The Neighborhoods of the Santa Ynez Valley: The Village Collection

In the Santa Ynez Valley, there are five small and very distinct towns.  I wanted to highlight these towns and their neighborhoods in this and my next several blog posts.  These towns and neighborhoods are unique and all very different.  Many people coming to the Valley for the first time, encounter Solvang.  The largest and most accessible of the five towns.  It is quite the tourist attraction. Established in 1911 the city of Solvang didn't actually become a city until 1985.  A full history of its beginnings can be found at the Elverhoj Museum's website.  With its quaint Danish decor and small town feel, people are drawn to its old town charm.  Most homes within its city limits are within walking distance (less than 2 miles) to the downtown shops and restaurants.  While it isn't the most chic place it is a cozy, small town where everyone knows everyone and you can find a friendly smile walking down the street.  

In this cute, quaint and small town are several neighborhoods.  Everything from gated with pin codes and pools to views and estate homes to older craftsman neighborhoods.  Today I'm highlighting the Village Collection. 

REAL ESTATE ACTIVITY

Since people seem to be mostly interested in prices and sales I'm putting that first. For information about the neighborhood scroll down.  Being such a small exclusive neighborhood, homes don't go up for sale there all that often. In the last year-August 2016 - August 2017 there have been five listings, resulting in four sales.

211 Valhalla- Interior Lot
3/3  3,042sqft.  .45ac  DOM 206 Listed at $1,025,000 on 09/23/16
Status-Expired  
This home did eventually close escrow for $965,000 on 11/16/16








206 Valahalla- Perimeter Lot
3/3  3,157sqft.   .4ac  DOM 205
Listed at $1,375,000 on 11/21/16
Status-Pending
Current Price $1,250,000 

1712 Odin Way-
3/2.5  2,954sqft.  .38ac DOM 193
Listed at $999,000 on 12/08/16
Status-Cancelled
Currently available for rent $3,800/mo

239 Valahalla- Interior Lot
4/3  2,726sqft.   .37ac DOM 23
Listed for $899,000 on 08/22/16
Status-SOLD for $870,000 on 10/21/16

1709 Odin Way- Interior Lot
4/2.5  2,583sqft.  .33ac DOM 52
Listed for $842,650 on 10/17/16
Status-SOLD for $840,000 on 12/16/16

Currently, there are 0 homes in the Village Collection. Click Here to search yourself!

THE HISTORY

This pristine and classy neighborhood didn't always have such a squeaky clean reputation.  It began as the Duff Ranch. 

  The ranch was 160+ acres that encompassed the area where the Village Collection now sits, lot 72 next to it, the two homes below the mesa, the vineyard adjacent to them as well as the commercial property where the Worldmark and Outlet mall now sit.  In 1984 this ranch was split and the mesa was zoned into commercial, agricultural and residential zoning.  Santa Ynez Valley Construction, purchased the residential portion and Mike Balaban purchased the commercial, the remainder was retained by the owner and eventually sold.

Originally the residential portion was zoned for 272 homes, however, at the time, there was a lot of resistance to growth, and many people opposed the new development.  In the end, the city approved the housing plan but only after the owner agreed to give over a percentage of the land for open space and to lower the density to 68 homes-including the ranches two original homes below the mesa. The city also required the builder to pay for a public election for the citizens of Solvang to approve the new project.  In the end, the builder won with 56% approval and the project began.

The developer originally didn't begin by building homes, but by just selling the lots.  In 1993 (for those of you who are counting-that's nearly 10 years) Santa Ynez Valley Real Estate Company (Hey, that's us!) was hired to sell them.  In the first month-only 8 lots were sold. As time wore on and the real estate market cooled, the developer began to build and sell custom homes.

THE VILLAGE COLLECTION TODAY

These days the Village Collection is a lot less controversial.  Because of the open spaces and the larger lots, this neighborhood offers buyers a little more room without having to be out in the country.  Roughly 20 of the Village Collections lots are on the perimeter and have front row views of the Alisal River Course, Santa Ynez River and the Santa Ynez Mountain Range. The Village Collection is not a gated community, however it does have an HOA as well as CCR's.  

Part of what makes this neighborhood so desirable is its consistency.  As you drive through, you will notice that none of the homes garage doors face the road.  

Here are some of the neighborhood building requirements:

• Garages must not face the road, 
• Homes must be a minimum of 2,000 square feet, 
• There are maximum roof heights for the homes-the interior lots have a higher one than the exterior lots.  
• Two stories are not allowed.

These rules give the neighborhood the grace and opulence of a large estate in the hills, without the price tag. 

Currently the prices in the Village Collection start in $800,000 range, ballooning up to $1,350,000 for a perimeter home with a view.  The Village Collection has the beauty of a large home on an estate without all the land to maintain. It also has the conveniences that a large estate does not; close to town and all its services-to walk or drive to, less maintenance of a larger parcel while still having the view and the space of one.

This is a fantastic neighborhood-you shouldn't miss if you're looking in the Santa Ynez Valley.

~G