Historic Homes for Sale in Phoenix
Buy in one of Phoenix's 37 residential historic districts knowing what the zoning lets you change, what the state tax program saves and what to check before you offer.
Meet Joe Janus
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Request a private home search
Tell Joe which historic districts you want and your price range, and he replies with matching homes from the MLS. Nothing is published, and there is no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call [[PLACEHOLDER: GBP phone]] or send a text.
Phoenix historic district guides
All 37 historic districts →The districts sit mostly in central Phoenix, between I-17 and SR 51, Missouri Avenue and Buckeye Road. Their periods of significance run from Woodland's 1880 to Roman Roads' 1971, so the district you pick decides whether you tour a Victorian cottage, a 1920s bungalow or a postwar Ranch.
Coronado
Phoenix's bungalow district: 1,014 single-family homes, 50-foot lots and the Tenth Street streetcar route.
Willo
Period Revival and 1940s houses on long east-west blocks between First and Seventh avenues.
Encanto-Palmcroft
Curving palm-lined streets, a 9,877-square-foot median lot and Encanto Park inside the boundary.
Roosevelt
A 1920 median build year, Prairie and Craftsman houses, and Portland Street's landscaped medians.
F.Q. Story
Tudor and Spanish Colonial Revival rows on palm-lined streets, at a value close to Coronado's.
Garfield
Phoenix's second addition: pyramid cottages and Craftsman bungalows at a median value well below Coronado's.
Campus Vista
One-story brick Ranch houses from 1939 to 1956, built by more than 70 builders next to Phoenix College.
Alvarado
Architect-designed 1920s estate homes on big lots, with the 1930s brick houses of East Alvarado next door.
Medlock Place
Half-acre lots, flood-irrigated lawns and Period Revival and Ranch houses between Central and Seventh avenues.
Cheery Lynn
One 1928 subdivision of English cottages and Monterey houses on 60-foot lots, west of 16th Street.
Phoenix Homesteads
Adobe houses from a 1935 to 1937 New Deal homestead project, on farm lots between 26th and 28th streets.
All 37 districts
Every residential historic district in Phoenix, with the guides above linked.
Buying a historic home in Phoenix
Before you offer on a house in a district, find out three things: whether it is a contributor, whether it is on the National Register (that decides the state tax cut), and whether a past city grant left a conservation easement on the title.
Buying
The steps of buying a historic home in Phoenix, from checking the zoning to closing.
HP Zoning
What HP zoning reviews, what it leaves alone, and how to plan additions, ADUs and solar.
Property Tax
Who qualifies for the 35 to 45 percent state tax cut, how to apply, and what happens when a classified home sells.
Inspection
The extra checks a pre-1950 Phoenix house needs, and which repairs the City reviews in an HP district.
Insurance
Coverage follows the cost to rebuild, not the sale price. The gaps to close and the questions to ask.
Financing
FHA 203(k), HomeStyle and CHOICERenovation compared, with 2026 Maricopa County limits.
Mid-century modern homes in Phoenix
Seven of the city's residential districts begin in 1939 or later, from Campus Vista's Ranch houses to Roman Roads, listed in September 2026 for homes built from 1964 to 1971. Outside the districts and the register, a mid-century house carries no historic design review at all.
Mid-century modern homes in PhoenixHistoric homes for sale in Phoenix: FAQs
How many historic districts does Phoenix have?
The City of Phoenix has 37 residential historic districts with Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning. Roman Roads, the newest, was added in September 2026. The register also holds 9 non-residential districts and 244 individually listed properties. Roosevelt and Coronado, both listed in 1986, are the oldest residential districts on it. The guide to all 37 Phoenix historic districts lists each one with its streets and period.
Can I renovate a house in a Phoenix historic district?
Yes. The city does not review interior remodeling or paint colors. It reviews exterior work that needs a permit, new construction and demolition. Small exterior jobs usually get a Certificate of No Effect over the counter or within days; bigger changes you can see from the street need a Certificate of Appropriateness and a public hearing. Neither carries a city review fee. Demolishing a contributing home can be delayed up to a year. Read how HP zoning works in Phoenix before you plan an addition.
Does buying a historic home lower my property tax in Arizona?
It can. Arizona's State Historic Property program cuts property taxes by 35 to 45 percent on owner-occupied homes that are on the National Register, individually or as a contributor to a National Register district. City HP zoning alone does not qualify a house. If the seller already has the classification, it carries over when you sign the state's change-of-ownership affidavit and keep living in the home. The Arizona historic property tax guide covers the application and the penalty if the house later becomes a rental.
Is every old house in Phoenix a historic home?
No. In Phoenix a home is historic in the legal sense when it is on the city register (HP or HP-L zoning) or the National Register, and it must be at least 50 years old, significant and still intact. About 29,540 Phoenix homes were built before 1950, around 4.5 percent of the housing stock, and most of them are outside any district. Inside a district, a house that is too new or heavily altered is a noncontributor: still reviewed, but not eligible for the tax cut. Any pre-1978 home also comes with a lead paint disclosure and a 10-day window for a lead inspection, which the historic home inspection guide covers.
Which Phoenix historic districts have mid-century homes?
Seven residential districts have periods of significance that start in 1939 or later: Campus Vista, Country Club Park, North Encanto, Encanto Vista, Encanto Manor, Park Lee Alice Apartments and Roman Roads. Campus Vista is mostly Ranch and Transitional Ranch houses built from 1941 to 1956, with architect Ralph Haver among its builders. The guide to mid-century modern homes in Phoenix covers these and the postwar houses outside the districts. Joe Janus, a Phoenix Realtor with Compass, can set up a private search for either.
Looking for a historic home in Phoenix?
Send Joe the districts and price range you have in mind. He can pull recent sales in those districts and check a house's zoning and tax class before you tour.