As January 2026 kicks off the new year, the North Valley Horse Property Market—covering North Phoenix, Desert Hills, New River, and Black Canyon City (zip codes 85085, 85086, 85087, 85324)—remains a premier destination for equestrians seeking expansive acreage, Tonto National Forest trails, and mountain views. From affordable mobile homes to luxury estates, this region caters to diverse horse owners. In this January 2026 report, we’ll analyze Arizona MLS data, compare trends to December 2025, and explore opportunities in Desert Hills and New River. Whether you’re searching for horse properties for sale in North Phoenix AZ or New River, let’s dive in.
***** In order to be considered a horse property, the horse property listing must have at least one horse feature: Arena, Auto Waterer, barn, corral, stall, tack-room,hotwalker etc…
Inside the Arena
These are the stats for the Horse Property Market in the North Valley currently for both active and closed Horse Properties.
Active Horse Properties: 38 https://www.flexmls.com/share/DKlBL/Selected
Median Square Foot: 2,209
Median Original Price: $974,900
Median Current list Price $895,900
Median Active PPSF: $371.00
19 Horse Properties Include Arenas https://www.flexmls.com/share/DKlCW/Selected
10 Horse Properties Closed last 60 days https://www.flexmls.com/share/DKlEM/Selected
Median Sold Square Foot: 2,149
Median Sold Price: $807,500
Median Sold PPSF $368.00
There are 10 horse properties that feature arenas in the Desert Hills area and 11 in New River. None of the active horse properties feature irrigation, but this isn’t really an area where there would be irrigation included. Out of the 38 horse properties available at this time that include arenas, 7 include city water or a private water company provider and all are located in Desert Hills and price ranged between $369,900.00 and $7.2 million. The 7.2 million home is somewhat of an outlier because the next highest cost property is 2.5 million. There are a lot of options and openness for the horse owner to enjoy in the North Valley. I would love to show you around.
Comparison to December 2025
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December 2025: 37 active listings, median list price $975,000, PPSF $363, with 21 arena properties. 4 closings at $849,500 median sold price, $375 PPSF.
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January 2026 Trends: The increase to 38 listings and lower median price ($895,900) signal buyer opportunities. 19 arena properties (down from 21) and 10 closings (up from 4) reflect growing demand, with higher PPSF ($371 active vs. $363) indicating value opportunities.
Outside the Arena: Local Market Overview (Desert Hills 85086 vs. New River 85087)
The North Valley’s real estate market in December 2025 shows contrasting dynamics between Desert Hills (85086) and New River (85087)—Desert Hills with tighter inventory and quicker sales, New River with more options and longer market times. Both areas offer equestrian-friendly properties, but their trends cater to different buyer preferences.
Desert Hills Market Summary
Desert Hills has a 4.93-month supply of inventory, with a slight 1% decrease in inventory from last month. New listings average a list price of $715,000, while active listings are priced at a median of $734,900. Pending listings have a median price of $599,000, spending about 51 days in RPR, and sold listings have seen a 3% drop to $614,925, taking 59 days to close. The natural beauty of Cave Creek Regional Park adds to the area’s charm.
New River Market Summary
New River has a 5.52-month supply of inventory, stable month-over-month. With 21 new listings at a median price of $778,500 and 63 active listings at $745,000, pending listings are priced at $648,600 with a median of 70 days in RPR. The median sold price is not specified, but the market reflects a balanced environment with scenic views at Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area.
Compare and Contrast
Desert Hills’ tighter supply (4.93 months) and quicker sales (59 days) favor sellers with higher medians ($734,900 active), contrasting New River’s more generous inventory (5.52 months) and longer sales (70 days), offering buyer leverage with lower pending prices ($648,600). Desert Hills appeals to those wanting speed and amenities, while New River provides more options for patient negotiators—both enhanced by parks for lifestyle.
