Novella, Thousand Oaks: Life on a Gated Cul de Sac of 18 Homes

Turn off South Rancho Road, pass the gate, and the street simply ends. Eighteen houses sit on a rise with open space at their backs, so the only cars on Blake Ridge Court belong to the people who live there, and the back rows look out over the mountains and the valley at sunset. It feels hidden, yet you are at the edge of the Rolling Oaks estate area in south Thousand Oaks. That mix of seclusion and convenience is the whole point of Novella.

Life on Blake Ridge Court

Novella is one street. There is no second entrance, no cut through, and no reason for anyone to drive in who does not live there or is not visiting. With sidewalks, a cul de sac turnaround and 18 households, it is the kind of place where neighbors know each other's cars.

The setting does a lot of the work. The enclave sits on a knoll at the edge of the Rolling Oaks estate area, with Conejo Creek open space behind the rear lots. Homes along the back are marketed on their mountain and valley views for good reason. It reads as a smaller, newer, gated pocket near Rolling Oaks rather than a tract in the middle of town.

We sell across south Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, and Novella comes up with buyers who like the Rolling Oaks setting but want a 2005 house with high ceilings and a modern plan.

The homes: 2005 construction, one and two story plans

All 18 homes were built in 2005, with Mediterranean styling on the street. Plans run from about 3,000 to just under 4,000 square feet with four or five bedrooms and two and a half to four and a half baths. Both single story and two story plans exist here, which matters: a one level home of this size on a half acre lot is hard to find in Thousand Oaks.

As built, the finish level was high for the era. Expect ceilings up to 15 feet, nine foot solid core doors, hardwood and travertine floors, slab granite, stone fireplace surrounds and professional stainless appliances, with varying degrees of remodeling since. Several homes have a pool and spa.

Lots are the other draw. They range from roughly 10,000 to 32,000 square feet, with the typical lot around 18,000 square feet, so there is room for a pool, a lawn and real separation from the neighbors. Several homes are perched above street level on the knoll, which gives the views but also means you should ask about slope, retaining walls and drainage. Garage counts and bath counts vary by plan, so confirm them in person.

What Novella homes cost, and why pricing takes some care

The two sales in 2025 closed at about $1.6M to $1.7M, for a four bedroom home of about 3,000 square feet and a five bedroom of about 3,800 square feet. A decade earlier homes here traded for roughly $1M to $1.35M between 2013 and 2020. The street also rents when a home is offered; a single story here leased for about $7,000 a month.

Turnover is the thing to understand. With 18 homes and only two sales in the three years through 2026, roughly one home comes up every 18 months. That scarcity supports value, but it also means any pricing conversation has to lean on comparable sales in Rolling Oaks and the rest of south Thousand Oaks outside the gate. We walk through how that works in our Thousand Oaks home values guide.

If you are selling here, the buyer pool is move up families who already know the area and have been waiting for a gated, newer home near Rolling Oaks. If you are buying, be ready to move when one appears.

Schools: a Westlake High address with an elementary caveat

Novella is assigned to Westlake High, which is the reason many buyers look south of the 101 in the first place, and to Colina Middle. The elementary assignment is Conejo Academy of Leadership and Language Immersion, a small K-5 public school of roughly 260 students with a language immersion program.

Be clear eyed about that last one. Conejo Academy's state test scores sit well below the Westlake High feed, with English proficiency around 28 percent and math around 23 percent in recent reporting, and agents who describe the street as a "Westlake schools" address are right about high school but not about elementary. Many families in this situation look at the immersion program on its own merits or ask the district about transfer options. Confirm the assignment in writing with Conejo Valley Unified for the specific home before you rely on it, since boundaries do change.

Where it sits and who it suits

Novella is in the City of Thousand Oaks, in Ventura County. You reach it from South Rancho Road on the south side of the 101, in the same corner of town as the Rolling Oaks estates. The open space behind the street is part of the Conejo Creek corridor, so the hillside view out back is permanent.

It suits a family that wants a large, finished house with a yard, a gate and a dead end street, and that values Westlake High. It is a strong fit for anyone who likes Rolling Oaks but does not want an estate sized project. If you want more amenities or a larger community, compare it with gated neighborhoods like Hillsborough and Ventana Oaks, or browse all of our Thousand Oaks neighborhood guides.

What to check before you buy in Novella

• The HOA is small. Novella Community Associates has 18 doors and is managed by Lordon Management Company. Dues are about $300 a month. Read the reserve study, the insurance renewal and any history of special assessments, and ask what the dues cover, especially the gate, street landscaping and any slope maintenance behind the rear lots.
• Rules on rentals and exterior changes. Order the resale package early and look for minimum lease terms, short term rental restrictions, solar and paint guidelines and pool approvals.
• Hillside and open space. Homes backing open space on a Conejo Valley hillside should be checked for fire hazard zone designation and for insurance availability and cost before you write an offer, along with defensible space requirements. Ask for slope, retaining wall and drainage history on the perched lots.
• Property taxes. Review the tax bill and natural hazard report for any special assessments, and confirm the Ventura County jurisdiction on the preliminary title report.
• Resale liquidity. Two sales in three years means a longer wait to buy and a smaller comp set when you sell. Price with the broader Rolling Oaks market in mind.

Owning in Novella

What a typical home costs to own

About $10,808/month

• Principal and interest$8,996
• Property tax (about 1.1% of price, Ventura County)$1,513
• HOA$300

Estimate for a $1.65M 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 Novella, and are glad to talk through how it compares.

Get a private valuation (805) 341-6125

Similar neighborhoods

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• Waverly HeightsThousand Oaks · $820K to $1.93M

Thousand Oaks home prices, the last five years

Questions people ask about Novella