REAL ESTATE

Cause for Optimism: Hunt said in his speech that people in the real estate industry are optimists.

Diane Gaynor, chief of media relations for Rancho Santa Margarita, is a prime example of that. Her job is to look at the bright side, and these days she’s actually had something to look at.

A total of 940 new homes were sold in the planned community during 1991, up 28% from 1990, according to Research Network Ltd., an Orange County real estate research firm.

And 96,650 people toured the various sales offices within the community during the year--the most since 1989.

Gaynor relayed those two pieces of information in a missive pointing out that home shoppers continue flocking to Rancho Santa Margarita, sometimes camping out for a chance to buy a home of their choice:

* Akins Homes counted more than 600 people tramping through the models at its newest development in the planned community last weekend, Gaynor said, and although sales don’t start until Feb. 1, six prospective buyers are camping out there to ensure themselves first choice.

* At Fieldstone Co.’s La Tierra development, all 11 homes offered for sale on Jan. 11 were snapped up in a single day, and three campers are in line for the next release of homes, also scheduled for Feb. 1.

* More than 400 shoppers dropped by to take a peek at Wittenberg-Livingston Development’s newest Rancho Santa Margarita project last weekend, even though the company’s only advertising was a mailer to people who bought homes in its previous RSM development. Sales people reported that 75% of the people who toured the model complex currently live in Rancho Santa Margarita.