Beyond the Paddock: National Real Estate News
The Cromford Report notes that the first few days of 2026 tell us very little because activity is subdued, but once we have two weekly readings, we can compare with last year. One of the most critical measures is the count of listings under contract, which is encouraging for sellers. The year started with a higher number of listings under contract, and the increase between week 1 and week 2 was stronger than last year. Specifically, we started with 5.1% more listings under contract, and the growth rate between week 1 and 2 was 5.4% in 2026, up from 4.3% in 2025. The big increases usually occur between week 2 and week 8, so there is still a lot to prove, but it would be fair to call this a good start for demand. This should be helped, in theory at least, by mortgage interest rates coming down, with the 30-year fixed rate reported by Mortgage News Daily at around 6.0%. They are now at their lowest level for almost 3 years and far below the long-term average. Those who complain about mortgage rates remaining high are those too young to remember normal. It was the years 2009 to 2021 that have seen abnormally low rates. 6% was considered good between 2002 and 2008, and before 2002 rates below 6% were unheard of and anything below 8% was considered a cheap deal. Expectations for mortgage rates have been set too low by a long period of intervention by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy after the bust of 2008 and during COVID. It is the intervention by the government that is unusual, this is usually a sign of economic weakness, not strength. On the supply front, things have turned around. We had 2 months of falling supply at the end of last year, but the new season always starts with a lot of new listings to add to the supply. Between week 1 and week 2, we have seen the active listing count excluding UCB and CCBS grow 3.7%. This is less than the rate of growth this time last year, when it was 4.3%. So although supply is up, it is not growing as fast as it did in 2025. However we did start with some 10% more active listings than last year, so our optimism should be tempered. In summary both supply and demand trends are looking favorable for sellers. Buyers will appreciate more choice and with affordability better than a year ago, we are set up to see a healthier first quarter than in 2025. However, it is still very early in the year and we need to watch the next few weeks carefully to see if these trends hold or are affected by other as yet unexpected factors. [Source: Cromford Report]
The National Association of Realtors reports that lower mortgage rates in November 2025 pushed U.S. existing-home sales to a nearly 3-year high, up 4.8% month-over-month to 4.2 million annually, the highest since March 2023. Year-over-year sales rose 5.6%, with the Northeast leading at 15.8% growth. Inventory fell 3.7% to 1.28 million (3.7 months’ supply), but prices climbed 4% to $390,600. For horse property owners, this surge signals stronger demand for ranches in affordable markets, but tighter inventory could pressure prices in equestrian hotspots like Arizona. [Source: NAR, December 2025]
Turf Paadise has re-opened under new management: https://www.azfamily.com/video/2025/12/26/turf-paradise-reopens-under-new-management/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Why the North Valley Stands Out for Horse Owners
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Diverse Options: From $320K mobiles to $1.95M estates in zip 85086, with 19 arena-equipped properties.
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Desert Trails: Tonto National Forest trails and cooler elevations attract riders.
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Arena Appeal: 19 arena-equipped properties cater to trainers and competitors.
Conclusion
The January 2026 North Valley market offers value and opportunity, especially in Desert Hills and New River. Contact Ron Bykerk to explore horse properties for sale in North Phoenix AZ or New River—let’s make your equestrian dream real.
Disclosure:
- System Links automatically expire after 30 days
- The definition of “Median is often considered a more accurate reflection of the typical property because it better represents the center value in a dataset by excluding the high and low values of the outliers.
- Not all listings are with West USA Realty brokerage.
- Full supporter of the Fair Housing Act.
- This blog includes the North Valley Horse Property Market (e.g., North Phoenix, Desert Hills, New River)85085, 85086, 85087, 85324
Author Ron Bykerk
Ron Bykerk is a seasoned entrepreneur and Arizona horse property specialist with over 30 years of experience in the equestrian industry. As a REALTOR® with West USA Realty, he combines his deep knowledge of equine properties, land use, and the unique needs of horse owners to help buyers and sellers navigate the Arizona horse property market. Having visited thousands of equestrian properties across the state, Ron offers unparalleled expertise and a centralized platform—Arizona Horse Property Resource—to ensure maximum exposure, expert guidance, and seamless transactions. His long-standing relationships with horse owners, trainers, and equestrian professionals reflect his commitment to serving the Arizona horse community with integrity and passion.
📞 Call or text: [480-221-1280]
📧 Email: ron@azpropertyresource.com
🌐 Learn more: arizonahorsepropertyresource.com
West USA Realty
2355 W Utopia Rd Ste #100, Phoenix, AZ 85027