale
  • Relocation exposure and direct buyer outreach for buyers searching from California, Washington, Illinois, Colorado or Minnesota

The goal is not to make the home look like something it is not. Rather, it is to make the true differences obvious, so a buyer comparing two similar homes understands right away why yours deserves the showing.

Related: The Holm Group Marketing Plan

Talon, Raptor and No Membership Required

Golf is one of Grayhawk’s clearest selling points, and it works a little differently here than in many North Scottsdale golf communities. Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon and Raptor courses are public, daily-fee courses. Owning a home in Grayhawk does not require a club membership, so buyers who golf often, occasionally or not at all can all picture themselves here.

The community adds plenty beyond the fairways. The Grayhawk Community Association oversees parks, pools, tennis and pickleball courts, community centers and roughly 25 miles of paths. Shopping and dining along Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101 sit close by. Strong listing copy weaves these amenities into the story, especially when a home backs to a course or sits near a park or path.

Related: Scottsdale Golf Clubs and Memberships  |  North Scottsdale’s Best Golf Course Communities

Meeting Buyers Before They Reach the Portals

Plenty of Grayhawk buyers are still deciding on a community when they begin. They might search for:

  • Homes near Grayhawk Golf Club
  • Grayhawk vs. DC Ranch
  • Grayhawk vs. McDowell Mountain Ranch
  • North Scottsdale communities with parks and trails
  • Gated homes in Grayhawk

The Holm Group has spent years building a Scottsdale website full of community guides, comparisons, market updates and golf and gated community pages. That library brings buyers in during the early comparison stage. A shopper reading about DC Ranch, Kierland or Troon North may follow a link to Grayhawk and land on a home the team represents. For a seller facing similar competing listings, that early exposure gives your home a head start the others may not have.

Related: DC Ranch vs. Grayhawk  |  DC Ranch Homes for Sale  |  Featured Scottsdale Communities  |  The Holm Group Blog

What AI Search Tools Learn About Grayhawk

Buyers also put comparison questions to AI tools now, for instance “Which North Scottsdale communities offer public golf, parks and pickleball?” The Holm Group writes its Grayhawk pages with structured data, clear FAQs and community Quick Facts so those tools can read the details accurately. Even so, AI platforms decide for themselves what to surface, and no company can guarantee AI placement or a recommendation. The value lies in making sure accurate Grayhawk information is there to be found.

A Team on the Details, Andrew on Price and Negotiation

When several similar homes are on the market, the follow-through matters as much as the launch. Quick showing coordination, steady buyer communication and careful contract work all help a well-priced home convert interest into an accepted offer. The Holm Group’s team handles marketing, property research, showings, contracts and transaction details, while Andrew Holm personally leads pricing strategy and every negotiation.


Grayhawk Seller Questions: Pricing, Presentation and Competition

 

1. How do I stand out if similar Grayhawk homes are listed at the same time?

Start with precise pricing against the active competition, then lead the marketing with what your home does better, such as views, lot position, updates or gate status. Buyers comparing similar homes respond to clear, specific differences.

2. How should I compare Realtors before selling in Grayhawk?

Ask each agent to walk you through the competing listings in your neighborhood and explain how they would price and present your home against them. A written marketing plan and a clear pricing rationale are good signs.

3. What are Grayhawk homes listed for right now?

As of September 2026, active listings on The Holm Group’s Grayhawk page ranged from about $995,000 to $2.05 million. Villas, townhomes, single-family homes and golf estates fall at different points, so request a neighborhood-specific analysis.

4. Do I need a golf membership to live in Grayhawk?

No. Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon and Raptor courses are public, daily-fee courses, so homeownership and golf are separate choices. Many buyers count that flexibility as a plus.

5. Does gate status change how a Grayhawk home is priced?

It can. Gated and non-gated neighborhoods may draw somewhat different buyers, and gate status works alongside views, lot and updates in setting value. Reviewing comparable gated and non-gated sales clarifies the difference.

6. What photos matter most for a Grayhawk listing?

The ones that show what competing homes cannot, whether that is a fairway or mountain view, an updated interior or an outdoor living space. Professional photography and media help those strengths register in the first few images.

7. Which Grayhawk amenities should my listing mention?

Buyers often ask about the parks, pools, tennis and pickleball courts, community centers and roughly 25 miles of paths, as well as public golf and nearby shopping and dining along Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101.

8. Can AI search help buyers find my Grayhawk home?

It can add another way for buyers to discover the community. The Holm Group structures its Scottsdale content so AI tools can read it, although no company can guarantee AI placement.

