But perhaps the most enticing features for buyers are the energy-saving technologies in new homes and the stainless steel appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers that used to cost extra.

Many new homes in Fresno are now built with thicker insulation and dual-pane windows, tankless water heaters, solar panels and other materials to reduce an owner's monthly electricity cost to almost nothing.

"The entry-level buyer doesn't necessarily have a stockpile of capital and they're just starting out so they are looking for turn-key items like a refrigerator, washer or dryer or in some cases a backyard, so we are providing that," Castanos said.

While interest in new homes may be picking up, Andrew Hansz, director of the Gazarian Real Estate Center at Fresno State, doesn't think it indicates a resurgence in the sale of new homes any time soon.

Fresno's weak job market and large number of distressed homes will continue to put pressure on the housing market, Hansz said.

Builders are answering that challenge by being strategic with where they build and what they are offering in this downturn, he said.

"I think they've been very smart," Hansz said. "They're trying to stay busy, but not being unreasonable just to build."

Who's buying?

On a recent Sunday afternoon, newlywed Heather Mahoney toured De Young's Chestnut Grove model home center in Clovis. She was trying to decide whether to have a new home built or buy an existing one.

She owns a condominium in Fresno, but wants a house with more space before starting a family.

A new house is nice because no one has lived in it and everything is new, Mahoney said. Older homes are in established neighborhoods with mature trees, but they're not always in the best shape, she said.

"I don't know if we've found a house in an older neighborhood that wouldn't require more work," Mahoney said.

Phil and Lee Hart set out to buy a single-story older home, but they ended up buying a new two-story De Young Properties house last month for $326,000 in Clovis because of the energy-efficient features.

The couple said they didn't want to pay $400 a month during the summer for electricity like many of their family members who own older homes do.

"We started doing the math on upgrading an older home to improve the windows and insulation, and by the time you did all that, the price difference between the older home and new home price was pretty minor," said Phil Hart, who works in psychiatric nursing care. "So we figured it made more sense to buy a newer home."