Down the Creek™

Sonoran Desert Corridor™ – Down the Creek™

Down the Creek™ includes many neighborhoods within the City of Phoenix’s Desert View Village planning area, generally east and west of Cave Creek Road, south of Carefree Highway and north of Loop 101. Communities include Dove Valley Ranch, Colina del Norte, Tatum Ranch, Tatum Highlands, Mountain Gate, Aviano and Desert Ridge, as well as the horse-ranching areas along Dynamite Road between Cave Creek Road and Tatum Road.

North Phoenix Between Carefree Highway and Loop 101

Down the Creek™ extends from Carefree Highway south to Loop 101, generally east and west of Cave Creek Road. Much of the area lies within the City of Phoenix’s Desert View Village planning area, although county islands are scattered throughout the market area.

Unlike Cave Creek and Carefree to the north, much of Down the Creek™ is suburban and master planned. Communities include Dove Valley Ranch, Colina del Norte, Tatum Ranch, Tatum Highlands, Mountain Gate, Aviano and Desert Ridge, along with numerous smaller subdivisions, gated neighborhoods and newer communities such as Stone Butte and Verdin.

Large areas of State Trust land and undeveloped Sonoran Desert remain between and around many communities. Established neighborhoods, newer construction, open desert, equestrian properties and larger custom homes are all found within a relatively compact geographic area.

Master-Planned Communities and Established Neighborhoods

Much of the residential development in Down the Creek™ was built in the 1990s or later. Most of the larger subdivisions are master-planned HOA communities consisting primarily of single-family homes.

Many were designed with broad boulevard streets, landscaped medians, neighborhood parks and maintained common areas. Gated communities and gated enclaves are also common throughout the market area. Dove Valley Ranch and American Ranch are gated, with gated neighborhoods also found within Tatum Ranch, Tatum Highlands and several other communities.

The housing is predominantly tract built, although home and lot sizes, floor plans, amenities and neighborhood design vary considerably among communities. The majority of homes are above mid-level within the Phoenix market, and several neighborhoods include luxury homes, larger lots and higher-end properties.

Larger estate-type and custom properties are found around Lone Mountain and areas farther north. Older pockets of smaller homes east of Cave Creek Road also predate much of the surrounding master-planned development.

Stone Butte and Verdin represent newer development in portions of the area that had remained largely undeveloped.

Equestrian Properties and Open Desert

The major exception to the master-planned pattern is found along Dynamite and Dixileta roads.

Larger parcels, horse properties and individually developed homes remain mixed with the surrounding suburban communities. Horses and riders are still not uncommon sights here, reflecting the rural and equestrian character that existed before much of northern Phoenix was developed.

These properties differ substantially from the surrounding HOA subdivisions in lot size, improvements, land use and overall character. They are part of the same geographic market area but often require a different approach when comparing properties.

State Trust land, natural washes and undeveloped desert also keep the Sonoran Desert visually present throughout much of Down the Creek™. In some locations, established neighborhoods sit directly beside large stretches of open land.

Golf, Parks and Recreation

Golf is part of the identity of several Down the Creek™ communities. Tatum Ranch includes a private golf club, while Dove Valley Ranch includes a public golf course.

Parks and recreation areas are scattered throughout the market area. Some are small neighborhood parks of only a few acres, while others serve a much larger portion of North Phoenix.

Cave Buttes Recreation Area and the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve add substantial areas of preserved desert and trail access within and around this part of North Phoenix. Reach 11 is the largest developed recreational example, providing a major multi-sport complex, trails and extensive recreational space at the southern end of the market area.

Neighborhood parks, community recreation areas, golf, open desert and larger regional facilities provide a wide range of recreational options without leaving this part of North Phoenix.

Shopping, Dining and Everyday Services

One of the major differences between Down the Creek™ and Cave Creek or Carefree is the amount of everyday commercial development located within or adjacent to the planned communities.

Grocery stores include Fry’s, Safeway, Sprouts and Albertsons. Restaurants range from national and regional chains to independent local businesses, and shopping and services are distributed throughout the market area rather than being concentrated in a single town center.

The area around Dynamite Boulevard and Tatum Boulevard provides a smaller shopping and dining district. It does not have a grocery anchor, but includes restaurants, shops and services convenient to nearby neighborhoods.

