Richmond American Homes of Arizona Inc. is offering basements, a relatively rare feature in Arizona, for its new Sossamon Estates community in Queen Creek. 

Richmond American is offering its Hanford II model with up to six bedrooms and 5,150 square feet. Prices start at $500,000. 

Potential buyers can get their first glimpse of the model home at the community’s grand opening from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

Two other floor plans with finished basements are also available at the community.

Basements are uncommon in Arizona because of dense, rocky soil that makes excavation costly. 

Richmond American also plans to open a new community, Canyon Ridge Estates, next month in Cave Creek. Prices will start at $650,000 for homes of about 4,000 square feet with up to five bedrooms. 

Richmond American is a subsidiary of MDC Holdings Inc. The company has been building homes since 1972.