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You Really Don’t Need the Sign to Know You’re in Elfin Forest

Less than a mile or so from the densely populated community of San Elijo Hills is Elfin Forest. The two communities couldn’t be more different. San Elijo is a community vibrant with family activity and real estate ranging from small apartments to large homes on relatively small lots in gated communities.

Driving up San Elijo Hills Drive over the top of the mountain to Elfin Forest is like stepping back in time. You enter Elfin Forest and are greeted by a sign that says “Elfin Forest: a Rural Community.”

Most of the homes are large mansions surrounded by white-rail horse fencing and private gates. You know immediately that you are somewhere different from where you were a minute ago. The estate-style homes are on rolling hills on minimum 2-acre parcels with sweeping views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Elfin Forest borders Harmony Grove to the northeast, San Marcos to the north and west, Olivenhain to the southwest, and Rancho Santa Fe to the south.

Doug Berry, a Realtor with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, has a listing at 20570 Fortuna Del Sur for $1.3 million. Berry refers to Elfin Forest as “country coastal.” Berry said the area appeals to those who desire a little more space and a little more of the country feel.

“You can still enjoy the coastal lifestyle because it’s nine miles as the crow flies to the beach, or about 12 minutes,” Berry said. “So you really have the benefit of the country living lifestyle with great access to the coast.”

Berry’s property is an impeccably maintained home on a 3.9-acre lot with fantastic sunset views. It is 3,971 square feet with five bedrooms and three baths. Built in 1991, the home is in the Rancho Santa Fe School District.

“This is the type of community that cares about their overall surroundings,” Berry said. “They do their own Fourth of July parade, Christmas lights — it really is a unique set of homeowners that truly care about their living lifestyle.”

Christie Horn, a Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, has a unique property available — 30 acres at 19106 Fortuna Del Este for $3.25 million. It has a 360-degree view from the top of Paint Mountain. There is a 1.8-acre, fully-graded building pad, gated and with plans for a 10,700-square-foot home and detached guest quarters from San Diego-based Domusstudio. The views are remarkable. The septic tank and leach field are in and there is already an Olivenhain Municipal Water District and SDGE electrical easement to the site.

It is worth noting that a small number of residents of Elfin Forest, estimated to be around 2,000, were able to stop further development by the Rancho Santa Fe developments Bridges and Cielo. According to the Elfin Forest website, the citizens were successful in maintaining the area as a preserve.

Berry commented that “pride of ownership” is evident in every home. “Even the trailers used to transport the horses are maintained, they are covered or in great shape, not rusted or bent and certainly no modular-type homes — you don’t see those.”

The Elfin Forest Recreation Reserve, while it is closed right now during the “red flag warning,” is a 784-acre park featuring native plants, picnic areas, 11 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The reserve’s rangers conduct guided group tours and student exploration programs to promote environmental awareness and preservation of local watersheds. The guided hikes are intended to heighten knowledge of the natural surroundings. The reserve was developed by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. All wildlife and natural resources at the reserve are fully protected so that future generations may enjoy these wonders.

Berry comments that the people in Elfin Forest “actually do ride their horses from their homes to the trails of the Elfin Forest Reserve.”

Elfin Forest is indeed a hidden gem in San Diego County.

Send luxury real estate items to Stephanie Glidden at sglidden@sdbj.com.

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