Northeast of Phoenix, five community guides.
Median sale prices across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and Carefree, month by month, from Redfin's published data.
Straightforward answers to the questions I hear most from buyers and sellers looking in the Foothills.
The Foothills covers five communities northeast of Phoenix: Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Carefree and Fountain Hills. They include Old Town Scottsdale, golf-course neighborhoods, Paradise Valley's larger properties, and the desert-edge towns of Carefree and Fountain Hills. Each community has its own guide with maps, local places and market data. If you are not sure which one fits, I can compare them for you after I learn your budget, lot size and commute.
Prices vary a lot by community, neighborhood, lot size and age of the home, so there is no single Foothills price. The numbers near the top of this page show recent median sale price, price per square foot and days on market for Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and Carefree, from Redfin. North Scottsdale is not in those numbers, so check its guide for its own market data. For a specific street or neighborhood, I can pull recent sales so you are looking at real comparisons.
Many of the Foothills' larger neighborhoods are master-planned, including McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale Ranch, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Troon North and Desert Mountain. Most have homeowners associations with dues and rules on things like exterior paint and landscaping. Paradise Valley, Carefree and Fountain Hills are mostly individual neighborhoods and gated communities. Ask me for the HOA details on any home you like, because dues and rules differ from one community to the next.
Loop 101 is the main route for much of the area, running along Scottsdale's east side with interchanges near Princess Drive and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. Loop 202 is a short drive south. Paradise Valley has no freeway through it, Carefree has none directly into town, and Fountain Hills connects to Scottsdale along Shea Boulevard. Your actual drive depends on where you work and when you leave, so test the route at the hour you would really drive it.
Several public school districts serve the Foothills, and the one for a home depends on its address. Boundaries can change from street to street, and districts sometimes update them, so confirm the assigned schools directly with the district before you make an offer. Charter and private schools are also options across the area. I can point you to public sources for schools, and I am happy to help you narrow down communities once you know what matters most to your family.
