Search "Sea Haven Marina homes" and you'll find a three-bedroom cottage listed at $614,000 just streets away from single-family homes priced well past $1.4 million. Same community, same builder, same stunning clubhouse in every brochure photo. The range isn't a mystery once you understand what's actually on offer: Sea Haven isn't a single neighborhood with one price point, it's three distinct paths to homeownership, each designed for a different kind of buyer.
Built on 248 coastal acres of former Fort Ord land in Marina, Sea Haven gives buyers genuine choice, from spacious market-rate single-family homes to a dedicated program that opens the door to homeownership for moderate- and workforce-income households. Knowing which track fits your situation is the first step to finding your place here.
One Community, City Records Call "Marina Heights"
Marina's planning department refers to the project in official documents as Marina Heights, part of a specific plan dating back to 2003 and refreshed in 2019. That plan laid the groundwork for everything buyers see today: how many homes, how many income levels served, and how thoughtfully the site would be divided as it came to life.
Trumark Homes, the community's builder, markets Sea Haven as a coastal enclave near the 14,651-acre Fort Ord National Monument, on land that once hosted a U.S. Army post and now hosts a thriving neighborhood. Worth knowing before you start touring: "Sea Haven" is really three communities in one, each with its own floor plans, its own buyer eligibility, and its own resale terms.
Three Ways In, One Beautiful Place to Land
Here's how the three tracks break down, based on the builder's community pages and the City of Marina's housing program:
Track | Homes | Typical size | Who can buy | Resale rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Layia | Single-family, one and two story | 1,849 to 2,725 sq ft | Open market | None beyond standard HOA terms |
Villosa | Single-family, one and two story | Up to 3,411 sq ft | Open market | None beyond standard HOA terms |
Larkspur (BMR) | Townhomes and cottages | 2-bedroom townhomes, 3-bedroom cottages | Income-qualified only | Deed-restricted, equity-share note |
Layia offers the community's more intimate floor plans, right-sized for buyers who want quality over square footage. Trumark lists Layia homes starting around $1.1 million, with homes that closed in early 2026 selling between roughly $1.19 million and $1.31 million, a good benchmark to keep in mind alongside any advertised starting price.
Villosa is built for buyers who want room to grow, with homes running past 3,400 square feet and up to seven bedrooms in the largest plans. Homes here sold between roughly $1.4 million and $1.6 million in mid-2026. Villosa residents pay their own HOA due, currently $150 a month, covering ground maintenance for that neighborhood specifically.
Then there's Larkspur, Sea Haven's most distinctive offering: the City of Marina's Below Market Rate program, built into the master plan from day one to make this community accessible to a wider range of households. The program sets aside 210 townhomes and cottages for buyers who meet specific income guidelines, from Moderate income households at 120% of Area Median Income up through Bridge income households at 200% AMI, depending on the home. One Larkspur cottage listed at that $614,000 figure mentioned earlier, a genuinely rare opportunity in this market. Buyers interested in the program work with an affiliated lender, sign a standard deed restriction, and accept an equity-share structure designed to keep the program sustainable for future buyers too.
A Name Worth a Second Look
Here's a detail worth knowing if your search turns up older listings: "Larkspur" has been used twice at Sea Haven, for two different things, which is easy to clear up once you know the history. Before Trumark took over marketing the community, an earlier phase was built by Renasci Homes and Wathen Castanos Homes. In 2019, that team released a market-rate product also called Larkspur, priced from the high $600,000s and celebrated for its proximity to Marina State Beach and Fort Ord Dunes State Park. It sold out quickly. Years later, the city reused the Larkspur name for its income-qualified cottages, a nice bit of continuity even though the two products work differently.
If an older 2019 listing for "Larkspur at Sea Haven" comes up in your search, it's worth asking your agent for the current details, since the name has carried forward through a change in builder and a shift in what the home offers at resale.
That builder transition is its own good-news story. In December 2023, Trumark Homes entered the Central California market by welcoming Wathen Castanos Homes into the fold, with Josh Peterson, who had led Wathen Castanos, becoming Trumark's Central California division president. The move officially brought the Trumark name to Sea Haven and to Avila Ranch, bringing additional resources and expertise to a community already underway.
Good News for Buyers Still Hoping to Get In
The Below Market Rate program's original application window ran from September 8 to October 8, 2023, drawing 776 applications for a lottery that gave priority to households already living or working in Marina. The good news for today's buyers: according to the City's most recent update, that lottery list is still being worked through, which means the door is still open. Buyers who meet the income requirements can join the waitlist now, and once the original lottery ranking is complete, remaining homes go first come, first served.
The program was always designed as a 2 to 3 year rollout starting in 2023, so it's worth moving sooner rather than later if a Larkspur home fits your budget and goals.
What Every Sea Haven Resident Shares
Whichever track brings you home, every Sea Haven resident enjoys the same wonderful shared amenities. The Cove Clubhouse, described by Trumark as the only amenity of its kind along the Monterey Bay coastline, offers lounge space, a fitness area, and a calendar full of gourmet cooking classes and outdoor movie nights. Ten neighborhood parks are woven throughout the community, and residents are just a short drive from the trail network at Fort Ord National Monument. This is the heart of what makes Sea Haven special, no matter which price point brought you here.
Finding Your Fit
If you're comparing new construction in Marina to resale homes elsewhere on the Peninsula, the best approach is simple: ask which Sea Haven neighborhood a listing belongs to, confirm who the current builder of record is, and if a price looks especially attractive for the square footage, ask whether it's part of the BMR program. A quick conversation with your agent will tell you everything the listing itself won't.
FAQ
Are Layia and Villosa part of the same HOA?
They're distinct neighborhoods within Sea Haven, each with its own HOA due covering shared maintenance. Villosa's due is currently $150 a month; your agent can confirm current dues and coverage before you write an offer.
Can someone who buys a Larkspur BMR home eventually sell it at full market price?
The program's deed restriction and equity-share structure are designed to keep these homes accessible for future qualified buyers, which does shape what a seller can capture at resale. It's a meaningful part of what makes the program work for the community long-term.
Is the BMR waitlist still open in 2026?
Yes. Interested applicants can join the interest list now, and once the original 2023 lottery ranking is worked through, remaining homes are offered first come, first served to qualified buyers.
Finding the right fit at Sea Haven, and understanding what each track offers in financing, resale, and timeline, is exactly the kind of groundwork Monterey Coast Realty loves doing with our clients. If you're exploring new construction in Marina alongside other Peninsula neighborhoods, reach out and let's find the home that's right for you.
