Bear Brand Ranch

Bear Brand Ranch Real Estate

A small portion of Laguna Niguel, Bear Brand Ranch consists of a community of large estates, both in home size and lot, and represents some of the finest real estate that Laguna Niguel has to offer.  

Some home buyers would argue that Bear Brand Ranch real estate offers some of the best available in South Orange County, and among the most exquisite properties in California.  

You could almost hit a baseball from the development to either the Ritz Carlton or the world famous St Regis Resort, which puts the property in the league of some of the finest land available anywhere.

Bear Brand Ranch consists of 127 homes, and the community has two entry points: one at Camino Del Avion to the South, the other at Golden Lantern to the west. Each entry point is guarded 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Unlike most private housing developments, where the “common area” consists of a few small strips of grass, the common area in Bear Brand is almost as large as the area that is private, and consists of gorgeous landscaping and pristine grass area (20 acres of greenbelt), with fabulous walking trails and stop points that look out to stunning vistas showcasing both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The homes at Bear Brand Ranch are truly “estate” properties, with listings commonly referring to multiple buildings on each home site, with many properties consisting of separate buildings referred to as the main estate residence, guest wings, sports pavilions, and features such as elevators, car lifts, multiple garages, libraries, cinemas, swimming pools, and majestic ocean views.

Unlike most properties found in Southern California, lot sizes in Bear Brand Ranch are listed in acres, not square feet, with lower end properties in the development sitting 1/2 acre plots and the largest estates going to 3 acres or more. Home sizes are similarly palatial, with the smallest homes in the 5,500 to 8,800 square foot range, larger homes having 11,000 square feet and up, and with some counting “under roof” outdoor areas topping 25,000 square feet of total living space.

Bear Brand Ranch Home Prices

As a small community that nobody would ever want to leave, there are too few homes sold per year to come up with a real average sales price for Bear Brand Ranch Properties- there are rarely more than 10 properties on the market at once and in most years the number of properties sold ranges in the single digits.

Properties at the lowest end of the market are typically in the $2-6 million range, with homes at the lowest end of this area dwarfing the highest end available in most Orange County neighborhoods by not only lot and home size but also in over the top quality of craftsmanship.

There are also a few homes in the $10 to $15 million range, and at this end of the market the homes are as outrageous as the asking prices, with estates at this level talking of multiple yards, buildings and other amenities – essentially your own private resort.

All of the owners of homes in Bear Brand Ranch need to pay $645 monthly association dues.

Pros and Cons of living in Bear Brand Ranch

Who wouldn’t want to live in Bear Brand Ranch? Clearly the first negative for most home buyers would be the pricing, but putting costs aside, there are some considerations for home buyers to take into consideration.

While some homeowners would never live in an area without a strict association – associations that are well managed keep the area pristine – some home buyers object to the control that associations exert. For example – if you live in the development you can’t allow your guests to park their cars on the street overnight – which keeps the area beautiful and from looking like a parking lot.

Although some properties in the development have garages that hold 18 or more cars, with driveways that stretch half of a football field, some might object to this sort of restriction and the other normal CC&R’s that go with the territory of living in any community-based property.

The only other negative for some is that many of our clients feel that living in Southern California and paying up to 8 figures for a home, one should be able to walk to the beach from the back patio (but many would rather not track sand into the house). The truth is, that’s a very valid concern, but if you want an estate, meaning acres, that’s not really available on the beach. Homes valued similarly are on beach close by and with most of those homes the distance between yours and your neighbor’s house will be shorter than the length of your living room.

Aside from having an association and having to build a volleyball court if you want to play volleyball in your back yard, there are precious few parcels of real estate that you could find on the west coast that could come close to affording the luxury you could find with a home in Bear Brand Ranch. Most estate homes in Southern California are placed out in the middle of nowhere, but Bear Brand Ranch real estate is relatively centrally located, within a 5 minute drive of the Ocean Ranch marketplace and minutes to the 5 freeway, PCH and the 73 toll road.

If you’re looking for a large home on a lot of land that is near, but not directly on, the beach area in South Orange County, this is one area that is worth your time to take a look at.