In Orange County, Calif., broker Steve High says Chinese buyers now account for more than half of his showings in tony Newport Coast, up from a very small handful two or three years ago. He says many Chinese buyers seek brand-new homes with more than 10,000 square feet to use either for vacations or as a place for their children to live when they attend college. "We have great big houses here, and they're sitting vacant," he says, "Or we have an 18-year-old kid living in the house by himself."
