Welcome to the Whispering Ranch Information Web Site !

Provided as an informational source by Joseph D. (Joe) Liberty, Designated Broker, Liberty Southwest Realty, LLC

In the far West Valley, northwest of Sun City Grand and south of Wickenburg, you'll find plenty of raw desert acreage known as Whispering Ranch. This undeveloped land will become some of the most desirable and sought after property in Maricopa County as the growth of the area continues. It is located about 13 miles west of Grand Avenue on Patton Road, just west of Wittmann and the Hassayampa River. Situated in an Unincorporated area of Maricopa County, to the north and west of the Town of Buckeye, it encompasses approximately 19,000 acres (about 29 +/- square miles). It was originally subdivided in the late 1950's and early 1960's into approximately 3,400 five-acre parcels and 90 twenty-acre parcels. At the southwestern portion of Whispering Ranch you will find the Toyota Technical Testing Area (also known as Toyota Proving Grounds) occupying about 13,000 acres.

It is bordered to the North and West by Federal Land (Bureau of Land Management), to the south by the Toyota Proving Grounds and the proposed Douglas Ranch, and on the eastern side, civilization is being held back by the Hassayampa River (a dry riverbed most of the year, but it floods occasionally if we get a rainy spell). Essentially, it is an island of privately owned land surrounded on three sides by government property. On the southern border, the master planned Douglas Ranch (click here) development is slated to be the largest planned development in Arizona history, encompassing 100,000 homes, not to mention all of the other shopping, recreation, education and employment development. This community will incorporate all of the latest technology developed to this point.

Major Freeways - as well as the CanaMex Highway (now being called Interstate 11) - will cut through a couple of miles to the west of Whispering Ranch, based on current information. For More information on Interstate 11, (click here). In 2011, the Maricopa County Department of Transportation completed the study and recommended the north/south alignment for the Hidden Waters Parkway - a four lane divided parkway - running north/south through the area on the east portion of "The Ranch". In the Fall of 2013, the Transportation Department also announced they have completed the planning for another four-lane divided east/west parkway along the current Dove Valley Road alignment. This Parkway will run on the north side of the WAPA Power transmission lines that run through the center of Whispering Ranch. This Parkway will necessitate a bridge over the Hassayampa River on the east side of Whispering Ranch and is planned to run all that way to Wittmann and Grand Avenue to the east. The Town of Wickenburg has requested that the Dove Valley Parkway be extended all the way through Whispering Ranch to the west, but no decision has been made on that request to this point. I expect they will approve this roadway extension as a"feeder route" to Interstate 11 to the west of Whispering Ranch. Plans are in place to extend State Route 74 from where it currently stops at Grand Avenue (Hwy. 60) all the way to the west (through the Vulture Mountains Regional Park) until it also connects with the planned Interstate 11.

The 110 square mile (70,000 acre) Vulture Mountain Regional Park that borders the north side of Whispering Ranch was announced in January of 2012 by Maricopa County. This area will be managed by Maricopa County Parks Department in a situation similar to the White Tank Mountains Regional Park some 20 miles to the south and east. This Regional Park and Preserve area will keep this pristine raw desert area in is natural state for future generations to enjoy.

The twenty mile wide corridor between Wickenburg to the north and Interstate 10 to the south is where analysts predict the fastest growth of Maricopa County in the next few decades. This is primarily because Whispering Ranch is sitting on top of the Hassayampa Aquifer, one of the largest untapped water resources in Maricopa County. The abundance of ground water in this aquifer - and the ease of replacing water usage from the Central Arizona Project Canal - is why there is so much planned growth in this part of the West Valley. Plans are in place for over 250,000 homes and 2 million new residents in this area of the West Valley over the next 20 years. As our economy continues to improve, watch out!! This area is destined to GROW ! ! It's all about the water . . . and the water is here! !

Breaking News ! ! November 2017 ! !

On November 3, 2017 one of the companies owned by Bill Gates bought a 53% controlling interest in 22,000 acres of desert lands for $80 million just south of Douglas Ranch, north of Interstate 10, and has indicated they are going to move forward with a planned development on this land. The previously planned Belmont development was put on hold due to the recession of 2008, but it now appears that with the proposed Interstate 11 - connecting Phoenix to Las Vegas - running through this development that the MicroSoft/Bill Gates group will move forward to build a "City of the Future" in this location. This action will cause more interest and activity throughout the corridor from Tonopah to Wickenburg, and with minimal private land available in the area, Whispering Ranch properties should increase in value ! !

