MacDonald Highlands is the address Henderson luxury is measured against, and it is also the community where the gap between the listing price and the cost of actually living there is widest. The listing tells you what the house costs. It says nothing about DragonRidge Country Club, the master association, the Henderson tax district or the design-review process that governs what you can do with the lot once you own it.
It is also a small market. Our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on September 19, 2026 counted 68 home closings in the 12 months ending September 15, so two or three eight-figure sales can move the community's numbers on their own. This guide covers the price tiers, record sales, the club, design review, and an itemized look at what ownership costs once the closing is done.
MacDonald Highlands is a 1,320-acre guard-gated Henderson community. According to Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers on September 19, 2026, 68 homes closed in the 12 months ending September 15 at a $4.25 million median and about $824 per square foot, with a $17.0 million top sale; 66 homes and 15 lots were active on September 16 at a $5.75 million median asking price. Budget the HOA, DragonRidge dues and taxes before the price.
- Sixty-eight MacDonald Highlands homes closed in the 12 months ending September 15, 2026, at a $4.25 million median.
- The MacDonald Highlands HOA publishes dues of $330 a month, which does not include DragonRidge Country Club membership.
- Henderson city tax districts carry $2.9613 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2026-27, per Clark County.
- DragonRidge does not publish initiation fees or dues; confirm the current schedule with the membership office in writing.
- Sixty-six homes and 15 lots were active on September 16, 2026, at a $5.75 million median asking price.
What Should Readers Know First?
According to the MacDonald Highlands community site, the master plan covers 1,320 acres in Henderson behind two 24-hour guard-gated entries, with DragonRidge Country Club, a tennis and athletic center, dog parks and recreational parks inside the gates. It sits in the McCullough Range foothills above Henderson, which is the single fact that explains most of its pricing: hillside lots with a clear Strip view are scarce anywhere in the city.
I break the market into four price tiers — entry luxury from roughly $1.3 million to $2 million, core luxury from $2 million to $5 million (the primary transaction tier), premium luxury from $5 million to $10 million, and ultra-luxury above $10 million. The community's record sale of $25.25 million at 685 Dragon Peak Drive in July 2025 was the highest Las Vegas-area sale of 2025 when it closed, according to the Review-Journal; the valley's all-time record is a $35 million Summit Club sale in May 2024, according to the Review-Journal. Our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on September 29, 2026 shows 12 MacDonald Highlands home closings at $10 million or more between October 2024 and September 28, 2026. The ceiling itself has barely moved: the same home at 685 Dragon Peak Drive sold for $25 million in June 2021, according to the MLS record and the Review-Journal, and for $25.25 million in July 2025, about 1% more four years later.
That record home was built by Blue Heron in 2020, the Review-Journal reported. Blue Heron lists no MacDonald Highlands collection as of October 8, 2026, so the builder selling new homes inside the gates is Christopher Homes at SkyVu. DragonRidge Country Club membership is separate from owning a home, is not automatic, and is priced apart from the HOA.
Three numbers to hold in mind before reading further, all from Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers on September 19, 2026: a $4.25 million median closed price over the 12 months ending September 15, 2026; a $5.75 million median asking price across the 66 homes active on September 16; and 15 custom lots active on that date. For a side-by-side with the valley's other ultra-luxury enclaves, our Ascaya vs MacDonald Highlands analysis covers architecture, pricing and lifestyle differences; our MacDonald Highlands community page carries the live listings.
Why Does MacDonald Highlands Command Such High Prices?
Three factors explain most of MacDonald Highlands' pricing power, and each is documented by the community itself.
Elevation. MacDonald Highlands sits on the McCullough Range foothills, and the community site says each custom homesite looks out over the Las Vegas Strip and skyline; its DragonRidge page says every hole on the course has a Strip view.
A written design code. The MacDonald Highlands Design Guidelines, first prepared in 1992 and revised in 2023, name the community's style "Desert Elegance": strong horizontal building forms with a minimum of ornamentation, terraces and courtyards that tie the house to the site, and earthy tones of buff, sand, beige and gray. The guidelines state that bold color schemes featuring crisp whites, pastels or bright colors are not permitted. That code, more than any one builder, is why the streetscape reads as one place.
Scarcity. The land plan has not changed much since the 1980s, according to the developer's history page, so new supply comes from the remaining custom lots. At the very top, a few homes set the tone: the Review-Journal reported that loanDepot founder Anthony Hsieh paid $25 million for 685 Dragon Peak Drive in 2021, then the highest price paid for a single-family home in Las Vegas, and that it resold for $25.25 million in July 2025.
