Native Californians, European settlers, champion racehorses, farmers, the Dalai Lama, reality television stars — an expansive ranch in Santa Barbara has seen it all. And now, it’s on the market for $65 million.
Known as Rancho Dos Pueblos after the two ancient villages that once stood in its place, the 219-acre coastal property “epitomizes what truly is old California and the central coast,” according to listing agent Nancy Kogevinas of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.
“This property is like no other,” she said in an interview. “It has a beach. It has mountain views. It has a lot of land. It has a creek running through it. It has incredible trees, agriculture. I mean, it has a little bit of everything.”
That “little bit of everything” includes a 1920s estate coined “Casa Grande” with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. There’s also a 4,000-square-foot ranch house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms that’s been used as a vacation rental, as well as housing for employees, too, including eight houses, three mobile homes and various dorm and apartment-style residences.
On the far side of the property sits a fully functioning sea snail farm where native red abalones are raised from hatchery to market.
“I think you can kind of sum that up in saying that it’s iconic without having to stretch the property to fit the meaning of that,” co-listing agent George Logan of 22 West Realtors said in an interview.
Deep ties to California's history
Beyond its expansive offerings, the ranch also boasts an intricate history with deep roots in Californian history.
The land was originally home to two villages of indigenous Californians known as the Chumash, according to the Dos Pueblo Institute, a non-profit associated with the property. After it was discovered by Spanish explorers, the rights to the land were granted to an Irish immigrant known as the first doctor in the Santa Barbara area.
Since then, the property has been passed between wealthy businesspeople, some of whom were in the oil industry. Each owner has taken a different approach to operating and using the land, but the most recent ones focused on preserving the property’s biodiversity and educating children about the ranch.
In 2022, the main house was used as filming location for the reality television show “Love Island,” according to Logan and Kogevinas. Previous owners also hosted notable events and guests.
“I think that the most interesting person I know who stayed there was the Dalai Lama,” Logan said.
There's a range of interested buyers
Now, the property seeks its next steward.
The current owner, 79-year-old developer Roger Himowitz, told local media that he’s selling the ranch because he has health problems that require his attention. He said he hopes the buyer will be conservation-minded and willing to maintain his nonprofit.
Logan and Kogevinas said they’ve had interest from a range of buyers, though.
“I’m intrigued by the different types of people who have already shown up,” Logan said. “We’ve had people who run resorts who think they might be able to do something. We have people who are conservancy people. We have people who want to have their own dream residence ranch.”
Another selling point to those buyers is the ranch’s proximity to Santa Barbara, even as it maintains a private feel, according to Kogevinas.
“What really attracts people to this part of the world is the quiet luxury,” she said. “It is a place for people who really just want to experience a true California lifestyle.”