FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * MIZEL LARRY A   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol MDC HOLDINGS INC [MDC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director __X__ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman of the Board and CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) 4350 S. MONACO STREET, SUITE 500 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 04/18/2012 (Street) DENVER, CO 80237 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock $.01 Par Value 04/18/2012   G V 100 D $ 0 4,972,737 I By Ari Capital Partners, LLLP (1) Common Stock $.01 Par Value               3,450 I By 401(k) (2) Common Stock $.01 Par Value               1,362,214 I By CGM Capital, LLLP (3) Common Stock $.01 Par Value               220,000 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
MIZEL LARRY A 4350 S. MONACO STREET SUITE 500 DENVER, CO 80237	X	X	Chairman of the Board and CEO

Signatures

Joseph H. Fretz, Attorney-in-Fact		04/19/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	On April 18, 2012, Ari Capital Partners, LLLP ("Ari Capital") transferred 100 shares by gift to a third party. Reporting Person may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the shares held by Ari Capital. The sole general partner of Ari Capital is CVentures, Inc. ("CVentures"), a corporation, which has approximately a 1% partnership interest in Ari Capital. Reporting Person is the beneficiary of various trusts which own 50.6885% of the stock of CVentures. Also, Reporting Person is a director and president of CVentures and may be deemed to control the other 49.3115% of the common stock of CVentures. A trust, of which Reporting Person is the sole beneficiary, is the sole limited partner of Ari Capital, and has a 99% partnership interest in Ari Capital. Reporting Person and Reporting Person's spouse are trustees of the trust.
(2)	Shares are held in Reporting Person's 401(k) Savings Plan account which changes on a daily basis.
(3)	Reporting Person may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of these shares held by CGM Capital LLLP ("CGM Capital"). The general partner of CGM Capital is CVentures, and has a 1% equity interest in CGM Capital. A trust, of which Reporting Person's spouse is the sole beneficiary, is the limited partner of CGM Capital, and has a 99% equity interest in CGM Capital. Reporting Person is a trustee of this trust.

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