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sunnyvale neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Rancho Verde, Sunnyvale Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
An early-1960s Eichler tract between Mary and Pome avenues, filed as Fairbrae unit No. 5: about 70 atrium Eichlers south of Ticonderoga Drive, under single-story zoning since 2007.
Rancho Verde by the numbers
rancho verde by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Rancho Verde (Mary to Pome avenues, Fremont Ave to Ticonderoga Dr). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in rancho verde · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Rancho Verde
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Rancho Verde from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
Get alerts for new Sunnyvale listings: open Sunnyvale in our full search and tap Save Search.
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Listings come from MLSListings and other MLSs through IDX and show their listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent. The map outline is the neighborhood boundary used by our listing search (Rancho Verde (Mary to Pome avenues, Fremont Ave to Ticonderoga Dr)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Rancho Verde came to be
Eichler Homes named this tract Rancho Verde when it was built, and it was also filed as part of the larger Fairbrae development. A 1960 plot plan by architect Claude Oakland in UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Archives is titled 'Rancho Verde, Fairbrae unit no. 5,' and the archive's Oakland & Imada collection lists 'Rancho Verde (aka Fairbrae) No. 1 & 2,' Tract 2653, for 1960 and 1961. That's why you'll hear both Rancho Verde and Fairbrae 5. Before the houses, the land was apricot orchard, according to an Eichler publication.
An Eichler publication dates the houses to 1961 and 1962 and credits the designs to Claude Oakland and Jones & Emmons, two of the architects Eichler relied on in that era. Some individual homes carry 1960 build years in MLS records, which fits the archive's earlier plot plans.
Rancho Verde got Sunnyvale's single-story protection early. In 2006 a four-acre site next to the tract was proposed for 42 two-story houses. Neighbors asked the city for a single-story overlay, and on May 15, 2007 the city created a single-story combining district covering 116 properties between Fremont Avenue and Ticonderoga Drive and between Mary and Pome avenues, more than 70 of them Eichlers. The compromise put the one-story limit on every Eichler and on the part of the new development closest to them. It was the city's third such district, after one in 2001 and one in 2002.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
The core tract is compact. Trenton Drive runs east from Mary Avenue through the middle, with short courts such as McIntosh and Navlet and homes along Ticonderoga Drive. Eichlers from the same years continue north of Ticonderoga on streets such as Shenandoah Drive. Some maps and agents fold those blocks into Rancho Verde and some don't, which is how you end up with different home counts.
The models are a mix of low-gable and flat-roofed designs plus a few A-frames, and virtually all have atriums, the open-air courts at the center of the house. When an Eichler publication reported on the tract, it called the streetscape remarkably intact, with only one second-story addition, and described owners modernizing while keeping the Eichler look. Replacement front doors were the most visible change.
Inside the single-story district, the S overlay limits a house to one habitable story and 17 feet, with floor area capped at 45 percent of the lot (as described in 2016 city staff reports on the S district). Additions here go out, not up.
streets in rancho verde
- Trenton Drive
- Ticonderoga Drive
- McIntosh Court
- Navlet Court
- S. Mary Avenue
- Pome Avenue
- Shenandoah Drive (north of Ticonderoga; tract status unconfirmed)
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Rancho Verde
- park
De Anza Park
About half a mile northwest across Mary Avenue at 1150 Lime Drive: 10.5 acres with ball fields, basketball, horseshoe pits, a playground and picnic areas.
- shopping
Mary and Fremont avenues
Shops and services cluster around the Mary-Fremont intersection on the tract's south side. An Eichler publication noted delis, restaurants and shops in a strip center within walking distance.
- club
Fairbrae Swim and Racquet Club
About 0.4 mile east at 696 Sheraton Drive: a member-owned club with a lap pool and lighted tennis courts. Check its website for current status and membership.
- park
Las Palmas Park
About a mile northeast at 850 Russet Drive: 24.3 acres with tennis, water play, a playground and a dog park.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
MLS records for homes on McIntosh Court, Navlet Court and Shenandoah Drive list Sunnyvale School District for elementary and middle school and Fremont Union High School District for high school. Primewood, just across Fremont Avenue, lists Cupertino Union instead, so don't assume from the neighbors. Attendance boundaries change; check the exact address with each district.
Sunnyvale School District guide · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- Sunnyvale Caltrain station (121 W. Evelyn Ave.) is about 1.9 miles north in a straight line.
- Highway 85's Fremont Avenue interchange is a short drive west on Fremont.
- VTA Rapid 523 stops at Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road and Fremont Avenue, about a mile east, with service to the Sunnyvale Transit Center.
- Mary Avenue runs north to El Camino Real; Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road leads south toward Interstate 280.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Rancho Verde: what we check
Buying here
- Confirm the parcel is inside the 2007 single-story district. The S suffix limits the house to one story and 17 feet, which matters if you were counting on a second floor.
- Inspect the atrium: drainage, glass and sliding doors, and whether it has been enclosed or roofed over, and if so, whether that was permitted.
- Get a radiant heat pressure test and ask what pipe material is in the slab. An Eichler publication notes copper leaks are usually repairable, while corroded steel may not be.
- Check the roof type, age and insulation. Eichler roofs are low-slope and originally had about half an inch of fiberglass insulation.
- Ask the planning division whether the Eichler Design Guidelines apply to exterior changes on the lot, and pull the permit history before you write an offer.
Selling here
- Lead with the facts buyers check here: single-story zoning status, atrium condition, radiant heat test and roof age.
- Clean the atrium and test its drains before photos and inspections; it sits at the center of the house, so it shows up in nearly every interior shot.
- Have permits ready for any addition, enclosed atrium or replaced glass.
- If you've modernized while keeping the Eichler look, write down what was done and when.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Rancho Verde questions, answered
Is Rancho Verde the same as Fairbrae 5?
Yes. Eichler Homes named it Rancho Verde, and its 1960 plot plan in UC Berkeley's archive is titled 'Rancho Verde, Fairbrae unit no. 5.' Neighbors use either name.
How many Eichlers are in Rancho Verde?
An Eichler publication calls the tract a 70-home subdivision, and the city's 2007 single-story district covered more than 70 Eichlers among 116 properties. Higher counts you may see, such as about 180, appear to include Eichlers north of Ticonderoga Drive; we couldn't confirm them in a primary source.
Is a second story allowed in Rancho Verde?
Not inside the single-story district created in 2007, which limits homes to one habitable story and 17 feet. Check the zoning of the exact parcel, since streets north of Ticonderoga Drive are outside that district.
Who designed the houses?
Claude Oakland and the firm Jones & Emmons, according to an Eichler publication. Oakland drew the tract's plot plans in 1960 and 1961.
Which school districts serve Rancho Verde?
Homes we checked list Sunnyvale School District and Fremont Union High School District. Confirm the exact address with the districts, since boundaries change.
next door
More Sunnyvale neighborhood guides
From the blog: Eichler, ranch or new construction? A Silicon Valley guide · Discovering the Eichler Homes and Community of Rancho Verde · Can You Add a Second Story to a Sunnyvale Eichler?
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