DR Horton breaks ground, starts presales at new East Side subdivision

By Elias Weiss, Editorial Director
Jul 22, 2025

Construction is officially underway at Elena Trails, the 456-home D.R. Horton subdivision south of the Volkswagen Proving Grounds, with the first building permits issued in March and sales signage installed last week at multiple locations along Murphy Road.

The development — at the southeastern corner of Murphy and Farrell Roads — has entered its build phase after more than two years of planning, approvals and land acquisition.

Sales signage approved by city planners this month promotes D.R. Horton’s Express Series homes. The signs are now visible at key intersections including Murphy Road at Milan Parkway and Angelo Drive.

Laura Marquez, marketing manager for D.R. Horton, confirmed to InMaricopa Monday that construction is underway and told us:

The developer is now pow pre-selling in Elena Trails by appointment only.
A community pool is planned as part of ongoing development.
Homes are priced from the low $300,000s. “We are one of the only communities in Maricopa to offer a community pool that also offers homes in the low $300s,” noted Marquez.
Single-story and two-story homes are available. See renderings here.

The city issued the first residential construction permits in March, marking the official start of homebuilding. The 111-acre subdivision will offer three lot sizes and house an estimated 1,500 new residents upon completion.

D.R. Horton’s plans include 14 different floor plans, each with four elevation styles, providing a range of options for prospective homebuyers. The neighborhood sits just east of Desert Sunrise High School and will include 28.4 acres of open space, with 5.4 acres designated for usable recreation areas.

Elena Trails is the first phase in a larger, 325-acre master-planned development by landowner HBE Farms LLC that was first proposed four years ago.

Real estate investment company Walton Global, which facilitated the land sale to Horton last year, said the development would help alleviate housing inventory shortages in the area.

Marquez was not immediately able to answer when the first homes would be complete.

Elias Weiss, Editorial Director

Elias Weiss earned his journalism degree from the University of Arkansas and began reporting for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He later led the Chatham Star-Tribune to a 2019 Best Weekly Newspaper award before working as an investigative reporter for Phoenix New Times and The Daily Beast. In 2023, he became managing editor at InMaricopa, winning top state awards for investigative and narrative reporting. In 2024, he took over as Editorial Director. Elias often discusses politics on KFNX.