FIELD WITH A VIEW:Upscale Summerville neighborhood reinvents itself by dropping prices while keeping style cues

A white picket fence fronts the Azalea model from Manorhouse Builders of SC at FieldView, a new community off Boundary Street in Summerville. The neighborhood will have 96 homes and space for 20 townhomes. The family room is near the entrance in the Azalea design at FieldView. The 1,916-square-foot floor plan starts at $252,900. The kitchen in the Azalea floor plan from Manorhouse Builders at FieldView comes with stainless steel appliances. Festive decorations mark one of the first houses built in FieldView. The upscale community is in lower Dorchester County. Across the street from ballfields in lower Dorchester County, FieldView was developed as an innovative community that brought together some top names in neo-traditional design and construction. Yet FieldView, unveiled less than two years ago, barely got off the ground when the once rousing real estate market changed. The developers, at first a bit bewildered, had to regroup. They kept the project’s finer points, such as upper end interiors, Lowcountry front porches and streets named for baseball parks, while aiming at a more moderate price target. And they brought in their own contractor, Manorhouse Builders of SC, to construct houses with lots of features to complement custom homes built for buyers. The first examples of their efforts are rising up. Three homes are in various stages of construction, including one completed dwelling. Manorhouse Builders and real estate partner The AgentOwned Realty, Park Circle are showing the 1,916-square-foot model home priced at $252,900. “We like to call ourselves semi-custom,” says Kimberly Byrd, sales and marketing manager with Manorhouse Builders of SC. “There’s a lot of things we will do, like bumping out a room.” At the same time, the floor plans come with attractive standards such as smooth ceilings and maple cabinets. The neighborhood will have 96 single-family homes when finished and has space set aside for another 20 townhomes. Byrd sees FieldView as “probably a move up neighborhood, a couple looking for quality more than quantity, young professionals, retired.” The dwellings will be EarthCraft certified homes, meeting the ecological and energy efficiency requirements set forth by an Atlanta-based energy consultant and the city’s chamber of commerce. As of now, Manorhouse has three floor plans. They are the Azalea, which is the model home; the 2,115-square-foot Camellia; and the 2,080-square foot Dogwood. The houses, all three bedroom, have base prices from $252,900 to $274,900. But the houses currently being built, which includes some extras, cost from $273,626 to $287,588. Interior features in the fiber-cement sided homes are ceramic tile baths and laundry, granite or Corian kitchen countertops, hardwood floors, 10 foot ceilings on the first floor and detached one-car garages. Manorhouse Builders of SC dates to 2003, set up by Maryland builder Hilton Smith and his sons. The company built townhomes in Mount Pleasant and a large townhouse village on James Island. In 2005, the business started building townhomes at Ashley Park near West Ashley High School. Then this year, it started constructing homes at FieldView. Smith’s group is also involved as a developer of FieldView. Byrd says the new homes in the neighborhood give home and lot owners choices of whether to buy an existing house, build with Manorhouse or custom build. “We’ve definitely had interest,” she says.

is glad to with dad at the yorktown for the 1st time in 4 months.

is getting ready to head to the gym..

Happy. I sold 2 houses last week.

