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Clearwater Hills has 217 homesites, yet only 10 homes sold there in the past 12 months, and just 4 were listed for sale on November 6, 2026. That small, steady trickle of sales is the first thing to understand about this guard-gated hillside community on the edge of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. The second is that most of it is not inside the Town of Paradise Valley at all.
What the data says
- Homesites: 217, each one acre or larger (Dwell Arizona, Clearwater Hills page, accessed November 12, 2026)
- Jurisdiction: 203 of 217 lots in a Maricopa County island, the rest in the Town of Paradise Valley (Dwell Arizona, accessed November 12, 2026)
- Median sale price: $3,550,000, or $975 per square foot, 10 sales (ARMLS via Flexmls, Clearwater Hills page, November 6, 2025 to November 6, 2026)
- Listings and supply: 4 homes for sale, median list price $5,991,944, about 4.8 months of supply (ARMLS via Flexmls, Clearwater Hills page, November 6, 2026)
- Pace and pricing: median 128 days on market, 95.65% of final list price, 95.33% of original list price (ARMLS via Flexmls, Clearwater Hills page, past 12 months to November 6, 2026)
- Listing success rate: 67%, with 10 closed and 5 cancelled or expired (ARMLS via Flexmls, Clearwater Hills page, past 12 months to November 6, 2026)
Where it is and what it looks like
Clearwater Hills climbs the eastern slopes of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, with the preserve to the northwest and Paradise Valley around the rest of it, as Dwell Arizona describes it. Hillside lots look out over the city and the mountains, homes come in many architectural styles, and natural desert landscaping is the norm. You can see where Clearwater Hills sits relative to the rest of the town on our Northeast Valley map.
Our Clearwater Hills homes for sale page tracks the community's listings and sales. The homes that sold in the past 12 months had a median size of 4,757 square feet, and today's list prices run from $4,950,000 to $10,900,000. For context across town, see all Paradise Valley homes for sale.
The gate and the association
Entry is through a guard gate at the Tatum Gatehouse, staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, according to Dwell Arizona. Association fees cover street and common area maintenance, a concierge, and the gate. We did not find a current published fee schedule, so ask for the fee, any transfer or capital fees, the budget, and the reserve study before you write an offer.
Close to the preserve
The Phoenix Mountains Preserve is the community's backdrop. The City of Phoenix lists Piestewa Peak, at 2,608 feet, as the anchor of the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area and the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, with dozens of miles of multi-use trails. The city posts parking and entrance hours of 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., trail hours of 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and no dogs on the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail at any time of year.
What the numbers mean
Turnover is low. Ten sales out of 217 homesites works out to about 4.6% of the community changing hands in a year (calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners). Yearly closed sales on our page averaged 16.6 a year from 2016 through 2020 and 10.2 a year from 2021 through 2025 (calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners), with a low of 6 in 2024.
Prices have risen over the decade, unevenly. The yearly median went from $1,350,000 in 2016 to $3,000,000 in 2025, up 122%, with a peak of $4,425,000 in 2024. With fewer than 20 sales most years, those medians move with the mix of homes that happened to sell.
Per square foot, Clearwater Hills runs above the town as a whole. Its $975 median compares with $847 for the 409 sales on our Paradise Valley page through November 12, 2026, about 15% higher (calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners). The ZIP code page for homes for sale in 85253 shows the same $847 figure across 407 sales.
Asking prices sit well above recent sales. The median list price of $5,991,944 is about 69% above the $3,550,000 median sale (calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners), and 3 of the 4 active listings had already had a price change on November 6, 2026.
How it compares nearby
- The Mountain Shadows homes for sale page shows 12 sales at a median of $2,550,000, or $1,082 per square foot, and about 7.0 months of supply as of November 6, 2026.
- The Camelback Country Club Estates homes for sale page shows 5 sales at a median of $4,025,000, or $789 per square foot, and about 12.0 months of supply as of November 10, 2026.
- Paradise Valley as a whole shows about 6.8 months of supply as of November 12, 2026, so Clearwater Hills, at about 4.8 months, has been tighter than the town.
Practical steps if you are buying or selling
- Confirm the jurisdiction first. Look up the parcel to see whether it is in the county island or the town. Maricopa County Planning and Development regulates building in unincorporated areas, and the county notes that a permit does not stop an HOA from enforcing its CC&Rs.
- Get the association package early. Ask for CC&Rs, architectural review rules, the current fee, and any planned assessments before your inspection period starts.
- Study the slope. On a one acre hillside lot, the usable flat area, driveway grade, and drainage matter as much as the acreage. A survey and a drainage review are worth the cost.
- Price with a wider lens. With about 10 sales a year, use two or three years of Clearwater Hills sales plus nearby hillside estates such as Mummy Mountain homes for sale.
- Weigh a rebuild against a remodel. If the home needs major work, compare it with recent Paradise Valley new construction homes for sale to see what a finished new home costs.
- Avoid this mistake: assuming a Paradise Valley address means town rules apply. For most Clearwater Hills lots, the county reviews building plans, and that affects timelines, setbacks, and what you can add.
The honest caveats
- Ten sales is a small sample. One estate sale can swing the median by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Our page counts MLS listings with a Paradise Valley address whose subdivision name includes Clearwater, so a few homes could be counted differently by another source.
