A dramatic shift is occurring in the Rancho Santa Fe housing market with new high-end residential communities offering an unprecedented level of choice in the custom homesite and luxury estate home markets.

Nestled in the verdant valley between Interstates 5 and 15 are such upscale residential communities as The Crosby Estates, McCrink Ranch, The Summit and Hacienda de Santa Fe.

Taking center stage in the emerging San Dieguito River Valley is Cielo, the 1,740-acre hillside village at the eastern end of Rancho Santa Fe.

Within this exclusive enclave that sits atop some of the highest coastal peaks in North San Diego will be 528 residences on 1- to 5-acre sites. The secured, gated community comprises both custom homesites, as well as luxury homes such as those currently available by Innovative Resort Communities, Cal-Coast Homes and The Estates. These semi-custom designed estates of approximately 4,500 square feet to 7,767 square feet are priced from $2.2 million to $3 million. (Davidson at Cielo, winner of a national award for Community of the Year, is now sold out.)

According to Gary Driver, vice president of sales and marketing for Rancho Cielo Realty Co., buyers are attracted to the new hillside village because of the unique topography of the site, the sweeping views of the ocean and foothills and the award-winning Rancho Santa Fe schools. In addition to the existing luxury residences, more than a dozen custom homes are now under construction at Cielo with buyer profiles ranging from newlyweds and young families to retirees, Driver said.

He said Cielo offers "a better value" than older homes in the surrounding area that average in price well over $1 million and may need up to $600,000 to $700,000 in renovation costs.

"The value of buying a custom lot and building your dream home compares favorably with trying to buy a comparable home in older areas," said Driver, a real estate executive with more than 20 years of experience in Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch. "Buyers can purchase a half-acre lot and build an appropriately sized custom-designed home for under $800,000."

Cielo is attracting a number of empty nesters to its custom homesite program because there's little product in the area appealing to their lifestyle needs for under $2 million. "They can build their own custom 'empty nest' for less than that here in Cielo," Driver said.

He said the San Dieguito River Valley area also is drawing many Southern California buyers from high-end locations such as Newport Coast. "Cielo is a good strong value compared to coastal Orange County," he said.

New community amenities

Earlier this summer, the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District and local real estate developers hosted groundbreaking ceremonies for a new fire station that, according to Fire Chief Erwin Willis, "will expedite emergency response times and protect new home developments in the growing San Dieguito River Valley area."

Attending groundbreaking ceremonies earlier this summer for the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District's Fire Station No. 4 at Cielo in Rancho Santa Fe were, from left: Deputy Chief Don Butz; board members Cliff Douglas, James Ashcraft, Gil Lombard, Nancy Hillgreen and Tom Hickerson; Fire Chief Erwin Willis; Christine Newman of The Crosby; Don Gillis of Gillis & Associates Architects; Gary Driver of Cielo and Lance Osborn of Erickson-Hall Construction.

Fire Station No. 4, which is being built at the entrance of Cielo, will serve approximately 1,500 residents in communities east of the Rancho Santa Fe Covenant. The 10,550-square-foot station, which will include living facilities for six firefighters as well as a training classroom and office space, is expected to be completed next spring.

The fire station, said Willis, is an excellent example of how public and private entities can work together to provide much needed emergency services and community facilities. "There are no taxpayer dollars involved in the acquisition of land or construction of this station. Developers are paying to have this station built."

Several other key community components are in the pre-construction phase at Cielo, including Cielo Village Business District, which is slated to begin construction in early 2004. Plans call for the development of approximately 50,000 square feet of retail and office space.

According to Driver, the Village District will include such services as a restaurant, coffeehouse, wine-tasting bistro, grocery, cleaners, boutique shops and professional medical services. Plans for the center also include a large open-air plaza with fountain and lush landscaping that will be the site for community gatherings and holiday celebrations.

"The Village Plaza will soon be transformed from concept to civic reality and is designed to be a daily destination for Cielo residents and other community members," Driver said.

Already within the private Cielo community there is an existing 1.5-acre community park that provides family-oriented recreational opportunities including basketball and sand volleyball courts, a children's playground and playing field perfect for Frisbee throwing or a game of catch.

Inspired by the villages along the northern Mediterranean, Cielo's signature landmark is a 200-foot Roman-style aqueduct and an Italiante gatehouse that serves as the command center for a state-of-the-art security system.

Related Link

Rancho Cielo Realty Co.: www.cielorsf.co