Buying a Golf Course Home in Verrado for Under $1 Million: A Real Client Case Study
An Oregon family, a very specific wish list.
My clients live in Oregon and came to me looking for a second home in the Phoenix area, one that could double as a personal retreat and a smart addition to their long-term tax and investment strategy.
They weren't in a rush, and they weren't going to compromise. After a first round of searching, it was clear this wasn't going to be a quick transaction; the list of must-haves was tight enough that most listings were eliminated in minutes. Rather than widen the criteria, we narrowed the search radius and got patient. That patience is exactly what put us in position when the right property finally surfaced, a home that had already scared off two other rounds of buyers for reasons that, on closer inspection, weren't nearly as serious as they looked.
- •Golf course community, and a quiet lot with no neighbors behind
- •Private pool, single-level floor plan, 3-car garage, 4 bedrooms
- •Move-in ready condition, purchased for under $1,000,000
Why Verrado keeps winning with out-of-state buyers.
Verrado is a master-planned community in Buckeye, Arizona, set at the base of the White Tank Mountains roughly 25 miles west of downtown Phoenix. It's one of the largest communities in the Phoenix metro built around New Urbanism principles, designed around a walkable Main Street District rather than a grid of disconnected subdivisions, with homes, shops, restaurants, and parks laid out to encourage an actual town center instead of a commute to one.
For golf-focused buyers specifically, Verrado is one of the few communities in the Valley offering 36 holes of public championship golf inside a single master plan: the Founders Course and the Victory Course, both known for dramatic elevation changes and fairways that wind through natural desert arroyos rather than flat, cookie-cutter layouts. That terrain is also exactly why lots backing to the course tend to deliver the kind of unobstructed mountain views that can't be manufactured on a flat lot elsewhere in the Valley.
Add in 20+ miles of trails toward White Tank Mountain Regional Park, a genuine town center with dining and retail, and easy access back to Phoenix Sky Harbor, and it's easy to see why Verrado has become a magnet for buyers relocating from out of state, retirees, and second-home owners who want a resort feel without actually living inside a resort.
21433 W Mule Deer Way, the one everyone else passed on.
This home had already been under contract once before we found it. During that prior escrow, the buyer's inspection turned up a roof that needed full replacement, and feedback circulating on the property was blunt: it was dated and would need a full remodel. That combination, a big-ticket structural item plus a laundry list of cosmetic work, was enough to send that buyer, and at least one other round of interested parties, elsewhere.
We looked at the same information and saw something different: a roof is a known, quotable cost, one of the most quantifiable problems a home can have. And once we priced out what the interior really needed, the "full remodel" reputation didn't hold up. This wasn't a gut job. It was a cosmetic refresh.
What scared other buyers off
Roof flagged for full replacement at inspection. Interior labeled "dated." An assumed full, expensive remodel. A home that had already fallen out of escrow once.
What we actually found
Backing directly to the golf course, private, no rear neighbors. 3,000+ sq. ft. on a 12,000+ sq. ft. lot. Single-level, true 4-bed / 3-car layout. Pool and spa in place. Owned solar. Unobstructed mountain views. Cosmetic-only interior update, not a structural remodel.
Coming in strong, and asking for more.
Because we understood exactly what the roof would cost to replace and what a light cosmetic refresh would take, new carpet, refinished cabinetry, new countertops, LVP flooring over the existing tile, and paint, we were able to make an offer that was both competitive and precise. Rather than lowball a home we knew was underpriced for what it offered, we came in strong on price and asked the seller to handle the one item every other buyer had stumbled over: the roof.
The result: a golf-course home over 3,000 square feet, on a lot over 12,000 square feet, with a brand-new roof and owned solar already in place, for $980,000, plus $33,450 in credits to put straight toward the cosmetic transformation. On paper this looked like a fixer to the buyers who walked away. In practice, it was one of the strongest value-to-lifestyle ratios we've negotiated in Verrado this year.
A light touch, a complete transformation.
The renovation scope here proves the point: this was never a full remodel. The plan is intentionally light-touch, designed to modernize the feel of the home without touching its bones: new carpet, cabinet refinishing rather than replacement, new countertops, LVP flooring installed over the existing tile, and fresh paint throughout. None of it touches the golf-course lot, the mountain views, the pool and spa, the owned solar, or the layout, the things that can't be recreated anywhere else in the neighborhood. That's the entire thesis of this deal: pay to fix what's fixable, and let the irreplaceable parts of the property do the rest of the work.
"Eric does a great job of listening to our vision of what we wanted in Arizona. He was clear and very knowledgeable of the area and the type of home we wanted. He's got a great work ethic and got us the home we wanted."
What a second home in Arizona can do for your taxes.
A second home isn't only a lifestyle purchase. Depending on how it's used, it can also be a meaningful piece of a household's broader tax and wealth strategy.
This is general education, not personalized tax advice. Every household's situation, income mix, and state tax exposure is different. Confirm anything above with a CPA or tax attorney before making a purchase or usage decision based on it.
Turning a second home into an active tax strategy.
