Phoenix Is Not One Market

There are usually more than five thousand homes for sale in Phoenix at any given time, spread across dozens of zip codes and a very wide range of prices. Scrolling through that from the top is not a search. It is a way to get overwhelmed.

The median above is real, and it is also misleading, because Phoenix contains several completely separate markets and the median is just the middle of all of them stacked together. There is no single Phoenix price.

Start With Where, Not What

In most cities you can start with beds, baths and budget. Phoenix is too big for that. The same budget buys very different homes depending on which part of the city you are in, and those parts can be twenty miles apart.

Figure out roughly where in the Valley you need to be first, based on work, school or family, then set your filters. That one decision does more to narrow this search than any other.

Older Central, Newer Edges

As a rough rule, the closer in you are, the older the housing and the higher the price per square foot. Head north or out toward the edges of the city and you get newer construction and more square footage for the money, with a longer drive attached.

Neither is better. They are different trades, and which one is right depends entirely on how you actually spend your week.

Everything Is in This Search

Condos, townhomes, single family homes, new construction and land are all mixed into these results together. If you know you only want one of those, set the property type filter before you do anything else. It will cut the list dramatically.

Common Questions About Buying in Phoenix

Why is the median price so high?

Because it averages together a condo in central Phoenix and a custom home in the foothills. Phoenix has a wider price range than any other city in the Valley, and the middle of that range does not describe what most buyers are actually looking at.

Where should I start looking?

Start with location rather than with the house. Phoenix is large enough that the same budget buys very different things depending on where you are, and narrowing the map first makes everything after it easier.

Can I find a home in Phoenix under $400,000?

Yes. Sort the homes above from low to high to see what is available right now. Some of it will be condos and townhomes, and some will be single family homes in the older parts of the city.

How does Phoenix compare to the West Valley cities?

Per square foot, Phoenix runs higher than most of the cities west of it. What you get in return is a shorter commute to central employment and a much wider selection. Whether that is worth the difference depends on where you need to be during the week.