Moncks Corner rentals make move from lower income to market rates

Brick siding marks the outside of 64-unit Village Apartments, located on Gulledge Street in Moncks Corner. A breakfast area off the kitchen is one of the features in the one- and two-bedroom rentals at Village Apartments. Tidy, low rent Village Apartments opened 26 years ago in Moncks Corner’s south end, encircled by a handful of established neighborhoods. The 64-unit rental community has had its share of ups and downs since. Then in May, the complex came under new ownership. Units were upfitted, and the complex has started to charge leases in line with other moderately-styled apartment communities. “We are going through a transition phase,” says Shirley Dehay, property manager. Dehay should know: she managed Village Apartments from its opening in 1982 to 2001, left for six years, then returned last January. She and her husband Wayne Dehay own Gold Key Real Estate Services, which is the property management company. Wayne Dehay handles maintenance issues. “We are happy to be back,” she says. “I’ve had a lot of good tenants over the years.” The new owners of Village Apartments are Mark Vallario, who owns a local real estate franchise and Chris Fischer, a businessman in New Jersey. In the past few months, the partners have installed new appliances, painted, put in fresh landscaping and otherwise spruced up the development, located on Gulledge Street. The complex has 16 one-bedroom apartments, each 600 square feet and priced at $575 a month. There are 48 two-bedroom dwellings, which are 800 square feet in size and lease for $650 a month. The units have washer and dryer hookups, and there is a laundry in the complex. Second floor apartments have balconies, and first level units come with patios. “I think the rents are very reasonable for what they are getting,” Dehay says. Even with the switch from low cost housing to more moderate rents, the complex has maintained occupancy rates around 90 percent, she says. Village Apartments has a cross section of mostly working-class tenant types, she says. “We get a lot of single parents with a couple of children. We do have families, we have some retired people.” Shirley and Wayne Dehay live a few miles away in Bonneau, but are on call. “We try to provide as much comfort and safety as we can,” she says, noting that at least one police officer lives in the complex. “We work with the tenants, and are conscientious about the needs of the tenants.” A couple of weeks ago, the couple was at home at night watching TV when a tenant called because the water heater sprung a leak. They rushed down to the property, she says, to take care of the emergency. The rental village is in a central spot, a mile or so from downtown Moncks Corner and from U.S. Highway 52. “It’s very convenient to the Bushy Park (industrial) area. We’ve got Santee Cooper, Berkeley Electric Cooperative, Lake Moultrie,” Shirley Dehay says. For all your real estate needs please visit http://www.sallyandj.com/

Glad that dad is doing better and getting out soon.

68 On The Harbor Drive Spacious house in gated Mount Pleasant hamlet showcases harbor sights and interior perks

A neatly landscaped front yard highlights this 15-year-old home in On the Harbor, a small gated community in Mount Pleasant. The house is on the market for $2,280,000. A feature of 68 On the Harbor Drive is an open, high-end kitchen with stainless steel appliances and lots of cabinets. Wicker furniture distinguishes the open back porch of 68 On the Harbor Drive. The deck could be screened in if a buyer so desired. The rectangular sign on a dock rail is weather beaten, a little hard to see, and slightly off kilter, but sums up Mary and Tim West’s feelings about their property at 68 On the Harbor live. “Welcome,” it says, simply. The couple has been welcoming people for eight years, none more so then inviting dozens of friends and neighbors to witness the fireworks display in 2005 for the opening of the Ravenel Bridge. From their 300-foot-long dock across marsh to the edge of Charleston Harbor, the aerial blazes cascaded down seemingly close enough to touch. That was one event. But Mary West on any given day can watch her husband, a harbor pilot, maneuver hulking container ships underneath the bridge to and from the Wando Terminal. They’ve lived in the house for eight years, but with their three children grown, they are preparing to move to the country. “We’ve had fun with this,” she says. “It would be a great family house.” Situated in the gated On the Harbor neighborhood, the three-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot home is for sale for $2,280,000. Cary Walker, who is the listing agent with Carolina One Real Estate, says the house is in a “quaint” community of just 14 homes, strung along marsh less than a block from the public Remley’s Point boat landing. It is also a few minutes from Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the Ravenel Bridge. Walker says it’s quite a combination: some houses have great locations, others secluded. “But to find something as private yet as close to everything is hard to do.” The house itself is at the same time traditional and one-of-a-kind. Built in 1993, the dwelling offers high ceilings, a large rear deck, ample dock shared with the a neighboring home and breathtaking views. Over the years, the Wests added detailed moldings, an updated kitchen with gas cooktop, antique pine floors, working gas fireplace and ornate chandeliers in the foyer and dining room. For your real estate needs got to http://www.sallyandj.com/The floor plan was retooled so that there’s a large guest bedroom on the first floor, and another bedroom and a master bedroom with oversized bathroom complete with cast iron tub on the second floor. The third level is a bonus room with expansive views that’s currently being used as fitness area. Outside, camellias and other colorful shrubs and flowers planted by the Wests highlight the yard both front and back, where there’s a flagstone terrace. The house has a two-car garage. Walker says buyers can make changes, such as extending the dock up to another 700 feet to gain water access at all tides, and the fireplace can be converted to wood burning. The owners, meanwhile, are ready to relocate, but with no regrets. “We’ve loved it,”