The per-square-foot figure makes the point in one number. At about $824 per square foot on the 68 closings in the year to September 15, 2026, MacDonald Highlands trades at more than three times the metro-wide figure — Las Vegas as a whole ran about $252 per square foot on the 12,265 closings in the 180 days ending September 17, 2026, per the same MLS pull. Buyers here are paying for the view, the gate and the lot more than for square footage.
What Did the Last Twelve Months of Sales Look Like?
Here is the community as it actually traded, rather than as it is marketed. All figures are Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers on September 19, 2026.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Homes closed, 12 months ending Sep 15, 2026 | 68 |
| Median closed price | $4,250,000 |
| Average closed price | $5,270,000 |
| Top sale in the window | $17,000,000 |
| Median price per square foot | About $824 |
| Homes active on Sep 16, 2026 | 66 |
| Lots active on Sep 16, 2026 | 15 |
| Median asking price, active homes | $5,750,000 |
Three readings follow from that table.
First, the $1.02 million difference between the average and the median tells you the top end is doing the pulling: a handful of eight-figure closings, led by the $17.0 million top sale, lift the average well above the typical transaction. If you are shopping the core tier, the median is your number, not the average.
Second, 66 active homes against 68 annual closings is roughly a year of supply: at the past year's pace, the homes active on September 16 would take about 12 months to sell, a long runway by the standards of a production neighborhood and a reason not to rush a decision on any one listing.
Third, the $1.5 million gap between the $5.75 million median ask and the $4.25 million median close is not a discount waiting to be taken. Asking prices are not sale prices, and the homes on the market today are a different mix from the ones that sold over the past year. Both are reasons to price a specific house off its own view corridor, lot and builder rather than off any community-wide number, including these.
What Are the Four Price Tiers Inside MacDonald Highlands?
MacDonald Highlands is not one market. I break it into four price tiers below; the bands are my own editorial framing, and the evidence in each column comes from the MLS and from the builder's published price sheet.
| Dimension | Entry luxury | Core luxury | Premium luxury | Ultra-luxury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price band | $1.3M–$2M | $2M–$5M | $5M–$10M | $10M and up |
| MLS evidence | Lowest closing at $1 million or more in the year to Sept 15, 2026: about $1.35 million (Dec 26, 2025) | Contains the $4.25 million median closing | The $5.75 million median ask of the 66 homes active on Sept 16, 2026 falls here | 12 home closings at $10 million or more, Oct 2024 to Sept 28, 2026 |
| New-build price sheet | None listed | SkyVu Residence 4 from $2,380,000; Residence 2 and 3 from $4,221,000 to $4,992,000, lot included | SkyVu furnished models marketed at $5.7 million to $9 million | Custom builds on the remaining lots |
| Relation to the $4.25M median | Below | At | Above | Well above |
The entry tier ($1.3M–$2M) is the detail most buyers miss. You can enter MacDonald Highlands — with full guard-gate access and a MacDonald Highlands address — for around $1.35 million, the lowest closing at $1 million or more in our pull, on December 26, 2025. DragonRidge Country Club membership is not included: it is bought separately from the club, outside the $330 monthly HOA dues, and the club lists Full Golf and Social categories and directs pricing to its membership manager. At this price, MacDonald Highlands competes with the upper end of Seven Hills and Anthem Country Club, so compare dues, club access and views home by home rather than by community name.
The core tier ($2M–$5M) is where the $4.25 million median closed price for the year to September 15, 2026 sits. It is also where the only new-home price sheet inside the gates lands: according to Christopher Homes' SkyVu page, Residence 4 is priced from $2,380,000 to $2,490,144 for 3,681 to 3,949 square feet, and the larger Residence 3 from $4,805,000 to $4,992,000 for 5,518 to 6,200 square feet, every price marked "lot cost included," as of October 8, 2026. If you are moving up from Summerlin or Green Valley, compare a resale here with one of those plans before you decide.
The premium and ultra tiers are where the ridgeline customs live, and where the $17.0 million top sale of the past year and the $25.25 million 2025 record came from. Sixty-six active homes with a $5.75 million median ask means more than half the visible inventory is priced above the core tier, so a buyer in the $2 million to $5 million band should ask about coming-soon homes as well as the active list.
What Record Sales Tell Us About MacDonald Highlands' Trajectory?
