Although sales began in late 1973, it wasn't until early 1974 that five model homes opened on Hansen Drive at Calle Reynoso. Valley Avenue hadn’t been completed then, so Hansen was the primary route into the neighborhood.
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| January 1974 Oakland Tribune ad—by 1974, even houses got the memo: compact, efficient, and a little boxier. Like a post-gas-crisis car, but with a wetbar and harvest gold appliances. |
Where Mackay homes are located in Del Prado
Mackay’s 1973 line of homes where built around Calle Reynoso in the Del Prado neighborhood. Some of Mackay’s earlier homes also are in this neighborhood.
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| Annotated aerial map of the Reynoso section of the Del Prado neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Selling the dream
By 1974, Mackay’s Del Prado homes had entered truly premium territory. With base prices beginning at $48,950, they stood well above the national median home price of about $35,900. That gap tells us something: buyers weren’t just paying for shelter—they were buying status, style, and innovation. The homes boasted features rarely seen in mass‑market subdivisions: self‑cleaning ovens, master retreats, optional fireplaces, furniture‑style wood cabinets, and fully insulated walls. In its ads, Mackay didn’t merely sell a house; it sold an elevated lifestyle, promising comfort, elegance, and long‑term value.
Compared to Mackay’s earlier line of homes in Del Prado, the floorplans were bigger and the finishes more refined. And this time, the neighborhood came with a cabana and community pool.
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| February 1974 newspaper ad for Mackay Homes’ new line in Del Prado, Pleasanton, promoting “The Distinctive Homes of Del Prado” with upscale features like energy-saving insulation, natural wood cabinets, food disposers, and membership in the Cabana Swim Club. The image shows an aspirational vision of suburban luxury in the mid-1970s. |
Legacy of Del Prado
By the end of 1974, Mackay had wrapped up their work in Del Prado. A few years later, the builder was absorbed into the short-lived Kaiser-Aetna partnership, which spun off into Ponderosa Homes. But by then, the homes had already spoken for themselves.
Even today, Del Prado remains one of Pleasanton’s most desirable neighborhoods, and it’s easy to see why. Its homes were built with heart, pride, and the kind of detailing that could only come from a time when a new home meant a fresh start.
Exploring the original Mackay Del Prado today
Although the sales office is long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original Del Prado model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Mackay's vision for suburban living in 1973.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to Del Prado's earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complex, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original advertised prices
- 1973: From $48,950
- 1974: From $48,950
Original model home complex
Del Prado's five original model homes were arranged on Hansen Drive around a temporary sales complex that welcomed prospective buyers during the neighborhood's grand opening in January 1974. While the sales office disappeared long ago, the model homes remain, allowing visitors to trace the neighborhood's beginnings more than fifty years later.
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| Annotated aerial map of the Del Prado model home complex on Hansen Drive. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Original model home designs
1. The Valencia - This model offered approximately 1,892 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Valencia model today via Google Street View. |
2. The Barcelona - This model offered approximately 1,897 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Barcelona model today via Google Street View. |
3. The Seville - This model offered approximately 1,800 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Seville model today via Google Street View. |
4. The Granada - This model offered approximately 1,836 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Granada model today via Google Street View. |
5. The Monterey - This model offered approximately 2,266 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Monterey model today via Google Street View. |
Collection
Pleasanton — the places that built a modern city
This collection explores the new-home communities, builders, and neighborhoods that reshaped Pleasanton during the decades when the city evolved from an agricultural town into one of the East Bay's defining suburban cities.
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