Published July 2, 2025
In December 1968, Ditz-Crane Homes debuted the del Prado housing tract in Pleasanton, a named ultimately given to the entire neighborhood. The full launch came in 1969 when five model homes opened for display at Corte Sierra, growing to seven by the following year. Prices began at a very approachable $30,950.
Built on the former Hansen Ranch, Ditz-Crane’s del Prado offered an alternative to its more polished neighbor next door—Mackay Homes, who also was using the Del Prado name (with a capital D) for its housing tract. While Ditz-Crane’s marketing materials were few and far between, the homes themselves didn’t need much help. With an enviable location close to downtown and schools, and just undercutting Mackay’s pricing, the homes sold briskly. The first 78 were half gone within six months.
Mapping the Ditz-Crane Del Prado
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| Annotated aerial map of the Ditz-Crane housing tract in the Del Prado neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Who are Ditz-Crane?
Founded in 1954, Ditz-Crane had established itself as a thoughtful and quality builder in Northern California. In early 1970, the company was acquired by Foremost-McKesson, which also owned Gentry Development—the firm behind Dublin’s Silvergate housing tract, founded by Tom Gentry. That merger brought more resources under the Ditz-Crane name, but del Prado remained distinct: stylish, understated, and subtly sophisticated.
Del Prado homes and architectural style
When Ditz-Crane introduced del Prado in 1969, prospective buyers encountered the housing tract through its model homes. The models showcased the different designs, floor plans, and lifestyles the builder was offering to buyers in Pleasanton.
The original Del Prado models
The original model homes provide a useful cross-section of Del Prado's architecture. Ditz-Crane presented five models in a sales complex on Corte Sierra, offering buyers a range of house sizes, floor plans, and architectural styles. By 1970, seven models were displayed, with ten floor plans available for purchase. Together, the models document the different designs Ditz-Crane chose to put on display when the tract opened in 1969.
The Plan 1829
This model offered approximately 1,944 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1970.
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| Original Plan 1829 model today (with addition) via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1812
This model offered approximately 1,673 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 1812 model today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1816
This model offered approximately 2,372 square feet with up to 5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 1816 model today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1841
This model offered approximately 2,124 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 1841 model today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1831
This model offered approximately 1,950 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| May 1970 Oakland Tribune ad—the floor plan of the Plan 1831 home with an oversized utility room. It’s not just for laundry, it’s for treasures, tools, and tchotchkes. In 1970, a little extra space went a long way. |
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| Original Plan 1831 model today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1827
This model offered approximately 1,733 square feet with up to 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1970.
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| Original Plan 1827 model today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1812
This model offered approximately 1,623 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Appears to have been shown twice in the model complex.
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| Original Plan 1812 model today—shown twice in the model complex. Image via Google Street View. |
Other Ditz-Crane plans in del Prado
These plans were built but not featured in the official model lineup:
The Plan 1822
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2,034 sq. ft. It was discontinued by 1971.
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| An example of a Plan 1822 home via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1813
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,868 sq. ft. A 4-bedroom version of Plan 1812.
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| A Plan 1813 home today via Google Street View. |
The Plan 1826
3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 1,961 sq. ft. A rare home, only two were built.
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| One of only two known Plan 1826 homes, this rare two-story model stands out with its low production numbers. Image via Google Street View. |
Marketing Del Prado
These homes were thoughtfully designed for modern living. Standard features included all-electric kitchens with continuous-clean ovens, wall-to-wall carpeting, dressing rooms in the primary suite—and of course, those breezy open floor plans that defined late-60s optimism.
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| March 1969 Contra Costa Times ad—grand opening of Del Prado by Ditz-Crane. Welcoming you home with all-electric kitchens and abundant storage ideas. |
What del Prado lacked in splashy promotion, it made up for in surprise. A buyer might have glimpsed an ad, but they had to show up in person to discover the variety of elevations and creative floor plans. Once they did, they rarely left disappointed.
By 1970, as Interstates 580 and 680 fully opened and slashed commute times, Ditz-Crane expanded with Unit 2 along the Arroyo Valle. Select lots backed up to the creek—a rare and peaceful touch in suburban tract housing.
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| May 1970 Oakland Tribune ad—Plan 1841 made such a splash they had to tone it down—because apparently “stealing” hearts was too edgy, so it became "crowd pleaser." |
Legacy of Del Prado
By 1972, a regional housing moratorium brought construction at del Prado to a halt. Five lots within the model complex—possibly intended for future phases—sat empty until the 1980s, when they were finally built out with custom homes.
Other parcels, including lots around Hansen Drive, were sold off to Standard-Pacific and became part of the Easy Street housing tract. A planned school site near Hansen Park fell through, eventually giving way to more housing in the late 1990s.
While Ditz-Crane didn’t shout the loudest, their homes still stand tall. Del Prado remains a beloved Pleasanton tract—charming, well-built, and slightly under the radar. Proof that sometimes, the homes with the quietest introductions are the ones that stick around the longest.
Collection
Pleasanton — building a suburban city
Continue exploring
- Del Prado: Mackay Homes' 1969 housing tract in Pleasanton
- Easy Street: Standard-Pacific's 1972 housing tract in Pleasanton
- Del Prado: Mackay Homes' 1973 housing tract in Pleasanton
- Pleasant Meadows: Standard-Pacific’s 1976 housing tract in Pleasanton
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