New 60-unit complex from Centex Homes off Clements Ferry Road delivers tony interiors, classic facades

Increasingly but still sparsely traveled, S.C. Highway 41 heads arrow-straight through northern Mount Pleasant, makes one wide bend east and tracks across the Wando River Bridge.

Just past the aged crossing, Clements Ferry Road splits off to the left. Then it's no more than a half mile to a clearing on the right with a row of townhomes. The location is convenient, surroundings scenic and services provided by the city of Charleston.

Yet the complex, Cain Crossing, wasn't an instant hit with buyers. Centex Homes started marketing the properties last October, and eight months later remains early in the sales phase. But a combination of time, patience and figuring out what buyers would pay for the comfortable, roomy townhomes has brought interest as of late.

"Centex priced these homes for the market," says Debi DeCusatis, sales executive with Centex. "It's now hit a price people can afford, to be on the outskirts of Mount Pleasant."

Cain Crossing will have 60 dwellings, with sizes from 1,471 to 2,339 square feet. Shoppers can choose from 10 floor plans at costs of $149,900 to $207,900. Streets meander through the village, centered by large oaks and bordered by ponds and wetlands. There are connecting sidewalks and an amenities center with swimming pool, pending city approval. Homeowners association dues are $140 a month.

Purchasers don't fit in one category, although "we see a lot of people who are downsizing," she says.

There are retirees who don't need a big house; young professionals without a family or with small children; and people who travel extensively and want a place to return to from trips, she says.

Standard attractionsinclude soil-resistant carpet, six-panel doors, energy efficient air-conditioning and heating systems, extra wall and ceiling insulation, professionally kept lawns and drywall finished garages. At the same time, buyers can spend up to $30,000 on options such as hardwood floors, granite countertops, upgraded kitchen appliances and screened porches, DeCusatis says.

The floor plans are in Centex's Winchester collection, which include the Dalton, Carlisle, Newbury, Bristol and Walden models; and the Windsor collection, which are the Hampshire, Oxford, Avalon, Kensington and Manchester designs.

The dwellings, being townhomes, each share a wall. Yet they have the feel of detachment since there are sizable backyards and plant beds around the units. "It's very much like a Charleston single-type home," DeCusatis says. "They offer all the space and comfort of single-family homes with all the luxury and convenience of townhome living."

To reach Cain Crossing from downtown Charleston, cross the Ravenel Bridge on U.S. Highway 17 and remain on Highway 17 through Mount Pleasant. Turn left on Highway 41. Follow Highway 41 across the Wando River Bridge. Bear left onto Clements Ferry Road. Continue for about 0.5 mile and Cain Crossing in on the right.

An alternate route is to continue slightly further and turn right on Reflectance Road. Cain Crossing is the first right.

Neighborhood

Cain Crossing.

Location

Berkeley County.

Developer, marketing

Centex Homes.

More info

phone: 377-2470.

HOURs: 10 a.m-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

WEB SITE: www.centexhomes.com

Typical features

--Shower, garden tub in master bathroom.

--Landscaped lawns, 85 percent sod and 15 percent plant beds.

--Smooth ceilings.

--Range, dishwasher, 30-inch oak cabinets in kitchen.

--Cultured marble vanity tops in all baths.

--Garage.

--Low-maintenance vinyl siding.

--Rear concrete patio.

--20-year shingles.

Total townhomes

60.

Townhome sizes

1,471-2,339 square feet.

Townhome prices

$149,900-$207,900.

Property taxes

$1,097 on $175,000 townhome.

Area attractions

Wando River, Francis Marion National Forest, Daniel Island Marina, Family Circle Cup Tennis Center, Blackbaud Stadium (soccer), area golf courses, Blackbeard's Cove amusement park and Interstate 526.

Distance to downtown Charleston

17 miles.

Schools

Cainhoy Elementary and Middle schools

Grades K-8; phone, 899-8963; enrollment, 227; certified staff, 32; PACT results, 17.3 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts, 8.6 percent on math, 25 percent on science and 9.1 percent on social studies; 13.3 percent of eighth-graders scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts, 6.7 percent on math, 26.7 percent on science and 0 percent on social studies.

Hanahan High School

Grades 9-12; phone, 820-3710; enrollment, 838; certified staff, 62; SAT results, 508 verbal and 513 math. The 1021 combined score is higher than the state average (984) and the national average (1017).

Housing Trends

Wando/Cainhoy area:

Number of sales in the first quarter of 2008: 66 (down from 115 in the first quarter of 2007).

Average sales price: $295,700 (down from $374,300).

Median sales price: $215,000 (down from $240,000).

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postand courier.com.

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