It should not be surprising that the median 2011 home sale price in what Forbes magazine last year named the 14th most expensive zip code in the United States was $2.5 million. Rancho Santa Fe is home to an affluent population of about 3,000 people, with the community´s median income at roughly $188,000.
Known by many residents as ¨The Ranch,” Rancho Santa Fe is actually a group of communities: The Covenant, the original planned Rancho Santa Fe community; Cielo, a gated community along the Del Dios Highway; Rancho Santa Fe Groves, a gated community along the Covenant; Santa Fe Hills, a cluster of 31 homes east of The Covenant; The Crosby, a gated community named after former notable resident Bing Crosby; Stonebridge, a gated community adjoining the San Elijo lagoon and wildlife preserve; Morgan Run, a golf course community located in the southern end of Rancho Santa Fe; and the smaller communities of Fairbanks Ranch, The Crosby, Hacienda Santa Fe, The Summit, Del Rayo, The Bridges, Rancho La Cima, and the River Estates.
Rancho Santa Fe Homes for Sale
Rancho Santa Fe Condos and Townhomes for Sale |
History
Rancho Santa Fe began in the early 1900s as an 8,796-acre eucalyptus tree plantation intended to generate raw material for railroad timbers to support the growing Santa Fe Railway. However, the drought of 1912 and subsequent frost of 1914 destroyed most of the trees, leading investors to attempt replanting with redwoods and other species. Those experiments also failed, causing the abandonment of the project in 1915. The Rancho Fe Land Co., which owned the property, commissioned the design of the future community´s commercial and residential districts in the 1920s. Rancho Santa Fe became popular between World Wars I and II, particularly following construction of the nearby Del Mar Racetrack. Bing Crosby was among the early settlers. The Crosby Estates are located on the site of his former home.
Real Estate
The average residential lot in Rancho Santa Fe is two acres in size. This is a community of estates, with a number of homes still bearing the Spanish Revival and adobe rancho-style of the city´s early architect Lilian Rice.
In November, the average listing price for Rancho Santa Fe homes was $4.2 million, up 1.8 percent from the same time last year. The median sales price for the same period was $2 million, up 29.9 percent from the same time last year.
Attractions/Activities
Rancho Santa Fe is meticulously landscaped, offering those in the mood for a driving tour plenty of scenery, including private lakes, grand views, horse stables, and citrus groves.
With its idyllic climate, the community offers a myriad of outdoor activities, including a golf course, tennis club, and hiking and riding trails.
The small town has banned sidewalks and streetlights in an effort to discourage loiterers.
Latest Rancho Santa Fe Listings:
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