For buyers open to renting the home out short-term some portion of the year, there's a well-established IRS classification rule real estate investors call the short-term rental loophole. See our real estate tax strategy guide for the fuller picture.
It isn't a gray-area trick. It's built into how the IRS's passive activity rules under Internal Revenue Code Section 469 define a rental activity in the first place.
A single-level, move-in-ready home on a golf course with a pool, spa, and owned solar is exactly the profile that performs well as a premium short-term rental in the Phoenix West Valley, which means buyers evaluating this kind of property sometimes have the option to use it purely as a personal retreat, or to structure it as an active investment.
Material participation hours need to be tracked contemporaneously, average-stay calculations need to hold up under audit, and cost segregation studies need to be done properly to withstand IRS scrutiny. Not every state conforms to federal bonus depreciation, California, for example, decouples from it, so a strategy that works federally may need to be added back on a state return. This section is educational background, not tax, legal, or investment advice, and tax law can change. Confirm current rules and your specific eligibility with a qualified CPA or tax attorney before acting on anything described here.
Phoenix's preferred agent for leading financial institutions.
Eric is a preferred real estate partner for USAA, Chase, SoFi, PennyMac, Citibank, Citizens, Huntington, and Fifth Third, a reflection of his standing among the industry's most trusted advisory professionals.
From portfolio management to property.
Eric spent the early part of his career as a Director of Wealth Management, building and managing investment portfolios: allocation strategy, risk modeling, and the discipline of underwriting an asset before committing capital to it. That background still shapes how he evaluates a home, not in isolation, but as one piece of a client's entire financial picture.
He's now a full-time real estate advisor and founder of The Ravenscroft Group at Real Broker, a Top 1% REALTOR® in North America with more than $100M in closed transactions. He leads a national relocation division for out-of-state buyers moving into Arizona's premier master-planned communities, including Verrado, Estrella, Vistancia, Sterling Grove, and Scottsdale, and hosts The House of Ravenscroft podcast, connecting real estate and financial planning.
Questions about a specific property, community, or second-home tax strategy are welcome anytime. Learn more on Eric's full agent profile.
Verrado and second-home buying: common questions.
Why do out-of-state buyers keep choosing Verrado?
Verrado combines two full 18-hole championship golf courses, a genuinely walkable Main Street District, mountain trail access, and a wide range of builders and price points inside one master plan. For buyers relocating sight-unseen or purchasing a second home, that variety and resort-adjacent lifestyle is a major draw.
Should I walk away from a home because the roof needs replacing?
Not automatically. A roof replacement is one of the most quantifiable repairs a home can have. It can be quoted precisely and negotiated into the contract as a seller-completed item or credit. Homes with a known, priceable issue are sometimes underpriced relative to their true value.
What's the difference between "dated" and needing a full remodel?
"Dated" often just means outdated finishes, flooring, countertops, cabinet color, paint, rather than structural or systems issues. A clear-eyed renovation estimate can separate a cosmetic refresh from a true gut remodel, and buyers who skip that step often overestimate the cost and pass on good opportunities.
What tax benefits come with owning a second home?
Depending on the household's situation, owners may be able to deduct mortgage interest and property taxes within federal limits, and may qualify for additional strategies if the home is used as a short-term rental. These benefits are highly specific to each buyer's finances, so confirm with a CPA before or during the purchase decision.
What is the short-term rental (STR) tax loophole, in plain terms?
If a property's average guest stay is seven days or fewer and the owner materially participates in managing it, the rental can be treated as a non-passive business. That can allow losses, including accelerated depreciation from a cost segregation study, to offset active income like W-2 wages.
Is 100% bonus depreciation still available in September 2026?
Yes, under current law. The OBBBA permanently restored 100% first-year bonus depreciation under IRC §168(k) for qualifying property acquired and placed in service after January 19, 2025, with interim IRS guidance in Notice 2026-11. Eligibility still depends on acquisition date, placed-in-service date, and state conformity, confirm specifics with a CPA.
How long does it take to find a home with a very specific wish list?
It varies widely, and buyers with a long non-negotiable list should expect it can take longer than a typical search. In this case, patience and a narrowly defined search area meant we were positioned to move quickly the moment the right property, one other buyers had already passed on, became available.
More From Eric Ravenscroft.
Phoenix Housing Market Update, August 2026
Pricing, luxury demand, and the STR tax window, in context.
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Real transactions, real numbers, how recent buyers and investors navigated this market.
Short-term rentals & vacation homes
What makes a rental property actually work as an investment in Greater Phoenix.
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About the Author
Eric Ravenscroft is a Top 1% REALTOR® across North America and one of Arizona’s most trusted real estate strategists. With 15 years of experience spanning real estate, wealth management, and investment planning, he helps clients make smarter, financially grounded decisions, from new construction and relocations to STR investments, 1031 exchanges, and long-term portfolio strategy.
Eric’s expertise has earned him industry recognition, Elite status with Real Broker, and features in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, MSN, and Morningstar. Clients across the Greater Phoenix Metro rely on his clarity, strategic insight, and results-driven guidance.
Ready to make a confident real estate move? Call or text Eric today.