Amenities Rich Fair Oaks Ranch Draws Homebuyers Who Cherish Leisure Time, Active Living, Open Space and Everyday Simplicity

    SANTA BARBARA, CA, January 29, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A recent advertisement for Fair Oaks Ranch says it well: "What's Easy to Get To, But Hard to Leave?" and this Santa Clarita Valley master-planned community lives up to the claim with an impressive array of lifestyle amenities. Those amenities find favor with singles, couples and families. Homebuyers here represent diverse cultures and ethnic groups, and a range of incomes, ages and life stages, careers and interests.

Some found Fair Oaks Ranch on their own. Some came because they have bought a new home from Pardee Homes before, and some because their sisters, cousins, parents or friends recommended this place. All of them wanted something special.

At Fair Oaks Ranch they found the special: stylish, well-finished new homes, plus lifestyle extras that have made Fair Oaks Ranch a very attractive choice to home shoppers in Southern California's Santa Clarita Valley.

"When you come home to all of this, it just feels so good," said Gratia D'Souza, who bought at Fair Oaks Ranch with her husband Pascal. "The homeowners are proud of the value here, which of course is why the community looks so nice!"

This sense of special place is rooted--literally--by some 400 oak trees Pardee Homes has preserved, trees you'll find throughout the community's some 875 acres. One specimen marks the Fair Oaks Ranch entrance. Estimated to be well over 100 years old, the tree is a distinctive and welcoming beacon to Fair Oaks Ranch. It is also just the most visible part of a preservation program that encompasses stands of oak trees throughout the community.

"Our company is committed to 'doing the right thing,' and this includes thoughtful stewardship of the land," said Jim Bizzelle, vice president of community development for Pardee's LA/Ventura region. "We believe homebuyers and homeowners at Fair Oaks Ranch share our pride in this regard, and that they appreciate the oak trees and abundant open space they have here."

Speaking of open space, it accounts for about half the acreage at Fair Oaks Ranch, and most of it is in its natural state. Pardee has devoted nearly 400 acres of the community to open space, with some of that acreage reserved for neighborhood parks, a school site and a neighborhood recreational center called The Ranch at Fair Oaks Ranch.

Here, you'll find a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, framed by shaded barbecue and seating areas, children's play equipment, an eating bar and play lawn. A large common room with full kitchen can host community gatherings or private parties. The facility is part of the Fair Oaks Ranch Homeowners Association, and reserved for residents of several neighborhoods, including Laurel Park and Oak Crest, the latest neighborhoods with new homes available today.

Residents can also explore the delights of Fair Oaks Ranch Park, where approximately 6 acres include broad expanses of open space turf and differentiated activity areas that include a non-regulation softball/soccer field, a lawn volleyball court and a basketball court. Two children's play areas, one for ages 2 to 5 and a second for ages 5 to 12, feature age-appropriate play equipment and are within easy walking distance of the park's shade pavilion and restrooms.

Picnic tables with barbeques encircle the softball/soccer field. Bench seating and a pedestrian path of decomposed granite complement shrubbery and tree plantings, which included (what else?) an oak tree fixed in the park grounds by students of Fair Oaks Ranch Community School to mark dedication ceremonies.

These students can also enjoy the expansive grounds of their school, a modern K-6 facility that sits on a 10-acre site Pardee Homes donated to the Sulphur Springs Union School District. The school's playgrounds and sports fields are available for public access during non-school hours. Thanks to this arrangement, parents with young families can use the play equipment on the weekends, and by application, groups can reserve the sports fields for specific events.

Rounding out the outdoor enjoyment at Fair Oaks Ranch is a hiking and walking trail. It provides a great way to explore the community, check out scenic vistas--and get connected with the area's larger trails network.

Connection is the other part of the story at Fair Oaks Ranch, which offers that unbeatable combination of getaway flavor with convenience to virtually everything people count on for everyday. Freeway-close location can help ease the commute to downtown Los Angeles, or you can hop the train from a nearby Metrolink station. The Plaza at Golden Valley, just next door to Fair Oaks Ranch, highlights local shopping.

Stores include Target, Kohl's and Lowe's, Staples, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petsmart, Dress Barn, Payless Shoes and Lane Bryant. Restaurants include Panera Bread and Chili's. Or expand your choices by driving for just a few minutes to Canyon Country. Also close at hand are Magic Mountain, regional parks and wildlife preserves, local festivals and celebrations and the shopping, services, dining, and entertainment of Valencia.

Pardee Homes' commitment to quality living at Fair Oaks Ranch includes a greener way of life at home, as provided by the company's LivingSmart brand for new homes. Its included and optional features enhance energy efficiency, interior air quality and overall performance and comfort under EnergySmart, EarthSmart, HealthSmart and WaterSmart groupings. Learn more at www.pardeehomes.com.

To reach Fair Oaks Ranch, exit the 14 Freeway North at Via Princessa to enter Fair Oaks Ranch. Turn left at Lost Canyon Road and follow signs to Laurel Park and Oak Crest model centers, which are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Mondays. Call 661-299-5409 for Laurel Park and 661-252-2394 for Oak Crest. Also see www.pardeehomes.com.

Pardee Homes provides family homes for a broad range of buyer profiles, and is the master developer of several notable master-planned communities throughout its market areas. Pardee is one of the oldest and most reputable building companies in California, and is recognized for quality new homes, responsive customer service and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds.

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