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Monterra®…in the News

Vacation Homes
DECEMBER 2006/JANUARY 2007

Monterra®, California

On the drive to the understated gate at Monterra®, above California's Monterey Bay, it is difficult to tell that you are entering a luxury community, and that is just what the developers, farming brothers Roger and Basil Mills, intended. "The whole idea is that the homes peacefully blend in with the land," says Roger Mills, who is slowly releasing handfuls of the 168 generous building sites on the 2,OOO-acre oak fiIled property.

Homesites, which hover between two and five acres, range between $1.8 million to $3.5 million, with turnkey properties priced at $3.5 million to $5 million. Design guidelines strongly recommend the use of natural local materials, and home styles fit into seven categories that reference Old California, ranging from Spanish to Mediterranean, or western variations that include farmhouse, ranch and shingle style. Buyers are free to bring in their own architect or select from a list that Monterra® management advocates.

"Decisions are sealed with a handshake--that's the kind of place it is," says Mills, whose official title is member manager and who resides in Monterra®. "That's how it worked with Clint," he says, referring to his handshake sale of Tehama (see Robb Report vacation Homes, Summer 2005), the neighboring development, to actor turned-conservator Clint Eastwood and his partners. Monterra® lot Owners receive a Tehama Golf Club social fitness membership, which grants access to the Tehama fitness center, located on nearly four acres, and social privileges at the Tehama clubhouse Of Callahan's Grill, named after Eastwood's Dirty Harry character. The 300 golf memberships are by invitation only.

"It's exciting to see the property develop over time," notes Mills, who has sold approximately half of the homesites, with another 18 currently on the market and another 16 to be released in the spring. "While we have sold many homesites," Mills says, "we are seeing a demand for completed homes also." Finished homes in the first enclave, Paseo Vista, are sold out and those under construction are reserved.

While the community feels out of the way, it is only a 20-minute drive to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row (of Steinbeck fame) and shopping on Carmel's Ocean Avenue. Nearby annual happenings include the Pebble Beach Pro Am, the Concours d'Elegance and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

"We want to create a community where you feel at home, know your neighbors and have a true sense of belonging," says Mills. "It's a beautiful setting, with nature all around. It's a wonderful place to be.

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