When the calendar flips to December, Phoenix residents had been reminded of the upcoming holidays once they look north toward Camelback Mountain.
Perched atop the mountain is one of Phoenix's most secluded homes: a 4,641-square-foot, one-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home built in the 1950s and renovated during the 1970s.
The longtime owners, James and Joan Warne, had traditionally hung big lit-up letters off the slope that spell out "Merry Christmas" and, once Dec. 25 passes, "Happy New Year."
That tradition has given the Phoenix home the status of being the "Merry Christmas" house.
Both James and Joan Warne have died, and the property currently is owned by a family trust. The trustee is selling the home at 5500 N. Dromedary Road, which recently hit the market with a $24 million asking price.
Agents adjust price point
After the Warnes died, the Merry Christmas and Happy New Year messages only took a year's absence and returned in 2024, Rebecca Hoyt, an agent with RETSY who's listing the home, told Homes.com. She added they'll be back up come December.
While the home's local reputation brings familiarity, Hoyt said she knows the listing is a rare commodity: 24 acres with gated access on Camelback Mountain that offers widespread views of Phoenix.
"It's kind of unlike anything else," Hoyt said. "The views are just stunning."
Hoyt is listing the home alongside Shawna Warner, who's also with RETSY. Hoyt and Warner listed the property earlier this year for $30 million but didn't get the traction at that price point.
With a hillside property and the amount of land, Hoyt said it was difficult to find a comparable property to set the price. At $24 million, the team is hopeful it can attract a bigger pool of potential buyers, both locally in Phoenix but also nationally and around the globe.
As currently constructed, the home comes with a main residence with expansive glass walls. The home was also designed to incorporate the mountain with part of the natural granite stone wall built into the primary bathroom.
A guest home and swimming pool are also on the property.
A new vision could be in the works
Hoyt added that the new owner could choose to rebuild and create a newly constructed mansion or family compound. Taking down the home and building something new is a strategy that some developers are using in Phoenix, especially in high-end areas of the city.
"If somebody wants to start from scratch, that's totally doable," Hoyt said. "We have a lot of acreage, but because of the slope of the property, that kind of limits our building envelope.
"There is some opportunity for someone to build, I believe, three luxury homes and have the privacy and the acreage and everything that would be appealing."
Phoenix architect Mark Candelaria, who Hoyt said is a friend of one of the trustees, drew up some conceptual floor plans and site plan designs for what could be done with the property.
As of Nov. 25, 5500 N. Dromedary Road is the priciest listing in Phoenix's Camelback East Village, which comprises upscale pockets such as the Biltmore area, Arcadia, Arcadia Lite and parts of Scottsdale, according to Homes.com.
Homes in Camelback East Village have an average value of $844,426 as of November, which is well above the $569,260 average across Phoenix, according to Homes.com.