The record-sale history shows a community whose ceiling has held near $25 million since 2021 while the number of eight-figure sales below it has grown.
| Property | Sale price | Year | Sq ft | Price per sq ft | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 685 Dragon Peak Dr | $25,250,000 | 2025 | 12,655 | $1,995 | Closed July 11, 2025; built by Blue Heron in 2020; sold for $25,000,000 in June 2021 |
| 555 Magma Peak Dr | $17,000,000 | 2026 | 10,000 | $1,700 | Closed January 16, 2026; top sale of the 12 months to September 15, 2026 |
| 1526 Dragon Crest Ave | $15,000,000 | 2024 | 10,067 | $1,490 | Closed October 11, 2024 |
| 720 Dragon Peak Dr | $14,600,000 | 2022 | 10,460 | $1,396 | Closed May 31, 2022 |
| 621 Majestic Rim Dr | $14,250,000 | 2025 | 13,447 | $1,060 | Closed November 12, 2025 |
| 607 Alpine Summit Dr | $13,400,000 | 2025 | 8,258 | $1,623 | Closed October 3, 2025 |
| 681 Tranquil Rim Ct | $13,300,000 | 2026 | 17,868 | $744 | Closed August 3, 2026; sold for $10,250,000 in June 2024 |
| 716 Dragon Peak Dr | $13,000,000 | 2026 | 8,832 | $1,472 | Closed March 18, 2026 |
| 681 Dragon Peak Dr | $12,900,000 | 2023 | 9,534 | $1,353 | Closed July 18, 2023; sold for $12,250,000 in August 2021 |
| 712 Dragon Peak Dr | $12,850,000 | 2026 | 7,133 | $1,801 | Closed March 6, 2026 |
| 611 Alpine Summit Dr | $12,500,000 | 2025 | 8,100 | $1,543 | Closed October 28, 2025 |
Eight-figure sales are now a regular part of this market: our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on September 29, 2026 shows 12 MacDonald Highlands home closings at $10 million or more between October 2024 and September 28, 2026, and the $17.0 million top sale in the 12 months to September 15, 2026 shows the pace continuing. For buyers relocating from a state with an income tax, that tax is part of the math; the section on Nevada's tax advantage below sets out what to verify. The savings depend on income, not on the price of the house, and they require actually becoming a Nevada resident.
What the record table does not show is the price-per-foot spread. The $744 per foot on the 17,868-square-foot Tranquil Rim estate's August 2026 resale and the $1,995 per foot on 685 Dragon Peak are the same community in the same price bracket, which is the clearest demonstration that MacDonald Highlands is priced on lot, view and architecture rather than on size. The table's own range runs from $744 to $1,995 a foot, so a buyer who models a ridgeline home on a per-foot figure borrowed from a larger or lower-elevation comparable can be off by a factor of two or more. The newest test of the ceiling is the $24.5 million Empire Estate listing at 761 Dragon Ridge Drive, which came to market on September 14, 2026 at about $1,369 per square foot.
What Does DragonRidge Country Club Offer Its Members?
DragonRidge Country Club is the amenity anchor of MacDonald Highlands; the community's own DragonRidge page calls it "the centerpiece" of the development. It is a private club, though, and its facilities belong to members, not to every homeowner.
Golf: According to DragonRidge's golf overview, the course is a private, 18-hole, par-72 layout of 6,975 yards designed by Jay Morrish and David Druzisky, with more than 60,000 square feet of practice facilities. The club lists Golf Digest's "Among The Best New Private Courses For 2001" and hosting Tiger Jam III and IV and the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge among its credits.
Clubhouse: According to the MacDonald Highlands clubhouse page, the DragonRidge clubhouse is 40,000 square feet, with restaurants for members and the 5,000-square-foot Grand Highlands Ballroom for events. The club's own home page describes the ONYX bar and two restaurants with seasonal menus.
Fitness: The Tennis and Athletic Center page describes a 15,000-square-foot fitness center with locker rooms, two group exercise rooms, private Pilates and massage studios and on-site personal trainers.
Tennis: The same page lists five championship courts, including a stadium-seating center court, with lessons and USTA adult league play.
Pool: A lounge-style club pool open seven days a week during the season, per the clubhouse page.
Membership is separate, and the categories are public even if the prices are not. According to DragonRidge's membership categories page, Full Golf members receive unlimited use of golf, fitness, tennis, swimming, dining and social facilities with tee times reserved seven days out, paying cart fees or an annual trail fee but no greens or court fees; Social members receive use of the fitness, tennis, swimming, dining and social facilities. Food and beverage minimums apply to every category. Buying a home does not make you a member. The club directs pricing questions to its membership manager rather than publishing a fee schedule.
For buyers comparing golf communities, our golf communities page covers every golf-adjacent community in the valley, and our Red Rock Country Club page details the Summerlin alternative.
What Does It Really Cost to Own in MacDonald Highlands Each Year?
This is the line item that never appears in a listing, and it is the one that decides whether a $4 million purchase is comfortable or tight. Four costs sit on top of the mortgage: the master association, property tax, the club, and the carrying costs of a large hillside home. Only two of them are published.
The HOA is published. According to the MacDonald Highlands Homeowners Association, dues are $330 a month and have been unchanged for years. The association is run by a five-member board with RPMG, Inc. as management, and its Design Review Committee must approve any change to an existing home — a point that matters more than the dollar figure, because a remodel, a paint color or a landscape change runs through that committee before it runs through a contractor. Some enclaves layer a sub-association on top; ask for both budgets.
