Newport Coast

Few markets crashed harder than Compton when California's real estate bubble burst. The city's northwest side saw the median home price plummet to $94,000 in 2009, down from $385,000 at the peak. Foreclosures dotted the streets. Families fled, leaving trash and old furniture behind. "There were a lot of empty houses. It was a big mess," said real estate broker Ruben Magdaleno of Re/Max VIP. These days, the working-class community has a new identity: comeback kid. Northwest Compton has posted the most dramatic price jump of any area in Southern California.

The 131-character dispatch arrived mournfully within two hours of sunrise May 4, at 7:58 a.m. to be exact. "When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand?" Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter feed, adding the hashtags "hurt beyond measure," "gave me no warning," and finally, "love?" Bryant's career with the Lakers has often been pushed aside by internal family matters, the recent court battle over his memorabilia the latest in a string of cheerless events.

NBC and Olympics sportscaster Bob Costas and his wife, Jill Sutton, have bought a house in a gated community in Newport Coast for $4.7 million. The more than half-acre lot contains a main house, a guest casita, a saltwater swimming pool with spa, a cabana with a fireplace, a poolhouse with a kitchen and brick patios. There are four bedrooms, six bathrooms and 4,534 square feet of living space. Costas, 60, has hosted nine Olympic Games. Susan Scanlan and Darcy Ricci of Coldwell Banker Previews International were the listing agents.

Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle on Tuesday blasted the recent sentencing of a driver who killed a popular doctor in a September hit-and-run accident. Michael Jason Lopez, 40, of Anaheim was sentenced this month after pleading guilty to killing Catherine "Kit" Campion Ritz, who practiced in Newport and lived in Irvine, while she was bicycling along Newport Coast in September. Four years in prison and one year in county jail is too light a sentence for a man who left the doctor in the street to die, Daigle said during the oral reports portion of Tuesday's council meeting.

The home of a prominent former subprime lender was the target of a home invasion robbery in a gated Newport Beach community Tuesday night, an attack that left three people injured and police searching for two suspects. Nine people were inside Daniel Sadek's home when four men armed with handguns forced their way into the residence in the upscale Pelican Ridge community of Newport Coast, demanding cash and jewelry, police said. A fifth suspect, officers said, waited outside during the robbery.

Vanessa Bryant has put a Newport Coast house up for sale at $3.75 million. The Mediterranean-style house was signed over to her as part of her divorce settlement with Lakers champion Kobe Bryant. The house, built in 1999, sits on slightly more than a quarter of an acre in a gated community. Among features are an office/library, five fireplaces, balconies, five bedrooms, a bonus room and six bathrooms. There is a spa, an outdoor fireplace and a barbecue center. The house is one of three the Bryants own in Newport Coast.

One of golf's postseason tournaments is returning to Newport Coast. The event formerly known as the Diners Club Matches, now the Team Match Play Challenge pending a new title sponsor, is set for Dec. 16-17 at Pelican Hill Golf Club. The event, which features eight players from each of the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours, moved to Pelican Hill from PGA West in La Quinta in 1999 after a one-year hiatus. Reviews were generally positive for the made-for-TV tournament.

Vanessa Bryant has sold a Newport Coast house for $3.22 million. The Mediterranean-style house was signed over to her as part of her divorce settlement with Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, and went on the market in September at $3.75 million. The mountain-view house was built in 1999 and sits on about a quarter of an acre in a gated community where the Bryants have two other houses. Features include an office/library, five fireplaces, balconies, five bedrooms, a bonus room and 5.5 bathrooms.

The Orange County Planning Commission will meet today to discuss the environmental impacts on a portion of the Newport Coast development where a mix of as many as 660 homes, 250 resort units and some commercial development is planned. No decisions will be made, said Bill Melton, a county planner, who said that the landowner, the Irvine Co., will provide the commission with more details on the types of houses and resort units.

The growing concern of development along Newport Coast and its effect on school enrollments tops the school board's agenda at tonight's meeting. The board is expected to approve a recommendation by Supt. Reed S. Montgomery to hold a public forum on the Irvine Co.'s development plan and how the school district would accommodate an additional 342 students. Also on the agenda: board member Trustee Kathryn A. Turner is expected to be named president of the panel. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m.

