Week of December 14th, 2025
The weekly pulse on McDowell Mountain Ranch. Market shifts, hyper-local insights, and what actually matters for homeowners right now.
THE NUMBERS.
New Listings: 2 (Avg. $1.087M)
Under contract: 3 (Avg. DOM: 56)
Closed sales: 4 (Avg. $1.395M, DOM: 29)
NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT
Quiet
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Turnkey
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Open-concept
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Quiet • Turnkey • Open-concept •
ARIZONA HIGHLANDS
Average sale price (12 mo): $1.115M | Average Sold $/SQFT: $514.91
Highest sale: $1.35M| Lowest Sale: $950K
Average DOM: 58 Days
What’s selling best in Arizona Highlands:
-Single-Level Homes are the clear winners, One-story homes consistently sold faster, achieved high $/sqft, and attracted strong buyer competition. Even homes with original finishes performed well when the layout and lot were right.
-Layout > Luxury, homes with an open kitchen + family room flow, bonus spaces (den, flex room, split bedrooms) outperformed homes with similar finishes but less functional layouts. Buyers are prioritizing livability and flexibility, not just renovation level.
-Outdoor Space is a real price driver. Repeated patterns across higher sales include private backyards, pools or covered patios, mountain, wash, or preserve adjacency, and cul-de-sac or interior-street locations. Outdoor usability mattered more than high-end interior finishes in multiple closings.
-Updated Systems Beat Cosmetic Renovations. Homes with newer roofs, updated HVAC, and a fresh coat of paint or flooring, cleared the market just as reliably as fully remolded homes, often with less time on market.
-Lot Position Inside the Subdivision Matters. Homes on, quiet interior street, larger or irregular lots, and no rear neighbors, commanded meaningful premiums, even when interiors were not fully updated.
Most Common Buyers:
The buyer pool in Arizona Highlands skews heavily toward established owner-occupants making intentional, long-term lifestyle decisions. Many are Scottsdale locals or long-horizon relocations seeking stability, usable space, and daily livability rather than short-term upside. This pattern reinforces Arizona Highlands as a neighborhood defined by permanence and commitment, one where homes are purchased to be lived in, not traded or optimized for yield.
MATT’S MARKET TAKE
McDowell Mountain Ranch moved quietly this week, and that’s the point. With limited new inventory and a steady stream of closings, the market continues to show controlled, intentional activity rather than urgency-driven momentum. Homes are trading hands, but only when pricing, condition, and location are properly aligned.
What’s notable is the absence of stress on either side of the transaction. None of the recent sales suggest panic, heavy discounting, or rushed decision-making. Buyers are still selective and patient, but when a property checks the right boxes, functional layout, solid condition, and favorable placement within the Ranch—they move decisively.
This isn’t a market fueled by speculation or emotion. It’s a market rewarding preparation, realism, and discipline. Sellers who understand where their home truly sits relative to recent comps are finding liquidity. Those who don’t are simply waiting longer, with little pressure on buyers to stretch.
Bottom line: McDowell Mountain Ranch isn’t hot, but it is healthy. The path to a clean sale is clarity, not urgency.
HOME OF THE WEEK
10775 E CARIBBEAN LN $1,050,000
Cimarron Hills
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Guard-gated
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Views
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Cimarron Hills • Guard-gated • Views •
Listing Courtesy Of: Jonathan Miller - Fathom Realty Elite
Why It’s the Deal.
This home represents one of the cleaner lifestyle buys currently available in McDowell Mountain Ranch for buyers who prioritize views, layout, and livability over cosmetic flash. At roughly $443/sqft, it sits below many renovated and semi-renovated alternatives in the Ranch while still delivering the core features buyers consistently pay up for: vaulted ceilings, strong natural light, mountain and city-light views, and a private, low-maintenance outdoor setting.
Rather than being over-renovated or stripped of character, the home has seen targeted, meaningful updates, new flooring, refreshed interior finishes, and an updated kitchen with quartz counters and gas cooking, eliminating “immediate project” risk without pushing the property into flip pricing territory. That balance is where value is showing up most reliably in today’s MMR market.
The setting matters here. Located within the guard-gated Cimarron Hills enclave, the home benefits from quieter streets, controlled access, and an elevated sense of privacy, factors that continue to influence buyer behavior even in a more measured market environment.
My Take
Homes in this price band within McDowell Mountain Ranch often force a tradeoff: compromised views, dated interiors, or inferior lot positioning. This one avoids most of those concessions. It’s not trying to compete with fully reimagined remodels—it’s positioned for buyers who want a move-in-ready home that still feels authentic, with room to personalize over time.
The buyer profile here is not speculative. This appeals to owner-occupants who want to live in the home, enjoy the views, use the space daily, and make incremental upgrades at their own pace. In a market where urgency is low but standards remain high, properties like this tend to move quietly and cleanly when priced correctly.
What Stands Out.
