A Phoenix luxury builder sees a big opportunity in a pair of communities that seem, at first glance, to have opposing lifestyles.
Scottsdale-based Sonora West Development is underway with construction on a pair of homes in Camelback Palms, located just off the busy Camelback Road. It is also nearing the start of infrastructure work on a new community in the town of Carefree, where the air is a bit cooler, homes are more expensive, and access to outdoor activities is steps away.
But Sonora West feels each resident who purchases a home in either will get the peace and quiet that comes with one of their luxury estates.
The builder is planning four homes for the gated Camelback Palms community. Scott Pfeiffer, founder, CEO and president of Sonora West, told Homes.com that his firm closed on the site last fall, acquiring it from a lender that had once planned a project of its own there.
Despite being located just off one of Phoenix's busiest roads, Pfeiffer said there will be enough buffers put in place between multi-layered landscaping, walls and gates between neighbors and the road to enjoy taking in the views of the nearby Phoenician Golf Course and Camelback Mountain.
"With Camelback Road being pretty busy, we've had to mitigate some traffic concerns, but we've done that with a really good sound protection system," Pfeiffer said in an interview with Homes.com. "So, when you get into the subdivision itself, it is pretty quiet."
The expected price for Camelback Palms residences will range between $6.5 million and around $10 million, and between 5,700 and 8,000 square feet in size, Pfeiffer said. Sonora West is working with 4Line Studio to design the homes in the subdivision.
Camelback Palms will be located in the Camelback East neighborhood, where the median single-family home price is $949,999, according to Homes.com data.
"We have two houses started ... and we'll be starting the next two houses in the next 90 days. None of them are sold, but we're thinking that we might want to sell one, maybe two and then finish the other two as spec [homes]," Pfeiffer said.
He expects Camelback Palms to be completed and built out by the end of 2026.
Finding Solace in Carefree
Roughly 35 miles north of Camelback Palms is a 31-lot development Sonora West is planning in the town of Carefree. That community is aptly named Solace — a nod to the tranquility that Carefree residents experience. Sonora West is also working with 4Line Studio on that project.
The homes will cost between $2.5 million and $4 million and be between 3,200 and 5,500 square feet.
"We'll start horizontal work in 30 to 90 days," Pfeiffer said of the timeline. "I would say there will be houses ready to purchase before the end of the year."
The New River Mountains and Chiricahua Mountains surround the town of Carefree. The average single-family home price in Carefree is $1.62 million, according to Homes.com data.
"Some people like to live up north where it's a little bit cooler [and] a little bit more open, and [offers more privacy]," Pfeiffer said of the appeal of Carefree.
Sonora West was founded in 2001 and has built more than 150 luxury homes across the Phoenix area with many in high-end neighborhoods like DC Ranch, Paradise Valley and Arcadia, among others.
"Right now, we're not actively searching [for additional communities], but I still track down every deal and see if it matches the criteria that we need," Pfeiffer said. "Because when I find a deal that matches what we want, it's pretty simple, and we go after it."