Property tax is published, but it takes arithmetic. According to the Clark County Treasurer, Henderson city tax districts — including district 505, which the Treasurer labels Henderson Artesian Basin — carry a combined rate of $2.9613 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2026-27. Nevada assesses at 35 percent of taxable value under NRS Chapter 361, so the statutory ceiling on a home taxed at the $4.25 million median is $1,487,500 of assessed value and roughly $44,000 a year. Two things pull the actual bill below that: improvements depreciate for tax purposes each year under the statute, and the partial abatement caps annual increases at 3 percent for an owner-occupied primary residence once the owner claims it, and up to 8 percent for other property. A sale does not reset the base, but a new owner has to file the primary-residence claim to get the 3 percent cap. Pull the parcel on the Clark County Assessor record for the real number; do not model it from a neighbor's bill.
The club is not published. DragonRidge's own site lists categories but no prices, and I am not going to fill that gap with a directory estimate that does not cite the club. The only fee schedule I can tie to a named, dated report is the one the Las Vegas Review-Journal published in October 2008, tied to the club adding a Jack Nicklaus golf academy and a 14,000-square-foot fitness facility, that raised golf initiation from $65,000 to $80,000, corporate from $150,000 to $200,000, sports from $15,000 to $20,000, and set social at a non-refundable $3,500. Those figures are historical, not current quotes, and the club has restructured since. Ask the membership office for the current initiation by category, the monthly dues, the food and beverage minimum, whether any portion of initiation is refundable, and whether a transfer or resale of the membership is permitted. Get it in writing before you rely on it.
| Cost | Figure or range | Source and what to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Master HOA dues | $330 a month, $3,960 a year | MacDonald Highlands HOA site; confirm any sub-association budget |
| Property tax, statutory ceiling | About $44,000 a year on $4.25M | Clark County Treasurer rate of $2.9613 per $100 for fiscal 2026-27 at 35% assessment; actual bill lower after depreciation and the abatement cap — pull the parcel |
| DragonRidge initiation (one-time, if you join) | Not published by the club; $80,000 golf and $20,000 sports in a schedule reported in 2008 | Review-Journal report on the 2008 increase — ask the club for the current category schedule in writing |
| DragonRidge annual dues (if you join) | Not published by the club | DragonRidge directs pricing to its membership manager — get the current figure in writing |
| Food and beverage minimum | Applies to all categories; amount not published | DragonRidge membership categories page — ask for the annual figure |
| High-value homeowner insurance | Not published; varies by home | Get a written quote on the specific home before you write the offer |
| Pool, spa and hillside landscaping | Not published; varies with lot size and slope | Ask the seller for 12 months of service invoices and get your own vendor bids |
| Custom lot, if building | 18 lots available and 1 under contract on Oct 8, 2026, listed at $900,000 to $9,500,000 | Our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on October 8, 2026 — then price the build with a contractor's written bid |
Here is the honest version of the arithmetic. Three of these line items are knowable before you write an offer: $3,960 a year in master HOA dues, a property tax bill you can pull off the parcel record, and insurance and grounds quotes you can get in a week. The club is the one that is not. The only fee schedule on record is the historical Review-Journal one above, and the club publishes no current dues or minimum. Get the club's current schedule in writing and set it next to the $39,600 of master HOA dues you will pay over the same decade. The two published lines alone, HOA dues and tax at the statutory ceiling on a $4.25 million home, come to about $48,000 a year before insurance, grounds, utilities, any sub-association and any club; the point is not that it is high, but that none of it is on the listing.
How Does MacDonald Highlands Compare to Ascaya and Anthem Country Club?
Henderson has three guard-gated luxury poles, and they are not substitutes for one another. Ascaya is the newest, with lots officially opened for sale in 2014 and every home approved by its Architectural Review Committee; Anthem Country Club is the golf community inside the Anthem master plan; MacDonald Highlands, with design guidelines dating to 1992, has the longest record and the $25.25 million 2025 sale the Review-Journal called the year's highest when it closed.
