kitchen countertopsIn Nexton, SC

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At the mid-year point, South Carolina boasts three of the top-selling 50 master-planned communities in the U.S.

RCLCO Real Estate Consulting ranked Cane Bay Plantation in Berkeley County at No. 5 with 525 sales during the first six months of 2022. That’s down 9 percent from last year’s midpoint.

Nexton, also in Berkeley, came in at No. 22 with with 308 sales, down 5 percent from the first six months of last year.

Latitude Margaritaville in Hardeeville near Hilton Head Island ranked No. 39 with 234 sales, down 29 percent from last year from January through June.

The top-selling, master-planned community continues to be The Villages, between Ocala and Orlando, Fla. It had about 1,500 sales, down 25 percent from last year at the midpoint.

Almost all of the top 50 are in the southern tier of states. Texas posted the most with 20, Florida landed 15, Nevada had four, California and Arizona saw three each, and Utah and Washington state notched one each.

Total new home sales among the 50 top-selling master-planned communities declined by 18 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same time period last year, according to RCLCO.

“Supply chain issues and inadequate new home inventory have continued to pose problems for developers, as price increases and interest rate hikes have begun to impact traffic from potential buyers in recent months,” RCLCO said in its mid-year report.

Nationally, the average price among all new single-family homes is up 15 percent since mid-2021.

“The results of this updated mid-year report confirm that supply chain disruptions continue to have an impact on the ability of master-planned communities to meet new home demand, though climbing interest rates and price appreciation??????? have begun to have an impact on that demand, at least in the near-term,” said RCLCO principal Karl Pischke.

“However, it is important not to overreact to the slowing of sales seen over the last year, as these are still short-term trends,” he said.

“The long-term future of the for-sale housing industry, as evidenced by favorable demographic tailwinds, is strong,” Pischke said. “And the future of master-planned communities, particularly in their ability to capture an outsized share of buyer demand during uncertain or difficult economic times, provides another reason for optimism.”

An affiliate of King and Society Real Estate of Charleston bought the 1.5-acre parcel in 2019 for $1.25 million and plans to open a 38-room new lodging??????? with a restaurant and other amenities on the edge of Beresford Creek.

4427: Address on Spruill Avenue in North Charleston for a new alcohol-making business called Wind & Waves??????? Brewing.

28,200: Square footage of new Buy Buy Baby store soon to open in North Charleston. It’s the company’s second store in South Carolina.

5,703: Square footage of new sports bar The Natural coming to Johns Island, tentatively in mid-August.

+ Sold: The historic Two Meeting Street Inn changed hands earlier this month for nearly $7.7M. It’s had just two previous owners in its 131-year history.

+ The scoop: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams plans to open a second Charleston-area venue in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre.

+ Breaking ground: Charleston kicks off work on $42 million affordable senior housing complex??????? at former Archer School.

Developers Capital Square and Method Co. plan to open the 50-room ROOST Apartment Hotel??????? by early 2024 at the site of the former Dixie Furniture Store at 529 King St. in downtown Charleston.

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Contributing Writer

The local master planned community named the best in the nation has begun work on another phase, on the way to 7,500 residences. This new phase of the Nexton community in Summerville and Berkeley County is expected to add apartments for rent, hotel, office space and 150,000 square feet of shopping and dining space when it is completely built out over the next five to seven years.

Nexton has sold nearly 24 acres to Charlotte-based Crosland Southeast, which plans to develop the new One Nexton segment in multiple phases, starting this coming summer. The first phase of One Nexton will include 351 new apartments and 37,500 square feet of retail space anchored by a Publix supermarket.

One Nexton is consistent with the mixed-use development philosophy of the larger Nexton community, which sits between Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 176 and was named the “Master-Planned Community of the Year” in 2021 by the National Association of Homebuilders.

Nexton sold 456 homes in 2020 and another 576 in 2021 to earn a spot on the RCLCO Real Estate Advisors list of fastest-growing planned communities. More than 1,800 homes currently comprise greater Nexton, including 250 under construction.

Located at the northeast corner of Brighton Park Boulevard and Nexton Parkway, the first phase of One Nexton will break ground in the summer and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2024.