Carefree Highway also has a substantial retail concentration, with Walmart, Fry’s, Home Depot and Sprouts among the major anchors, along with additional restaurants, shops and everyday services.

Farther south, Desert Ridge provides another major concentration of shopping, restaurants and entertainment. The Desert Ridge area is also home to the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

Schools and Medical Services

Down the Creek™ is served by two public school districts, with two high schools, multiple middle schools and numerous elementary schools throughout the area. Private schools are also scattered among the surrounding communities.

The proximity of Mayo Clinic’s Phoenix campus has also contributed to a substantial concentration of medical offices and healthcare services in and around the Desert Ridge area.

The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona and a large Catholic cemetery are also located within the market area and represent significant institutional land uses along the corridor.

Desert and Mountain Views

Despite decades of suburban development, much of Down the Creek™ retains a strong visual connection to the surrounding Sonoran Desert.

Black Mountain provides the most recognizable mountain backdrop to the north. The McDowell Mountains are visible to the east and southeast from many locations, while other mountain ranges can be seen across the Valley depending on elevation, lot orientation and surrounding development.

Some of the most striking views are to the west, where State Trust land and other undeveloped desert can create broad sunset views across the Sonoran Desert with mountain backgrounds in the distance.

Views vary considerably by neighborhood and lot, but open desert, washes and undeveloped land remain an important part of the visual character of Down the Creek™.

Still the Sonoran Desert

Despite the amount of development, Down the Creek™ remains part of the Sonoran Desert, and wildlife is abundant. Coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions are present, along with rattlesnakes, hawks, owls, scorpions and the usual desert insects. Mountain lions occasionally enter developed areas and can prey on domestic animals, while large hawks and owls may also take small pets.

Predator activity is often greatest from dusk through dawn. Mountain lions hunt primarily at night, while coyotes are commonly active at night and around dawn and dusk. Small pets should be supervised outdoors and not left unattended, particularly during these hours or where neighborhoods border washes, open desert or State Trust land.

Rattlesnakes are also commonly encountered in developed neighborhoods as well as open areas.

A Cave Creek Address Isn’t Always Cave Creek

Many homes in Down the Creek™ have a Cave Creek mailing address even though they are located within the City of Phoenix rather than the incorporated Town of Cave Creek.

County islands are also scattered throughout the market area, adding another jurisdictional distinction that may not be apparent from a property’s mailing address.

The postal address alone therefore does not identify the municipality, jurisdiction or character of the neighborhood. Two properties with the same Cave Creek mailing address may differ significantly in municipal services, development pattern, HOA structure, lot size and surrounding land use.

That distinction is important when comparing properties within Down the Creek™, or with homes inside the incorporated Town of Cave Creek.

Utilities Are Not Uniform

City water and sewer should not be assumed throughout Down the Creek™. Wells and septic systems are still found on many properties, particularly outside the more conventional master-planned neighborhoods.

Even within some subdivisions, utility connections may vary from one property to another. Homes within the same subdivision may not necessarily share the same sanitary hookup, with some connected to sewer and others using septic systems.

The actual sanitary connection needs to be verified for the individual property. It is common for a property to receive a city sewer bill while the home itself remains connected to a septic system. A sewer scope can help determine the home’s actual sanitary connection when it is uncertain.

Age and Major Home Systems

With much of the housing in Down the Creek™ now approximately 20 to 30 years old, the condition and remaining life of major home systems can be an important consideration. HVAC systems, roofs, sewer and water lines, and landscape irrigation systems may have been repaired or replaced — or may still be original to the home. Professional inspections of these systems can be important when evaluating a property.

Age alone does not determine condition, but two otherwise similar homes can differ substantially based on the maintenance, replacement and updating of these major systems.

Down the Creek™ Market Area

Down the Creek™ is one of the Sonoran Desert Corridor™ market areas used in my North Phoenix real estate reports.

The designation provides a consistent geographic area for tracking listings, sales activity and market trends while recognizing that the communities within Down the Creek™ are not all directly comparable.

The market ranges from equestrian properties and custom estates to established master-planned neighborhoods, golf communities, gated enclaves and newer development.

Interested in Down the Creek™?

Whether you are buying or selling, understanding how location, age, lot size, construction and neighborhood character affect value is important in this part of North Phoenix — and each subdivision has its own story shaped by when it was built and how it has evolved since.