The Villas is the largest residential neighbourhood at Rancho San Lucas and the one that makes the community accessible. If Norman Estates is about securing the best position on the Pacific, The Villas is about getting inside the gates at a price that works.
The concept
The Villas is built around single-level ranch-style homes on compact lots, developed in phases. Owners either buy a finished villa or buy a homesite and build to community design guidelines, using the Rancho San Lucas design team or their own architect working within the rules.
Lot sizes typically run from about 0.13 to 0.16 acres – roughly 520 to 650 square metres. That is deliberately modest. The design intent is indoor-outdoor living with a private pool and patio rather than sprawling grounds.
What is available now
Four Villas homesites are currently listed, and the pricing is tight:
- 77 Calle Torote – about 0.13 acres, $369,000
- Homesite 88 – about 0.14 acres, ocean and golf course views, $389,000
- Villa 81 – about 0.16 acres, $449,000
- Ocean View Lot 75 – about 0.16 acres, Phase 3, second row with Pacific and sunset views, seller financing available, $449,000
Full details are on the land for sale page.
Finished villas
A number of completed homes exist in The Villas – Villa 20, Villa 10, Villa 37A and Villa 34 Aire among them. These change hands privately more often than through open MLS listings, which is why the public inventory looks thinner than the neighbourhood actually is. If you want a finished home rather than a build project, ask rather than assuming there is nothing.
Current availability is on the The Villas page and the broader homes for sale listing.
Buy and build, or buy finished?
The trade-off is straightforward. A homesite at $369,000 plus a build gives you exactly the house you want, at the cost of eighteen to twenty-four months, construction management from a distance, and real budget uncertainty. A finished villa costs more per square foot but you own something on day one that can start earning.
Buyers who already own in Mexico, or who have a trusted builder, tend to build. First-time Mexico buyers usually do better buying finished. Our buying guide covers the process either way.
What Villas owners get
The same community access as everyone else: the Greg Norman course, Grand Solmar resort services and restaurants, the beach club at Pacific Dunes, the saltwater lagoon, and 1.2 miles of Pacific beachfront. Read the beaches and pools guide before you picture swimming off that beach – it is open Pacific and not safe for it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent a villa short term?
Yes. See rentals and property management for how owners typically handle it.
What are the design guidelines?
Single-level, controlled palette and materials, height limits that preserve neighbours’ sightlines. Get the current guidelines in writing before you buy a lot – they shape what you can build and what it will cost.
Is seller financing common here?
It appears periodically. Ocean View Lot 75 currently carries terms. It is worth asking on any lot you are serious about.
What a Villas build actually looks like
Because the lots are compact, Villas homes are designed around the plot rather than dropped onto it. The typical result is a single-level plan wrapped around a central courtyard or pool, with the living space opening fully to the outside and blank walls to the neighbours for privacy.
That is a deliberate response to the lot size. On 0.13 to 0.16 acres you get privacy through layout rather than through distance, and the good Villas houses do this well.
Phases and what they mean
The Villas has developed in phases, and the phase matters. Later phases such as Phase 3 tend to sit further from the earliest infrastructure but often carry better outlook – Ocean View Lot 75 is a second-row Phase 3 lot with Pacific and sunset views.
When comparing lots, ask which phase, what is built around it already, and what is scheduled to be built next. A lot with an empty parcel in front of it is a different proposition depending on what may go there.
Running costs on a Villas home
Budget HOA dues, the annual fideicomiso trustee fee, predial, insurance and utilities. A private pool adds maintenance and electricity – meaningful in Baja where power is expensive. Salt air means exterior finishes, hardware and air conditioning need attention on a cycle rather than when they fail.
Our guide to dues and ownership costs sets out the full picture, and the property management page covers what caretaking involves for owners who are away for months at a time. Mexico’s SAT handles the tax side if you intend to rent.
Have a look
Current homesites and any available finished villas are on the The Villas page. If you want to compare lots side by side on the ground, let me know.
