Near the Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey, a quick turn off Munras onto Soledad Avenue leads the way to a lightly forested neighborhood of gently sloping streets, many with ocean views and names appropriately ending with the word “vista.” Turning off Mar Vista past a series of apartment complexes, onto the street Porta Vista, leads to—surprise—three brand new single family homes. An old lot has been cleared for the homes, plus four future others, on a new cul de sac.

Realtor Roselyn Real’s uncles Gus and Paul Flores are behind the project, although Real says her whole family has had input.

“My mom, everyone in my family has had an opinion,” she says. “They say, ‘I like this, I don’t like that…’”

Two of the homes are currently being rented to family members, and one is on the market now. The homes are of complementary styles, and all of them are around 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms, but they are different from one another. Some have hardwood floors, others have stone floors, and the layout and even the directions in which the homes are oriented are different.

“They’re not tract homes at all,” Real says. “Everything is completely custom.”

In the contemporary Mediterranean home on the market now, an oversized front door creates a grand entrance underneath a large covered entryway with arches and a tiled roof.

Inside, travertine stone floors, granite countertops, KitchenAid appliances and maple cabinetry create a classy kitchen area. A granite-faced gas fireplace in the living area warms up the already-cheery and crisp-feeling room. The downstairs powder room is outfitted in rich shades of creams and deep browns and bronze, and continues the elegant theme of the kitchen. A small deck off the kitchen leads to an outside patio, and the home also has an attached garage.

Upstairs, some of the three bedrooms have ocean views, some windows are arched (“There’s detail in everything,” Real says. “It gives a plain room a little something.”) and the master suite sports a huge walk-in closet and a bathroom with double sinks and a Jacuzzi tub. Again, the bathrooms are appointed with elegant fixtures in rich shades of cream and brown.

Partly what’s fun about the house is the unexpected beauty in an area mostly known for its ‘70s-style apartment complexes. Besides the bonus of the great views, the homes are located just a few minutes from downtown Monterey, and have easy access to Highway 1, a small shopping complex on Soledad, and of course, the Del Monte Center.

The next round of homes probably won’t be completed for a few more years, and will be priced according to future market conditions.

Price: $1,160,000. 44 Porta Vista, Monterey. Contact: Roselyn Real, Keller Williams Realty, 521-2768.