excited about dinner at the in-laws tonight. Brown liquids on the rocks ;-)For your real estate needs got to http://www.sallyandj.com/

Residents can lease, buy at Parsonage Point, home to marsh views, amenities

Parsonage Point off S.C Highway 61 west of the Ashley has 85 condos and townhomes that can be leased for $650 to $895 a month. Brick exteriors highlight the units at Parsonage Point, which also have marsh views. The community is located on Parsonage Road west of the Ashley. A swimming pool is one of the attractions at Parsonage Point. The complex also has a tennis court, boat facilities and laundry. Marshside living evokes images of mansions, high-rise condos or townhomes — places for wealthy buyers or second home owners. Once in a while however, there are places on Lowcountry wetlands and swamps that are lower-priced either to purchase or to lease. That’s the case at Parsonage Point, which has 85 properties on marsh off Ashley River Road. A limited number of the condominium and townhome units are for sale, says Nicole Castenada, community manager of property owner Alliance Management. The complex, meanwhile, showcases one-, two- and three-bedroom dwellings for rent from $650 to $895 a month. One-bedroom flats are 522 square feet in size. The two-level three bedrooms run 1,244 square feet. And the most common, the dual-floor two bedrooms, are 954 square feet. Parsonage Point is on a short street that ties into a single-family subdivision. “You feel like its a residential neighborhood more than a complex,” Castenada says. At the same time, the property has community attractions such as a swimming pool, tennis court, boat parking and laundry. “We are one of the few communities that pays for water” rather than includes it in the rent, she says. Currently, the property manager is waiving the security deposit. She says the perk will likely last at least through the end of the year. Standards in the condos and townhomes are kitchen dishwasher, refrigerator, stove and disposal; walk-in closets in bedrooms; and washer and dryer hookups. The units have back patios that look out over the marsh. They are semi-private with wooden slabs but not complete fences between dwellings. The brick dwellings have undergone recent restoration, including new roofs. The property owner, which is also Alliance, has a landscaping crew that keeps the grounds beautified. “We have a good mix (of residents),” Castenada says. “It seems like (a number of) people who are downsizing, (who) enjoy a different lifestyle and freedom.” For your real estate needs go to http://www.sallyandj.com/

