Phoenix
AI Assisted Icon
Published on January 13, 2025
Exclusive $4M Camelback Mountain Summit Lot Up for Sale in Phoenix With Waterfall Views and Ready-to-Build Estate PlansSource: Google Street View

A coveted parcel of land poised near the summit of Camelback Mountain has hit the market with a nearly $4 million price tag. The lot, offering expansive city views and a unique adjacent canyon owned by the city of Phoenix that forms waterfalls during rainfall, is located at 5250 E. Red Rock Drive #34. According to Dallas Peagler, a Realtor with The Brokery, the 1.07-acre property went on sale January 8 and boasts unobstructed 180-degree views of the city skyline, BizJournals reports.

The offering includes architectural concepts for a proposed 7,000-square-foot estate designed by Ivan Shongov of Phoenix-based Architekshon Inc. The blueprints suggest a lavish home complete with a 10-car basement garage and a rooftop terrace. "The swimming pool has a glass floor and serves as a huge long water skylight over the natural grounds below," Shongov described in an interview with BizJournals. These plans, while intricate, are offered as a potential bonus for the buyer who chooses to utilize them.

The current proprietors, Tim and Susie Ernst, initially hesitated on purchasing the lot due to complications in accessing the site without harming the pristine landscape. Nonetheless, a unique agreement with the seller involving an easement from a contiguous lot eliminated the need for damaging switchbacks. "The seller called me back and said, 'I have a way you could access the building site without any switchbacks at all with no more than 15% slope,'" Tim Ernst recounted, as reported by BizJournals.

Aside from their real estate endeavors, the Ernsts are also dedicated to a philanthropic project: the creation of a Holocaust museum. The fundraising initiative, which began with a $15 million goal for a 17,000-square-foot space, has evolved into a $45 million campaign for a 37,000-square-foot center. With the groundbreaking scheduled for this summer and an opening in 2027, the Holocaust education center has secured $37 million of the necessary funds, as per Tim Ernst's statements to BizJournals. The center, named the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center, is championed by Steve Hilton, who has become the chair of the museum's capital campaign and was instrumental in raising the profile and funding of the endeavor.

Amidst their extensive travel and other projects, the Ernsts are selling the Camelback Mountain property, providing an opportunity for a new owner to embrace the existing framework for a potential desert retreat. Interested parties will find the listing boasts not only the potential for a luxury home but also a quiet sense of solitude, as detailed on the listing site and echoed by Ground News.

Phoenix-Real Estate & Development