| Dimension | MacDonald Highlands | Ascaya | Anthem Country Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | 1,320 acres, McCullough Range foothills, two 24-hour guard-gated entries | 664 acres in the McCullough Range at elevations reaching 3,200 feet, 24-hour guard-gated entry | Guard-gated golf community inside the Anthem master plan |
| History | Design guidelines first prepared September 1, 1992 | Lots officially opened for sale in October 2014 | Not covered in this guide |
| Golf | DragonRidge, private, Morrish and Druzisky, on site | None | Club golf course on site |
| Closed, 12 months to Sep 15, 2026 | 68 homes | 24 homes | Not broken out — plats are recorded under the wider Anthem name |
| Median closed price | $4,250,000 | $2,625,000 | Our community page lists a $1.2M–$8M range |
| Top sale in the window | $17,000,000 | $17,250,000 | — |
| Median price per square foot | About $824 | About $1,154 | — |
| Active homes, Sep 16, 2026 | 66 (plus 15 lots) | 22, $2,973,500 median ask | — |
| Design rules | "Desert Elegance" guidelines, revised 2023; no bold whites, pastels or bright colors | Desert modern; every custom home approved by the Architectural Review Committee | Not covered in this guide |
| What sets it apart | On-site private golf club; a $25.25M sale in 2025, the year's highest when it closed (Review-Journal) | Developer homesites from $1 million; resident-only clubhouse; no golf | A gated golf setting inside a larger master plan |
Two things in that table deserve a second look. Ascaya's median closed price is $1.6 million below MacDonald Highlands' while its price per foot is $330 higher. The two medians describe different mixes of homes, so compare any specific house with its own closest comparables rather than with the community figure. And Ascaya's $17.25 million top sale, a whisker above MacDonald Highlands' $17.0 million, shows the two communities now compete head-to-head at the ultra tier even though Ascaya, by its own count early in 2026, had 92 completed homes. Ascaya has no golf course and a clubhouse reserved for residents; Anthem Country Club pairs a gate with an on-site course; MacDonald Highlands offers both a gate and a private club you join separately.
And against The Ridges? The Summerlin comparison is the other one buyers run, and it is a comparison of two different mountains.
| Factor | MacDonald Highlands | The Ridges |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Henderson, McCullough Range foothills (southeast valley) | Summerlin, on the western edge of the valley near Red Rock Canyon |
| Golf | DragonRidge, private, 18 holes, open for play | Amara Golf Club, the former Jack Nicklaus Bear's Best, being transformed into a private club |
| Reported reopening | Not applicable | Club + Resort Business reported a grand reopening targeted for October 2026 |
| Highest sale cited in this guide | $25.25M (July 2025) | See our Ridges comparison |
| Views | Strip and valley | Red Rock Canyon and the Strip |
| Design rules | "Desert Elegance" design guidelines, revised 2023 | The Ridges' own guidelines; ask for them in the resale package |
MacDonald Highlands has: the $25.25 million July 2025 sale, the highest in this guide, and a golf club that is open today. DragonRidge is playable now, while Summerlin's July 2026 golf page still described Amara as mid-transformation; confirm any reopening date with the club before you count on it.
The Ridges has: views toward Red Rock Canyon and the Amara Golf Club project. According to Summerlin's own golf page, Amara, formerly one of the first Bear's Best courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, is undergoing a transformation that will reintroduce a private golf experience, with residential villas planned. According to Club + Resort Business in April 2025, the new owners expected to close the course that summer and targeted a grand reopening for October 2026.
How to choose: if on-site golf that is open today and Strip views matter most, start in MacDonald Highlands. If Red Rock Canyon views and a Summerlin address matter most, start in The Ridges. For the full west-valley argument, compare The Ridges versus MacDonald Highlands.
What Should Relocating Buyers Verify Before Counting on Nevada's Tax Advantage?
Most of the tax conversation around MacDonald Highlands is about income tax, and the starting fact is simple: the Nevada Constitution prohibits a personal income tax. For a household arriving from California, the comparison point is the state's top bracket. According to the Franchise Tax Board's 2025 California Tax Rate Schedules, the 12.3% rate applies to taxable income over $742,953 for single filers and $1,485,906 for married couples filing jointly. What that is worth to you depends on your income, its sources and the year you actually change residency, so have a tax professional run your own numbers before a savings estimate shapes your budget.
Three things are worth checking in writing before you close.
First, residency is a fact pattern, not a deed. Owning a Nevada house does not by itself end another state's claim on your income, so plan the move, the paperwork and the timing with your adviser.
Second, Nevada's property-tax cap has to be claimed. Under NRS 361.4723, a primary residence's tax bill can rise at most 3% a year once the owner claims the abatement; other property, including a second home, falls under the general cap of up to 8% in NRS 361.4722. A sale does not reset the base, but the new owner has to file the claim, and until then the higher cap applies. A newly built home has no cap in its first fiscal year.
Third, the carrying costs that are not taxes — the $330 monthly HOA, any sub-association, any club and insurance — do not change with your residency. Price them first, then decide how much of the income-tax difference to count on.
What New Construction Is Available in MacDonald Highlands?
