The city also has many condo-conversion proposals, which just fall short of a new development. Generally, condo-conversion developers tear down homes to the studs and rebuild and refurbish the older homes.
Three new developments that stand out are Richmond American's Bungalows at Bay Street and its Cornerstone property on Fair Drive and Harbor Boulevard, and Shea Homes' Half Moon Lane on Orange Avenue.
Richmond American and Shea Homes representatives would only comment via e-mail. They said the homes were selling.
A Shea representative said in an e-mail that the homes were for sale for "about" $1 million.
Richmond American spokeswoman Alison Schuller said in an e-mail that the developer's new properties have shown steady sales since they've opened. Prices at both its Costa Mesa properties start in the low $800,000s, she said.
Two-thirds of the Bay Street homes have been sold, and construction has started on all but five.
Schuller did not say how many, if any, of the Cornerstone properties have been sold.
Kurt Galitski, vice president of Weichman Associates-Realtors in Costa Mesa, said Richmond American solicited the help of local Realtors by adding their projects to the Multiple Listing Service that Realtors use.
"This is how you can tell things are turning on builders, is when they start agreeing to pay us and other realtors in the area a commission," Galitski said.
Costa Mesa developer Tim O'Brien has not had his final plans for a high rise, the Californian at Town Center, approved by the City Council, but he's confident that the two years it'll take to build the high-rise will carry him into a stronger market.
