Saturday, August 3, 2002
BY BOB LANG
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Buy a new house these days and more than
likely you'll be obligated to a long list of neighborhood
covenants and restrictions as well as an annual homeowner's fee.
But if you're one who doesn't like the
idea of being told what to do with your house or of paying fees
to maintain a pool that you'll never use, perhaps you should
consider The Shadows, a new neighborhood in the Ponderosa
subdivision west of the Ashley.
Conceived and built by Charleston-area
developers and contractors, The Shadows is a small, quiet
community that lacks the fanfare of neighborhoods built by large
regional or national builders. There's no big entrance. No
furnished model. No amenity center.
The houses are simple and relatively
small, but they look similar to starter homes by larger builders.
Lots come with more mature trees than in most other new
neighborhoods, and some lots back up to woods that will stay that
way.
When you buy in The Shadows, nobody
makes you sign anything that says you can't park your boat in
your driveway or that you can't leave your garage door open on a
Saturday afternoon. And nobody will ever send you a bill to
collect a neighborhood homeowner's fee.
"Of course we don't want to see
cars on blocks or anything like that, but people don't have to
worry about restrictions or fees," said David Postell of
Postell Construction Co. Inc., one of two builders in the
neighborhood. The other is Ed Ravenel & Sons.
"We're just building nice,
affordable starter homes that you can't find in West Ashley in
this price range," Postell said.
Homes range in size from about 1,200 to
1,400 square feet and in price from $127,000 to $140,000.
A total of 20 homes are in the first
phase, all fronting the same street. A number of families have
moved in, while 11 homes are under construction. Construction on
a second phase of 20 homes is scheduled to begin later this year.
Buyers can choose a house in inventory
or wait to have a particular house built in the second phase.
About a dozen floor plans are offered, including one- and
two-story elevations.
All homes come with vinyl siding and at
least a one-car garage. Front yards come sodded and landscaped.
Most floor plans are open. Typical
interior features include tile or hardwood flooring in the foyer,
gas fireplace, tray ceiling in the master bedroom, white kitchen
cabinets and walk-in closets. In some homes under construction,
buyers can choose carpeting and interior paint colors.
Ed Ravenel said The Shadows is already
proving to be a good investment for buyers.
"We've been building for about a
year now, and our appraisals are already up
$10,000-$12,000," Ravenel said. "If I was a young man
looking for my first house, I'd certainly consider buying
here."
Besides price and investment potential,
Ravenel and Postell said location is the biggest selling point in
The Shadows.
The neighborhood, located south of
Citadel Mall off U.S. Highway 17, is close to shopping and
restaurants as well as a public boat landing and golf course. A
public playground is situated within the community.
The older parts of the Ponderosa
subdivision were developed in the mid-1960s. Most of the street
names were inspired by the classic western television show,
"Bonanza," and include Little Joe Lane, Chuckwagon Road
and Corral Drive, among others.
The best way to get to get to The
Shadows from downtown Charleston is to take U.S. Highway 17 south
toward Savannah. After passing First Assembly of God church on
your left, go about a mile and turn right at the unmarked exit
with a turning lane (you'll see a large oak tree there). That is
Bonanza Road and the main entrance to Ponderosa.
You can either make a hard right turn
onto the frontage road (Marginal Road) or stay on Bonanza Road to
get to Ponderosa Road. Either way, turn left onto Ponderosa Road
to get to The Shadows. An open house will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today
and 2-5 p.m. Sunday.
Bob Lang covers real
estate and automotive news. Contact him at
blang@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5594.
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