“One Nexton illustrates that Nexton continues to be a national leader in modern community design,” said Brent Gibadlo, vice president and general manager of Nexton. “By fostering thoughtful commercial and residential growth along Charleston’s I-26 growth corridor, we can provide everything our residents want and need while cutting down on commute times and improving quality of life by allowing them to live, work and play and shop all within a short walk or drive from their homes.”

One Nexton will include green space, parks and trails that connect to the rest of Nexton. The master plan for the entire Nexton development calls for 50 miles of walking/biking trails; 2,000 of the total 5,000 acres set aside for woodlands, wetlands and open space; and 400 acres of office, commercial and retail.

One Nexton is the latest phase of the community, built one section at a time over the past decade. Originally developed by WestRock, the real estate company that was formed from lumber giant MeadWestvaco. Today, the development is under development by Brookfield Residential, which acquired the previous developer, Newland, last year.

Nexton’s previous phase to begin development was Midtown, five districts built around a central area of shops, restaurants and a wellness center complete with tennis center, lap pool, yoga studio and more. That followed on the heels last year of Downtown Nexton, 100 acres between Sigma Drive and Brighton Park offering the same amenities and walkability.

Tatum here. Did you know there’s a new Viva Chicken location in Nexton? If you love chicken, Peruvian food, or exploring Nexton’s restaurant scene, this spot should be on your radar.

Viva Chicken is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken joint whose co-founder is from Peru. The menu includes bowls, salads, sandwiches, and rotisserie chicken or pollo a la brasa.

I recently got to check out the new location in Summerville. Keep reading for insider tips (read: what to order) + discover how you can Try This.

What we tried (with pricing):

I tried the quarter chicken with yuca + plantains ($9.55), the maracuya juice ($3.25), and a churro ($3.50). My pollo a la brasa was crisped to perfection + I got the huacatay sauce for a bit of a kick.

When I bit into the yuca (which is like a potato) I thought I’d fried + gone to heaven. Pro tip: Dip the yuca in the huancaina cheese sauce or pair it with maracuya for a sweet and tangy complement.

What not to miss:

If you’re craving pollo, order the quarter, half, or whole chicken with sides like cilantro rice, green beans, and plantains. The chicken is charcoal-fired + marinated in spices.

The eatery has plenty of healthy options like the Andina Power Food or the Inca Wrap. Plus, the menu is 70% vegetarian with the option to add a protein.

Choose from three sauces (all made in-house daily):

And wet your whistle with one of three signature juices:

What we’re still talking about: I learned that Viva Chicken partnered with No Kid Hungry and donates 50 cents for every churro sold. Talk about a win-win.

Also, the outdoor patio was the perfect spot to eat. If it’s a nice day, order on the app ahead of time + enjoy your food in the sunshine. ??

How you can experience this:

There are several ways to get your fix — order through the Viva Chicken App, online, curbside, in-store, or over the phone. Pro tip: Download the app, make an account + start earning VivaPoints. Earn 750 points to reach Aji Status and receive $5 off, 2,000 points to reach Haucatay Status and receive $7.50 off, and 3,500 points to reach Rocoto Status and receive $10 off.

Getting there: After turning left onto Nexton Square Drive, turn left again when you see Poogan’s Southern Kitchen + Viva Chicken is up ahead. Luckily, there’s plenty of parking.

Things to know if you go:

SUMMERVILLE — A Charlotte real estate company recently paid just over $12 million for nearly 24 acres in Nexton where a new mixed-use, grocery-anchored development will be built.

Crosland Southeast plans to build a Publix supermarket and 351 apartments on the western side of Nexton Parkway where Brighton Park Boulevard now ends. The property is undeveloped without any streets.

The site, called One Nexton, is directly across the road from a planned Harris Teeter supermarket and is less than a mile from U.S. Interstate 26.

The sales agreement calls for at least 54,000 square feet of retail construction to begin by March 22, 2023, with two more phases and an additional 31,000 square feet of commercial development by one year later.

Publix announced in December it has leased property for the new store, but the Florida-based grocer did not say when construction will begin or how large the store will be.

If the Charlotte firm fails to start construction by the start date, the deed allows Nexton developer Brookfield Residential to repurchase the property at the original sales price.

Construction on the multifamily development is expected to start by late summer, with an opening in 2024.

