Hope Ranch Real Estate
Though it may not look like it now, before Hope Ranch was developed as one of the most expensive and popular residential neighborhoods in Santa Barbara, it was home to over 5,000 sheep. Irish immigrant Thomas Hope bought the land now known as Hope Ranch for $8,000 in 1861. Selling the sheep’s wool for military uniforms during the Civil War made Hope wealthy, and at the time of his death in 1876, his land was sold for $250,000. Not until 1923, however, when Harold Chase began installing roads, bridle trails, and utilities did Hope Ranch become a residential area. Now 773 lots comprising 1,863 acres of rolling hills along the Pacific Ocean make up the Hope Ranch community.
Currently the roads, bridle trails, and private beach are managed by the Hope Ranch Homeowners’ Association, which also provides local security. The Laguna Blanca Schoolcampus is located in the center of Hope Ranch. This independent, coeducational day school opened in 1933 and currently serves grades K-12. The school competes in sports against other notable area Condor League schools, such as Cate School and The Thacher School. Hope Ranch is also home to La Cumbre Country Club. Renowned architect George Washington Smith, whose Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings are prevalent in Santa Barbara and especially Montecito, designed its clubhouse. In addition to the golf course, club members also enjoy tennis courts, a fitness center, a pool, and spa. The yearly HOA fees are quite reasonable at only $1200-1300 per year.
Hope Ranch Homes for Sale
Hope Ranch homes sold in the past two years range from just under $1 million to over $18 million. While most people imagine that the homes in Hope Ranch are all ultra-expansive dream homes, there are some under 2,500 square feet, and even a small eight hundred square foot cottage. At the other end of the spectrum, there are estates over eight, ten and even twelve thousand square feet. Much of the real estate in Hope Ranch offers stunning mountain or ocean views, and some properties are situated beside the serenity of the golf course. Hope Ranch is conveniently located between Santa Barbara and Goleta, very close to the shopping centers and restaurants of upper State Street, including La Cumbre Plaza and Five Points.