By the late 1970s, Carl Damé’s Twin Creeks development had become one of the defining suburban projects in the San Ramon Valley. As Twin Creeks expanded southward between 1977 and 1980, Damé introduced the Twin Creeks South View Homes — later renamed by homeowners as Twin Creeks South Estate Homes — a collection of executive residences designed to take advantage of the area’s rolling hills and open views.
Built along the growing Norris Canyon corridor, the homes combined contemporary California styling with the amenities increasingly expected in upper-tier suburban developments: large floor plans, landscaped streets, recreational facilities, and access to one of San Ramon’s most ambitious master-planned communities.
While Twin Creeks South also included smaller Courtside homes and attached Poolside townhomes, the View Homes represented the centerpiece of the development — larger houses aimed at buyers seeking space, prestige, and suburban comfort during the rapid growth of the late 1970s East Bay.
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| 978 newspaper ad for Twin Creeks South by Carl Damé, announcing the grand opening of Phase 2. With 11 model homes to choose from and prices starting at $86,950, the ad romanticized San Ramon’s natural beauty as the backdrop for a better life. “This is the place… untouched… beautiful,” it reads, positioning Twin Creeks South as an escape to the “rich, unspoiled San Ramon Valley”—where outdoor living met suburban comfort. |
Damé Country: expanding Twin Creeks southward
By the late 1970s, Carl Damé had spent nearly a decade transforming the San Ramon Valley through his growing Twin Creeks developments. What began in 1969 as a relatively isolated suburban subdivision gradually expanded into one of the East Bay’s largest master-planned communities.
Twin Creeks South represented the most ambitious phase yet. Damé divided the development into several housing types aimed at different buyers:
- Courtside — compact zero-lot-line detached homes
- Poolside — attached townhomes near recreation facilities
- View Homes (later renamed Estate Homes) — larger executive residences on premium lots
Together, the developments shared access to pools, cabana facilities, tennis courts, and landscaped common areas — amenities increasingly associated with higher-end suburban communities of the late 1970s.
Selling the dream
The late 1970s brought both opportunity and challenge. Interstate 680 had recently improved connectivity, making commuting possible for those working in Walnut Creek, San Jose, or further afield. The area around Twin Creeks was still primarily rural—one school, no shopping centers, and open fields.
Rising Bay Area housing demand pushed many upper-middle-class buyers farther east in search of larger homes, newer subdivisions, and suburban amenities unavailable closer to the urban core.
As Twin Creeks South construction began in late 1977, the market seemed strong. But by 1980, interest rates had climbed to unprecedented levels—over 16% in some cases. Homebuilders across the country slowed production. Buyers hesitated.
Dáme responded with an innovative solution:
$540/month cash back for two years, issued to new homeowners as a refund to offset high interest payments.
This strategy—unusual at the time—proved effective. Twin Creeks South not only weathered the downturn but sold out entirely by mid-1980.
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| September 1977 Oakland Tribune newspaper clipping—the wide Moraga model as it originally appeared with its red tile roof and freshly planted landscaping. |
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| May 1980 San Francisco Chronicle ad—“Damé Does It Again.” The campaign helped drive sales through the final phase of Twin Creeks South—proving that creative financing could be just as important as architecture. |
Legacy of Twin Creeks South View Homes
The Poolside homes sold out in late 1979, while the larger View Homes sold out by early 1980 despite rising interest rates and a slowing housing market.
Today, the Twin Creeks South View Homes remain representative of late-1970s East Bay suburban expansion — larger executive houses built as San Ramon transitioned from rural valley town to major suburban community. Their varied floor plans, hillside setting, and integration into the broader Twin Creeks development reflected the growing demand for master-planned suburban living during the period.
The success of Twin Creeks South also helped pave the way for Damé’s next major expansion: Twin Creeks Hills, which began development in 1981.
The original Twin Creeks South View Homes models and sales materials
When Carl Damé introduced Twin Creeks South View Homes in 1977, prospective buyers encountered the community through its model homes. The models showcased the different designs, floor plans, and lifestyles the builder was offering to buyers in San Ramon.
The original model homes provide a way to revisit that introduction. The guide below shows where Carl Damé's models were located, preserves the original sales material where available, and explores the designs the builder offered to prospective buyers when the community was new.
Original model home complex
When the View Homes opened, buyers toured a carefully staged collection of Damé model homes showcasing the neighborhood’s mix of architecture, indoor-outdoor living, and family-oriented floor plans. Though individual elevations varied, these original models helped define much of the neighborhood’s visual identity.
The seven original models opened in 1977 on Norris Canyon Road. Out of 153 homes built in the first phase, all but 16 were sold in the first month.
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| Annotated aerial map of the original Twin Creeks South View Homes model home complex on Norris Canyon Road. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Original advertised prices
- 1977: From $81,950
- 1978: From $86,950
- 1979 (Phase 3): $97,950 - $127,950
- 1980 (January): $108,950 +
- 1980 (March): $117,950 - $149,950
Former model homes
1. The Mirador - This model offered approximately 2,070 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| A Mirador home today (original model is camera shy) via Google Street View. |
2. The Plaza - This model offered approximately 2,425 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Plaza model today via Google Street View. |
3. The Monterey - This model offered approximately 1,825 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Revised in 1979 to include a wet bar and grew to approximately 1,900 sq. ft.
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| Original Monterey model today via Google Street View. |
4. The Vallejo - This model offered approximately 2,025 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Vallejo model today via Google Street View. |
5. The Plan 5 - This model offered approximately 1,552 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 5 model home today via Google Street View. |
6. The Moraga - This model offered approximately 2,575 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Moraga model today via Google Street View. |
7. The Plan 7 - This model offered approximately 2,029 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 7 model today via Google Street View. |
Companion homes: Poolside townhomes
Alongside the larger View Homes, Damé also developed the smaller Poolside townhomes on Norris Canyon Road. These attached homes offered a lower-maintenance alternative within Twin Creeks South while still providing access to shared pools, tennis courts, and landscaped common areas.
Four original Poolside models opened in 1977, ranging from approximately 1,425 to 1,800 square feet.
The original prices
- 1977: $74,950 - $77,950
- 1978: $77,950 +
- 1979: $93,950 +
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| Annotated aerial map of the Twin Creeks South Poolside model home complex on Norris Canyon Road. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
The original model homes
1. The Bonita - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,425 sq. ft.
2. The Majorca - 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1,600 sq. ft.
3. The Cortez - 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1,800 sq. ft.
4. The Rafael - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,640 sq. ft.
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| Original Twin Creeks South Poolside model homes today (left to right): Rafael, Cortez, Majorca, and Bonita. Image via Google Street View. |
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San Ramon — the neighborhoods that built a suburban city
This collection explores the new-home communities, builders, and neighborhoods that shaped San Ramon during its principle years of suburban growth that gradually became the modern city.
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