Rancho Santa Fe is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the country. About 7,500 people call "The Ranch," as it's known to locals, home. Situated just four miles east of the coast and 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1906.

The company planted millions of eucalyptus trees on the land hoping to create a source of wood for its railroad ties. Weather woes and the unsuitability of the wood for ties tanked the plan, but the company was tenacious. It decided to recoup its losses by developing a community of ranches with architectural similarity to the Spanish and Rancho eras. Rancho Santa Fe was born.

The Ranch's wide open spaces, forest-carpeted hills and manicured landscapes combine with the near-perfect climate conditions to offer an outdoor playground for residents. Rancho Santa Fe has attracted the rich and famous with its large lot sizes offering privacy and anonymity. The median home price in The Ranch is about $3.3 million, making The Villas at Rancho Valencia an incredible value.