Variety of Value

If the housing market has been slow, you can’t tell it by Shane Ford's experience.

The community sales manager for Harbor Homes at Baker Plantation in North Charleston says business has been “awesome. I’ve only been on-site five weeks now. But we’ve sold 14 (homes).”

Ford, who represents Harbor for Carolina One New Homes, says the first-time and repeat homebuyer tax credits that ended April 30 may have motivated some of the buying. Prior to the end of last month, nearly everyone was an initial-home purchaser.

But he says Baker Plantation has advantages that should make it popular going forward. The neighborhood is set up for a slew of amenities. The Harbor Homes section already has a pond, and “there will be a clubhouse and junior Olympic sized pool,” Ford says.

The three- to five-bedroom houses from Harbor Homes come with a broad spectrum of designs. Eleven floor plans range in size from 1,261 to 3,300 square feet and are priced from the $130,000s to the low $200,000s.

The sales model is the 2,076-square-foot Carlisle. Other plans include the Charles, Edward, Townsend, Underwood, Hanover, Harold, James, Richard, Victoria and William.

Harbor Homes intends to build 72 houses in the community, situated off Antler Drive between Greenridge and Otranto roads in upper North Charleston.

“I would say, the biggest draws of this place are location, price and products,” Ford notes.

While buffered by trees and yards, the site is close to Interstate 26, he says. “We are three minutes from Wannamaker County Park, tons of shopping, dining and recreational (spots).”

Home designs include scads of standard perks as well as a number of available options.

Typical attractions are nine-foot smooth ceilings; brushed nickel hardware; cultured marble sinks; Delta faucets; washer and dryer hookups; and General Electric appliances including electric range, built-in microwave and dishwasher. Upgrades include maple cabinets (oak is standard), fireplaces, solid-surface countertops, home theater packages with surround sound and gas appliances and water heater.

Two-car garages, fully landscaped lots, 80-square-foot patios and termite-pest control systems are standard exterior features. Extras include brick and cedar shake siding accents.

Depending on the plan, the houses have two- to three-and-a-half baths, master bedrooms upstairs and down and tray ceilings in some rooms. A number of models include formal dining, bonus or flex rooms. Many models are laid out in the Craftsman Cottage style.

At the same time, the homes run in cost from $134,900 to $212,000. Every design but one is below $200,000.

Harbor Homes has what it calls a Community Partnership Home Purchase Program going on now. When buying a Harbor dwelling, select military and medical personnel, teachers, law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical technicians can receive 3 percent of the base price to add free options. That works out to $6,000 worth of extras on a $200,000 home. Harbor will pay normal closing costs for purchasers who use their preferred lender, Bank of America. And for eligible buyers, 100 percent financing opportunities are available, Ford says.

To help buyers select materials, the builder has a design center in the Builders Wholesale outlet on U.S. Highway 17A near Summerville

Harbor Homes is the coastal division of longtime Columbia-based builder Mungo Co.

To access Baker Plantation from downtown Charleston, travel west on I-26 to exit 209A, which is U.S. Highway 52. Once on Highway 52, stay in the right hand lane and turn onto Greenridge Road. Greenridge loops around and crosses Highway 52 at the traffic light. Follow Greenridge to Antler Drive and turn right. Harbor Homes’ section at Baker Plantation is ahead.

Reach Jim Parker at (843) 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com

Neighborhood: Baker Plantation

Location: Charleston County

Phone: (843) 270-2158

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday and Monday, or by appointment

Web site: www.harborhomesSC.com