I've been watching a smaller new-home development coming to Queen Creek, and I wanted to share a little more about it because it's not quite like some of the other new construction we've been seeing.

It's called Orchard Cove, and it's being built by VIP Homes, which is actually one of my favorite builders in the Valley.

And when I say small, I mean really small.

Just 12 homes.

That's it.

When you look at how much Queen Creek has grown, with these huge master-planned communities and builders putting up hundreds of homes at a time, it's kind of refreshing to see something on a much smaller scale.

But the size of the neighborhood isn't necessarily what makes this interesting to me.

It's the builder, the location, how much flexibility buyers could have, and how this compares with some of the other luxury homes available around Queen Creek right now.

And there are a couple of things I'd want buyers to think through before getting too excited.

First, I actually really like where this is located.

Orchard Cove is planned just off Signal Butte Road, south of the American Leadership Academy campus near Ocotillo Road.

And if you're familiar with Queen Creek, you'll probably understand why I like this particular area.

I would consider this more of a north-central Queen Creek location.

You're not way out east, and you're not way down south.

You're still close enough to the established parts of Queen Creek, including the shopping, restaurants, and activity around the downtown area, without necessarily being right in the middle of everything.

And I think that balance is important.

One thing I've noticed with buyers is that they can get really focused on the house itself, especially with new construction, and sometimes don't think enough about where that house sits within the larger town.

There are some beautiful communities farther south and east in Queen Creek and San Tan Valley, but depending on your daily routine, those extra miles can make a difference.

Here, you have Signal Butte as a north-south route, and you're reasonably positioned to reach different parts of Queen Creek as well as destinations farther north toward Mesa.

Now, I would still pay attention to the traffic patterns around Signal Butte, especially with the nearby school.

But overall, I think the location is a real positive for Orchard Cove.

And when you combine that with a small neighborhood and a builder that offers more customization, I can see why this could get some attention.

Let's talk about the homes, because this is where VIP gets interesting.

One of the things I've always appreciated about VIP Homes is that they're not quite like your typical production builder.

With a lot of new construction, you're picking a floor plan, choosing an elevation, selecting from the available design packages, and maybe making a few upgrades.

And there's nothing wrong with that. For plenty of buyers, that process works great.

But sometimes people want something a little more specific.

Maybe you work from home and need a dedicated office that actually makes sense for your day.

Maybe you've got aging parents or adult children living with you, and you want to think through a multigenerational setup.

Or maybe you've been looking at houses for months and keep finding yourself saying, "I love this house, but I wish they had done this one thing differently."

That's where I think VIP Homes has some appeal.

They have an in-house drafting team and a more personalized design process, so depending on the floor plan, lot, and structural limitations, buyers may have opportunities to make changes that a larger production builder wouldn't typically offer.

I'm not saying you can walk in and design absolutely anything you want.

There are still budgets, setbacks, engineering requirements, and limitations.

But having those conversations before the house is built is a pretty big advantage.

Especially when we're talking about homes at this price point.

So what are the prices and floor plans?

Right now, Orchard Cove is advertising four floor plans, ranging from approximately 2,800 to 4,400 square feet.

Here are the published starting figures I've found:

• MP-2806: 2,806 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms — starting around $1,279,000.

• MP-3014: 3,014 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms — starting around $1,282,000.

• MP-4377: 4,377 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms — starting around $1,452,000.

• MP-4363: 4,363 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms — starting around $1,510,000.

The advertised plans include three-car garage configurations, which I know is something a lot of Queen Creek buyers are specifically looking for.

Now, a couple of things about these prices.

First, these are advertised starting prices, not necessarily what you're going to end up spending.

If you start modifying a floor plan, upgrading finishes, changing structural features, or selecting a particular lot, that can affect your final cost.

I'd also want to confirm exactly what's included in the builder's published numbers.

And second, I wouldn't automatically assume the largest home is the best value.

Sometimes a 3,000-square-foot house that's laid out really well lives better than a 4,000-square-foot home with a bunch of rooms you rarely use.

I've walked through plenty of expensive homes where I loved the square footage on paper but didn't love the actual floor plan.

For me, that's one of the biggest reasons to explore the customization process here.

If you're spending this much on a home, I'd rather see you get the spaces you actually need than pay for square footage just to have it.

Here's something important about the lots.

I looked at the preliminary site plan, and the community is designed around one internal street with a cul-de-sac.

There are six homesites on each side, for a total of 12.

