| Whispering Ranch Photo's |
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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 is becoming some of the most desirable and sought after property in Maricopa County. 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 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 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). 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 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. Major Freeways - as well
as the CanaMex Highway - will cut through this area, as will the Wickenburg ByPass. The twenty mile wide corridor between Wickenburg to the north and Interstate 10
to the south is where projections predict the fastest growing area of Maricopa County over the next two decades. That 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 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.
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 $4,000 per acre range meaning you can buy an average parcel for as little as $20,000. And if you want more spectacular parcels,
there are mountainside lots at a higher price. Or 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 $70K 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 appreciation 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 by 50%. Even adjusting for the current decline in value, since 2003 parcel values have increased
in the neighborhood of 200%. Civilization is moving this direction (as evidenced by the forward movement of groundwork at the Douglas Ranch planned community
and the continued growth of Del Webb's Sun City Festival) and there is little doubt these parcels will be increasing in value in the future. This, of course, will bring the
infrastructure (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 have seen
over the last few years. One past client said to me "This looks like what Cave Creek was when I bought there 30 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 four or
five years - primarily from Buyers who have
been thinking about buying a parcel in "The Ranch". The market has 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 am reading economic articles indicating that 2010 may be the bottom of the market. I see that
there is slightly less inventory in Whispering Ranch and we may soon be seeing more activity in sales, market inventory shrinking, and slowly rising prices. I am counseling prospective
Buyers and Investors to move NOW instead of waiting. To view a Power Point presentation that recaps what I see, click here
and sit back for a couple of minutes to get the larger picture. Then you can let me know what your thoughts are.
With all of the recent changes in the market, I decided to take the time to recap what's been happening in the form of graphs that track Listing Prices, Sales Prices,
number of Days on the Market, and the number of Sales for each Quarter of the year, starting in January of 2004. The information gives you an idea of what how this market has grown
in the past few years. It also gives you and idea of what is to come in the future when people see how undervalued these prices are today and start to snap up these land investments.
To view the Whispering Ranch Activity click here.
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, etc. The list will be updated each month so the effective
date of this list will be noted at the bottom of the page. Until I find a way to connect these listings to the local Multipe Listing Service with a "hot link" you will be only able to view the
information, not see all of the listing information. But I'm going to keep working on this idea until I get it worked out.
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 have stopped out and visited with us at "The Ranch" on 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, 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.
To get an idea of what has been happening in this area since early 2005, I have put together a recap of the information that I included on the maps that were
put in the information boxes on my signs over the two years or so. The reverse chronology is difficult reading since the newest information is first and the older
information is last, but you will get the idea of what's been happening. To view the Whispering Ranch Diary click here.
Please read the update in this section if you currently are under a grazing lease in Whispering Ranch. For those of
you who are interested in entering into "Grazing Leases" to lower your taxes, send me an e-mail and I'll return the information, contacts,
costs and instructions on how to start this process in time to lower your future property taxes. I just got the updated information sent to me, and after meetings and discussions
with the Assessor's Office, this looks like the real deal. OK, so it will cost you a few bucks to start the ball rolling and a small annual fee, 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, how it works and the various forms you will need to fill out, click here.
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 Corporation
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 (or WEE ! ! as those of us involved like to call it), 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. This section contains information on what we are doing to get the County to do some road maintenance since our taxes have gone through the roof.
Our meeting with Commissioner Kristin Mayes and representatives from Arizona Public Service on December 20th in the Office of the Arizona Corporation Commission was just the first step
toward improvements in the area power structure. Please visit to this page and scroll down to the meeting notes to get a better idea of where we currently stand. If you
want your property investment to grow in value, these efforts will be the ones that will generate the greatest return. And the sooner we get started, the sooner we will see results.
If you are interested in what meetings have been held recently in "The Ranch" or want to know about upcoming meetings that will have an effect on the future
of Whispering Ranch, click here Whispering Ranch Meetings click here.
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.
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" 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.
Just so you know, on the second Saturday of each month, we set up our awning at the corner of 299th Avenue and Patton Road. Most Realtors hold an "Open House" when they have a property they are trying to sell. We're not that lucky. We don't have a house to sit in - so we have an "Open Lot". From 9 AM until I drop from exhaustion (usually about 5:00 or 6:00 PM) you can get maps (so you know how to get around), directions to the properties that I have on the market For Sale, information on what's happening in the area, and we normally have a complete list of properties on the market. In addition - and if you feel the need - we can give you a short guided tour of "The Ranch". I usually have a couple of other agents from our office with me to help me get information out to anyone who stops by. Local residents stop by to see what's new and let us know what they see happening as well. It's a good chance to get a feel for what is on the market, and what is planned for the future as civilization heads this direction.
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 more than 150 transactions during this time and have
researched and prepared the maps and instructions to allow owners and investors to find their way out there. Being in the Real Estate field for more than
30 years, 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.
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.
Copyright 2004-2010, J. D. Liberty