-Guard-gate Cimarron Hills
-Mountain and city-light views from both interior and backyard
-Vaulted ceilings and abundant natural light throughout
-Open, functional single-level layout
-Updated kitchen with quartz counters and gas appliances
-Pivate, low-maitenance backyard with built-in BBQ and fire features
-North/South Exposure
The Bottom Line.
If you’re looking for a well-located, livable home with views, without paying the premium attached to full remodels, this is a smart option in today’s McDowell Mountain Ranch market. It checks the fundamentals that continue to matter most: layout, light, location, and long-term livability.
This is not a speculative play. It’s a lifestyle-driven purchase in a neighborhood that continues to reward owners who buy for quality and hold with intention.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Why Buyers Decide Before They Finish the Tour
Most homeowners assume buyers decide after seeing the whole house, once they’ve checked bedrooms, upgrades, and price against comps. In reality, many buyers make a directional decision within the first 90 seconds, often before they’ve even reached the kitchen.
That early judgment isn’t about logic, it’s about friction. Buyers subconsciously scan for reasons a home might be harder to live in than the last one they saw. Awkward entry flow, dark transitions, ceiling height changes, dated flooring at the front, or a backyard that feels boxed in can quietly disqualify a home before its best features ever get a chance to matter.
Once that friction is felt, buyers don’t consciously think “this house is wrong.” Instead, they slow down, stop asking questions, and begin mentally comparing rather than imagining themselves living there. By the time they reach the strongest part of the home, the emotional momentum is already gone.
This explains why sellers are often confused by feedback like “nice house, just didn’t feel right.” The issue usually isn’t the home overall, it’s the sequence of experience. Buyers respond more to how a home unfolds than to what it contains.
Homes that sell cleanly tend to front-load ease: light at the entry, intuitive flow, visual breathing room, and an immediate sense that daily life would feel simple there. Homes that struggle often save their best features for later, when the buyer’s mind is already half closed.
For homeowners, the takeaway is subtle but critical: you’re not selling features, you’re selling momentum. Pricing, staging, and preparation should be built around removing early friction, not just showcasing upgrades on paper.
Bottom line: buyers don’t reject homes because of what they find. They reject them because of how quickly resistance shows up, and once it does, logic rarely brings them back.
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
As of this morning’s MLS update:
Mirador — 10729 E ACOMA DR ~$2,250,000
4 BED / 4 BATH | 3,710 SQFT | 0.274 ACRE LOT
Listing Courtesy of Carol L Dillon - HomeSmart
Sienna Canyon — 10999 E WINCHCOMB DR ~$1,495,000
4 BED / 3 BATH | 2,936 SQFT | 0.227 ACRE LOT
Listing Courtesy of Robert Mattinsko - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Discovery Canyon — 10234 E KAREN DR ~$785,000
3 BED / 2 BATH | 1,642 SQFT | 0.12 ACRE LOT
Listing Courtesy of Michelle Hodges - Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
COMMUNITY UPDATES
The McDowell Mountain Ranch Community Center is currently closed from November 24th through March for a full pool resurfacing project. This affects several programs and amenities in the meantime:
Aquatic Programs (Temporarily Relocated):
All swim lessons, lap swimming, water exercise, and youth aquatic programs are being held at:
Chaparral Aquatic Center — 5401 N Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Fitness Center Access (Temporary Options):
During the closure, MMR gym users are welcome to use any of the following Scottsdale facilities at no additional cost:
Cactus Aquatic & Fitness Center
Eldorado Aquatic & Fitness Center
Club SAR Fitness Center
If you normally use the Community Center pool or gym, this will be the setup until March.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Scottsdazzle
Nov 29 – Dec 31, 2025 in Old Town Scottsdale — Month-long holiday celebration with tree lighting, pop-up markets & live music.
Kick-off: Nov 29 | Jingle & Jazz Tree Lighting 7–9 pm
Stroll & Shop Saturdays Dec 6, 13, 20 (6–9 pm) on Scottsdale Waterfront
Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
Nov 28- Dec 30, nightly 5:30-9:30pm
Step into a twinkling wonderland of lights and displays. Ride the Paradise & Pacific Railroad through the sparkling seasonal setup, a classic festive tradition for families.
Rate Bowl - Fiesta Sports Foundation Football Game
Dec 26th, 2025, ~2:30pm
A festive college football tradition at nearby Chase Field featuring teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, great for holiday sports fans.
Christmas at the Princess
Nov 29th, 2025 - Jan 3rd, 2026
This Hallmark holiday event features ice skating, colorful light shows, s’mores and fire pits, festive décor, photo ops with Santa, seasonal treats, and family entertainment.
ZooLights at Phoenix Zoo
Massive light displays, themed holiday decorations, family fun under desert skies, perfect if you want to mix a night out with a zoo visit
Thinking about selling in 2025/2026?
I’ll run a free, hyper-local valuation for your exact section of McDowell Mountain Ranch (not a generic online estimate)
Committed to MMR. Available anytime.