Maybe go to the initial phase release and see how crazy it is. If there are 100+ people there buying up all the homes at the listed price, it may be tough to get cheaper. I think some of the recent sold ones on smaller lots/houses went for 800k or so.

Your wife wants new which will make it hard to find new homes without MR now. Carmel Valley has lower tax rate and less MR I think, but prices are quite a bit more and most aren’t 4k in size.