Voted one of the best Places to Live in the USA. Nestled in 8,000 Acres on the slopes of the Continental Mountains in the high Sonoran Desert. At the northern boundary of the development lies the Tonto National Forest, the second largest national forest in the United States, affording miles of wilderness for hiking and horseback riding.

With Six Championship Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses, the largest collection in the world and 5 World Class Clubhouses, its truly an unparallelled lifestyle. Premier member-owned club with 24hr guard gates. Over 2,000 acres of the more mountainous portions of Desert Mountain are restricted to remain substantially in their natural condition. Elevation ranges from 2,600 to 4,800 ft above sea level. There is 2665 total homesites, approximately 1,700 completed homes.

Carefree, an upscale residential community, bordered by the city of Scottsdale to the south and the town of Cave Creek to the west. Carefree and Cave Creek are often thought of as a single community. The two towns share the local landmark Black Mountain.

The town has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23 km2), all of it land and population believed to be about 3,800. It has a much higher elevation than Phoenix, at 2,395 ft, which offers cooler temperature of about 6-8 degrees than areas in the valley.

Carefree suits people who wants to be near to Scottsdale, enjoy a cooler climate than the valley, surrounded by lush undisturbed desert, boulders and mountains and a small town living with lots of arts, music and cultural activities. Average Home Sizes around 4,000, with few around 3,000 sqft. Current Average Listed Price per sqft is $250.

Town of Cave Creek has a strong rustic and western vibe, a lot of attractions and outdoor activities like horseback riding, trails, hiking and mountain biking. Throughout the year, there is bull riding shows, arts and festivals going on. It attracts a lot of visitors from the valley and all over. The Cave Creek zip code extends to the South and West of Carefree Hwy, including communities in Desert Hills area, Tatum Ranch and a few gated boutique communities. Homes' prices are slightly more affordable compared to Carefree and North Scottsdale. You can get a condo for around $130,000. Single Family homes starts from $310,000 in a planned community to $5.6 million for a horse ranch home. If you are looking for horse properties, Cave Creek would be ideal, giving you a true western living.

This is a very unique area as it's close to Cave Creek & Carefree but has a Scottsdale zipcode (85266), which means that homes use Scottsdale area utilities (lower costs). Most of the communities in this area are gated. Some are associated with a clubhouse while a few also have their own golf courses. Many vacation homeowners and snowbirds live in this area.

Homes in the 85262 zipcode outside of Desert Mountain are well liked for their lush desert and natural open space surroundings. There is good percentage of Developers' Homes, Semi-Custom and Custom Homes in this area. Homeowners and buyers that choose this area usually because they want to be in a more private, less populated area but still only 10 minutes away from hwy 101 and close to upscale dining and shopping. Home Prices starts from $400k to well over $5 million.

This area need little introduction. Many visitors are familiar with because of its two well known golf courses in Troon North Golf Club, Pinnacle Peak, Four Seasons Resort and breath-taking views and abundance of boulder outcroppings. Of Course, this is also where Estancia Private Golf Club Community is nestled. Most communities are gated. Average Price $1,000,000.

People looking for more "house", elbow space or have horses would go further EAST into the area known as Rio Verde Foothills. Lot sizes range from 1 acre to 5 acres, with a few properties having more acreage. People are attracted to this area in search for rural living and yet close to the vibrant cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix. Majority of the roads are unpaved. It also enjoys a cooler climate than other communities in the city.

zip code 85255 is home to many desired golf and upscale planned communities. Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch and Silver Leaf are some of the big "players", more well known to visitors and homebuyers. And there are many other boutique gated planned communities to choose from. Homes are all close proximity to main artery roads, shopping and dining. And since they're still in North Scottsdale area, these communities have a slightly cooler climate compare to other areas in South Scottsdale and Phoenix. There are also many parks, hiking trails and bicycle trails for residents and visitors.