ARLINGTON at PARK WEST

By: BOB LANG Of The Post and Courier Staff
Originally Published on: 5/05/01

MOUNT PLEASANT-Beazer Homes USA is well familiar with the East Cooper market, having built and sold hundreds of homes in Longpoint, Belle Hall and Dunes West subdivisions.

The Atlanta-based company, formerly known here as Squires Homes, prides itself in molding its products to suit buyers in a specific location rather than offering a one-size-fits-all product line.

Beazer's latest Mount Pleasant neighborhood, Arlington at Park West, is a prime example of how the company tailors its homes to its customers.

Opened in March of last year, Arlington offers one- and two-story homes that come packed with standard features that typically are extra on other builders' homes in this price range. Prices start at $162,990 and top out at about $240,000 for a large house loaded with upgrades.

Standard features include such items as architectural shingles, wood-burning fireplace, garage-door opener and built-in microwave oven. Yards are sodded and landscaped front and back. Ceilings are at least 9-feet high on the first floor and smooth instead of blown.

Walker Gregory, who has been with Beazer for more than a decade and is currently Arlington's sales manager, said Mount Pleasant buyers demand more out of new houses than ever before.

"This is not a first-time buyer's neighborhood," he said. "We're dealing with a move-up buyer mostly. If we had 8-foot ceilings, dark floorplans and blown ceilings, people would say thank you very much and walk out the door."

Gregory said Arlington's homes stand out in a heavily competitive price range in Mount Pleasant. As of last week, there were more than 300 homes listed in Mount Pleasant between $160,000 and $240,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

"That number used to be around 70. It shows that the market has softened in Mount Pleasant, but we're still selling at a high rate," Gregory said. "While the other guys have had dips and valleys in their sales, we've hummed right along. We really have a high level of customer satisfaction."

So far, 112 homes have been sold in Arlington. Gregory projects the community, which has 159 homes planned, will sell out by the end of the year.

Buyers can choose a home in inventory or have one built from among eight floorplans. Most of the plans feature vaulted ceilings, extensive use of windows, and optional bonus rooms.

All homes have a two-car garage, gas heat and high-end vinyl siding. Master bathrooms come with a tub and separate shower, with a double-bowl vanity sink.

Besides the homes, Gregory said the best thing about the neighborhood is its location. Park West is a developing multimillion-dollar planned subdivision on the north end of town. It features bike trails and common areas throughout, including an amenity center located within a half mile from Arlington. The center has a pool and playground. Also within Park West are two of the better public schools in the Lowcountry, Pinckney Elementary and Cario Middle. The new Wando High School will be built just north of Park West and will have a connecting road from within the subdivision.

Gregory also points out that Park West is located in a fast-growing part of Mount Pleasant, where new stores, restaurants and other businesses are moving every day. The 16-mile commute to downtown Charleston is "not significant," he said. "The Medical University (of South Carolina) is the single biggest employer among our buyers," he said.

Arlington can be accessed one of two ways: through Dunes West on S.C. Highway 41 or through the main entrance to Park West on S.C. Highway 17. Arlington is located on Bessemer Road, just south of the amenity center off of Park West Boulevard.

Arlington is one of seven neighborhoods in the Lowcountry where Beazer is building. The others are The Pointe at Legend Oaks in Summerville (from the $150s), Magnolia Lakes (from the $120s) and Autumn Chase (from the $150s) at Grand Oaks in West Ashley, Waterford Place at Wescott Plantation (from the $160s) in North Charleston, Westwood at the Bridges of Summerville (from the $120s), and Scott's Mill in Summerville (from the $90s).

Beazer Homes USA, founded in 1952, currently builds in more than 30 markets in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest and South Central United States. The company consistently is ranked among the top 10 single-family builders by Professional Builder and Builder magazines. Beazer also is one of only 50 builders to receive the prestigious Diamond Builder award for quality construction and customer service. Beazer Homes USA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BZH). 
    
Bob Lang covers automotive and real estate news. Contact him at 937-5594 or at blang@postandcourier.com.
    
NEIGHBORHOOD 
    
Arlington at Park West 
    
BUILDER/MARKETER 
    
Beazer Homes 
    
        
HOMES PLANNED 
    
159 
    
PRICE RANGE 
    
$162,990 to $222,490 
    
SQUARE FOOTAGE 
    
1,480 to about 2,700 
    
SPECIAL FEATURES 
    
Smooth ceilings 
    
Double garage with garage door opener 
    
Fireplace 
    
Natural gas heat 
    
Architectural shingles 
    
PROPERTY TAXES 
    
$1,067 a year on a $200,000 owner-occupied home 
    
AREA ATTRACTIONS 
    
Mount Pleasant recreation fields within Park West, Towne Centre shopping complex, Palmetto Grande multi-screen theater, beaches, numerous restaurants and grocery stores within 7 miles.
    
DISTANCE TO CHARLESTON 
    
16-mile drive to downtown area. 
    
SCHOOLS 
    
PINCKNEY ELEMENTARY 
    
Grades K-5; 849-2802; enrollment, 917; certified staff, 55; PACT results, 63.5 percent of fifth graders scored above basic on the English/language arts portion, 44.3 percent scored above basic on the math portion. 
    
CARIO MIDDLE

Grades 6-8; 856-4595; enrollment, 631; certified staff, 37; PACT results, 31.6 percent of fifth graders scored above basic on the English/language arts portion, 31.3 percent scored above basic on the math portion. 
    
WANDO HIGH 
    
Grades 9-12; 849-2830; enrollment, 2,079; certified staff, 121; SAT results, 508 verbal, 496 math. The 1,004 combined score is higher than the state average (966) but lower than the national average (1,019). 
    
HOUSING TRENDS IN NORTHERN MOUNT PLEASANT 
    
Number of sales in fourth quarter of 2000: 54 (up from 40 in the fourthquarter of 1999). 
    
Average sales price in fourth quarter of 2000: $236,100 (up from $206,600 in fourth quarter of 1999). 
    
Median sales price in fourth quarter of 2000: $208,000 (up from $194,000 in the fourth quarter of 1999).