By BUILDER Magazine Staff. Why it worked: These good-looking townhomes are the lowest price point in a new master planned development in one of Washington’s last suburban growth areas.
Following on the heels of nearby pioneering TNDs like The Kentlands, Clarksburg Town Center will have a mix of commercial and retail in addition to the residential component.
The target customers are first-time buyers and some empty-nesters. Craftstar Homes only builds multifamily, which, because of the maintenance-free lifestyle it affords, is very popular in this market filled with busy working people.
Craftstar negotiated the best land deal to offer the lowest-priced, fee-simple townhome in the community.
Thirty percent of buyers are adding an optional fourth level owners’ suite (bedroom, sitting area, bathroom, and walk-in closet) that adds $49,545 to the sales price. Local codes require that the builder include an outside deck and stairs off of the first floor with this option.
Above all, Curt Adkins, Craftstar’s vice president, credits the above-average sales to an outstanding salesperson. “She is extremely personable and gives everyone the time of day,” he says.
Project Credits
Project: The Annapolis at Clarksburg Town Center, Clarksburg, Md.; Sales started: July 2001; Sales through June 2002: 37; Units planned: 47; Price: $263,900 to $283,900; Unit size: 1,720 to 1, 960 square feet; Builder: Craftstar Homes, McLean, Va.; Architects: Sutton Yantis Associates, Vienna, Va., Pinnacle Design, Fairfax, Va.; Landscape architect: Charles P. Johnson and Associates, Silver Spring, Md.
Photo: Courtesy Craftstar Homes
Stone face: All of the 20-foot-wide townhomes with rear-loaded, two-car garages feature the company’s signature 6-inch-thick natural stone from a local Maryland quarry.
