This PayPal exec has theme park in his yard. See his California home, listed at $5.25M

PayPal executive Dave Montez loves Olive Town. So do his children, grandchildren, friends and co-workers.

The fact that the half-acre miniature theme park sits right in his backyard is a bonus.

“Everyone, when they come here, wants to go check it out,” Montez said. “So everyone is out there walking the roads that wind through it and taking pictures of the town. It’s a real attraction when you’re having a party.”

Olive Town is the standout feature of the 20-acre retreat at 1080 Victorine Road in Livermore, about 50 miles east of San Francisco. However, there’s a lot more to the property, such as a five-acre working olive orchard, a detached casita and gorgeous 60-foot swimming pool.

There are also two fire pits, an outdoor kitchen with a built-in pizza oven under a pergola, raised garden beds, livestock and abundant wildlife.

Montez, chief audit executive at the digital payment company PayPal, has listed the spectacular East Bay Area private estate for $5.25 million. He is planning to retire in the near future and move to Cambria on the Central California coast.

A Mediterranean feel echoes throughout the four-bedroom, four-bathroom custom ranch home that spans 4,000 square feet. The panoramic views of rolling green hills from every room give off a Tuscan vibe. The main residence was completely remodeled in 2021.

Montez hired an architect to develop the fenced-in backyard amusement park.

“She put her heart and soul into this thing, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect,” he said.

Inside Olive Town, there are winding roads and a dry creek with a bridge.

There are two miniature houses with insulation and electricity. One resembles a rural fire house and has two vehicles that can drive out the back of it and around the town. The other — called the Sunflower House — has a picket fence, small Adirondack chairs out front and a garden with irrigation for planting summer crops, like tomatoes. Both structures have little kitchenettes, play food and play furniture in them.

In the middle of Olive Town is a grassy knoll which Montez calls “Jack and Jill hill” because his grandchildren climb and play King of the Hill on it. A six-ton boulder was brought in for climbing and jumping off, too. A replica of a water well, complete with a bucket on a rope, is actually a sandbox. At the back of the amusement park is a large play structure with slides and swings.

“It’s magic,” Montez said. “In fact, when we were having it built, the guy who was delivering all the supplies came without supplies one time, when he knew we were wrapping up, because he wanted to see how this beautiful mini-Disneyland, as he called it, had turned out. It’s a real special place for the grandkids and their friends.”

For Montez, the amusement park is a dream come true.

“When I grew up, I came from a family who didn’t have a lot of money, and we would go to Frontier Village in San Jose, an old (western-style) theme park,” he recalled. “It was almost fantasyland for me when I was a little kid. But I wanted that here on our property, and so I had the architect design it and she did a beautiful job.”

The home, which lies in the Victorine Valley, feels remote even though it’s only seven minutes from two major Bay Area freeways, highways 580 and 680.

“We really made this like a resort,” he said. “We have parties and, instantly, everyone’s got their camera out, and they’re posting on social media. Everyone’s asking where they are — they think that it’s some resort but it’s just here.”

Working California olive ranch

The ranch may have a resort-like feel to it, but there’s a business side, too. Montez’s five acres of olive trees had a banner production year. It produced Some 100 gallons of olive oil. The trees likely had fruit for another 50 gallons, but the Montezes couldn’t pick all of it.

His wife Nikki sells the small-lot Tuscan olive oil through a company called Montez Family Farms in San Luis Obispo shops.

“The fruit they produce is amazing,” Montez said. “And our youngest son has a degree in packaging so he worked for a big firm before he bought the business that he’s in now. He did all the packaging so it really looks professional. It’s a nice little bonus to the property.”

The olive orchard and small amount of livestock on the ranch means the property falls under the Williamson Act, which allows owners to benefit from a property tax reduction if the land is maintained as agriculture, Montez said.

A ‘one-of-a-kind’ East Bay Area property

Montez enjoys cooking. Inside the main residence a gourmet kitchen features marble counters, a farmhouse sink, Wolf range and a Subzero fridge set that includes a wine cooler.

The primary suite is highlighted by vaulted ceilings, views of the great outdoors and a private flagstone patio for morning coffee or an evening glass of wine, according to the property listing. The suite includes a walk-in closet and an additional room that could be used for an office, gym or nursery. A new spa-like ensuite bath has a marble vanity, large walk-in shower, and Toto toilet/bidet.

A buyer could expand the ranch to include vineyards or equestrian facilities.

“This is an absolutely one-of-a-kind property with gorgeous architectural style on the exterior with equally thoughtfully designed interior,” said listing agent Julia Murtagh of Compass. “Opportunities are endless on the 20 acre site that currently supports a working olive orchard, large custom playground and livestock.”