9. How do I get an accurate value for my Grayhawk home?

Request a home value and selling analysis covering recent Grayhawk sales, current competition and your home’s neighborhood, views, lot and updates. The Holm Group pairs it with a recommended pricing and marketing plan.

10. Why work with The Holm Group?

Andrew Holm brings 26+ years of Scottsdale experience, $250M+ in closed transactions, a wide network of community content and a dedicated team for every sale. Call or text Andrew at 480-206-4265 to start a conversation about buying or selling in Grayhawk.

Thinking About a Move In or Out of Grayhawk?

Whether you plan to sell a Grayhawk home or want help choosing among its neighborhoods, Andrew Holm and The Holm Group can show you how your options compare and build a strategy that fits 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

Scottsdale Ranch


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:

  1. 10985 E Palomino Rd
    • 4 bed and 3.5 bath
    • 3,261 square feet
    • sold for $2,275,000 in January 2026
  2. 9760 E Caron St
    • 4 bed and 2.5 bath
    • 4,000 square feet
    • sold for $1,925,000 in April 2026
  3. 10508 N 97th St
    • 4 bed and 2.5 bath
    • 3,259 square feet
    • sold for $1,500,000 in May 2026
  4. 10190 N 106th St
    • 3 bed and 3 bath
    • 2,219 square feet
    • sold for $1,400,000 in June 2026
  5. 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

The Boulders Market Update September 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:

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

Kierland Market Update September 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:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 15240 N Clubgate Dr #129
    • 3 bed and 2.5 bath
    • 2,552 square feet
    • sold for $1,312,000 in February 2026
  4. 6504 E Montreal Pl
    • 3 bed and 2 bath
    • 2,342 square feet
    • sold for $1,050,000 in January 2026
  5. 6410 E Betty Elyse Ln
    • 4 bed and 2 bath
    • 2,084 square feet
    • sold for $960,000 in February 2026
  6. 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

Desert Ridge Market Update September 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:

  1. 3984 E Robin Ln
    • 5 bed and 4.5 bath
    • 3,729 square feet
    • sold for $1,325,000 in August 2026
  2. 3760 E Covey Ln
    • 4 bed and 3 bath
    • 2,415 square feet
    • sold for $855,000 in July 2026
  3. 4511 E Swilling Rd
    • 4 bed and 2 bath
    • 1,960 square feet
    • sold for $692,500 in July 2026
  4. 21117 N 37th Run
    • 3 bed and 2 bath
    • 2,225 square feet
    • sold for $880,000 in June 2026
  5. 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

McCormick Ranch Market Update September 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

Gainey Ranch Market Update September 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:

  1. 7565 E Woodshire Cove
    • 3 bed and 3 bath
    • 2,735 square feet
    • sold for $1,510,000 in July 2026
  2. 7878 E Gainey Ranch Rd #65
    • 3 bed and 3 bath
    • 4,217 square feet
    • sold for $3,525,000 in June 2026
  3. 7525 E Gainey Ranch Rd #108
    • 4 bed and 4 bath
    • 3,269 square feet
    • sold for $1,775,000 in June 2026
  4. 7525 E Gainey Ranch Rd #193
    • 3 bed and 2.5 bath
    • 2,283 square feet
    • sold for $1,410,000 in June 2026
  5. 7338 E Del Acero Dr
    • 2 bed and 2.5 bath
    • 2,564 square feet
    • sold for $1,250,000 in June 2026
  6. 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.

Windgate Ranch Market Update September 2026

Windgate Ranch Market Update September 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:

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

McDowell Mountain Ranch Market Update September 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:

  1. 15984 N 106th Way
    • 3 bed and 2 bath
    • 1,972 square feet
    • sold for $850,000 in September 2026
  2. 15734 N 102nd St
    • 3 bed and 2 bath
    • 1,478 square feet
    • sold for $757,500 in August 2026
  3. 9705 E Mountain Peak Dr
    • 3 bed and 3 bath
    • 3,248 square feet
    • sold for $1,700,000 in August 2026
  4. 10272 E Mallow Cir
    • 3 bed and 2 bath
    • 1,358 square feet
    • sold for $799,000 in July 2026
  5. 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.

Desert Mountain vs. Troon North

Quick answer: Choose Desert Mountain for a guard-gated private club community with multiple golf courses and a full-service lifestyle, if you are comfortable with club fees. Choose Troon North for public desert golf, more flexibility on price and home type, and gated or non-gated neighborhoods with no required club membership.

Desert Mountain vs. Troon North


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.

Carefree vs. Cave Creek

Quick answer: Choose Carefree for a polished, walkable small town, larger custom homes, resort golf at The Boulders and gated options. Choose Cave Creek for land, horse properties, a Western small-town feel and a wide range of prices.

