Ocotillo, Chandler AZ: Lakefront and Golf Course Homes

Ocotillo is the part of South Chandler where the lake is the front yard and the golf course is the back one. Some homes have water. Some have fairway. A few have both.

Sorting out which is which is most of the job. So I sorted it for you.

I'm Ben Graham of 84/48 Luxury Real Estate. I've been a REALTOR since 2011, with 500+ transactions, and Ocotillo is a big part of what I do every week. Below is how I'd think about the neighborhoods, depending on what you want most.

Start with what you want

Water, one level, and a gate. This is the short list if you want the lake without the stairs.

  • Ocotillo Lakes: Every home on the water, and 97% single level. Quarter-acre lots built between 1998 and 2001, with a median home around 2,952 square feet. HOA runs around $163 a month.

  • Balboa Point: Gated, on the water, every home single level. Right-sized rather than oversized.

  • Catalina Shores: Gated, on the water, almost entirely single level.

  • Watermark: Gated, on the water, mostly single level, all built in one year.

  • Windward: Gated, mostly on the water, mostly single level, and among the newer builds on this side of Chandler.

Water and golf together. Rare, and it is why people wait for the right one.

  • Embarcadero: Water on almost every lot, golf on most, and basements in half.

  • Ocotillo East: Water on every lot and golf on most of them.

  • Santorini Shores: Gated, every home on the water, most on the golf course too.

Golf course first, gated, bigger lots.

  • The Estates at Ocotillo: Gated, with golf frontage on four out of five lots.

  • Crown Point: Every home on the golf course, gated, on two-thirds of an acre, with guest houses on nearly half.

The top of the market.

Newer waterfront, no gate.

Also worth a look: Laguna Cove.

Not all waterfront is the same water

The word "waterfront" on a listing covers two very different houses.

One is a channel about thirty feet across. You are technically on the water, and you are looking straight into someone else's backyard. The other is hundreds of feet of open water, sometimes with the golf course on the far bank. That one stops you when you walk into the backyard.

In what I have seen, the premium for waterfront runs from about fifty thousand to a couple hundred and fifty thousand. The spread is almost entirely about which kind of water you are buying.

I wrote the long version here: What Waterfront Actually Means in Arizona.

Golf course lots: where you sit on the hole is the whole question

A golf lot can be quiet and beautiful, or it can be a five-minute showing. It depends on where the house sits relative to the tee, the fairway and the green. Screens, netting and noise are worth understanding before you fall for the view.

The long version: What to Know Before Buying a Golf Course Lot in Chandler.

Move-in ready lakefront homes in Ocotillo

Move-in ready means different things to different buyers. In Ocotillo it helps to know that many of the lake communities were built between the late 1990s and the early 2000s. So two homes on the same street can look identical from the water and feel completely different inside. One was redone. One is original.

Here is how I sort them for buyers who do not want a project:

  • I look at what was updated, when, and whether it was permitted.

  • I separate cosmetic updates from the big systems, so you know what you are actually buying.

  • I tell you plainly when a home priced as "turnkey" is not.

If you want the lake without a remodel, tell me. I will send you the updated ones first.

See what is for sale right now on my waterfront luxury homes page.

What this looks like in real life

Travis and Kelli Fagerness were living in Tucson and both work remotely, so nothing tied them to one city. They wanted an actual water lot, with the lake in the backyard. In one day of showings we found their home in The Enclave at Ocotillo Lakes, and we closed 31 days later at $1.1 million.

Read their story: How We Helped Travis and Kelli Fagerness Find Their Lake Lot.

Questions I get about Ocotillo

Which Ocotillo neighborhoods are on the water? Ocotillo Lakes, Balboa Point, Catalina Shores, Watermark, Embarcadero, Ocotillo East, Santorini Shores, The Waters and the two island communities all have water. Windward is mostly on the water.

Which Ocotillo neighborhoods are on the golf course? Crown Point, The Estates at Ocotillo, Vistas, The Island at Ocotillo, Embarcadero, Ocotillo East and Santorini Shores.

Which Ocotillo neighborhoods are mostly single level? Ocotillo Lakes, Balboa Point, Catalina Shores, Watermark and Windward.

Is there a gate? Many are gated. In Ocotillo Lakes, gated means a code, not a guard house. The Waters at Ocotillo has no gate.

How do I compare Ocotillo to the rest of South Chandler? Start here: What Makes Ocotillo Different From Other South Chandler Neighborhoods.

Want to walk one with me?

Call or text Ben Graham at 480-448-2020. If you already know which part of Ocotillo you like, tell me and I will start there.