WHY IT WORKED: Offering three single-family neighborhoods in this farming community up the coast from Los Angeles, The Casas—Bonita, Dulce (shown here), and Loma—sold out as soon as they were released by capturing a niche between affordable and luxury homes.
- Pricing 22 Bonita homes at one-third the market rate with the same standard specs (with about one-third less square footage) sped approvals and sales.
- A focus on local historic architectural details, such as courtyards, creates a more sophisticated design scheme than the competition.
- Eight different floor plans, each with three front elevation choices, enable buyers to customize.
- A high-end stainless steel appliance package comes standard in Loma models.
PROJECT CREDITS
Project: The Casas (Bonita, Dulce, Loma), Oxnard, Calif.; Sales started: October 2004; Sales through May 2005: 162; Units planned: 221; Price: High $500s to high $600s; Unit size: 1,899 to 2,837 square feet; Builder/Developer: John Laing Homes, Newport Beach, Calif. (Los Angeles/Ventura division); Architect: Woodley Architectural Group, Costa Mesa, Calif; Landscape architect: Professional Design, Moorpark, Calif.; Interior designers: CH Design Group, La Jolla, Calif., and Color Design Art, Culver City, Calif.