3 Orange St.-Alexander Petrie House brings together pre-revolutionary, modern day charm

The exterior of 3 Orange St highlights its Charleston single-home appearance. It has a 1/2 acre lot with a sizable yard and gardens. The house is for sale for $3,795,000. A newer, first level section of 3 Orange St. has an "up-to-the-minute" kitchen with island counter opening into a sitting room. That room, in turn, leads to a screen porch. The master bedroom in the Alexander Petrie House, at 3 Orange St., combines modern features such as a new glassed-in shower with traditional touches such as hardwood floors and a porcelain "soaking tub." This brick hearth is original, dating to 1767. Remodeling experts fit the modern kitchen cabinets around the 18th century chimney. Homes with a history are a dime a dozen — OK, closer to 300 million dimes a dozen — in downtown Charleston. After all, the city’s roots date back more than three centuries. The 3 Orange Street property, though, has a rare double: old and new tales. Alexander Petrie, the city’s leading silversmith, constructed the home about 241 years ago for his wife Elizabeth out of land that had been set aside as a pleasure garden used for concerts. By contrast, its current owner is a self-made millionaire who had a brush with celebrity as a youth. Known to preservationists as the Alexander Petrie House, the early Georgian style dwelling is on an aptly named lane that connects Broad and Tradd streets a block east of Legare. “The street was an orange grove,” says Joanie Lucas, Realtor with Historic Charleston Properties who is listing the home. Petrie was the first to subdivide the tropical fruit farm. He built a house on one parcel sometime around 1767. The three story, 4,955 square foot house is on the market for $3,795,000. The wood and stucco sided home is designed in typical Charleston single fashion, with its side facing Orange Street and the house stretching into the lot, anchored by first and second floor piazzas. With the narrow section up front, the layout makes it possible to overlook the home’s grandeur from the street. “It’s very deceiving,” Lucas says. For your real estate needs got to http://www.sallyandj.com/ Dennis F. Holt owns the five-bedroom house, as well as another home on Orange where he lives, and visits Charleston regularly from residences in Southern California and New York. Holt, who is in his early 70s, is founder and chairman of Patriot Communications advertising and media company. It is a spinoff of his original venture Western International Media, which he formed in 1970. Western International grew to 39 offices and more than $12.5 billion in billings worldwide before he sold the venture in 1994. Holt, a California native, also has another small claim to fame, as a young teenager he played a character in a recurring role on the 1950s TV staple Ozzie and Harriett. In its marketing materials, Historic Charleston Properties describes 3 Orange as a “brilliant mix of the old with the new.” Says Lucas, “People want the old, they want the new.” The 18th century portion of the house, with original chimney, floors and a brick hearth, has been maintained for formal entertaining. A newer, but still antique, addition to the house is the primary living space today. Lucas describes the restored and recently modernized addition this way, “A spacious living room opening onto a rear piazza spilling out into the garden, a family dining area, a study with flat screen, up to the minute kitchen, (climate controlled) wine cellar, a private master bedroom wing and sumptuous bath, plenty of closet and storage space.” At the same time, 3 Orange keeps its 18th century feel throughout. The hearth blends into with granite countertops and high-end appliances in the open gourmet kitchen. The second floor master bedroom, which has a full room for a closet, also connects to the oversized bath with 21st century features such as a glassed-in shower and retro touches such as a cast iron porcelain soaking tub. The garden, meanwhile, is not just your everyday collection of flowers and shrubbery. The designer was Loutrell Briggs, who carved out many of the classic horticultural yards in downtown Charleston in pre-World War II times. The house has a 1/2 acre lot and is on comparatively high ground for downtown. “The history and (house) size is important,” Lucas says. But the top perk about 3 Orange “truly is the (comfortable) living.”

BERRY NICE-KB Home community drawing interest with new floor plans, ample options, middling costs

