“There is definitely some urgency,” said John Pinter, vice president of sales for the company. “There’s something that’s making the public go into a buying mode.”

Already, Stevens has more than 135 sales for the year, he said. At South Brook, they’re averaging about 4 home sales a month. “For people buying there, they’re looking for a larger home and a larger home site than are available in other areas of the region,” he said. “Here, there’s more elbow room and a better value home.”

The community offers amenities such as competition-sized swimming pool, a low-country style clubhouse, sidewalks, ponds, a playground and walking trails throughout. South Brook, which is located between Wilmington and Southport, also has a low homeowner association fee of $40 per month.

Another aspect that makes this company unique is that each neighborhood has two on-site agents that work only with that one community. “They act as the mayors of that area,” Pinter said. “They know the owners, the demographics, everything.”

In some cases, like at South Brook, there are many differences between the homes and home sites – in elevations, setbacks and architectural details. “The on-site representatives can be there so that all of the brokers and buyers know who they can turn to for all answers to any questions.” At South Brook at Mallory Creek Plantation, Wendy Melville and Kelly Patella are these on-site, new home specialists.

The current housing economy has buyers asking certain questions before making the purchase, Pinter said. And at Stevens Fine Homes, they have concentrated on making sure they’re providing the best answers for those choosing between new houses or short sales and foreclosures.

“People are having a lot of problems going into some of these homes, and being surprised. They’re uncovering a lot of problems in the first year and paying a lot of money out of pocket to cover things they didn’t expect and things that the inspection didn’t uncover.”

The home warranties Stevens is offering have been an important selling point. “There’s a one year bumper-to-bumper warranty,” he said. The company also offers a 10-year structural warranty and a two-year appliance warranty. “That’s part of the value of new versus used.”

Stevens Fine Homes adds other values, too. “We’re the number one builder in Wilmington,” Pinter said. The company asks clients to fill out satisfaction surveys after moving in and after one year. “We have a 96 percent satisfaction rating,” he said. Also, the company boasts a healthy 15 percent property-owner referral rate. “But at South Brook, it’s double that,” Pinter said.

Stevens Fine Homes builds houses in both brick and craftsman style from 1,400 to 4,000 square-feet. As one of the leading regional builders, they are often able to get a first shot at working in some of the area’s most desirable locations. For buyers who would like to build, the company offers an in-house design studio that can help them through the process. After that, homes are built in 90-100 days.

“It’s a good time to buy. There’s a historic low interest rate,” Pinter said. “Plus we offer regular incentives and close-out incentives.” Right now, there’s a summer sales incentive, as well as a brick incentive, where you can buy a brick home for the price of a vinyl-sided one. Stevens Fine Homes has banking relationships with First Bank and Bank of America and many of their home buyers are able to purchase their houses for little or no money down.

For more information call 910-332-8501. Model home hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Source: Star News