- The homesite count, gate details, and county island split come from Dwell Arizona, a brokerage website, not from the association. Confirm them with the association and county records.
- Off-market and private sales do not appear in MLS data.
- We did not confirm a school district for the community. Check the assigned district for a specific address directly.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Clearwater Hills in Paradise Valley?
Clearwater Hills sits on the eastern slopes of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and uses Paradise Valley mailing addresses in ZIP code 85253. Most of the community is a Maricopa County island, with a smaller share of lots inside the Town of Paradise Valley.
Is Clearwater Hills guard gated?
Yes. Dwell Arizona describes a guard gate at the Tatum Gatehouse staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year. Confirm current gate procedures with the association when you tour.
How many homes are in Clearwater Hills?
Dwell Arizona describes 217 homesites, each one acre or larger. Check the county parcel record for the lot size of any specific property.
Is Clearwater Hills inside the Town of Paradise Valley?
Mostly not. Dwell Arizona reports that 203 of the 217 lots are in a Maricopa County island and the rest are inside the town. A Paradise Valley mailing address does not by itself tell you which side of the line a home is on, so check the parcel with the county and the town.
Why does the county island matter to a buyer?
Maricopa County Planning and Development regulates building and land use in unincorporated areas, so remodels and new construction on county island lots go through the county instead of the town. The association's architectural rules apply on top of that. Ask about both before you plan any changes.
How much do homes cost in Clearwater Hills?
The 10 homes that sold from November 6, 2025 to November 6, 2026 had a median price of $3,550,000, or $975 per square foot, with sales from $2,250,000 to $8,100,000, according to ARMLS data on our Clearwater Hills page. The 4 homes listed on November 6, 2026 had a median list price of $5,991,944.
How many homes sell in Clearwater Hills each year?
Not many. Yearly closed sales on our Clearwater Hills page ranged from 6 in 2024 to 22 in 2020, and 8 had closed in 2026 through November 6. With so few sales, one large or small sale can move the yearly median a lot.
Is Clearwater Hills a buyer's or seller's market?
With 4 listings and about 0.8 sales a month, our page shows about 4.8 months of supply as of November 6, 2026, which is close to balanced. Homes closed at a median of 95.65% of their final list price after a median of 128 days on market.
What are the HOA fees in Clearwater Hills?
We did not find a current published fee schedule. Dwell Arizona says association fees cover street and common area maintenance, a concierge, and the staffed gate. Ask the association or the listing agent for the current fee, any transfer fees, and the latest budget and reserve study.
Which school district serves Clearwater Hills?
District boundaries in and around Paradise Valley follow specific streets and do not match the town limits or the ZIP code. Confirm the assigned district and schools for a specific address directly with the school district before you buy.
The bottom line
Clearwater Hills offers one acre or larger hillside lots behind a staffed gate, right against the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, at a median of $3,550,000 over the past year. Sales are few, asking prices run well ahead of recent closings, and most lots fall under county rather than town rules. Go in with the parcel record, the association documents, and a few years of comparable sales, and the decision gets much clearer.
Read more: Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley: homes, lots, prices, and the preserve · Paradise Valley hillside lots: how slope decides what you can build
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Your advisors
Kyle Hermann
Associate Broker | Realtor®
602.814.7266
kyle@azluxurypartners.com
License BR665419000
Meet Kyle
Cheryl Solano
CRS® | Realtor®
480.518.0181
cheryl@azluxurypartners.com
License SA541911000
Meet Cheryl
Art Buck
Associate Broker | Realtor® | CCIM
480.510.7689
art@azluxurypartners.com
License BR014102000
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Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties
Sources
- Arizona Luxury Partners, Clearwater Hills homes for sale page: ARMLS via Flexmls closed sales November 6, 2025 to November 6, 2026, active listings November 6, 2026, and yearly medians and sales counts 2016 to 2026. Link
- Arizona Luxury Partners, Paradise Valley homes for sale page, ARMLS via Flexmls, as of November 12, 2026. Link
- Arizona Luxury Partners, Paradise Valley 85253 homes for sale page, ARMLS via Flexmls, as of November 11, 2026. Link
- Arizona Luxury Partners, Mountain Shadows homes for sale page, ARMLS via Flexmls, as of November 6, 2026. Link
- Arizona Luxury Partners, Camelback Country Club Estates homes for sale page, ARMLS via Flexmls, as of November 10, 2026. Link
- Dwell Arizona, Clearwater Hills, accessed November 12, 2026. Link
- City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation, Piestewa Peak / Dreamy Draw, accessed November 12, 2026. Link
- Maricopa County Planning and Development, Construction Permit Information, accessed November 12, 2026. Link
- Share of homesites sold in 12 months calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners: 10 sales divided by 217 homesites.
- Average yearly sales calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners: 2016 to 2020 (15, 17, 18, 11, 22) and 2021 to 2025 (17, 12, 9, 6, 7) from the Clearwater Hills page.
- Price per square foot difference calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners: $975 divided by $847. List to sale gap calculated by Arizona Luxury Partners: $5,991,944 divided by $3,550,000.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. This article is for general information only and is not financial, lending, legal, or tax advice. Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties, 21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Brokerage License LC629808000. Equal Housing Opportunity.
