By Jared Dineen Shanstrom, REALTOR, The Dineen Shanstrom Group at Equity Union · September 8, 2026The short versionThe 30-year fixed mortgage sits around 6.74 percent as of
New construction in the desert moves faster than most online lists keep up with. Communities sell their final homes, new ones open, and the same neighborhood that was "now selling" last year is resale-only today. Here is a current read on what is actually being built and sold across the valley, reviewed in June 2026, with the recently closed-out communities noted separately so you know where they stand.
One honest caveat. New-home availability changes week to week. Phases sell out, pricing shifts, and a builder can open or close a neighborhood quickly. Use this as a starting map, not a live inventory, and confirm any specific community before you rely on it.
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is where the desert's modern new construction is concentrated, with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor design, owned solar, and mid-century-inspired architecture.
Miralon
An award-winning master plan of roughly 1,150 homes built around working olive groves, with about seven miles of trails and The Miralon Club, a large amenity center with pools, a fitness studio, and the MiraBar. Multiple builders sell here, including Vitality by Lennar, which has started from around the high $700,000s, along with collections from PLC Communities and Gallery Homes. Homes sit on fee land, with pricing that generally runs from the mid $900,000s past $1.3 million.
Escena
Escena has become one of the most active new-home addresses in the city. Nola at Escena by Toll Brothers is a gated enclave of about 40 single-story homes with private pools, priced from roughly $1.25 million to the mid $1.3 millions, with quick move-in homes available into 2026. Richmond American is building Vesta at Escena, a 52-home neighborhood now under construction, and Toll Brothers acquired an additional 119 lots in early 2025 for future homes, so expect Escena to keep delivering new product for a while.
Rancho Mirage
Cotino, a Storyliving by Disney community
The valley's most talked-about new community and the first Storyliving by Disney development, spanning 618 acres with about 1,932 homes planned at full buildout. The centerpiece is Cotino Bay, a 24-acre swimmable lagoon, with a voluntary Artisan Club that opened in late 2025 and a public beach and town center slated for fall 2026. Homes are organized into Villa, Cottage, Grand, and Estate collections, including the 55+ Longtable Park enclave, with pricing roughly from the mid $1 millions into the $4 millions. Note that short-term rentals are not permitted, since Rancho Mirage bans them citywide.
Indio
Indio is the valley's busiest building corridor, spanning value-priced family homes and newer 55+ communities.
Del Webb Desert Retreat
A genuinely new Del Webb, building since 2024, bringing the brand's single-level designs and full amenity package (clubhouse, fitness, pools, tennis, putting green, and more) to the east valley. Home prices have averaged around the low $500,000s, a more accessible entry point than the brand's Rancho Mirage community.
Avena at Talavera
Beazer's newer Indio community, offering single-family homes within the master-planned Talavera area. It is the active successor to Beazer's La Quinta neighborhoods that have now closed out, and a solid value option for buyers who want a brand-new home in the east valley.
Plus value-priced production homes
Indio and neighboring Coachella hold the largest concentration of attainable new construction in the valley, covered in the east-valley section below.
La Quinta
Andalusia at Coral Mountain
An established luxury golf community with a Rees Jones course and a full racquet and fitness club, still delivering new semi-custom homes from about 2,500 to over 5,100 square feet, with custom homesites also available. Pricing runs from the $900,000s to well over $2 million, and new homes are generally delivered on a longer timeline than production communities.
Coral Mountain
The broader Coral Mountain plan continues to advance, with a residential phase of 91 single-family homes moving through La Quinta's planning process in 2026. It is one to watch rather than buy today, but it points to where new building is headed in south La Quinta.
Coachella and the east valley
Entry-level single-family neighborhoods
For buyers focused on value and square footage, the east end of the valley is where new construction is most affordable. Coachella and Indio hold dozens of new communities, with one- and two-story single-family homes that frequently start from the high $300,000s to the mid $500,000s. These neighborhoods trade resort location and amenities for space, newness, and price, and they are a strong fit for first-time buyers and growing families.
Recently sold out or now selling as resale
These were active new-construction communities recently, and buyers still search for them by name. As of mid-2026 they have closed out or built out, so they trade as resale rather than new construction. They are worth knowing if you like the neighborhood, since a resale here can be a smart buy.
Cody Place (Palm Springs, Toll Brothers). Modern townhomes and condos near downtown. Sold out.
Floresta (La Quinta, Beazer). 82 Spanish-style homes next to SilverRock. Sold its final homes.
Cantera at Coral Mountain (La Quinta, Beazer). Intimate enclave of 59 single-story homes. Essentially sold out.
Del Webb Rancho Mirage (Pulte / Del Webb). 55+ resort community. Built out and trading as resale.
Four Seasons at Terra Lago (Indio, K. Hovnanian). 55+ golf community, around 660 homes. Built out and trading as resale.
Several established 55+ resorts, including Trilogy at La Quinta and Sun City Shadow Hills, are also essentially complete and trade as resale, but remain among the most popular active-adult choices in the valley.
A quick word on buying new construction
Bring your own agent, and register on the first visit. The friendly person in the model home represents the builder, not you. In nearly every case the builder pays the buyer's agent, so having independent representation costs you nothing, but most builders require that your agent accompany or register you on your very first visit to the community. Loop in your agent before you tour.
A few things worth weighing on any new build: the base price is rarely the final price once you add lot premiums, design-center upgrades, and landscaping; incentives are often in the financing rather than the sticker, so read those carefully; and completion timelines on to-be-built homes can stretch, which matters if you are selling or renting in the meantime.
Frequently asked questions
What new communities are actively selling right now?
As of mid-2026: Cotino in Rancho Mirage, Miralon and Escena (Nola and Vesta) in Palm Springs, Del Webb Desert Retreat and Avena at Talavera in Indio, Andalusia at Coral Mountain in La Quinta, and value-priced production neighborhoods in the east valley.
Where is the most affordable new construction?
The east valley, Coachella and Indio, where entry-level single-family homes often start in the high $300,000s to mid $500,000s.
Do I need my own agent to buy new construction?
It is strongly recommended. The model-home salesperson works for the builder. The builder typically pays your agent, so representation usually costs you nothing, but you generally must register your agent on the first visit.
Is Disney's Cotino sold out?
No. It is selling in phases, roughly from the mid $1 millions into the $4 millions, and inventory is released in limited phases that public sites do not always reflect accurately.
Which communities recently sold out?
Cody Place in Palm Springs, Floresta and Cantera at Coral Mountain in La Quinta, Del Webb Rancho Mirage, and Four Seasons at Terra Lago in Indio have closed out and now trade as resale.
The bottom line
New construction in the desert runs from a first home in the east valley to a lagoon-front estate with a Disney address, and the list of what is available shifts constantly. If a particular community is on your list, or you want help comparing two, tell me which ones. I will give you the honest read on current pricing, phases, and how each one tends to hold value, before you ever set foot in a model home.
Based on information from California Desert Association of Realtors as of September 20, 2026 3:47 AM UTC The information being provided by California Desert Association of Realtors, SoCalMLS, CRISNet MLS, and CARETS is for the consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumer may be interested in purchasing. Any information relating to real estate for sale referenced on this web site comes from the Internet Data Exchange
