THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 28, 1995 TAG: 9511020575
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN MILES, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
The Gables at Bellamy, a townhome condominium community in Virginia Beach, between Princess Anne Road and Old Princess Anne Road (near the new Catholic High School), won the Silver Award for best house in the 1995 New Home Tour by the Tidewater Builders Association.
The first model opened in April 1994. Sales are by Naxos Inc. The Dragas Companies, the developer, has simplified purchasing in this community.
There are easy signs to the neighborhood, a small parking area for people visiting the models, three models and floor plans (with a few options), and a base price of $98,900. For people who're seeking a downstairs master bedroom, one of the two-bedroom models offers it.
The small, attractive area sports two small lakes with fountains, as well as a pool area, with cabana, sundeck, restrooms, phone and drink machine.
Archer Green, site manager, says the attached garage is probably the biggest selling feature. He says most townhouses garages protrude from the house or take up room that could have been used for interior space.
``Our builder has added an additional 11-12 feet in garage width. With our side garages, the lots are larger and we have a wrap-around garden patio, which goes around one side and the rear of the building, which opens the entire area up.
``There's plenty of light and large windows. Every unit is like an end unit. A six-foot stained cedar privacy fence also comes with it.'' If you desire even more space, you can buy an end unit with both sides open, for an added $1,000.
``This area is very accessible,'' says Green. ``We're 15-20 minutes from anywhere in Tidewater, and yet it still looks like country. We can look outside and see trees all over - even horses.''
There are 95 units planned with almost half currently sold. Since they are in their final phase of development, they're currently including a free $1,000 option package with purchase of property around the lake areas, or $2,000 package for other property.
Four to six townhouses are built together. ``There are a lot of standard features here that are options at other places,'' says Green.
Some standard features for all the models include vinyl exterior, gas fireplaces, walk-in closets, roman tubs, wall to wall carpeting, natural gas, central air-conditioning, bedroom cathedral ceilings, pre-wiring for phone, cable, garage-door openers, dishwasher, oven, pantry, water-saving toilets and faucets. They are energy efficient homes.
Jeffrey Burns, a social worker in private practice, says he chose The Gables at Bellamy because of the new construction and the convenience of the location. It's close to both his and his wife's places of employment. He moved into the three-bedroom model last May, and was married shortly afterward.
``Condo seems to be the way of the future,'' he says, ``if you don't want to spend all of your time on house repairs and lawn work. I can appreciate those things, but I don't necessarily need to have them.''
Burns thinks it's a good lifestyle choice for dual-income families who don't have a lot of at-home time. ``I would tell most people,'' he says, ``who didn't want to spend the rest of their time doing domestic things like cutting grass, it probably allows you more time to spend on leisure options.
``The housing price is high enough to make the area fairly middle class, but low enough to make it affordable, without taking away money for extras. The homes seem to be reasonably well constructed and the area is not heavily trafficked.
``We have a nice, friendly group of diverse neighbors - different range of ages and occupations. It's a nice area.''
Annita and Antonio Quiles, and their year-old-son, moved to the area in September. They previously rented another Virginia Beach condo, but decided it was time to purchase a home.
``We wanted to invest our money, instead of spending it on rent,'' says Annita Quiles. ``We looked around and decided this neighborhood was in a central location.'' They bought the three-bedroom model.
``Everything is new here,'' she says. `` I like it. I see lots of children playing, and it's a pretty quiet neighborhood.'' Antonio, a Navy ensign who is an intelligence officer, has one more year in Virginia Beach. When they move, they may rent the condo out, because they think they'll be stationed back in the area.
Another resident in the Navy, Lt. Cmdr. Dave Ratte, a submarine engineer, was one of the first occupants of the neighborhood. He was renting anapartment about a mile away, which he moved into because he'd been unable to find a place ``of the style I liked,'' he said.
But, he wanted ``something permanent.'' So, when he noticed the year lease was almost up, he started looking around. The townhouse condos were just starting to be built.
``When I saw these,'' Ratte says, ''I really liked their style, particularly the size (they're all over 1,500 square feet), and mostly the attached garage. Almost all the neighbors I've talked to say the size of the unit and the garage were what attracted them too.
``The large windows are also nice, allowing lots of sunlight in. And, I put some mirrors on the wall, which helps the room look even larger.
``I looked at other condos, and I didn't find any quite this large. This appears to be an upscale neighborhood,'' he says, ``maybe because a lot of the townhomes I looked at cost between $75,000 and $80,000; these run almost $100,000. It impressed me that the neighborhood is made up of a very diverse group.
``I bought the three-bedroom model. I made the second bedroom into a den off the master bedroom and use the third room as a guest room. I put the optional second door in the den, so I can get into the room by two different ways.
``Being in the military, when I'm out to sea, there's no one to take care of a yard, so a condo's perfect for me.'' An added benefit, Ratte says, is that his brother lives in a neighborhood only about a mile away.
``I enjoy the pool area; it's real nice,'' Ratte says. ``And it's 10 miles to the beach at Dam Neck.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Gary C. Knapp
The attached garage is a big selling point for those who buy homes
in The Gables at Bellamy...
Graphic with color map
About the neighborhood
by CNB