Dos Vientos Estates, marketed and widely known as La Serena, is the gated custom enclave at the very top of Dos Vientos Ranch, where about 16 estates sit on 2 to 10 acre lots along Via El Cerro and Rancho Dos Vientos Drive with nothing but Santa Monica Mountains open space behind them. It suits buyers who want real acreage, long private driveways and hillside views inside a master-planned community with a top K-8 school down the hill. Built homes have sold for about $3.3M to $5M in 2024 through 2026, with sizes from roughly 4,700 to 9,600 square feet.
Drive up through the Dos Vientos neighborhoods, pass the gates, and the setting changes character completely. The streets become a ridge road with a handful of driveways peeling off toward hilltop Mediterranean and Spanish villas, each on its own several acres, each built by a different owner at a different time. Behind the homes the land simply ends in coastal sage scrub, oak woodland and chaparral that runs all the way into the Santa Monica Mountains. It is quiet in a way the rest of Thousand Oaks is not, and that is the whole point.
| Homes | About 16 custom estates on roughly 31 lots, several still vacant |
|---|---|
| Built | 2005 to 2020, one home at a time |
| Size | About 4,700 to 9,600 sq ft, typically 6 bedrooms |
| Lots | 2 to 10 acres, most around 4 to 5 acres |
| Price range | About $3.3M to $5M for built homes in 2024 through 2026 |
| HOA | About $350 per month |
| Gated | Yes, two gates into the enclave, plus private driveway gates on some homes |
| Schools | Sycamore Canyon School (K-8), Newbury Park High |
| Streets | Via El Cerro and Rancho Dos Vientos Drive, Thousand Oaks 91320 |
Life on the ridge above Dos Vientos
La Serena is the one part of Dos Vientos that does not feel like a tract. Dos Vientos Ranch was approved in 1988 as a 2,350-unit master plan on land that had been a 5,000-acre ranch, bought in 1957 by an evangelist who intended to build a World Church on it. The ranch became the westernmost neighborhood of Newbury Park, and La Serena became its summit: about 31 estate lots on the highest ground, bordered on the open side by Dos Vientos Open Space and the mountains.
Daily life here is private and slow. Neighbors are measured in acres rather than feet. Owners talk about seclusion, long driveways and the view, and in our experience that is exactly what draws people up the hill from the larger Dos Vientos neighborhoods like Haciendas and Vizcaya and Quintana. You still have the whole master-planned community below you, with its K-8 school, but you live apart from it.
The trade is remoteness. This is the far western end of Thousand Oaks, and the open space that makes the setting so beautiful is also wild land. Buyers who want a quick errand loop are usually happier in the tracts. Buyers who want to sit outside at dusk and hear nothing are usually happier here.
The homes: custom, one at a time
There was never a production builder in La Serena. Lots were sold and owners built what they wanted, so the enclave filled in slowly from 2005 to 2020 and still is not finished. Several lots remain vacant. That gives the street a varied, estate-by-estate look rather than a matched tract rhythm, and it means two neighboring homes can differ by thousands of square feet and more than a decade in age.
- Style. Mediterranean and Spanish villas dominate, including single-level view estates and hilltop homes set behind their own driveway gates inside the community gates.
- Size. Roughly 4,700 to 9,600 square feet, usually six bedrooms, with the larger homes running to eight baths.
- Land. Lots run from about 2 acres to nearly 10, and the typical parcel is around 4 to 5 acres. These are true acreage estates, not oversized tract lots, with room for pools, water slides, raised spas, fire pits and built-in outdoor kitchens.
- Views. Open space and mountain views are the core of the value here, and the best sites are pitched as among the premier view properties in gated La Serena.
Because the build-out spanned fifteen years, condition and systems vary house to house. A 2006 home and a 2020 home can sit a short distance apart and feel like different eras, so inspections, solar ownership and mechanical ages matter more than they would in a uniform tract.
Schools: Sycamore Canyon and Newbury Park High
La Serena is assigned to Sycamore Canyon School, a K-8 campus of about 950 students located inside Dos Vientos Ranch, a short drive down the hill. It is a California Distinguished School with top ratings on the major review sites, and the K-8 format is unusual for Conejo Valley Unified, which mostly runs separate elementary and middle campuses. For many families the appeal is simple: one school, one drop-off, for nine years.
High school is Newbury Park High. Not every Dos Vientos address lands at Sycamore Canyon, so we always confirm the assignment for a specific property with the district rather than relying on the neighborhood name.
