Golf course homes in Ocotillo sell for more. Everybody knows that. I wanted to know how much more, so I ran the numbers. In the same Ocotillo neighborhood, in the same year, a home on the golf course sold for roughly 16 to 20 percent more than a comparable home off the course. On an $800,000 home, that is somewhere around $130,000 to $160,000.
How I ran the numbers
I pulled every closed home sale in 85248 from 2016 through 2026 out of the Arizona MLS. Then I narrowed it to the 12 Ocotillo neighborhoods that have homes both on and off the course. I left out the 55+ communities, because they run their own market.
That left 122 golf course sales and 294 sales that were not on the course. I compared like with like: same neighborhood, same year, and I accounted for square footage, lot size, pool and water. The answer came back at about 16 percent. Comparing price per square foot neighborhood by neighborhood, year by year, it came back at about 18 percent. Over the last three years, it has run closer to 20.
Most agents will tell you a golf course lot sells for more. That is true. Now there is a number on it.
One honest caveat. Most golf course lots in Ocotillo also touch water, so part of what buyers pay for is the lake view. Treat the number as a rough guide, not a quote on your house.
What that premium actually buys
It buys a view. Open green behind your house, nobody building across the back fence, and evening light over the fairway. It is pretty to see endless green that you are not paying for.
It does not buy you golf. Ocotillo Golf Club is open to the public, so you do not need to live on the course to get a tee time. The premium is for the backyard, not the clubhouse.
What comes over the fence
I sold a home on the golf course in Ocotillo for a client named Bertie. Being on the course absolutely helped her price. But every time I went over, I picked up a dozen or so golf balls in her backyard. That scared the heck out of me. So I will be honest with you: I have zero interest in living on a golf course myself.
That is the trade. Some people love it, and for them it is a must-have on the list. Others would rather keep the green view from a little farther away.
If you are selling on the course
The premium is real, so price like it. Your home should not be priced off the house across the street that backs to a wall. The comparison that matters is other homes on the course in your neighborhood. If you want to see how the Ocotillo premium works more broadly, here is why Ocotillo costs more in the first place.
If you are buying on the course
Know what you are paying for before you fall for the fairway. Walk the backyard on a weekend morning. Look at both HOA bills, since most of Ocotillo carries two HOA fees, a master and a neighborhood one. And read what to know before buying a golf course lot in Chandler before you write an offer.
Thinking about buying or selling a home on the course? Call or text me at 480-448-2020 and I will run the numbers on your street.
