K. Hovnanian Homes wins prime Desert Ridge land in auction bidding war

Article originally posted on Phoenix Business Journal on September 24, 2025

K. Hovnanian Homes had no intention of backing down at a Sept. 23 Arizona State Land Department Auction.

The New Jersey homebuilder took on several major national competitors, ultimately exceeding the minimum bid by more than $33 million to buy 52.9 prime acres in Desert Ridge.

The starting bid price was $37.75 million. Toward the end of the auction, it was between K. Hovnanian and Blandford Homes, each bidding in $100,000 increments. K. Hovnanian won the coveted parcel, which borders the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, with a bid of $71.1 million.

Other bidders in attendance included heavyweight national builders Taylor Morrison, Shea Homes, Toll Brothers, Pulte, Lennar and D.R. Horton, which was the original applicant interested in the land.

Texas-based D.R. Horton submitted plans to purchase the site and for a low-density, single-family residential development, dubbed “Tallin West,” according to a document filed with the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD).

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