MacDonald Highlands still has custom homesites for sale and one builder selling new homes inside the gates. In our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on October 8, 2026, 18 lots were available and one was under contract, listed from $900,000 to $9,500,000, and 15 lots with sale dates on or after October 1, 2025 had closed (closings from November 2025 through September 2026, with late September closings still posting) at $1,075,000 to $5,882,765, a median of $2,357,850.
Christopher Homes builds SkyVu, a collection of custom and design-build homes that the builder markets as ranging from $2.5 million to over $6 million; the community site lists Christopher Homes among its builders, and our tour of 521 Overlook Rim walks through one finished SkyVu home room by room and compares it with the builder's other homes on the street. The MacDonald Highlands design-review application also carries a participating-builder form that Christopher Homes must sign for changes in the Vu, Vu Estates and Vu Pointe neighborhoods.
Blue Heron built the 685 Dragon Peak Drive record-sale home, but its communities page lists no MacDonald Highlands collection as of October 8, 2026, so a Blue Heron home here is a resale.
Sun West Custom Homes is a design-build firm founded in 1978, according to its site, and its project gallery shows MacDonald Highlands homes such as Waters Edge and Stellar View; its four New American Homes, for 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025, are in Ascaya. It publishes no price range or build schedule, so ask for a written bid and schedule for your lot.
Custom homesites come with a defined approval path. According to the community's Design Guidelines, the Design Review Committee reviews schematic plans and then final plans, and it responds in writing no later than 15 working days after its review and no later than 30 working days after a submittal is complete. A non-refundable fee of $1,500 for graded lots or $2,500 for natural lots is due before a schematic submittal, an expedited three-business-day review costs $2,500, and a $5,000 cash deposit, refundable once the work and landscaping are accepted and no damage is found, is due with the final submittal. City of Henderson permits come after the committee's approval. Construction cost per square foot is not published by the community or the builders, so price the house with a contractor's written bid before you close on the lot.
For buyers interested in new-construction luxury across the valley, our new construction page covers all active builders and communities.
What Should Buyers Know About the MacDonald Highlands Buying Process?
Purchasing in MacDonald Highlands follows a different process than buying in a typical Henderson neighborhood.
Private and coming-soon listings. Some sellers at this price prefer to market quietly. Ask your agent to check coming-soon and office-exclusive inventory as well as the MLS.
Proof of funds before showings. Have proof of funds or a lender's approval ready before you ask for private showings; the guard gate admits visitors only with clearance, and sellers at this level protect their privacy.
Architectural review for modifications. Any exterior change — additions, renovations, landscaping alterations, paint colors — requires Design Review Committee approval, and the HOA's own site confirms the committee must approve changes to existing homes. The current application form charges $50 for a full yard, $45 for a pool only and $35 for landscape-only or other changes, and it can require an impacted-neighbor statement signed by adjacent, rear and facing neighbors. Under the Design Guidelines, the committee answers in writing within 15 working days of its review and within 30 working days of a complete submittal, so build that into any post-close remodel plan.
HOA structure. The master association publishes dues of $330 a month. Some enclaves carry a sub-association on top, so the total can run higher depending on the section; get both budgets in the disclosure packet. The association's site describes its duties as maintaining community assets, running the community and overseeing design review. DragonRidge Country Club membership is separate and is not automatic.
Financing at this price. On a $4.25 million purchase, even 50% down leaves a loan far above the 2026 baseline conforming limit of $832,750 set by the FHFA, so financing here usually means a jumbo or portfolio loan, and the appraisal is harder than usual because comparable sales are few — 68 closings in a year across the whole community. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% for the week of October 8, 2026, up from 7.28% a week earlier; at 7.40%, principal and interest on a $1,000,000 loan is about $6,924 a month. Freddie Mac's survey does not cover jumbo loans, which are priced on their own curve, so get written quotes from two lenders who have closed in the community.
What Have Repeat Sales in MacDonald Highlands Actually Returned?
The cleanest way to judge a luxury community's track record is to look at the same house selling twice. Our pull of Las Vegas MLS data through Repliers on October 8, 2026 turns up three MacDonald Highlands homes that sold twice for $10 million or more since 2021, and the spread among them is the lesson.
| Home | First sale | Second sale | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 685 Dragon Peak Dr | $25,000,000 (June 2021) | $25,250,000 (July 2025) | +1.0% in about four years |
| 681 Dragon Peak Dr | $12,250,000 (August 2021) | $12,900,000 (July 2023) | +5.3% in about two years |
| 681 Tranquil Rim Ct | $10,250,000 (June 2024) | $13,300,000 (August 2026) | +29.8% in about two years |
Three readings follow. First, the top of the market has been flat: the community's record home resold for almost exactly what it cost four years earlier, before the commissions, transfer tax and four years of carrying costs, all of which come out of that 1%. Second, the strongest result in the table came from a purchase at a lower price relative to the home's size: 681 Tranquil Rim sold at about $574 a square foot in 2024 and $744 in 2026, against $1,995 a foot for 685 Dragon Peak. Third, three homes are not a trend line; what you pay relative to the comparables matters more than the community's name.
