Before dawn: the Casa Ramon frenzy

In the booming real estate landscape of late-1970s San Ramon, no neighborhood captured the moment quite like Casa Ramon. Built by W. W. Dean and Associates between 1976 and 1977, this 137-home subdivision didn’t just sell well—it made history.

Map of Casa Ramon San Ramon
Location of the Casa Ramon neighborhood in San Ramon, California.

San Ramon’s first real housing frenzy

When the first preview sale launched in November 1976, buyers didn’t wait for model homes to open—they came ready to sign. In just 16 days, W. W. Dean sold 76 homes, sight unseen. By the time the first phase wrapped, all 89 homes were gone. Demand was so intense that by June 1977, as phase 2 opened, something extraordinary happened: 48 homes sold in a single day.

San Ramon had never seen anything like it. Homebuyers lined up before dawn—some with lawn chairs and thermoses—ready to claim their slice of the suburban dream.

Buyers line up to buy homes for phase 2 in 1977.

A plan for everyone

Casa Ramon offered four distinct models, each tailored for growing families of the era. These homes weren’t just bigger—they were smarter. Most came with family rooms, generous kitchens, and plenty of closet space, all tucked inside sleek, contemporary California ranch-style designs.

Casa Ramon model homes

Four model homes were shown on Montevideo Drive at Colima Avenue.

Site of the Casa Ramon model homes.

Pricing history

1976: $56,950 - $67,950
1977: n/a

1. The Plan 1 - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,883 sq. ft.

The original Plan 1 model today.

2. The Plan 2 - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,593 sq. ft.

The original Plan 2 model today.

3. The Plan 803 - 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2,148 sq. ft.

The original Plan 803 model today (expanded).

4. The Plan 4 - 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2,209 sq. ft.

The original Plan 4 model today.

Buildout and legacy

By late 1977, the model homes themselves went up for sale, priced from $81,500 to $96,500—a big jump from the preview prices of $56,950 to $67,950 just a year earlier. Still, the market showed no signs of slowing down, and the neighborhood quickly sold out.

Casa Ramon became an early symbol of what San Ramon would soon become: a place where families could dream big, upgrade their space, and join a fast-growing, vibrant community.

What started as an unassuming subdivision ended in a full-on housing craze—and helped shape the next chapter of suburban life in the valley.

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