Residents of the Village of Esencia at Rancho Mission Viejo proudly say there’s no better place to call home. Now, a highly respected real estate industry association agrees with them: The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has named the village of Esencia as America’s Master Planned Community of the Year.

The Village of Esencia received the distinguished award on Feb. 19 during NAHB’s annual National Sales and Marketing Awards gala in Las Vegas. Known as The Nationals, the gala is considered one of the building industry’s most prestigious and anticipated events. Hosted by the NAHB National Sales and Marketing Council, the coveted awards honor the year’s most outstanding and innovative work in residential real estate sales, marketing and design.