Rancho Sante Fe California real estate is some of the most prized real estate in the world. In the otherwise well-populated neighborhoods of San Diego, it is a sprawling blend of spacious natural beauty and world class luxury homes. Rancho Santa Fe is and has been home to countless celebrities, professional athletes, high-profile politicians and philanthropists. It’s a San Diego neighborhood that enjoys lots measured in acres rather than square feet. Despite the feeling of seclusion and privacy, most of Rancho Santa Fe is still a relatively short drive from San Diego’s beaches, shopping and work destinations. If you are considering buying or selling a home in Rancho Santa Fe, this article will detail the key metrics for clear insight into the very unique Rancho Santa Fe California real estate market conditions. All the statistics and graphs here are updated daily to deliver the most relevant and timely real estate market information to you.
Rancho Santa Fe California real estate has at times decoupled from other San Diego neighborhoods. Rancho Santa Fe doesn’t have starter homes. Lower cost attached condos and townhomes are found in very limited areas and numbers. Eight figure homes are not unheard of, and most of the homes are large. Let’s take a look at home prices, and some of the supply and demand stats that define the extraordinary real estate market here.
Rancho Santa Fe California Real Estate Home Prices
As you evaluate Rancho Santa Fe California real estate, one statistic that stands out conspicuously is the value of homes in the area. For buyers, information on average and median home sales prices can provide a rough gauge on the high cost of Rancho Santa Fe real estate vs San Diego home prices in other neighborhoods. For sellers, the average price per square foot can provide a very rough range on what a seller might expect to sell for. If you were to look at just average price per square foot, you might think the cost of homes in Rancho Santa Fe is similar to other popular San Diego neighborhoods. However, with estates commonly in the 3,000 to 6,000 square foot range, that price per square foot is multiplied by a much higher number.
Ideally, sellers will want a detailed comparative market analysis by an experienced Rancho Santa Fe real estate agent. That analysis should look at the most comparable homes, vs the more general statistics seen here. There is tremendous variation in size, build quality, acreage, etc. amoung the homes in Rancho Santa Fe. The average and median home price along with price per square foot information is broken down into two categories: 1) single family detached homes, and, 2) attached homes including townhomes and condos. The latter is a bit of footnote – almost all the properties in Rancho Santa Fe are detached, single family residences.
Rancho Santa Fe – Average Home Price
Rancho Santa Fe – Median Home Price
Rancho Santa Fe – Average Price Per Square Foot
Rancho Santa Fe California Real Estate – Home Supply
Rancho Santa Fe is a higher stakes environment when it comes to real estate investment. Longtime homeowners in Rancho Santa Fe have enjoyed substantial appreciation in home values over the decades. However some sellers with less optimal timing have also experienced losses that can be significant given Rancho Santa Fe price points. Despite the favorable track record historically, market conditions vary in Rancho Santa Fe, and they are not always in synch with the rest of San Diego. One key component in analyzing Rancho Santa Fe California real estate is the level of supply. The number of active listings along with the inventory (measured in months) provides insight into the type of market we are seeing in Rancho Santa Fe.
The months of inventory charted below is also known as the absorption rate. The data service we use defines this as: “Active Listings at the end of a given month, divided by the average monthly Closed Sales for the last 12 months.” It’s a metric on how long it would take to burn through existing inventory with existing demand.
Although this number varies, some economists will use a six month threshold for evaluating housing supply. Anything shorter than six months of inventory is viewed as a seller’s market. Anything greater than six months is seen as a buyer’s market. I would argue this metric doesn’t really apply to Rancho Santa Fe. By nature, this market of high-priced, luxury homes tends to have munch longer times on market and higher inventory due to the smaller buyer pool.
Historically, inventory in Rancho Santa Fe tends to fluctuate between roughly 10 to 24 months. In 2007-2011 during the great recession, inventory was around 16-24 months. Even at unheard lows in the early part of 2021, months of inventory has still been over five months. That is at a time where most San Diego markets have inventory levels 50-75% shorter than Rancho Santa Fe’s stats.
Rancho Santa Fe – Number of Active Listing
Rancho Sante Fe – Inventory
Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate – Market Time and Pending Sales
The pool of available buyers for the multi-million dollar luxury homes you find in Rancho Santa Fe is far smaller than more modestly priced homes. As a result, the time a home spends on the market is typically longer in Rancho Santa Fe. Although some well-priced, highly appealing properties can still move very quickly, most sellers should expect a market time measured in months rather than days. Some properties priced too ambitiously, and/or with unique attributes that make them appeal to fewer buyers can at times take years to successfully market and sell. The Active Market time you see in the graph below is defined as the median number of days between when a property is listed in Rancho Santa Fe and when an offer is accepted in a given month.
Rancho Santa Fe – Median Active Market Time
Many real estate stats focus on closed sales, which are vital from many perspectives. However, closed sales are a glimpse into the recent past rather than forward looking. Pending sales, as shown here, are simply a count of the properties on which contracts have been accepted in a given month. These pending sales can sometimes provide insight into where a market is now, or even where it is headed next.
Rancho Santa Fe – Pending Sales
This article on Rancho Santa Fe is part of a series focusing on statistics and data from specific San Diego neighborhoods. If you would like to review more general market information, please visit my article on the broader San Diego real estate market. I am also happy to provide more insights into your specific San Diego neighborhood’s real estate market upon request.
If you or someone you know might be buying or selling real estate in San Diego, regardless of location or price point, please let me know. I can also assist in connecting buyers and sellers outside San Diego with outstanding Sotheby’s International Realty agents via our 1000+ offices in over 75 countries. For a sense of the level of service I provide, please take a moment to read some of my recent client reviews. Please don’t hesitate to call, text, chat or email me with any real estate questions or to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
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