This pristine desert area is gorgeous, with abundant saguaro cactus and spectacular mountain views in every direction, (Vulture Mountains to the north, Belmont Mountains to the south west, White Tank Mountains to the south east) and as a bonus, some of the best property values in Maricopa County. This peaceful and quiet rural setting, complete with native plants and animals, is a huge plus for people wanting a more tranquil lifestyle or looking for an area that is in the path of future growth. Most of the acreage in Whispering Ranch is zoned R-190, which allows just one dwelling per five acre parcel. This allows plenty of elbow room from your neighbors. Prices in today's market start in the the $3,000 per acre range meaning you can buy an average parcel for as little as $15,000. And if you want more spectacular parcels, there are properties with power available, near to paved roads or mountainside lots at a higher prices. And there are some parcels that are impacted by floodplain or floodway at lower bargain prices. Just a five or six miles to the east parcels are selling at $30K per acre. So the Whispering Ranch parcels make economic sense for long-term future appreciation. Buy low (today) - Sell high (future).

From an investment standpoint, Whispering Ranch is still in its early "recession recovery" stages and has nowhere to go but up. We witnessed a parcel value increase of 800% in 2005 before the current "Real Estate Adjustment" hit and prices declined back to todays reasonable prices. During the "Boom" years of '05 and '06 there was a buying frenzy and it was a crazy period. Things have picked up in the past six months, activity has increased and prices have started rising, so now is the time to buy. Civilization is moving this direction - as evidenced by the forward movement of groundwork at the Douglas Ranch planned community, the continued growth of Del Webb's Sun City Festival, and now the announcement of Gates acquisitions of the planned Belmont ) and the current planning for the four lane divided Hidden Waters Parkway and Dove Valley Parkway - so in my mind there is little doubt these parcels will be increasing in value in the future. This, of course, will bring the infrastructure (more paved roads, water, electric, etc., which are missing at this point) and then you can imagine what will happen to the values. NOW is definitely an opportune time to get "your piece of dirt"! Parcels in Whispering Ranch are still among the most affordable in Maricopa County, even with the increases we are currently witnessing. One past client said to me . . . "This looks like what Cave Creek was when I bought there 50 years ago." Hmmm . . . makes you think, doesn't it.

With the recent Real Estate "adjustment", I'm getting a lot of calls from the contacts I have made in the past eleven or twelve years - primarily from Buyers who have been thinking about buying a parcel in "The Ranch". The market had softened since the Real Estate frenzy of 2005 - prices stabilized then dropped - but with all of the planned developments in the works, proposed roadway improvements and Buckeye, Surprise and Wickenburg annexation plans, it is just a matter of time before this area goes through another "growth spurt". I have read economic articles indicating that the last Quarter 2012 may have been the bottom of the market for our housing market. Sadly, as this relates to the vacant land market, I had not seen anything to indicate that the market was changing until last November. Most seasoned real estate folks know that investment in raw land is a direct function of consumer confidence. When the consumer is comfortable with their financial situation they will start making this type of investment. But with the combination of all of the factors listed above, interest is already increased. Activity has increased, lower priced parcels have been replaced by more sxpensive listings, and we will see this tend continue as long as our economy stays strong.

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My Whispering Ranch Listings

Here is a list of the properties I currently have available for sale in Whispering Ranch. Just click here to view the list. The parcels are listed by ascending price and you can easily see cost per acre, if they are impacted by floodplain and/or floodway, distance to power, and whether the property Seller is offering to provide Seller Financing for the property. If you need more information on any of these properties, either give me a call, send a text to my phone or shoot me an e-mail and I'll get back with you as soon as I can. Bear in mind that I don't always have all of the information with me.

Do Your Own Search of the Multiple Listing Service

This page will allow you to do a property search using your own parameters, just like agent do on the MLS. Just click here I'm hopeful this wil allow you to find what you're looking for. If you have problems, let me know as this is a "work in progress" and I need feedback on what you feel it might need. If you need more information on any of the properties you find, either give me a call, send a text to my phone or shoot me an e-mail and I'll get back with you as soon as I can.

Maps and Links

I have the latest freeway/roadway maps available from the Maricopa Association of Governments as they become available. These maps indicate where the Towns, Cities, Counties and State Transportation Agencies are planning to put new Freeways, Parkways, Arterial roads and bridges (over the Hassayampa River for example into Whispering Ranch) or improve existing transportation corridors. If you had stopped out and visited with us at one of our "Open Lot" days, you might have seen some of these maps. As part of the planning process, these roadways are constantly going through changes, but what I see is that they all include roadways into the large planned development areas - Douglas Ranch, Belmont, etc, - and into and out of and through Whispering Ranch. This part of the web site also has information and some history on Subdivision Public Reports and how they can impact you as a Buyer or Seller in Arizona. To go into the area where I have some of these area roadway maps and links to the various Maricopa County Web sites, just click here. This is one of the most popular pages on my web site, so don't miss it.