Future phases will include a hotel, office space, additional retail and more apartments, according to a statement. In all, another 65,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will be added.

Plans also call for an office core to be developed around One Nexton in about five to seven years.

The new project is part of Nexton’s effort to provide housing, services and job opportunities within its boundaries to allow residents to live, work, play and shop without long commutes, according to Brent Gibadlo, vice president and general manager of Nexton.

“One Nexton will create more employment and business development opportunities for Nexton while also providing meaningful spaces where people can connect and be active,” said Peter Pappas, managing partner with Crosland Southeast.

After One Nexton is completed, it will be connected to a network of parks and trails throughout the 5,000-acre Nexton development where as many as 7,500 homes could be built about 25 miles from downtown Charleston.

At the end of 2021, the subdivision, which is mostly in unincorporated Berkeley County, had 1,675 occupied homes and another 250 sold and under construction, according to spokeswoman Cassie Cataline.

At full buildout, Nexton could be home to 18,750 residents, larger than the current combined populations of Moncks Corner and Hollywood.

Just west of Nexton near the Nexton Parkway interchange at I-26 sits about 1,000 acres annexed by the town of Summerville in 2020. The tract almost abuts the One Nexton site.

It’s approved for up to 700 homes, and plans for the first 177 along Linda Way near Drop Off Drive have been presented to the town. Drop Off Drive is a frontage road between Nexton Parkway and Jedburg Road along the northern side of I-26.

The competition for newcomers in the Charleston area is hot - a record 33 people a day are arriving from other areas of the country - and they are looking for the latest in housing amenities, a contemporary lifestyle that means fewer miles in a car, and a community where they can socialize, exercise and raise children. Bonus points if they can also work where they live.

Those are just a few of the reasons fueling the popularity of the Nexton communities near Summerville, just 25 miles northeast of downtown Charleston. A 12-year-old master-planned community, Nexton has luxuries like swimming pools, walking trails, playgrounds, and community centers. It also has planned commercial spaces for restaurants, retail stores, and offices to make the area a one-stop shop for its residents to live and work.

Since breaking ground in 2009, the Nexton community tops homebuilding lists and recently took home the gold medal for Best Mixed-Use Community and Green Community in the country by the National Home Builders Association. It has been named the “Best Mixed-Use Community” twice by the Charleston Home Builders Association.

Nexton has built the equivalent of a small town that today includes four neighborhoods and three commercial districts. These “villages” as they’re referred to by Nexton’s Vice President of Operations, Brent Gibadlo, are diverse in layout, style and offerings. Gibadlo has been with the community since the beginning and has seen Nexton through its immense growth and management changes. Today the community is managed by Newland, a real estate development & operations business based in San Diego.

The community is purposefully laid out to be walkable, sustainable and diverse, offering not only single-family homes but also apartments, townhomes, a Del Webb Village for those 55 and older, and more recently smaller homes for renters.

Check out the villages

The villages, in order of development, are Brighton Park District, Del Webb Community, North Creek Village and Midtown. Brighton Park Village is home to a variety of single-family homes and townhomes and has been completely built out. Del Webb was the second neighborhood to begin development and is the 55-plus community servicing the town’s “empty nesters.” North Creek Village is just up Nexton’s primary parkway near the popular Cane Bay area, right by the Cane Bay school district. Geared towards the area’s younger families and first-time home buyers, North Creek Village mixes affordability with convenience.

Most recently, Midtown opened about a year ago and sits on nearly 1,000 acres of land. Midtown is where you will see everything the community has to offer in one place from apartments to townhomes and a full range of single-family style homes from a 1,100-square-foot cottage to a large 3,400+ square-foot home.

Nexton’s villages are planned with walkability and accessibility in mind. Over ten miles (and growing) of trails, pathways and sidewalks all weave together to create pedestrian connections that Gibadlo refers to as a “pedestrian expressway.” Their main walkway goes straight through the middle of the community, with the lower-traffic trails and sidewalks acting as “exits” towards each village or district.

