As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28, 1998
                                              Registration No. 333-36631
    

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
   
                        POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
     
                                   FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                              M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
                 Co-Registrants are listed after the cover page.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)


           Delaware                                    84-0622967
(State or other jurisdiction              (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 of Incorporation or organization)

                             3600 S. Yosemite Street
                                    Suite 900
                              Denver, Colorado 80237
                                  (303) 773-1100
             (Address,  including zip code, and telephone  number,
              including  area code,  of  registrant's  principal
                               executive offices)

Daniel S. Japha, Esq.                            Copy to:
Secretary and General Counsel - Corporate        Nick Nimmo, Esq.
M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.                            Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
3600 S. Yosemite Street, Suite 900               1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4100
Denver, Colorado 80237                           Denver, Colorado 80203
(303) 773-1100                                   (303) 861-7000
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
                     area code, of agent for service)

APPROXIMATE  DATE OF COMMENCEMENT  OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:  From time to
time after the effective  date of this  Registration  Statement as determined by
market conditions.

         If the only securities  being registered on this Form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest  reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. / /

         If any of the  securities  being  registered  on  this  Form  are to be
offered  on a  delayed  or  continuous  basis  pursuant  to Rule 415  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933,  other  than  securities  offered  in  connection  with
dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. /x /




         If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier 
effective registration statement from the same offering. / / ..............

         If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule
462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities
Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration 
statement for the same offering. / / ..............

         If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule
434, please check the following box. / /
   
    



         The  following  subsidiaries  of  Registrant  may  guarantee  the  Debt
Securities and are Co-Registrants under this Registration Statement.



                                                  Jurisdiction of
         Name of                                   Incorporation        I.R. S. Employer
         Co-Registrant                            or Organization       Identification No.
         -------------                            ---------------       ------------------
                                                                     
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA, INC.         COLORADO               77-0084376
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND, INC.           MARYLAND               52-0814857
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.             COLORADO               88-0227698
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.           VIRGINIA               54-0570445
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.            DELAWARE               86-0277026
RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO, INC.           DELAWARE               84-1256155


   
    
                                   PART II

              INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 16. Exhibits.

Exhibit Number                                 Description of Documents
- - --------------                                 ------------------------
   
         1.1                            Underwriting Agreement
    
         4.1                            Form of  Certificate  for  shares of the
                                        Company's  common  stock   (incorporated
                                        herein by  reference  to Exhibit  4.1 of
                                        the Company's  Registration Statement on
                                        Form S-3, Registration No. 33-426). *
   
         4.2(a)                         Senior Indenture dated January 28, 1998,
                                        by and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. 
                                        and U.S. Bank National Association, as 
                                        trustee.
    
         4.2(b)                         Form of Senior Subordinated Indenture by
                                        and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and
                                                       , as trustee. **
                                        ---------------

         4.2(c)                         Form of Junior Subordinated Indenture by
                                        and between M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and
                                                           , as trustee. **
                                        -------------------

         5.1                            Opinion of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP. **

         12.1                           Statement re computation of earnings to
                                        fixed charges. **

         23.1                           Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP. **

         23.2                           Consent of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP
                                        (included in Exhibit 5.1).

         24                             Power of attorney (included on the 
                                        signature pages of the original filing 
                                        of Form S-3).
   
         25.1                           Statement of Eligibility of Trustee; 
                                        Form T-1.
    
- - -------------------

*  Incorporated herein by reference.
** Previously filed.



                                    SIGNATURES
   
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant, M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. and the Co-Registrants named below certify
that  they  have  reasonable  grounds  to  believe  that  they  meet  all of the
requirements  for  filing on Form S-3 and have  duly  caused  this  Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on their  behalf by the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the  City of  Denver,  State  of  Colorado,  on the  28th day of
January, 1998.
    

                                       M.D.C. HOLDINGS, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ---------------------------
                                       Paris G. Reece III
                                       Senior Vice President

                                       CO-REGISTRANTS:

                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA,
                                         INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND,
                                         INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ----------------------------
                                          Paris G. Reece III
                                          Executive Vice President

                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.
                                       RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO,
                                         INC.


                                       By: /s/ Paris G. Reece III
                                          ----------------------------
                                          Paris G. Reece III
                                          Vice President


                                     II-2

   
    

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
registration  statement  or amendment  thereto has been signed by the  following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

                      REGISTRANT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
   
                                    Principal Executive Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    Larry A. Mizel,
                                    Chairman of the Board of Directors,
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer

                                    Chief Operating Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    David D. Mandarich,
                                    Director, Executive Vice President -
                                    Real Estate and Chief Operating Officer

                                    Principal Financial and Accounting Officer:

                                    *
                                    ---------------------------
                                    Paris G. Reece III,
                                    Senior Vice President,
                                    Chief Financial Officer and 
                                      Principal Accounting Officer



                                      II-3



                                    Other Directors:

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Steven J. Borick

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Gilbert Goldstein

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    William B. Kemper

                                    *
                                    ------------------------------
                                    Herbert T. Buchwald

                     CO-REGISTRANT OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF CALIFORNIA,
                                      INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF MARYLAND,
                                      INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF NEVADA, INC.
                                    RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF VIRGINIA, INC.

                                    Principal Executive, Financial and 
                                      Accounting Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Executive Vice President, Director

                                     RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF ARIZONA, INC.

                                     Principal Executive, Financial and 
                                       Accounting Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Vice President, Treasurer, Director

                                     II-4


                                     RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF COLORADO,
                                       INC.

                                     Principal Executive Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     David D. Mandarich,
                                     Chairman of the Board of Directors,
                                       President

                                     Principal Financial and Accounting
                                       Officer:

                                     *
                                     ---------------------------
                                     Paris G. Reece III,
                                     Vice President

                                     Other Directors:

                                     *
                                     -----------------------------
                                     Steven J. Borick

                                     *
                                     -----------------------------
                                     Larry A. Mizel




- - --------------------------------------
* By Daniel S. Japha, Attorney-in-Fact