"Agricultural Exemption and Grazing Leases"

Please read the update in this section if you were under a grazing lease in Whispering Ranch - there was a change of Cattle Companies in 2016. For those of you who are interested in entering into "Grazing Leases" to lower your taxes, read through this section and then send me an e-mail and I'll return what information I have on how to start this process in time to lower your future property taxes. I have the updated information sent to me by the various County departments, so it will cost you a few bucks to start the ball rolling and a small annual payment to the Cattle Company, but that's better than paying higher taxes to the County and still having rough roads and plenty of potholes ! ! To get a better idea of what this exemption is and how it works, click here.

"Whispering Ranch Roadway Plans"

We have been bugging the local officials to see what can be done to improve the streets and roads in Whispering Ranch ever since the taxes went through the roof a few years ago. Even though taxes have dropped in the recent years, if we are paying higher taxes, why are we not seeing any improvements in services from the County?? In 2011, the preferred alignment for the Hidden Waters Parkway running north/south through the area was approved by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. In late 2013 they also completed the recommended alignment for the Dove Valley Parkway running east/west through the area. No one knows when these roadways will be built, but this section gives you an idea of what our efforts have been through the years. If you are interested in more information, click here.

"Whispering Ranch Electrification"

There have been a lot of questions about a sufficient power coming to all of "The Ranch" and we are mounting an effort to make our voice heard with Arizona Public Service Company and the Arizona Corporation Commission. To get an idea of what has happened in the past, and what is currently happening with Whispering Ranch Electrification Efforts, click on the highlighted section. Whether you are currently living in Whispering Ranch and want power brought in, bought a parcel in Whispering Ranch and want to see prices rise, or are planning to build a home out in this area in the future, you really ought to get on board with this grass roots effort.

For a directional map to get to Whispering Ranch click here. This is a large area map, so you may have to scroll or zoom in or out to view it in its entirety. This is a large area, showing the northwest area of Maricopa County, and "The Ranch" is highlighted. You can easily see what roads you'll need to take to get out to "The Ranch", whether you're coming out from Phoenix or Wickenburg.

Here are also two detailed maps of Whispering Ranch that you can print and tape together if you want. It might be a good idea to print out the instructions on how to use the map (below) to help you understand some of the roadway markings once you get out there. This map will be invaluable in getting around in the area, since there are no street signs, and just plenty of unidentified dirt roads running all directions. That way you can have a copy of a map when you head out. Hopefully you won't get too lost. Make sure you take plenty of cold drinking water, a cell phone, a full tank of gas and a sense of adventure. A snake bite kit and flare gun are optional items.

• The first is Whispering Ranch East,
• The second is Whispering Ranch West.

Click here for a set of instructions how to use this Whispering Ranch map, and to coordinate road names with compass points once you are in the subdivision. Or you can grab a map out of the red information boxes on the large signs I have at both of the roads coming into Whispering Ranch. One is at Patton Road and 299th Avenue on the Wittman side of "The Ranch" near the set of mailboxes, and the other is at Carefree Highway and 347th Avenue over on the Vulture Mine Road side of "The Ranch". I try to keep maps and flyers in both boxes, but let me know if you see that one or the other is empty.

I have been specializing in Whispering Ranch since 2003 (when no one else wanted to be out there) and have established myself as the "Go to Guy" (or as the locals like to call me "The King of Whispering Ranch") I've handled hundreds of transactions during this time and have researched and prepared the maps and instructions to allow owners and investors to find their way out there. Having been licensed in the Real Estate field since 1977, I have the expertise to assist you in most every endeavor of land sale transactions and have acquired many knowledgeable resources along the way. Let me know if I can put this experience to work for you.

I would be most happy to assist you in any way possible - whether it is a personalized tour, additional information, specific research, or other questions you may have about "The Ranch". Please feel free to contact me by E-mail from this site, or you may reach me on my mobile phone (602) 505-7675.

To send me an E-Mail, click here.

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If you are interested in adding your e-mail address to my newsletter list, click here, and on the next page you will be asked to provide as little information or as much information as you want. I can identify and give you and idea of your parcel location and value in today's market, or just keep you up to date on what's hapening in Whispering Ranch as it happens. The choice is yours. Tell me what you want to know, and I'll see if I can get it to you. Advise me of how you want to be involved in our efforts toward bringing in power, roadway maintenance, reducing taxes, etc., and I'll get you in front off the elected officials who can help us all.