Although the decline of the real estate industry has been a familiar drumbeat for the past 18 months, at least one major area community is bucking the trend.Brunswick Forest, a 4,500-acre, master-planned residential and retail community set on U.S. Highway 17 six miles south of Historic Downtown Wilmington, has quietly surged past the $37 million mark in sales just eight months after its grand opening. Between February 2007, when the development’s Dream Street model homes opened, and the end of October 2007, 105 homes and homes sites went under contract for a total sales volume of more than $37 million.
That figure excludes the Jefferson Landing section of Brunswick Forest that saw its entire 278-home inventory sell in 2006. In total, more than 380 homes and home sites have sold or are under contract. Brunswick Forest development officials say the pace is accelerating.
"Despite everything you hear about the terrible housing market, we’ve had great sales," says Brenda Key, president of Brunswick Forest Realty, LLC. "No one else that we
know of seems to be having this kind of success."
Earlier this year Brunswick Forest introduced Dream Street at Parkview, one of the largest, all-new model-home showcases in the coastal South. With the opening of a
spectacular, 14,000-square-foot Welcome Center in September, visitors now have the opportunity to see a complete picture of a community already becoming recognized for its many world-class amenities and distinctive neighborhoods.
At the adjacent Parkview, more than half of the available home sites and home packages are under contract. Like Jefferson Landing, this popular neighborhood features street lights, ponds and sidewalks connecting to miles of leisure trails that will lead to the community amenities, parks, preserves and the shops and offices in The Villages, Brunswick Forest’s commercial center. The average home price at Parkview is $425,000.
Also setting an impressive pace is the recently released Gardenwood, a neighborhood of attractive, all-brick, low-maintenance garden homes starting at $259,500. Twenty-two homes have sold since their release—ten on the first day.
Along with Parkview and Gardenwood, visitors also may select from four Florida-style models at the newly introduced Villamar. These well-appointed homes, decked out with central sunlit kitchens, high ceilings and spacious lanais and porches, run from $398,000 to $498,000. Fifteen have already been sold, moving at a pace of about one home per week.
Just released is Evangeline, a charming neighborhood of 56 coastal Carolina homes and 60 townhomes offering high-end custom-home features, including elegant hardwood flooring, distinctive crown molding and granite countertops. Prices begin at $329,500 for the townhomes and from the high-$500,000s for the coastal home and home site package. Evangeline is a project of Kent Homes, one of the Wilmington area’s leading luxury home builders.
Belshaw was also introduced in the fall of 2007. These low-maintenance homes feature woodland views, fabulous outdoor living spaces and gourmet kitchens at prices from the mid-$300,000s.
Finally, home sites at Walden are moving briskly, with half the first phase under contract in the $165,000 to $225,000 range. These are destined for early buyers who plan to build a custom home at some point in the future and are interested in taking advantage of pre-construction pricing that is still in effect.
"Families are moving in every day," says Brunswick Forest Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Sloan. "We’re seeing people walking their dogs in the neighborhoods and kids riding their bikes on the sidewalks. It’s fast becoming a vibrant, well-established community."
Exactly why the community is doing so well in the early going is a matter of some discussion, although Brunswick Forest officials point to the heavy construction activity, an extensive amenities plan, word-of-mouth from satisfied homeowners, the quality of construction, the extensive depth of financing behind the project and a marketing program that brings in more than 100 visitors a week.
"Interest in Brunswick Forest just keeps building," Key says. "We’re averaging 100 visitors a week and now that the Welcome Center is open, we anticipate even greater numbers."
Designed in the classic Southern coastal architecture of all of Brunswick Forest’s amenity centers, the 14,000-square-foot Welcome Center offers buyers an overview of the community and its extraordinary country club lifestyle. A variety of attractive displays feature photographs, color graphics, site plans and renderings of the neighborhoods and amenities, including the River Club on Town Creek, Community Garden, the Ocean Club, the Wellness/Fitness Center and the 27-hole Cape Fear National now under construction.
The centerpiece of the community, the stunning private golf course is being built against a backdrop of woods, wetlands and creeks offering a game that is both visually rewarding and challenging. Designed by Tim Cate, the first 18 holes, along with the clubhouse, are expected to open in 2009.
More than seven miles of sidewalks have been laid to date. The weight of the concrete required for the job—4,473 tons—is equivalent to the displacement of the Battleship North Carolina when fully loaded. When completed, the community will include more than 100 miles of sidewalks that are part of a remarkable network of trails and pathways running throughout Brunswick Forest.
Also under construction and scheduled to open in the spring is the 18,000-square-foot Wellness/Fitness Center featuring the latest weight-training and cardiovascular machines, along with indoor and outdoor pools, a cutting-edge aerobics room, a sauna, a steam room and whirlpool, massage rooms, dressing lounges, a snack bar and lounge with a media center, six lighted tennis courts and a pro shop.
Work also has begun on several parks, including Lowcountry Park with its meandering lake and expansive meadow. The lake has been dug and the land graded to create a descending series of elevations leading to the meadow. Additionally, an arched pedestrian bridge has been built and native grasses and a variety of specimen trees have been planted along the lake.
Soon, crews will begin work on the Community Garden, featuring a free-standing greenhouse, flower gardens, growing fields and a glass-enclosed meeting room where residents can gather to plan each season’s crops.
Plans are now being finalized for the River Club, Brunswick Forest’s non-motorized boating and fishing center complete with boardwalks and dock, a Nature Center, a screened pavilion, an outdoor fireplace and an observation platform—all overlooking the picturesque Town Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear River. Construction of the first phase of this facility is expected to begin in 2008.
Early 2008 will also see the start of construction of The Villages at Brunswick Forest on Highway 17 at the entrance to the community. A Lowes Foods supermarket will serve as one of the anchors of the 160-acre town center designed with clusters of retail stores and plazas offering convenient one-stop shopping. Space will be available for a wide range of shops and services. Commitments have already been received from Frank Theatres, CVS, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, BB&T and Hampton Inn.
"We’re moving full speed ahead with the amenities and infrastructure," Sloan says. "What we’re doing here is unique. We’re developing the country club lifestyle up front."
By Tobin Spirer, North Brunsick Magazine Online
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