AZ master-planned communities show strength despite softening national sales

By Angela Gonzales

Only two master-planned communities made RCLCO's 50 top-selling master-planned communities in 2025.

D.R. Horton Inc.'s Radiance at Superstition Vistas ranked No. 21 and El Dorado Holdings Inc.'s Bella Vista Farms nabbed the 34th spot, tying with D.R. Horton's Silverado community in Aubrey, Texas.

Arlington, Texas-based D.R. Horton sold 596 homes it built at Radiance at Superstition Vistas in Apache Junction in 2025, up 17% from 2024, according to RCLCO's ranking.

"We're honored to receive this recognition on behalf of Radiance at Superstition Vistas of being named one of the fastest-selling master-planned communities in Phoenix," said Patrick Brown, City Manager for D.R. Horton’s Phoenix Central division. "The D.R. Horton team is proud of delivering a community that represents what matters most to us, building quality homes that are both thoughtfully designed and attainable for individuals and families alike."

Meanwhile, Scottsdale-based El Dorado Holdings Inc. sold 446 homes at Bella Vista Farms in San Tan Valley in 2025. Bella Vista Farms debuted on RCLCO's list of fastest-selling communities during the first half of 2025, with 183 homes sold during the first six months of 2025.

Chris Grogan, president of El Dorado Holdings, said the developer has delivered 2,300 lots over four phases to eight homebuilders at Bella Vista Farms out of its total 5,200 lots in the master plan.

"We have the next phase fully engineered," he said. "That is another 700-plus lots in the next phase. We are evaluating the market and the sales pace of our current homebuilders to time when we should bring some of those lots forward."

El Dorado completed major infrastructure work at Bella Vista Farms, where it built a 2-mile stretch of Schnepf Road that connects Skyline Drive to Bella Vista Road.

Despite only two master-planned communities making the national rankings, Arizona performed well overall, particularly given broader signs of softening in new-home sales nationally, said RCLCO Principal Karl Pischke.

Verrado, which ranked 48th on RCLCO's list of sales during the first half of 2025, maintained a very steady pace at 312 sales, although it didn't make the top 50 this year, Pischke said.

Blossom Rock at Superstition Vistas, which is being developed by Canada-based Brookfield Residential next door to D.R. Horton's Radiance at Superstition Vistas, increased sales by more than 80% compared with 2024, he said.

"Collectively, these results underscore Arizona's continued strength as a market where well-positioned, well-executed communities can still outperform," Pischke said.

Brookfield exec: Blossom Rock draws strong buyer interest

Blossom Rock's onsite traffic has remained consistently strong, and visitors to the site have been highly qualified and actively looking to purchase, said Lynneah Hudson, spokeswoman for Brookfield Residential.

"Buyer profiles remain diverse – ranging from first-time and entry-level buyers to move-up and move-down households, as well as a growing number of out-of-state purchasers," Hudson said. "This broad appeal, combined with continued demand for thoughtfully designed, well-located communities, positions Blossom Rock for continued strength in the months and years ahead."

Amenities at Blossom Rock include this 8,000-square-foot The Dutch resident-only clubhouse and pool, 1.5-acre lake, the 3.5-acre Miner's Run adventure playground, Ruff Ranch dog park, game courts and several ramadas.

Lenny Catalanotto | Brookfield Residential

Overall, the 50 top-selling master-planned communities that made RCLCO's 2025 list showed 35,173 homes sold, down 2.76% from 2024.

Leading the nation on RCLCO's 2025 list is The Villages, an active adult community in Florida that sold 3,611 homes in 2025, up 13% from 2024.

Meanwhile, Irvine, California-based John Burns Research & Consulting, released its own list of the 50 top-selling master-planned communities in the nation.

That list identified five MPCs in Arizona.

Lennar Homes' Asante in Surprise ranked No. 18, followed by Hawes Crossing in Mesa (No. 29), Bella Vista Farms (tied for No. 30), Shea Homes' Aloravita in Peoria (tied for No. 34), North Copper Canyon (No. 48) and Wales Ranch in San Tan Valley (No. 50).

While RCLCO was the first firm to publish a national MPC ranking and has been conducting this survey longer than most, Pischke said he's glad to see other groups publishing their own MPC data.

"While we try to be as inclusive as possible, RCLCO’s definition of a master-planned community emphasizes a unifying vision and execution by a master developer," Pischke said. "Our rankings exclude collections of builder neighborhoods or subdivisions that are grouped together primarily through marketing, rather than through a preconceived comprehensive plan, cohesive placemaking strategy, and shared amenities, public realm, and design standards."

Other providers often rely more heavily on third-party data sources and builder-reported sales, which can sometimes result in communities being aggregated or classified as MPCs even if they don’t fully meet these criteria, he said.

"We outline our full MPC definition at the end of our article for transparency, and that framework explains why certain communities may appear on other lists but not in ours," he said.

Final Thoughts

Arizona’s master-planned communities continue to demonstrate resilience despite softening national sales. Radiance at Superstition Vistas, Bella Vista Farms, and Blossom Rock illustrate how thoughtful planning, strong amenities, and diverse buyer appeal can maintain high sales and interest. Well-positioned communities with comprehensive designs and strong infrastructure remain competitive and sought-after in the Arizona housing market.