The San Elijo Hills Town Square is the heart of this vibrant, award-winning community.

San Elijo Hills, the ocean-view community that has earned the most prestigious awards in the homebuilding/development industry, is introducing a wide variety of new homes this year — homes with a broad spectrum of sizes, prices and lifestyle options.

Prices for single family homes in new neighborhoods will range from the $500,000s to more than a million. Urban-style condos located in the towncenter are currently available in the mid $400,000s.

“We’re excited to offer such an expansive collection of new homes,” said Halé Richardson, director of marketing and communications for San Elijo Hills. “New neighborhoods slated to open this year will feature single family homes and condos that range from 1,200 square feet to more than 6,000 square feet. There will be a perfect home in San Elijo Hills for people at every stage of life.”

D.R. Horton, America’s Builder, will preview two new neighborhoods featuring single-family homes, starting Jan. 7 in the San Elijo Hills Visitor Center. Sonoma will offer charming split-level residences ranging from 1,354 to 2,002 square feet with two- to three-bedrooms. Some homes will feature dramatic ocean views. Prices for Sonoma homes are anticipated to start in the high $500,000s.

Palisades by D.R. Horton is an exclusive collection of 42 homes on single-loaded streets located on one of the highest points in San Elijo Hills. These executive-size homes, featuring 3,717 to 4,237 square feet, will include up to six bedrooms and a host of luxury amenities. Homes at Palisades will be priced from the low $800,000s.

Several other neighborhoods are planned to open later this year. California Cove will introduce estate homes called The Masterpiece Collection and The Symphony Collection, both within the gated neighborhood of Montage. These exceptional estate homes atop one of the highest peaks in San Elijo Hills will feature more than 6,000 square feet of luxury living space. Prices have not been established.

Richmond American Homes is also scheduled to introduce Atherton and Luminara, two neighborhoods featuring single-family homes. Prices have not been set.

Later this year, HomeFed Corporation, the master developer of San Elijo Hills, will introduce Quadra, a neighborhood of 40 urban-style townhomes conveniently located in the towncenter.

Currently, San Elijo Hills offers 12 floor plans in four neighborhoods. Homes, which range in size from 1,100 to more than 4,000 square feet, are priced from the $400,000s to more than $1 million.

Pulte Homes offers two beautiful single-family neighborhoods. Meridian homes, priced from the $800,000s, feature three plans ranging from 3,290 to 3,607 square feet with four to five bedrooms, charming courtyards and three-car garages. Mariners Landing features three inviting floor plans priced from the low $700,000s and ranging from 2,617 to 2,999 square feet. These three- and four-bedroom homes include options that can increase the number of bedrooms.

John Laing Homes’ Woodley’s Glen, which is nearing close out, features two-story homes ranging from 2,332 to 2,800-square feet. These well-appointed homes feature three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to 3.5 baths and come in a variety of traditional architectural styles. Woodley’s Glen homes are priced from the $600,000s.

In the towncenter, Lennar’s Creekside Cottages features row homes within a vibrant urban setting. Priced from the mid-$400,000s, the innovative tri-level attached row homes are available in four floorplans with two to three bedrooms and 2.5 to 3.5 baths.

The topography of San Elijo Hills contributes to the community’s allure. Neighborhoods and homesites have been sculpted into the hilly terrain in a way that has provided ocean views to many homes. In fact, 26 of the 28 single-family-home neighborhoods feature ocean views.

Taking advantage of its view-oriented terrain, the community features 18 miles of trails woven through 1,100 acres of open space with panoramic ocean and back-country views. The trails also feature views of San Elijo Hills’ charming Towncenter, which is currently under development.

Already completed in the towncenter is the 19-acre San Elijo Hills Park featuring a community center, a lighted soccer field, two lighted baseball diamonds, jogging paths, picnic areas and tot lot, children’s water playground, acres of rolling lawn, a barbecue area, plaza overlooking the town square and a fenced area for exercising the family pet.

The towncenter also features a 30-acre education campus. The middle school, which sits prominently near the Town Square, is open and functioning as a K-8 school. The elementary school is under construction and scheduled to open this year.

The final component of the towncenter, set to begin construction soon, is a 120,000-square-foot mixed-use complex with a grocery store, a variety of retailers, restaurants, and 40 residences.

The design of the towncenter was honored with a Gold Nugget Grand Award in the “Community/Town Plan” category at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference recently and the whole community was named “Master-Planned Community of the Year” at The Nationals, an annual competition sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders.

The towncenter’s architectural variety and extensive mix of uses will make it a lively and exciting place,” said Roger Basinger, the design principal and co-founder of Architects BP Associates, Inc. of San Diego, who is the lead architect at the towncenter.

With all the amenities of a proverbial small town, beautiful homes in many price ranges, and breath-taking ocean-views, it’s no wonder that San Elijo Hills is one of the most coveted communities in San Diego County.

The San Elijo Hills Visitor Center, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located at 1215 San Elijo Road, San Marcos. For more information on San Elijo Hills, visit www.sanelijohills.com or call toll-free (888) SAN-ELIJO (726-3545).

To reach San Elijo Hills from the south, take I-5 to Leucadia Boulevard exit and drive east. (Leucadia Boulevard ultimately turns into Rancho Santa Fe Road.) Turn right onto San Elijo Road and continue two miles to the center of town.