Tucked a few blocks from Concord's better-known Eichler neighborhoods, Rancho de los Santos is easy to miss if you don't know where to look. It's a single compact tract of 41 homes, built by Eichler Homes in 1965, and it rewards the people who find it. I've had the privilege of selling several Eichlers here, and it's one of my favorite pockets of mid-century Concord. If you're curious about Eichler homes in Concord, CA, here's what I'd want you to know about this one.
A Little History: The "Ranch of the Saints"
Concord has three Eichler tracts, all built between 1963 and 1965: Parkwood Estates, Rancho del Diablo, and Rancho de los Santos. Los Santos was the last of the three and is the smallest. Eichler's architect files at UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Archives list it as Subdivision 3142, also called "Rancho del Diablo #2." That makes sense, because Rancho del Diablo is just a few blocks away. The saint-and-devil names were almost certainly inspired by Mount Diablo looming over both.
For years many residents didn't even know their neighborhood's name. The Eichler Network tells how a newer owner went to those Berkeley archives in 2009 and rediscovered "Rancho de los Santos." In 2015 the neighborhood threw a 50th-anniversary party, and a few original owners were still living on the street.
Who designed these homes?
The Berkeley archive files Rancho de los Santos under the Claude Oakland & Kinji Imada collection. The plans carry "CC" model numbers: CC-13, CC-194 and CC-294, plus mirrored "R" versions such as the CC-294R. By 1965 Eichler's design language was well established: post-and-beam framing, walls of glass, clerestory windows and an atrium or gallery entry, all of which show up here. If you're researching a particular house, its plan number is the best place to start. It tells you what the architect intended, even after decades of changes.
What the Homes Are Like
Inside, Rancho de los Santos homes have the classic Eichler look. Post-and-beam construction, tongue-and-groove ceilings, walls of glass, and sliding doors open the living spaces to the garden. Many plans are built around a central atrium, so you step outdoors before you're fully inside. The Eichlers I've listed here are single-story, four-bedroom, two-bath homes of roughly 1,600 to 1,800 square feet, on lots of about 7,700 to 8,200 square feet. Some have two-car garages and others have a garage with a carport.
What I love about this tract is how much original character has survived. Homes I've sold here still had mahogany paneling, globe lighting, unpainted tongue-and-groove ceilings, and radiant floor heat. Those details are hard to find, and they're exactly what Eichler buyers look for.
Streets and Location
The tract is bounded by West Street, Salem Street, Santa Fe Court and Houston Court, in Concord's 94521 ZIP code. It's a small, contained pocket of mid-century homes on level streets.
Day-to-day errands are easy. There's a Safeway less than half a mile away, and the shops and restaurants along Clayton Road and Concord Boulevard are close by. Concord BART is about two miles west, which matters if you commute toward Walnut Creek, Oakland or San Francisco. Highway 242 and I-680 are a short drive away. Several city parks are nearby, including Dave Brubeck Park and Concord Community Park. And Mount Diablo, the mountain that gave the tract its name, is always on the horizon.
The neighborhood is in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Westwood Elementary is right on West Street, and its website lists El Dorado Middle and Concord High in its feeder pattern. School boundaries can change, so always confirm an address's assigned schools with MDUSD.
Living in Rancho de los Santos
Because the tract is so small, it has a strong sense of place. Original owners interviewed by the Eichler Network remember block parties on a closed-off Salem Street from the very beginning. Concord's Eichler neighbors also have a history of trading tips and sources for things like mahogany siding. There's no HOA and no shared amenities. What you get is the architecture, the street, and neighbors who care about both.
Eichler owners in Concord deal with real-world maintenance: foam roofs, radiant heating systems, single-pane glass, and summer heat. Recent sellers here have added ductless mini-split systems, owned solar, and dual-pane windows while keeping the look intact. Done thoughtfully, those upgrades make these homes comfortable all year without erasing what makes them special. (If you're planning a kitchen update, my post on kitchen design trends shaping East Bay homes covers how warm wood ties back to Eichler post-and-beam character.)
Buying an Eichler in Rancho de los Santos
With only 41 homes, listings here don't come up often. A few things I tell every buyer:
- Know the plan number. It explains the layout, atrium placement and garage configuration, and it helps you compare homes fairly.
- Inspect the systems that matter. Radiant heat, roof condition and drainage, electrical, and windows deserve an inspector who knows Eichlers.
- Value originality. Intact mahogany, original ceilings and an open atrium are hard to replace. They're often worth more than a generic remodel.
- Be ready. Have financing lined up and let me know what you're looking for, so you hear about homes as soon as they're coming.
Selling Your Rancho de los Santos Eichler
Selling an Eichler isn't like selling a typical ranch home. The right buyer is looking for architecture, and the marketing, photography and staging have to show it. I've represented several homes in this tract:
- 4001 Salem St: an open-air "super" atrium, unpainted tongue-and-groove ceilings and radiant floor heat. Sold February 2025.
- 4024 Salem St: a Claude Oakland design entered through an atrium Zen garden, with period-correct VCT flooring, globe lighting and a newer radiant boiler. Sold May 2026.
- 3998 Salem St: a CC-294R model owned by its original owners for 60 years and carefully restored, with mahogany paneling, globe lighting and its central atrium intact. Sold August 2026.
Each of those sales relied on telling the home's story honestly: what's original, what's been improved, and why it matters. If you're thinking about selling, start with a home valuation. I'll walk you through what Eichler buyers in Concord are paying for right now and which updates are worth making first.
Rancho de los Santos FAQ
How many Eichler homes are in Rancho de los Santos?
The tract has 41 Eichler homes, built in 1965. It's the smallest of Concord's three Eichler neighborhoods.
Who was the architect?
UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Archives holds the tract's plans in the Claude Oakland & Kinji Imada collection. The models carry "CC" plan numbers such as CC-13, CC-194 and CC-294.
Where exactly is it?
It's in Concord's 94521 ZIP code, around Salem Street, West Street, Santa Fe Court and Houston Court, a few blocks from the Rancho del Diablo Eichler tract.
Is there an HOA?
No. Rancho de los Santos has no homeowners association and no shared tract amenities.
How is it different from Concord's other Eichler tracts?
Parkwood Estates (1963) is the largest and borders a city park. Rancho del Diablo (1964) has about 69 homes. Rancho de los Santos (1965) is the most compact, with 41 homes. All three share Eichler's post-and-beam design, so the differences come down to plans, lots and streets.
Let's Talk Eichlers
Whether you're hoping to buy your first Eichler, wondering what yours is worth, or just love these homes as much as I do, I'm always happy to talk. Explore more of the city on my Concord neighborhood page, browse my recent listings and sales, or reach out and we'll find a time to chat.
