San Elijo Hills, in the south west corner of San Marcos, is a highly-rated master planned community on the hills of North County San Diego (actually the highest point in the county at over 3,000 feet above sea level).

Located about 34 miles from San Diego, and a short distance from Rancho Santa Fe Road, San Elijo Hills (some of which is still under construction) was awarded the Master Planned Community of the Year in 2002 by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The current population is over 6,500, which will increase as the remaining homes are built and occupied.

Established in 2000, San Elijo Hills consists of approximately completed 2200 homes that are currently occupied in a number of different villages, all with easy access to a traditional Town Center (reminiscent of communities in other parts of California and back East). Once complete, there will be over 3000 housing units. Because of the location on the hills, many homes have dramatic distant views of the ocean and panorama extending for miles to the south.

The vision of San Elijo Hills is to provide a self-contained "town" with a feeling of connectedness among its residents and the services and amenities in the local area.

There is a new elementary school, with another school being built, a number of shops, services and a restaurant in the Town Center, a post office, a gas station, small "food mart," and soon an Albertsons Grocery Store.

The San Elijo Hills Town Center also includes a 30-acre educational campus and 19-acre city park. There are 1100 acres of open space and miles of hiking trails, with gorgeous views of the ocean, hills and panorama, for residents to enjoy. There is even a Community Director, whose job is to assist residents in planning events and activities.

The main shopping area of San Marcos is perhaps a 10 minute drive, with a wide array of services, shops and restaurants. Since the community borders Carlsbad, there is easy access to the shopping, restaurants, golf, tourist attractions and beaches of Carlsbad.

Homes for sale in San Elijo Hills include condos, townhouse, attached and detached homes, and apartments (Copper Creek), many of which are of Mediterranean, Tuscan or Spanish style, however traditional American architecture is also evident.

As of 3/29/07 there are 83 homes for sale in San Elijo Hills on the MLS which are resales (this excludes homes that are being marketed directly by the builders and still under construction or newly built); 52 homes are detached, 31 attached, with prices ranging from $559K to $1.2 million (detached) and $379K to $524K (attached).

The completed Villages include: Acacia, Azure, Calistoga, Morgan's Corner (townhomes), Promontory Ridge, Waterford, Creekside Cottages, WestCliffe, Crest View, WestRidge Cottage Homes, Mariner's Landing, WestRidge Village (townhomes), Meridian, Woodley's Glen, Sagewood, Cambria, Saverne, Carmel, Springfield (townhomes), Cedar Crossing, Village Square (townhomes) and Copper Creek (apartments). Homes range in size from about 1,111 SF up to 4,011 SF, with up to 4.5 baths and 6 bedrooms.

Builders homes in the new villages start in the $600s to $800s. The new Villages include Atherton ($800s and up), Palisades ($700s and up) and Luminara ($600s and up), with multiple homes under construction, and a number of model homes to view. Home sizes range from 2,478 SF to 4,237 SF, with up to 4.5 baths and 6 bedrooms.

The views from these new Villages, as well as some of the completed homes, are truly fantastic - to the ocean, north beyond Camp Pendleton, and south to La Jolla and beyond.

San Elijo Hills is a growing and thriving community nestled high in the hills of San Marcos with dramatic views and a sense of community not often found in today's new neighborhoods.

If you are a First Time Buyer, this may be a great community for you to explore, and I am happy to provide more details about the offerings available to you. If you are relocating and considering the San Diego area (North County) this may be an ideal community for you to settle in.

I hope you enjoy the tour of San Elijo Hills - turn on your sound and relax!