Bressi Ranch, located at the junction of El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, is one of the town's newest, and largest, Master Planned Communities. Located inland about 4 miles, Bressi Ranch is less than 30 miles from downtown San Diego and perhaps 6 miles from Carlsbad Village. Like the other master planned communities (La Costa Oaks, La Costa Greens, La Costa Ridge, Rancho Carrillo, La Costa Valley), Bressi Ranch prides itself on its walkability, allowing residents a comfortable sense of community and easy access to parks, schools and community center.

Unlike other Carlsbad Master planned communities, however, Bressi Ranch will have a number of retail shops and other services within walking distance of many of the homes, elevating this community to that of a true suburban town, similar to what is developing at San Elijo Hills in San Marcos.

There will be a mixed-use office park, providing several thousand jobs, as well as a 100,000 SF retail area to include a service station, Boys and Girls Club, and an Assisted Living Facility. A brand new elementary school is in the final stages of construction too; the community is served by the Carlsbad Unified School District.

Formerly a working ranch of rolling hills and wetlands, the developers have wisely set aside about 200 acres of open space, to be enjoyed by residents and easily accessed by walking trails. There are 8 parks that have been developed, of varying styles and offerings, to provide welcome havens for homeowners and their guests to enjoy the outdoors in a neighborhood-like environment.

Bressi Ranch encompasses 8 neighborhoods, of homes of varying styles, sizes and price ranges, suitable for a broad range of buyers. The newest area being developed is Magnolia Estates, 25 high-end luxury homes of 4,900 SF to over 6200 SF on large lots (almost ½ acre), reminiscent of Southern plantation homes, with prices to match these custom built properties; expansive homes start at $1.8 million and go to $2.2 million, including all the amenities one would expect in properties of this caliber. These sophisticated homes are built by Barratt American, a well-known builder of high-end homes in the area (other homes by this builder can be found in Leucadia and Encinitas)

Other than Magnolia Estates, all the homes for sale in Bressi Ranch are resales (but built in 2005 and 2006). As of May 18, 2007, there are 14 detached Carlsbad homes for sale in Bressi Ranch priced between $700,000 and $1.3 million. Homes range in size from around 2100 SF to about 4000 SF, with 3 to 5 bedrooms and 2.4 to 4.5 baths. Five homes are currently under contract, and in the last 6 months 8 homes have sold at an average price of $946,805 (average marketing time was 58 days).

The Bressi Ranch subdivision location allows easy access to amenities such as shopping, restaurants and things to do in Carlsbad (upscale shopping at The Forum on El Camino for example) as well as in nearby San Marcos, located just a few miles east on Palomar Airport Road. And of course the Carlsbad beaches are only a 20 minute drive (about 4 miles as the crow flies).

The heart of Bressi Ranch is the Village Club (shown at bottom right) - a private facility for residents, with a swimming pool, meeting room with kitchen, spa, showers, barbecue area, picnic tables, outdoor fireplace, and a walk-in wading pool.

Buyers, if you are considering Carlsbad homes for sale and like the idea of a master planned community, Bressi Ranch may be the right place.

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UPDATE - March 2008

Work is progressing on some of the retail establishments that will become part of this community, including Stater Brothers (major grocery store), Trader Joe's, and Peet's. There are also a number of corporate buildings completed or nearing completion, with companies beginning to occupy them.