The returns above are gross; on a $4.25 million home the published HOA and tax lines alone run about $48,000 a year before insurance, grounds and any club. For the full Las Vegas luxury market picture, our luxury neighborhoods ranking maps the complete landscape.
What Are the Practical Details of Living in MacDonald Highlands?
Getting around: MacDonald Highlands does not publish drive times. Its directions page routes visitors from the Strip or the airport along I-215 to the Valle Verde or Stephanie Street exits and the two guard-gated entrances. Summerlin sits across the valley on its western edge, so test any regular drive at the hour you would make it.
Schools: When we ran sample MacDonald Highlands addresses through the Clark County School District zoning search for the 2026-27 year in September 2026, every one returned Hannah Marie Brown Elementary, Bob Miller Middle School and Foothill High School. Boundaries change, so run the specific address yourself before you rely on a zoning assignment.
Property tax: Henderson city tax districts carry $2.9613 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2026-27 per the Clark County Treasurer; assessed value is 35 percent of taxable value; the abatement caps annual increases at 3 percent for an owner-occupied primary residence once the owner claims it; and Nevada levies no personal income tax.
Insurance: we do not publish a premium range, because hillside homes at this price vary too much. Get a written quote on the specific home, including any earthquake coverage you want, during your inspection period.
Lifestyle and dining: Henderson's Green Valley corridor includes The District at Green Valley Ranch, and the Strip's restaurants are reached by the same I-215 route. For DragonRidge members, the club's ONYX bar and two restaurants are the closest option inside the gates.
Parks inside the gates: According to the community's parks page, the west park by the Valle Verde gate has two tennis courts, a lawn, a play area and a dog park, a linear park with a pavilion sits across from it, and walking trails run through the community. Outside the gates, Cornerstone Park and the River Mountains Loop Trail are a short drive away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price range for homes in MacDonald Highlands?
Homes range from roughly $1.3 million at the entry level to the $25.25 million record set in July 2025, the highest MacDonald Highlands sale in our MLS pull. According to Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers on September 19, 2026, 68 homes closed in the 12 months ending September 15 at a $4.25 million median and $5.27 million average, with a $17.0 million top sale, and 66 homes were active on September 16 at a $5.75 million median asking price.
How much does DragonRidge Country Club cost to join?
The club does not publish prices — its membership categories page lists Full Golf and Social categories, notes that food and beverage minimums apply, and directs pricing questions to the membership manager. A 2008 Review-Journal report on a fee increase cited $80,000 for golf initiation and $20,000 for a sports membership, but that schedule is 18 years old and the club's categories have changed since. Ask the club for the current schedule in writing before you budget for it.
What are the HOA fees in MacDonald Highlands?
The master association's own site states dues of $330 a month, unchanged for years, and describes its duties as maintaining community assets, running the community and overseeing design review through the Design Review Committee that governs exterior changes. Some enclaves carry a sub-association on top. DragonRidge Country Club membership is separate from owning a home, is not automatic, and is not included in HOA dues.
How much is property tax on a MacDonald Highlands home?
Henderson city tax districts carry a combined $2.9613 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal 2026-27, per the Clark County Treasurer, and Nevada assesses at 35 percent of taxable value. On a home taxed at the $4.25 million median that is a statutory ceiling of about $44,000 a year, before the depreciation of improvements and the abatement cap of 3 percent a year for an owner-occupied primary residence, which the new owner has to claim. Pull the parcel on the Assessor record for the actual figure.
Have MacDonald Highlands homes held their value?
At the top, values have held rather than climbed. The record home at 685 Dragon Peak Drive sold for $25 million in June 2021 and $25.25 million in July 2025, about 1% more, while 681 Tranquil Rim Court went from $10.25 million in June 2024 to $13.3 million in August 2026, per our MLS pull through Repliers on October 8, 2026. Twelve homes closed at $10 million or more between October 2024 and September 28, 2026. Net any gain against roughly $48,000 a year in HOA dues and tax on a median-priced home before other costs.
How does MacDonald Highlands compare to Ascaya?
Ascaya closed 24 homes in the 12 months ending September 15, 2026 at a $2.63 million median and about $1,154 per square foot, with a $17.25 million top sale, against MacDonald Highlands' 68 closings at $4.25 million and about $824 per foot. Ascaya has no golf course, and its Architectural Review Committee approves every custom home; MacDonald Highlands has the private DragonRidge club, a wider price range and design guidelines dating to 1992.
Do I need a golf membership to live in MacDonald Highlands?
