Rancho Mission Viejo, the developer of a 23,000-acre namesake master-planned community in South Orange County, is entering the final phase of building in its Village of Rienda, with 232 new homes planned.
Trumark Homes, Lennar and Shea Properties were chosen to build all-age-qualified homes in three neighborhoods, Rancho Mission Viejo officials said. The area also has 55+ deed-restricted homes.
Rancho Mission Viejo officials said this is one of the last chances to buy a new, market-rate home in the community before 2027.
Jim Holas, vice president of community development at Rancho Mission Viejo, told the Business Journal that some of the homes in this phase will offer “protected views” that will not be blocked by future building.
“There’s going to be what we call a greenhouse view park,” said Holas, adding that not all of the new homes will have this view. “There’s going to be a park that has a small farm integrated with a greenhouse. Also, there will be some homes that look out over our nature reserve.”
Rancho Mission Viejo
The ranch property has been in the hands of three families, Moiso, O’Neill and Avery, since 1882. The families had owned about 200,000 acres across what is now South Orange County and north San Diego County.
Since then, the ranch has been broken up to form what nowadays is Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch and Camp Pendleton.
The current Rancho Mission Viejo development has evolved into a master-planned community, with around 17,000 acres set aside as a nature reserve and open space and about 6,000 acres planned for homes. The cattle ranch, the last working ranch in the county, still plays a big role in the community’s way of life.
When finished, the Rancho Mission Viejo community will have about 14,000 homes in several villages.
About 5,000 to 6,000 homes have already been built, Holas said.
OC Housing Snapshot
The new build announcement comes as demand for housing remains strong in Orange County. Supply, hovering around 3,866, is still far below its pre-pandemic average of 5,500, according to Reports on Housing, a housing data site.
However, high mortgage rates, an uncertain economy and affordability remain a concern. Reports on Housing found that the average home that sold in Rancho Mission Viejo was $1.2 million.
The new homes in Rienda will range from two to five bedrooms and from about 1,500 to over 3,000 square feet, with both duplex-style and single-family options.
Rancho Mission Viejo officials said the prices for the new homes have not been announced yet, but earlier phases in Rienda ranged from the $500,000s up to the high $1 million range.
Although affordability is still a challenge in Southern California, Holas said the project continues to sell well. He said the community has seen dozens of sales this year, from young families buying their first homes to people moving up, to retirees.
“We’ve been very fortunate. We haven’t seen much of a slowdown,” he said. “Year to date, we’ve had 91 sales.”
Since sales started in 2022, more than 1,500 homes have already been sold in Rienda, officials said.
Nature Connection
The last phase in Rienda will focus on views and connections to nature, Holas said.
Some homes will look out over the nearby nature reserve, which includes a greenhouse-style park, additional trails and citrus groves along the edge of the community.
These groves will serve as both an amenity for residents and a means of helping prevent wildfires, he said.
The neighborhood will also be close to the future Rienda School, a transitional kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school expected to open in 2027 and serve up to 1,600 students.
Rancho Mission Viejo is also following a model developers call a “wellness community.” The design focuses on access to nature, walkability, and social connections.
“There’s something very special about how the community connects to the natural environment,” said Holas. “That’s what draws people here.”