Most are approximately 7,500 square feet, with a couple that are slightly smaller.

And this is probably the biggest tradeoff I see with Orchard Cove.

You're getting the opportunity for a more personalized luxury home, but you're not necessarily getting a huge custom-home lot.

That's an important distinction.

When some buyers hear custom or semi-custom construction, they immediately picture half-acre lots, long driveways, huge backyards, and lots of separation between neighboring homes.

That's not really what this community appears to be designed around.

These are more manageable lots.

For some buyers, that's perfect.

Maybe you've had the big yard before. You're tired of maintaining all of it, but you still want a beautiful home, a three-car garage, and enough outdoor space to enjoy.

I can absolutely see the appeal.

But if you're looking for RV parking, a large detached garage, a sprawling backyard, or a lot of privacy between homes, I'd want to look at the lot dimensions and actual building envelopes before getting too far into the design process.

I'd also want to compare the individual lots.

Which ones back toward Signal Butte? How will the neighboring homes be positioned? What will the backyard actually feel like once everything is built?

Those are the little things that can make a big difference later.

And unlike countertops or flooring, they're not things you can change after you move in.

Would I consider Orchard Cove over some of the other luxury homes in Queen Creek?

I think it depends on what you're really trying to get for your money.

And this is where I'd encourage buyers to do some comparing.

Because once you're shopping in that $1.3 million to $1.5 million range, you've got other options in Queen Creek.

You can look at existing luxury homes in established neighborhoods, other new construction, properties with larger lots, or homes where someone else has already spent the money on the pool, landscaping, shutters, outdoor kitchen, and all those things that add up quickly.

And I think sometimes buyers get so focused on the excitement of building something new that they forget to compare the complete package.

On the other hand, I've also seen buyers spend months searching through resale homes, only to find something that's almost right.

They love the location and the lot, but they'd need to spend a considerable amount changing the kitchen, reworking rooms, replacing finishes, or making the house function the way they want.

That's not necessarily cheap or convenient either.

So I don't think there's one obvious answer here.

What makes Orchard Cove interesting is the opportunity to start with a newer home, in a location I actually like, and potentially make some of those design decisions before construction rather than trying to fix them afterward.

Whether that flexibility is worth the price will depend on what VIP Homes can actually accommodate and how the final numbers compare.

What about amenities, HOA fees, and the timeline?

This is where there are still a few things I'd want to confirm.

Orchard Cove is being presented as a small luxury community, not a large master-planned neighborhood with multiple pools, sports courts, parks, and recreation centers.

And with only 12 homes, I wouldn't expect that type of amenity package.

There are references to shared outdoor amenities in some community listings, but I would want to verify exactly what's included.

The community is also advertised as having an HOA, although I haven't confirmed the final monthly fee or everything it will cover.

As for timing, Orchard Cove is still being advertised as coming soon.

The floor plans and preliminary pricing are available, but I'd want an updated release schedule and construction timeline directly from VIP before telling someone when they could realistically move in.

Those details can change, especially this early.

What I like most about Orchard Cove

I think it's the combination of things.

You've got a north-central Queen Creek location that I think is going to appeal to a lot of buyers.

You've got a very small neighborhood, with only 12 homes planned.

And you've got a builder that offers buyers more flexibility than what we typically see from some of the larger production builders.

I like that combination.

Not everybody wants to build a completely custom home from scratch.

Finding land, working through architectural plans, coordinating construction, and managing all the decisions can be a lot.

But not everybody wants to buy a production home where the floor plan is basically set and your biggest decisions are which cabinets and countertops to choose.

Orchard Cove appears to offer something in between.

But I wouldn't overlook the smaller lots or automatically assume that new construction is the better buy.

At this price point, I'd want to know exactly what I'm getting, what the final home will cost, and how it compares to other properties available around Queen Creek.

Because sometimes the better purchase is the home you can personalize.

And sometimes it's the home that already has the better lot, the established landscaping, and the expensive improvements someone else paid for.

It really depends on the buyer.

Want to see what VIP Homes is planning at Orchard Cove?

I've been digging into the floor plans, preliminary pricing, and homesite layout, and I think there are some interesting possibilities here for the right buyer.

If you're curious, I can help you get a closer look at the available plans, confirm current pricing, find out which lots are being released, and explore what VIP will actually allow you to customize.

And if you're already looking at other luxury homes in Queen Creek, I'm happy to help you compare those options too.

I'd much rather help you figure out whether this makes sense before you fall in love with a rendering.