No. DragonRidge Country Club membership is separate from home ownership and is not automatic; owning a home does not make you a member. The club lists Full Golf and Social categories, with food and beverage minimums in both, and it does not publish prices, so ask the membership office for the current schedule in writing.
What schools serve MacDonald Highlands?
Sample addresses run through the Clark County School District's zoning search for 2026-27 returned Hannah Marie Brown Elementary, Bob Miller Middle School and Foothill High School. Verify the specific address on CCSD's search before you rely on it, because boundaries move from year to year and a zoning assignment belongs to the address, not to the community name.
Ready to Tour MacDonald Highlands With Nevada Real Estate Group?
MacDonald Highlands rewards preparation. The visible inventory — 66 homes on September 16, 2026, and 18 available lots on October 8 — is the starting point, and coming-soon homes can add to it. Getting into those conversations requires proof of funds and a lender or a cash position sorted in advance.
Our team has closed more than 9,600 transactions across Nevada. We start with what a specific home costs to hold — the HOA, the tax parcel, the club schedule and an insurance quote — and we price the home off its own view corridor and comparables, not off the community median.
If you are selling a home in Seven Hills, Anthem or Green Valley to move up, we handle both sides so the timing works; our Henderson sellers page explains how. If you are relocating from California or another income-tax state, we will connect you with a tax professional before you commit to a residency plan, because the savings only count if the move is real.
Call our team at (702) 637-1759, reach out here, or start with the live listings on our MacDonald Highlands community page and the broader Henderson homes for sale. We can also set up a saved MacDonald Highlands search so new listings and lots reach you as soon as they hit the MLS.
Nevada Real Estate Group has no ownership stake in MacDonald Highlands or DragonRidge Country Club. Pricing is sourced from Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers, Clark County records, builder and community websites and the Review-Journal, and is subject to change. Chris Nevada · Nevada Real Estate Group · LPT Realty · NV License S.181401 · 8945 W Russell Rd, Suite 170, Las Vegas, NV 89148.
Which Sources Inform This MacDonald Highlands Guide?
Closed-sale, active-inventory and price-per-foot figures for MacDonald Highlands and Ascaya are Las Vegas MLS data pulled through Repliers on September 19, 2026, covering closings in the 12 months ending September 15, 2026 and listings active on September 16, 2026. Record sales, repeat sales and lot listings and sales come from our pull of the same MLS data through Repliers on October 8, 2026. None of these are official Las Vegas REALTORS statistics, and they will move. HOA, tax, design-review and club figures come from the pages linked below; where a page does not publish a figure, the guide says so and says what to ask for.
- MacDonald Highlands — acreage, guard gates and amenities
- MacDonald Highlands Homeowners Association — the $330 monthly dues, management and Design Review Committee
- MacDonald Highlands Design Guidelines — the "Desert Elegance" style, review procedures, response times and fees
- MacDonald Highlands design-review application — application fees, the impacted-neighbor statement and the Vu participating-builder form
- MacDonald Highlands clubhouse, tennis and athletic center and parks pages — DragonRidge facilities and community parks
- DragonRidge Country Club — golf overview — course length, par, designers and practice facilities
- DragonRidge Country Club — membership categories — Full Golf and Social categories and minimums
- Christopher Homes — SkyVu — plan prices, lot cost included, as of October 8, 2026
- Blue Heron — communities and Sun West Custom Homes — gallery — current collections and project locations
- Club + Resort Business, April 9, 2025 — Bear's Best closure plans and the October 2026 reopening target
- FHFA — 2026 conforming loan limits — the $832,750 baseline
- Summerlin — golf in Summerlin — Amara (former Bear's Best, Jack Nicklaus) rebuilding as a private club
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 18, 2008 — DragonRidge fee increase — the 2008 fee schedule
- Clark County Treasurer — district 505 rate — the $2.9613 Henderson rate for fiscal 2026-27
- Clark County Assessor — parcel records, assessed values and deed transfers
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 361 — assessment ratio, depreciation and the partial abatement
- Clark County School District — zoning search — attendance zones by address
- Las Vegas REALTORS — valley-wide market statistics (no community-level figures in this guide come from it)
- Franchise Tax Board — 2025 California Tax Rate Schedules — California's 2025 brackets, including the 12.3% top rate
- Nevada Constitution, Article 10, Section 1 — the prohibition on a personal income tax
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 19, 2025 — the $25.25 million sale as the highest of 2025 when it closed, Blue Heron as its 2020 builder, and Anthony Hsieh's $25 million 2021 purchase
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 29, 2024 — the $35 million all-time Las Vegas record
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey — the 7.40% 30-year average for the week of October 8, 2026
- Nevada Real Estate Division license lookup — licensee verification
- Nevada State Contractors Board license search — builder licensing verification
