Best of Orange County 2023: Best new home community
Last year’s favorite new home community, Rancho Mission Viejo, has once again hit the top spot in the Best of Orange County. In fact, says Stephanie Walker, vice president of marketing, the community has seen a lot of success recently.
“We have seen such phenomenal demand on the Gavalán side, that’s the ranch for 55+,” she says. “There’s not a lot of other age-qualified product in this region, let alone in the Orange County market. Those have been extremely successful.”
Large, single family homes from Tri Pointe and Trumark with prices starting in the low $1 millions have proven to be popular in Rienda. “Surprisingly, especially in this relatively challenging market, we’re still seeing that demand there for that specific buyer,” Walker says.
Rienda is also home to what Rancho Mission Viejo calls “attainable” homes that are geared towards first-time buyers. “We all know how challenging it is for buyers of any stage, let alone the first-time buyer, so a lot of our builders are offering a lot of different incentive programs,” adds walker.
With about 10,000 residents in Rancho Mission Viejo, the community is garnering more and more buzz. A public event in the spring of 2023 brought out an estimated 3000 people. “The amount of referrals and word-of-mouth for Rancho Mission Viejo is pretty significant,” says Walker.
And the community continues to grow. Homes are still available in Rienda and plans for more amenities in this neighborhood are in the works, with the Boulder Pond and Playground slated to open in 2024.