Two-story homes are popular attractions at Blackberry Creek, a new Summerville area neighborhood of 183 houses from KB Home. A low brick wall with fire pit highlight the back porch of the 3,224-square-foot Hurst model at Blackberry Creek. The KB Home neighborhood is in lower Dorchester County. The formal living room of the Hurst model comes with hardwood floors and fireplace. KB Home offers numerous options for its houses at Blackberry Creek, which have base prices from $124,990 to $210,990. So-called “basic” homes at Blackberry Creek in lower Dorchester County are not too shabby. They’re all EnergyStar high-efficiency rated, come with Whirlpool appliances and Shaw carpet and range in size from 1,272 to 3,396 square feet and price from $124,990 to $210,990. Desiring to secure a lot of home for the money, some buyers in the KB Home neighborhood forego options to seek extra square footage, says Jason Harper, sales associate. Other purchasers, however, scour the builder’s extensive design center off Rivers Avenue. They’ll select upgrades such as quartz countertops, maple cabinets, tile floors, jetted tubs and separate showers and stainless steel stoves, dishwashers and refrigerators. “It’s the next best thing to custom,” he says. Blackberry Creek home buyers and shoppers seem to like the opportunity to pick the type of house they want and how much they want to spend. About 2/3 of the neighborhood’s 183 homes and home sites have been sold, Harper says. Meanwhile California-based KB Home, which has its state headquarters in North Charleston, is rolling out four new floor plans starting today. They include the two-story Franklin and three ranches, the Camden, Kershaw and Fairfield. They all have four bedrooms except the Camden, which has three sleeping areas. They all come with two-car garages, sodded front yards and attic space. “People are looking for more value, more square footage,” says Michael McGivney, the regional vice president of sales and marketing for KB Home. There are six existing models at Blackberry Creek, the one-story Summit and two-level Tyler, Crestwell, Dearborn, Malvern, Hurst and Hancock. Options by plan are lofts, great rooms, game rooms, dens, large walk-in closets, balconies, covered front porches and fire pits on the backyard patios. Blackberry Creek has a small park with a covered gazebo, picnic tables and grills. The community has a host of buyer types, although many homeowners have children. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of families come through,” although not so much with young children, Harper says. He has also noticed older couples who are downsizing and “don’t want the hustle and bustle of Summerville.” A number of buyers are in the armed forces or employed by large companies nearby such as the Bosch auto plant and Force Protection, which makes mine-resistant military vehicles. Youngsters would attend Dorchester District 2 schools, and the private Pinewood Preparatory School is also nearby. Harper says the neighborhood benefits from a convenient locale, within 10 minutes of Interstate 26 and of the Summerville historic and business district. “We are excited about it,” McGivney says. Blackberry Creek is the sixth community from KB Home in the Charleston area. Two more are scheduled to open next year, Cypress Grove south of Moncks Corner and Linnen Place in Mount Pleasant. For your real estate needs please visit http://www.sallyandj.com/

On duty at the office.....Bored.

James Island condo conversion gives house hunters choice of leasing, buying

A popular amenity at Mira Vista is the swimming pool. The community also has tennis courts, clubhouse and workout room. Consider this: you’re shopping the Charleston market, either for a place to buy or lease. You want to be close to downtown, in new upscale digs with top-notch amenities. A privacy gate would help you feel secure. Finding one of more these attractions may not be difficult but all of them would be a test. There’s at least one place of note, though, Mira Vista off Harbor View Road on James Island. Mira Vista is a 230-condo development converted from apartments in spring 2006. In a three month blitz then, buyers paid from $160,000 to $270,000 to purchase the one-, two- and three bedroom locales. Some units have resold. Meanwhile, some owners have leased out properties as investments. For your real estate needs got to http://www.sallyandj.com/

“I think the design and layout of the units is very attractive,” . “Where the property is situated, there is lots of privacy.” He is leasing properties at Mira Vista, where units are 850 to 1,200 square feet. One bedroom condos are $800-$900 a month, two bedroom units are $1,050 to $1,200 and three bedroom dwellings run from $1,200 to $1,400 a month. The majority of condos are two-bedroom, with 60 three-bedroom and some one-bedroom. There are 20 detached garages on site, which can be leased or purchased. “It’s right (near) downtown,” “We have a lot of people in the medical field,”. There are also retirees. “It’s a nice mix,” Young professionals account for many of the residents who are renting, along with a handful of seniors and a few college students, Manaker says. One of the leased condominiums is 1035 Telfair Way. It’s a two-bedroom two bath unit with ceiling fans, carpeting in the bedrooms and stove, microwave and refrigerator in the kitchen. Other condo standards are tile floors in the kitchen and bathrooms and 9-foot ceilings. The Mira Vista amenities complex is popular. A large, well-appointed sales center doubles as a clubhouse. Behind it is the swimming pool and gazebo and to the right are tennis courts. There’s also a workout room. “I think it’s the nicest condo around really,”