Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Real Estate

Rancho Santa Margarita

Rancho Santa Margarita is a newer, planned community set upon rolling hills in southern Orange County. It is primarily made up of smaller, gated communities, each with its own homeowners association. The city covers approximately 15 square miles. Rancho Santa Margarita has more than 1,700 acres of dedicated open space, including a 13-acre community lake, nine community parks, miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths and the popular Tijeras Creek Golf Club.

Dove Canyon is a private residential community located in eastern Rancho Santa Margarita. It is a small enclave of approximately 1,200 homes and 5,000 residents. Included within the guard-gated entry are a Jack Nicklaus signature golf club, pool, tennis courts, a small child's park, a wide field, a shopping center, and a reservoir. The majority of its residents are upper middle class residents of Orange County, and all of the homes in Dove Canyon are single-family residences. Major roads include Dove Canyon, Bell Canyon and Sycamore Canyon. A horse trail starts at the waterfalls outside of the community and continues until the end of Sycamore Canyon. From there, hikers, horse riders, bikers, etc. can continue into Dove Canyon's neighbor community, Coto de Caza.

Robinson Ranch is a mid-sized residential community located south of Trabuco Canyon. It is one of the older communities in Rancho Santa Margarita. It has several condominium areas close to Plano Trabuco Road and a large park. Major Roads include Robinson Ranch and Shadow Rock. Like Dove Canyon and Rancho Cielo it is assigned with a Trabuco Canyon zip code even though the areas were annexed into Rancho Santa Margarita in the 1990s.

Rancho Cielo is a smaller residential community located in eastern Rancho Santa Margarita. It includes gated entry with security guard. It is near the intersection of Plano Trabuco Road and Dove Canyon Drive. All of the homes are all single family residences and the majority of its residents are upper-middle class. Major Roads include Rancho Cielo and Camino Del Cielo.

The community of Alicante is surrounded by the gorgeous Tijeras Creek public golf course. Montana del Lago is a condo community, right on the lake. Brisis del Lago is another popular condo community.

The multiplicity of names often creates confusion: residents of the Las Flores, Dove Canyon, Rancho Cielo, or Robinson Ranch neighborhoods, for example, can receive mail addressed to them at Rancho Santa Margarita, Dove Canyon, Coto de Caza, Robinson Ranch or Trabuco Canyon. This is because many of these communities started up before the city of Rancho Santa Margarita was incorporated.

As most homes in Rancho Santa Margarita come under the jurisdiction of a Homeowner’s Association, all potential buyers should have a careful look at the CC&R’s as well as individual neighborhood rules and by-laws. Also, be sure to factor in monthly HOA dues.
Shopping consists of numerous neighborhood centers, with stores such as Target and Kohl’s. Although primarily a bedroom community, there are several industrial and office parks in the city. The worldwide headquarters of the public speaking club, Toastmasters International is located here.

The city is served by Saddleback Valley Unified School District and the Capistrano Unified School District. Private Elementary and Middle Schools include St. John's Episcopal, Serra Catholic, and Mission Hills Christian School. Santa Margarita Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school.