Covina's New Townhomes Near the Metrolink Are Nearly Gone, and the Amenities Planned With Them Are Just Arriving

Blossom's sales page shows a 2.750% rate, and that number needs a closer look. Trumark Homes advertises it as an introductory rate created by a seller-paid 2-1 buydown on a 7/6 adjustable-rate mortgage. The note rate is 4.750%, the APR is 5.820%, and it applies to qualified buyers on move-in-ready homes that can close by November 30, 2026. In a standard 2-1 buydown, the rate starts two points below the note rate in year one and one point below in year two. It then settles at the note rate. On a 7/6 ARM, that note rate is fixed for the first seven years and adjusts after that. The headline figure covers the first year of the loan.

That deadline lands at an odd point for downtown Covina. Blossom's undated sales page, checked in October 2026, lists two remaining homesites at 747 N. Barranca Avenue. One is an 870-square-foot plan at $499,990 and the other is a 1,650-square-foot plan at $699,990. Both of its sister communities are already marked sold out. Once those last homes close, new construction stops being the main way to buy a home near the Covina Metrolink. Most purchases there will be resales, and they will be priced against neighborhood amenities that are only now opening or are still being planned.

One builder, three communities, about 358 homes

Since 2022, most of the new for-sale housing near downtown Covina has come from a single builder. In September 2022, Trumark announced sales for two communities at once:

• Covina Bowl, 132 homes on the former bowling alley site. That's 40 three-story Rows townhomes starting in the high $600,000s and 92 Flats & Towns homes starting in the high $400,000s.
• Zest, 151 homes at 707 N. Barranca on a former citrus packinghouse site. That's 44 Rows townhomes and 107 Flats & Towns homes, with plans from 736 to 1,827 square feet.

Blossom added 75 more. The City describes it as a three-story condo and townhome community replacing a telecom building. Trumark's Covina Bowl page and the heading on its Zest page both read "SOLD OUT."

In 2022, the pitch rested on what was coming. The announcement said Zest would have direct access to Kelby Park, easy walking distance to historic downtown Covina and the Metrolink, and a planned city Recreation Village with a library, dog park, indoor gymnasium, and direct pedestrian access to the station. Four years later, both communities are marked sold out, and most of the amenities are not open yet.

The park was carved out of the housing site

The Recreation Village did not just happen to land next door to Zest. According to the City of Covina's project page, a private developer was eyeing the property for transit-oriented housing back in 2020. Through a public-private partnership, the City and Trumark identified a 2.49-acre portion at 640–680 N. Citrus Avenue as a better fit for a public amenity than for more homes.

The City now calls it the largest public improvement project it has underway. The plan includes Covina's first indoor gymnasium with volleyball and basketball courts, the city's first rock climbing wall, a library, a community plaza, a dog park, a refreshment kiosk, and playgrounds. The City expects it to open to the public in late 2026, and it has posted construction photos from March 2026.

The funding is largely in place. A June 3, 2025 City Council report estimated the first two phases, the gymnasium and the library, at $23.27 million combined. About $18.883 million comes from grants and special revenues, and $3.072 million comes from Measure CC local funds. The schedule has moved, though. The same report gave the library a tentative completion date of April 2026, and the City's current page says the whole Village opens in late 2026.

For a buyer, the timing matters. Early Zest and Covina Bowl buyers paid for proximity to a park that was still a drawing. Resale buyers in 2027 will be paying for proximity to a park they can walk through before they make an offer.

The station link is still a feasibility study

The other half of the 2022 pitch was direct pedestrian access to the Metrolink. That piece is still only planned. The proposed bridge would cross the rail line at 319 E. Front Street and connect the Village, the station at 600 N. Citrus Avenue, and downtown. The City says it is in the feasibility phase of a long-term planning effort.

An April 21, 2026 City staff report gives the numbers:

The City held a community presentation on the bridge on July 30, 2026. The June 2025 capital report showed $1.617 million available for Phase III off-site improvements and the bridge, well short of the construction estimate. When a listing near the station says "walk to Metrolink," it is describing today's street route, not a bridge.