Few markets crashed harder than Compton when California's real estate bubble burst. The city's northwest side saw the median home price plummet to $94,000 in 2009, down from $385,000 at the peak. Foreclosures dotted the streets. Families fled, leaving trash and old furniture behind. "There were a lot of empty houses. It was a big mess," said real estate broker Ruben Magdaleno of Re/Max VIP. These days, the working-class community has a new identity: comeback kid. Northwest Compton has posted the most dramatic price jump of any area in Southern California.

NBC and Olympics sportscaster Bob Costas and his wife, Jill Sutton, have bought a house in a gated community in Newport Coast for $4.7 million. The more than half-acre lot contains a main house, a guest casita, a saltwater swimming pool with spa, a cabana with a fireplace, a poolhouse with a kitchen and brick patios. There are four bedrooms, six bathrooms and 4,534 square feet of living space. Costas, 60, has hosted nine Olympic Games. Susan Scanlan and Darcy Ricci of Coldwell Banker Previews International were the listing agents.

Vanessa Bryant has sold a Newport Coast house for $3.22 million. The Mediterranean-style house was signed over to her as part of her divorce settlement with Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, and went on the market in September at $3.75 million. The mountain-view house was built in 1999 and sits on about a quarter of an acre in a gated community where the Bryants have two other houses. Features include an office/library, five fireplaces, balconies, five bedrooms, a bonus room and 5.5 bathrooms.

A Newport Coast man charged with killing his wife during a dispute told police that another man actually killed her and forced him to load the body into a truck and then drive his own vehicle toward the Mexican border, according to a source close to the investigation. Peter Gregory Chadwick, 48, pleaded not guilty Monday to a single count of murder for financial gain. He remains jailed on $1.5-million bail. Prosecutors say that Chadwick, a wealthy executive who lived in a $2.5-million home along the exclusive Newport Coast, killed his wife Wednesday as they fought over a possible divorce and related financial issues.

Vanessa Bryant has put a Newport Coast house up for sale at $3.75 million. The Mediterranean-style house was signed over to her as part of her divorce settlement with Lakers champion Kobe Bryant. The house, built in 1999, sits on slightly more than a quarter of an acre in a gated community. Among features are an office/library, five fireplaces, balconies, five bedrooms, a bonus room and six bathrooms. There is a spa, an outdoor fireplace and a barbecue center. The house is one of three the Bryants own in Newport Coast.

LONDON -- It's not often Gabrielle Douglas competes in gymnastics and expects to lose. But Monday, the 16-year-old Douglas, who has already won the all-around and team gold medals, was a little slow with her swings, a little low with her pirouettes, and she finished eighth among the eight qualifiers in the uneven bars event final. Sam Mikulak, 19, of Newport Coast, finished fifth in the men's vault. Yang Hak Seon became the first Korean gymnast to win a gold medal when he triumphed in that event.

An update on development along Newport Coast and a discussion about sharing maintenance costs are among the topics to be discussed Tuesday at the annual joint meeting between the City Council and the Laguna Beach Unified School District board. The elected officials also plan to discuss future community programs, such as the possible development of a teen center and a skateboard park.

The NBA's Corey Maggette, who recently sold his Westchester house for $1.85 million, has bought an estate in Newport Coast for $3 million, public records show. The former L.A. Clipper can now count Laker Kobe Bryant among his neighbors. The Mediterranean house, built in 2001, sits on more than 13,000 square feet and features five bedrooms, 51/2 bathrooms and 4,800 square feet of living space. The forward, 31, was with the Clippers from 2000 to 2008 and plays for the Charlotte Bobcats.

A federal grand jury has accused an Orange County couple of stealing $130 million from a consortium of banks, including Bank of America, by inflating the value of their importing company's assets. Thomas Chia Fu and his wife, Cheri L. Shyu, were arrested Thursday at their home in Newport Coast. The couple owned an Anaheim company called Galleria USA Inc., which imported home decor items from China and sold them in the United States. They defrauded the banks by exaggerating ?