Week of December 7th, 2025
The weekly pulse on McDowell Mountain Ranch. Market shifts, hyper-local insights, and what actually matters for homeowners right now.
THE NUMBERS.
No new listings this week
Under contract: 2 (Avg. DOM: 65)
Closed sales: 4 (Avg. $1.322M)
NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT
Quiet
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Turnkey
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Open-concept
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Quiet • Turnkey • Open-concept •
SUMMIT
Average sale price (12 mo): $1.081M | Average Sold $/SQFT: $482.16
Highest sale: $1.3M | Lowest Sale: $950K
Average DOM: 27 Days
What’s selling best in Summit:
-Single-level floor plans around ~1,800–2,300 sqft are dominating closings, even when not fully remodeled.
-Homes with functional bonus space (den, office, flex room, split bedroom layouts) are consistently outperforming basic 3/2s.
-Outdoor livability matters more than luxury finishes, covered patios, pools, wash adjacency, or preserve backing show up repeatedly in higher sales.
-Well-maintained originals + selective updates (roof, HVAC, paint, flooring) are clearing just as reliably as fully renovated homes, often with faster absorption.
-Location within the subdivision (quiet interior streets, no rear neighbors, wash/preserve lots) is a bigger price driver than interior finishes alone.
Most Common Buyers:
Established owner-occupants, primarily Scottsdale locals, buying for stability, space, and long-term use, not short-term appreciation or rental yield.
MATT’S MARKET TAKE
MMR stayed disciplined this week. No new listings came on, but four homes closed, all within a relatively tight price band, reinforcing that liquidity still exists for correctly positioned properties, even without urgency-driven buyer behavior.
What stands out is how these homes sold: none were rushed, none were distressed, and pricing held firm relative to expectations. Buyers are still selective, but they are decisive when a home offers a combination of layout, condition, and location within the Ranch. The market isn’t hot, but it is healthy.
In short: This is a market that rewards preparation and realism. Sellers who align price with condition and floor plan are still moving cleanly, while anything misaligned continues to wait.
DEAL OF THE WEEK
10219 E LE MARCHE DR $849,000
Cul-de-Sac Lot
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Views
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Den
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Cul-de-Sac Lot • Views • Den •
Listing Courtesy Of: Andrew Gregg - West USA Realty
Why It’s the Deal.
This is one of the strongest value plays currently on the market in McDowell Mountain Ranch for buyers who want space, views, and upside without paying remodel premiums. At $366/sqft, it undercuts most recent Summit and Eagle Ridge closings while offering features buyers consistently chase: vaulted ceilings, a flexible floor plan, a private lot, and mountain views.
The home has already seen meaningful updates, refreshed kitchen and baths, updated flooring, fresh interior paint — which removes the “major project” risk while still leaving room for a buyer to customize finishes over time. That balance is exactly where value lives in today’s MMR market.
The cul-de-sac setting, north/south exposure, and private backyard with a diving pool add real lifestyle value, especially compared to similarly priced homes backing to roads or tighter interior lots.
My Take
Most sub-$900K homes in McDowell Mountain Ranch force a compromise, either smaller square footage, dated interiors, or weaker lot positioning. This one avoids all three. It’s not an over-renovated flip, but it is clean, livable, and positioned for appreciation once lightly personalized.
For buyers priced out of turnkey remodels in the $1.0M–$1.2M range, this is a smart entry point that still checks the boxes that matter: layout, light, views, and neighborhood.
In a market where buyers are cautious, well-located, well-priced homes with upside are moving quietly but confidently. This fits that profile.
What Stands Out.
-Cul-de-sac lot with mountain & city-light views
-Vaulted ceilings + open, flexible living spaces
-4 bedrooms plus den (rare at this price point)
-Updated kitchen & baths (no original-condition risk)
-Private backyard with diving pool
-North/South exposure
-Priced well below recent remodeled comps in MMR
The Bottom Line.
If you want a move-in-ready home with room to grow into, not a flipped house priced for perfection, this is one of the most rational buys in McDowell Mountain Ranch right now. At $849K, it delivers space, location, and upside, three things that rarely line up cleanly in this neighborhood.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Why Buyers Don’t Compare Your Home to “The Market”, They Compare It to 3 Others.
Homeowners often assume buyers are comparing their home to everything for sale in Scottsdale or even McDowell Mountain Ranch. In reality, buyers don’t evaluate markets, they evaluate shortlists. Most serious buyers narrow the entire MLS down to 3–5 homes they’d actually consider, and every pricing decision happens inside that tiny comparison set.
This matters because your home isn’t competing against averages, charts, or long-term trends. It’s competing against the specific handful of homes a buyer tours the same weekend. If your home clearly wins on layout, condition, location, or value relative to those few options, it feels “right” even if broader market headlines are mixed. If it loses that comparison, buyers don’t negotiate, they move on.
What most sellers miss is that buyers mentally assign a reference anchor the moment they tour. If the first home they see feels upgraded, clean, and well-priced, every home after that gets judged against it. If your home comes later and feels dated or overpriced by comparison, it doesn’t matter what the comps say on paper, the emotional gap is already set.
This is also why two homes with nearly identical stats can sell weeks apart at very different prices. One lands cleanly in a buyer’s shortlist and feels like the best option that day. The other technically “makes sense,” but never becomes the obvious choice in the room.
For homeowners, the takeaway is simple but critical: your pricing, presentation, and timing should be built around winning the shortlist, not matching the market average. The goal isn’t to be “fairly priced.” The goal is to be the easiest yes among the few homes buyers are actually choosing between.
Bottom line: buyers don’t buy markets, they buy comparisons. And the winner is almost always the home that understands that game before it hits the market.
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
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
Light Up the Town - Holiday Tour
Dec 15 – Dec 31, 2025 in Fountain Hills — Home-decoration tour + community voting on best holiday displays.
3rd Thursday Concert Series at Centennial Pavilion
Recurring monthly event (Nov 20, 2025 – Apr 16, 2026) at Centennial Pavilion, Fountain Hills — Live music outdoors (6:00–7:30 pm).
Christmas at the Princess
Lagoon lights, ice-rink, festive décor, and family-friendly holiday activities — one of the most iconic holiday experiences in the Valley.
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
More Information
Thinking about selling in 2025?
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.