A New No. 1 in Homes

Irvine Co. tycoon Donald Bren’s home-building company and huge Kaufman & Broad Home Corp. have been bumped as Orange County’s top builders, their customary position during the mid-1990s when other builders found it hard to get financing.

The Meyers Group, a consulting firm that tracks new housing, said John Laing Homes sold 623 homes at 11 Orange County projects last year, compared with 605 sold at 13 projects by California Pacific Homes, Bren’s home-building company. Kaufman & Broad was No. 3 with 553 homes at nine projects, followed by Lewis Homes (534 at six projects) and Hearthside Homes (469 at nine projects).

Kaufman & Broad sold the most homes in Orange County in 1996 and 1993, Meyers Group founder Jeff Meyers said. California Pacific was No. 1 in 1994 and 1995. Laing, a British company that opened an Irvine office in 1984, was fourth in 1995 and 1996, Meyers said.