Krueger Commons Jump-Starts Sales with Below Cost Condos

Krueger Commons, a small, attractive "New Urbanist" condo community in Coupeville on Whidbey Island, in Washington, seems to have the right approach to selling its newest units. There are a total of 20, four per building in 5 buildings. Each unit is a comfy size for a vacation home or empty-nest retreat -- not quite 1250 square feet, with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths each.

To pump up sales, the developer is not selling all, but only 3 units right now, at the remarkable price of $210,000. "At that price, buyers get $30,000 in equity--current appraisal about two weeks ago," said spokeswoman Stephanie Meehan this week. "And yes, it's below our cost."

A big selling point is that there is a lot of open space for bicycling, walking, jogging and enjoying nature in Krueger Commons. Whidbey itself is in the rain "shadow"of the Olympic range and thus gets less rain than metropolises such as Seattle, with a temperate year-round climate. Those houses shown above are a short stroll from the beach.

Cinnamon Shore, "New Urbanist" Vacation Community, Grows in Texas

A "new urbanist" development has taken root in Texas. Cinnamon Shore, a vacation home community on Mustang Island, is growing despite the credit crunch, "We have 23 homes either complete or at various stages of construction and 10 homes that will be breaking ground in the next 60-90 days," a spokeswoman said. "Our phase 1 amenities that are complete consist of our golf-cart-accessible dune crossover (beach access), Fishing Pavilion and Boardwalk on Lake Colby." Phase 1 of the community consists of consists of 82 homesites, of which 41 are sold, and an additional 6 are pending with builders. By March, the pool and pool house will be finished. Mustang Island is opposite Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico, but suffered no damage during Hurricane Ike, which hit the Texas coast last summer. "The protective dunes (which were an integral part of the design of the community) shielded the development from any storm surge and harsh weather," wrote PR consultant Randi Tucker in answer to my email about this.

Seabrook, WA: Pacific Coast New Urbanist Town Takes Shape

Seabrook, Washington, yet another "New Urbanist" development, is located on the Pacific Coast of Washington State, 2 1/2 hours from Seattle. The new community is doing well, say the latest news reports, despite the downturn in vacation home sales. When completed, the beach community will have 400 homes on 303 lots. According to a recent article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, quoting developer Casey Roloff, Seabrook has sold 18 homes this year and in 2007 sold 34 houses, up from 23 in 2006, while other real estate areas struggle. Meanwhile, owners put 49 houses in Seabrook's rental pool in August, and they were more than 90 percent occupied. Its literature proclaims that Seabrook is a "pedestrian-friendly community where a short walk will get you anywhere you want to go." Prices began at $399,000 but waterfront property carries much higher price tags.A spokesman said that buyers were from 26 states and 3 countries but about two-thirds are Washington residents.

Breakaway: "New Urbanist" Homes Sell in North Carolina Mountains

Despite the real estate meltdown, some vacation developments with unusual qualities are experiencing good sales. That includes Breakaway, a self-described "new urbanist" community 25 miles from Asheville, North Carolina. Breakaway points out it's NOT "another gated-subdivision, outdated cabins, or pointless sprawling mansions." The planned development has its own ski hill, plus homes with views and "inviting streets" that "make walking and biking" part of daily life. An ice cream shop and a grill are finished in the village center. Some homesites are priced below $100,000 and houses are on sale from mid $300,000 up.A spokesperson says so far 5 houses are complete.