Prices and what the market really looks like
Built homes in La Serena have sold for about $3.3M to $5M in 2024 through 2026, and the top of that range was a home of roughly 9,600 square feet on Rancho Dos Vientos Drive. Vacant lots trade well below that, with a recent resale near $2M. These are custom acreage estates, a different market from the production neighborhoods of Dos Vientos such as Sedona. Our broader view of the market is in the Thousand Oaks home values guide.
Three things define pricing here:
- Thin volume. Only a few homes change hands in any three-year stretch, so comparable sales are scarce and appraisers reach into greater Dos Vientos and other Conejo estates.
- Wide spread. With sizes from 4,700 to 9,600 square feet and lots from 2 to 10 acres, price per square foot is a weak tool. Site, view and build quality carry the value.
- Patient sellers. List prices tend to run ahead of closings. Long marketing periods and large reductions are normal, and the asking price on a given day tells you less than the price history does.
Who it suits and what to know before you buy
La Serena fits buyers who want acreage, privacy and a view without leaving a master-planned community with good schools. It is a natural step up for families already in Dos Vientos, and for anyone comparing custom enclaves across the Conejo Valley. It is not a fit for buyers who want a walkable street or a tidy, uniform tract.
- HOA. Budget roughly $350 a month and confirm the current figure in escrow. The association's grounds include extensive open space slopes, which drive maintenance costs, so ask for the reserve study and any assessment history.
- Vacant lots. Roughly half the parcels are still unbuilt. Expect future construction nearby and ask how a new home on an adjacent lot could affect your view. Lot buyers should plan for a full custom build timeline and read the association's design rules before closing.
- Fire and insurance. The enclave backs directly onto chaparral and coastal sage scrub. Plan on defensible-space obligations and a careful insurance search before you remove contingencies.
- Diligence basics. Review the property tax bill line by line for any special assessments, check solar ownership versus lease, and ask about mechanical ages on the earlier homes.
For the neighborhoods below the gates, and for every other part of the city, see our guide to Thousand Oaks neighborhoods.
Owning in Dos Vientos Estates (La Serena)
What a typical home costs to own
About $25,668/month
- Principal and interest$21,672
- Property tax (about 1.1% of price, Ventura County)$3,644
- HOA$353
Estimate for a $3.98M home, near the middle of the recent range here, with 20% down at 7.24% (30 year fixed, Freddie Mac, October 29, 2026). Homeowners insurance is extra and varies with fire zone, so get a quote early. Your lender's figures will differ.
Thousand Oaks market, latest data
- Median sale price$1.13M
- Change over 12 months-5.0%
- Typical days on market34
Citywide, three months ending May 2026. Thousand Oaks home values
Our experience here
We sell across this part of the Conejo Valley, including the neighborhoods around Dos Vientos Estates (La Serena), and are glad to talk through how it compares.
Thousand Oaks home prices, the last five years
Questions people ask about Dos Vientos Estates (La Serena)
Is Dos Vientos Estates the same as La Serena?
Yes. Dos Vientos Estates is the formal name and La Serena, or La Serena Estates, is how it is marketed. It is the gated custom enclave at the top of Dos Vientos Ranch along Via El Cerro and Rancho Dos Vientos Drive, with about 16 built homes and several vacant lots.
Is La Serena gated?
Yes. There are two gates into the enclave, and a number of individual estates sit behind their own driveway gates as well, so some homes are effectively double gated. The enclave sits at the top of the larger Dos Vientos Ranch community.
What do homes in Dos Vientos Estates cost?
Built homes have sold for about $3.3M to $5M in 2024 through 2026, with sizes from roughly 4,700 to 9,600 square feet on 2 to 10 acre lots. Vacant lots trade lower, with a recent resale near $2M. Sales are infrequent, so the range is wide.
What schools serve Dos Vientos Estates?
Sycamore Canyon School, a highly rated K-8 campus located inside Dos Vientos Ranch, serves both elementary and middle grades. High school is Newbury Park High. Confirm the assignment for any specific address with Conejo Valley Unified, since not every Dos Vientos street feeds the same campus.
How much are the HOA dues in La Serena?
Plan on roughly $350 a month and confirm the current amount with the association during escrow. The association's grounds include the gates and a large area of open space slopes above the homes, so ask for the reserve study and assessment history before you remove contingencies.
Are there still lots available to build on?
Yes. Of roughly 31 estate lots, about 16 have homes, and the rest remain vacant. Lots do come up for sale occasionally. Buyers should expect a full custom build process, association design review, and the possibility of construction on neighboring lots over the coming years.
Thinking about Dos Vientos Estates (La Serena)?
Whether you are weighing a move here or wondering what your home would bring, Davis and the team are happy to talk it through, street by street. No obligation.