Carefree vs. Cave Creek


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.

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.

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.

Desert Ridge vs. Aviano: Which Phoenix Community Is Right for You?

Quick answer: Choose the wider Desert Ridge area for the most choice in price, home type and location. Choose Aviano for a defined, gated Toll Brothers neighborhood with a private community center, still inside Desert Ridge with its shopping, resort and golf.

Desert Ridge and Aviano


This one needs a quick clarification up front, because it’s easy to compare these two as if they’re side-by-side neighborhoods. They’re not. Desert Ridge is the large master-planned area in northeast Phoenix (85050 and nearby), and Aviano is one guard-gated neighborhood inside it. So the real question isn’t “which community,” it’s “do I want the wider Desert Ridge area, or the specific Aviano neighborhood within it?”

Desert Ridge covers a lot of ground and a lot of housing types, from condos and townhomes to production single-family homes and gated luxury estates. It’s home to Desert Ridge Marketplace for shopping and dining, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge resort, and Wildfire Golf Club. Aviano is a Toll Brothers development inside that footprint, with both gated and non-gated pockets and its own private residents’ community center. Buying in Aviano means you’re in Desert Ridge, plus you get Aviano’s gated feel and private amenities.

The choice comes down to budget, home style, whether you want a gated neighborhood with private amenities, and how much you value being able to pick from the full Desert Ridge range versus settling into one defined neighborhood.

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 Ridge vs. Aviano at a Glance

Feature Desert Ridge (wider area) Aviano (neighborhood within Desert Ridge)
Location Northeast Phoenix, 85050, near Loop 101 and the 51 Inside Desert Ridge, northeast Phoenix, 85050
Golf Wildfire Golf Club (public/resort, two courses) tied to JW Marriott Same Wildfire Golf Club access as the rest of Desert Ridge
Gated options Ranges from open neighborhoods to gated luxury enclaves Both gated and non-gated pockets; guard-gated luxury sections
Home styles Condos, townhomes, production single-family, semi-custom and gated luxury Toll Brothers Spanish Colonial homes, roughly 2,600 to 5,000 sq ft, plus condos
Price range Roughly $385K for condos up to $2.4M+ for estates; median around $678K Condos from the high $400s; most single-family homes roughly $700K to $2M
HOA Varies by neighborhood across the area Aviano HOA that funds the private community center and common areas
Amenities Desert Ridge Marketplace, JW Marriott, Wildfire golf, parks and trails Private community center: fitness center, pools, tennis, basketball, plus area access
Best suited for Buyers who want the full range of the area and to pick their own pocket Buyers who want a defined gated neighborhood with private amenities inside Desert Ridge


Which Community Has Better Golf?

Golf is essentially the same for both, because Aviano sits inside Desert Ridge. Wildfire Golf Club is the anchor: it’s a public, resort-affiliated club tied to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, with two championship courses, a Nick Faldo design and an Arnold Palmer design. You don’t have to own a home to play, and buying in either place doesn’t come with golf membership. The Club at Desert Ridge offers memberships separately if you want more than daily-fee play. So neither the wider area nor Aviano has a golf advantage over the other; they draw on the same course.

Which Has Better Amenities?

Desert Ridge, as an area, gives you the big draws: Desert Ridge Marketplace for shopping, dining, and a movie theater; the JW Marriott resort and spa; Wildfire golf; and public parks and trails. Aviano adds a private layer on top of that. Its residents-only community center has a fitness center, pools, tennis courts, and a basketball court, along with walking paths and playgrounds inside the neighborhood. In practice, an Aviano buyer gets both: the private community center plus everything the surrounding Desert Ridge area offers. A buyer elsewhere in Desert Ridge gets the area amenities but not Aviano’s private center.

Gated Options & Privacy

Desert Ridge as a whole runs the full range, from open neighborhoods to gated luxury enclaves, so privacy depends entirely on which part you buy in. Aviano itself has both gated and non-gated sections, including guard-gated luxury pockets. If a gated neighborhood with a private amenity center is the priority, Aviano is the more direct answer inside this area.

Who Each Community Is Best For

The wider Desert Ridge area is best for buyers who want the most choice: a broad price range, several home types, and the freedom to pick a specific pocket that fits their budget and style.

Aviano is best for buyers who want a defined, gated Toll Brothers neighborhood with a private community center, while still sitting inside Desert Ridge with its shopping, resort, and golf.

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

Learn More

Browse homes and neighborhood detail on the Desert Ridge homes for sale page, or check tee times and course info at Wildfire Golf Club.

Not sure whether you want all of Desert Ridge or specifically Aviano? Contact Andrew Holm and The Holm Group and we’ll match you to the right pocket.