Big Bear Neighborhood Overview – Meadowbrook Estates

Want space & seclusion from your next Big Bear property?  Meadowbrook Estates could be the answer. This is a heavily treed acreage subdivision located on the east end of Big Bear, in between Sugarloaf & Erwin Lake.

History of Meadowbrook Estates

Meadowbrook Estates is comprised of a total of three phases and 154 lots.  Apparently, this property was designated as National Forest at some point in time prior to initial development but I don’t know how many years ago that was.

The first phase came up for sale in 1999, which was my first year in the business.  There were 38 lots for sale, ranging in size from 1 acre up to over 6 acres in size.

Phase 2, which contained 65 lots, came up for sale near Labor Day of 2002 while the 3rd and final phase, which contained 51 lots, went up for sale in August of 2003.  The vacant lots in the area were 100% sold out within a year of that, so anything for sale today would be a resale.

The area is currently about 50% built out, with a significant amount of vacant lots still left to be improved.

What makes Meadowbrook Estates so attractive?

The heavily treed setting, large parcels, paved roads, underground utilities (sewer, water, cable, phone, electric) and protective CC&Rs make Meadowbrook Estates a one of a kind neighborhood in Big Bear.

Being 10-15 minute drive from town may sound like a bad thing for some, but for the people who love Meadowbrook Estates, this is ideal.  It could be the busiest day of the year in Big Bear (like July 4th normally is), and you wouldn’t even know it if you were out in Meadowbrook Estates.  There is very little traffic and few vacation rentals.  The privacy and seclusion, along with the large, treed parcels are the major draw of this area.

As with Castle Glen Estates, the Meadowbrook area is comprised of some very nice homes.  Unlike the Castle Glen area though, many of the homes in Meadowbook are custom built with very few spec homes.  This creates a true upscale feel, without the “tract” or subdivision setting that some other areas in Big Bear may have.  The home sizes in Meadowbrook Estate range from 1,800 sqft. up to 5,000 sqft. or more.

Brad Lindley, a local log home builder, has built several spectacular “full log” homes in the Meadowbrook area.  Just take a drive down Shady Lane or Wilderness Drive next time you are in the area and you will see what I mean.

Meadowbrook Estates is also very convenient to Hwy. 38 and an alternate route to get back down the hill.

Real Estate Values In Meadowbrook Estates

Vacant lot prices initially ranged from $79,900 to over $250,000 for the 6 acre parcels.  Over the past 10 years, we have seen the values for 1 acre get up to $335,000 and over $500,000 for 2.5 acres or more though the values now are closer to $175,000 to $240,000 for an acre and $350,000 to $400,000 for the larger parcels.

Home sales in Meadowbrook currently range from $600,000 up to $1,550,000.

Nuances of Meadowbrook Estates

All of the properties located on Wilderness Drive (14 total, part of phase 1) are on septic, not sewer.  While the rest of the area is hooked up to sewer, the developers decided against sewer on this street as the costs to install it were extraordinarily high.  It is my understanding that all of these particular lots had passed a percolation test at the time of development and they are on file at the County Building office.  I have not heard of anyone having a problem building of these lots because of this.

The properties on the South side of Shady Ln. (nearly all) and Appaloosa back up to National Forest.

Every property in the area is a minimum of 1 acre.  Nearly 90% of the properties are between 1 to 1.5 acres.  The larger properties in the area are mainly confined to Wilderness Drive, in which all of the properties on this street range from 2.5 acres to over 6 acres at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Meadowbrook Estates Resources

Tract Map of Meadowbrook Estates – Phase 1 – Phase 2 – Phase 3

CC&R’s For Meadowbrook Estates – Phase 1 – Phase 2 – Phase 3

See All Properties That Are Currently For Sale in Meadowbrook Estates

Photos of the Meadowbrook Estates Area/Houses

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(all data current as of 12/21/2024)

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