Alex– Not sure why you’re lumping Del Sur and 4S in with Carmel Valley. The latter may be holding (for now), but both of the former have dropped plenty. Easily over $100K in plenty of developments and resales.
You may have something with regard to the developer’s staffers, but what else are they going to say? Then again, I’ve had more than one make it clear that the builder will deal. Not in PardeeLand, of course, at least not yet…
On the deposit front, don’t know what to tell you, but folks are rightfully at risk when they cut a check. Do you suppose they thought otherwise when they handed it over?