The next big downtown project has been approved for six years

The largest approved for-sale project downtown is a 161-unit condominium and mixed-use development on 5.3 acres at the northwest corner of E. San Bernardino Road and N. Citrus Avenue, with 15,000 square feet of commercial space. Planning Commission Resolution 2026-012 lays out its approval history.

1. June 16, 2020: City Council approves the project for two years.
2. May 2022, May 2023, May 2024, May 2025: four one-year extensions.
3. June 22, 2026: a fifth one-year extension, which moves expiration to June 16, 2027.

The resolution says the applicant needed more time to prepare construction documents and record the final map. An approval that has been renewed five times is a permit to build. It does not tell anyone when homes will exist. Anyone planning to wait for "the next new project downtown" has nothing on the City's record that points to a sales date.

Elsewhere in Covina, the options are scattered. Melia Homes is selling quick move-in townhomes at Cadence. One example is a three-story, 1,628-square-foot home at 808 Katie Place listed at $725,900, with an undated price that may change. Covina Village at 1000 N. Azusa Avenue proposes 97 market-rate for-sale townhomes. A June 16, 2026 council report recorded the developer's request for a completion-deadline extension, and we could not confirm that its homes are on sale.

Why sub-$700,000 attached homes keep selling out

The county market explains the demand. The California Association of Realtors reported an August 2026 median of $946,950 for existing single-family homes in Los Angeles County, up 1.7% from August 2025. The county had a 3.9-month unsold inventory index and 30 median days on market that month. Those are countywide figures, not a Covina-specific median, but they show the gap these communities fill. A new three-story townhome near a commuter rail station for under $700,000 is priced well below the county's typical detached home. That makes the closing of this supply window a meaningful change for first-time and move-up buyers in the area.

What resale buyers inherit that new-home buyers saw upfront

When you buy from a builder, the carrying costs show up in the sales materials. When you buy a resale, you find them in HOA documents and the tax bill. Trumark's 2022 Zest FAQ estimated HOA dues at $162 to $215 a month, plus $21 for fire-sprinkler monitoring. It also cited a 2020/2021 ad valorem tax rate of about 1.17% and roughly $1,100 a year in additional special taxes and assessments. Those are historical estimates, not current figures. They do show the kinds of costs that sit on top of the price in a newer attached community, and resale buyers will want to confirm the current amounts during the disclosure period. Our mortgage calculator can show how monthly dues change the payment picture.

Covina Bowl owners have one more change to factor in. The historic 1956 Googie building at 1060 W. San Bernardino Road, which the 2022 announcement said would be repurposed for the community, was sold in July 2026 for $2 million. The buyer, Starlight Union, plans to use it as a smart-home retail showroom and has said it will keep the pyramid entrance, terrazzo concourse, and 60-foot sign. That makes it a commercial neighbor, not a resident amenity.

Near downtown Covina, the price of a resale townhome in 2027 will reflect a gymnasium, library, and dog park that buyers can see in person. It will also reflect a station bridge that has no construction funding. The newest homes in the area won't be coming from a builder anytime soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2.750% rate on Blossom a fixed rate? No. Trumark describes it as an introductory rate from a seller-paid 2-1 buydown on a 7/6 ARM with a 4.750% note rate and a 5.820% APR, for homes that can close by November 30, 2026. A lender can explain how the payment changes after the buydown years end.

When does the Covina Recreation Village open? The City of Covina currently forecasts a public opening in late 2026.

Is a pedestrian bridge to the Metrolink station approved? No. As of April 2026, City records show it in feasibility and design planning, with construction estimated at $7 million to $10 million and no construction funding secured yet.

Are there still new townhomes near downtown Covina? Blossom's undated sales page, checked in October 2026, lists two remaining homesites. Covina Bowl and Zest are marked sold out. The 161-unit downtown project has approvals that run through June 16, 2027, but no construction schedule on the City's record.

If you're deciding whether to buy one of the last new homes on N. Barranca or wait for a resale in Zest or Covina Bowl, The Mark & Al Team can compare what each option costs you per month and what comes with it. If you already own in one of these communities and want to know how the Recreation Village opening could affect your home's value, request a free home valuation or schedule a consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.