Beyond the neighborhoods are the business districts: the Front Street District, Central Boulevard District and Parkway District. Popular restaurants that are extensions of downtown restaurants offer fine dining at Taco Boy, Hall’s Chophouse, Poogan’s Southern Kitchen, Fuji Sushi and others. With hotels, corporate offices and retail available, Nexton has become “just as much a commercial development as it is a residential community” according to Gibadlo.

A lot of this growth is not just servicing the Nexton residents, Gibadlo says many of these additions are “regional in nature” benefitting the entire Summerville area and beyond.

On a smaller scale, there is also some “neighborhood-oriented development” where each village has its commercial necessities whether it’s a coffee shop, pharmacy or little grab-and-go grocery store. You never have to travel far to get what you need when you live at Nexton.

“What we were trying to create was this environment where someone could live at a home where they could walk their child to school if they wanted to in the morning, and then they could just continue on and walk to work,” Gibadlo said.

He recalled a story from one morning when he was driving to town early and saw a nurse on her way to work, walking along the sidewalk and he thought to himself, “we did it.”

Bringing variety and diversity in housing

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Bringing businesses and jobs from Charleston closer to where people are living, and where people can afford to live comfortably, has always been the goal of Nexton. Ladd Shuford, a Summerville-area realtor, and owner of The Flowertown Group has not only sold multiple properties in the Nexton neighborhoods but has also been a resident there for the past few years owning homes in North Creek Village, Brighton Park, and now, Midtown.

Shuford spoke about how Nexton has had a good plan from the very beginning, seeing the need for not only housing but a well-laid out town. Shuford mentioned he loves how Nexton is a place you can “eat, live, play and work” from the wide range of housing options to the business district and the public spaces as well as the amenities. “There’s a great sense of community as a whole and pride about where we live.”

The walking and biking trails are just the tip of the iceberg in the long list of amenities. Between the four villages, Nexton has an impressive 46 parks including dog parks that have separate areas for the small and large dogs and convenient doggy bag stations along all its sidewalks and trails.

Beyond its dog-friendly nature, there is also a “Swim Club” that has a 25-meter competition pool, interactive splash pad for kids, fire pits and shaded cabana structures for relaxation.

The Midtown Club will be the newest addition to this list. Opening soon, the club will be a wellness center featuring tennis courts, another large pool, a yoga studio, and gym. The club will also have work-from-home spaces, a flex room that may be used for events, and an additional park, playground, and pavilion.

An important aspect of the community, especially in this modern age, is how technologically advanced and environmentally conscious Nexton has been from the start. Throughout every expansion, Nexton has saved 30% of its land acreage for wooded space and wetlands and used it for its walking and biking trails. There are also flood ponds for preventative weather measures. Vegetation is native to Eastern South Carolina and not imported from other hardiness zones. Each streetlight utilizes LED lights and uses a cap on the top to prevent light pollution.

On the technology side, Nexton partnered with Home Telecom to bring its residents a GigaFi 100% fiber-optic network, suited to deliver internet speeds of up to 10 gigs. This is used to support today’s technology-dependent lives between our smartphones, Smart TVs, and now even appliances and thermostats rely on an internet connection to be used to the best of their ability.

You might’ve recently seen Nexton featured on the popular HGTV show, “Rock the Block” where four teams of home experts competed over six weeks to design identically laid-out homes on the same street. The six-episode season recently aired its finale last month on April 4th and if you missed it, it is available for streaming on Discovery+. To celebrate the finale, Nexton hosted a watch party for anyone who wanted to revel in their community together.

Social community

It’s not unusual for residents to all come together to socialize or help each other out. The community hosts events frequently and beyond that, they are very active online with neighborhood Facebook groups that act as a resource for anyone who needs it. Shuford mentioned, “the social aspect is super-positive and it’s one of the reasons we chose to live in Nexton.” Residents can also follow the community’s Instagram account and receive a newsletter to stay in-the-know about what’s happening around town.

The homes in Nexton don’t just come in a variety of styles but are made by a variety of builders. This enhances the diversity of the neighborhoods, ensuring there are different floorplans, sizes, and prices. Each builder has the opportunity to add their own mark on the neighborhood and with each addition, the community is enhanced with a quality product. Regardless of builder, the final product is a beautiful and efficient home. Compared to other existing South Carolina homes, a home in Nexton saves an average of 2,100 gallons of water and 1,300 Kilowatt hours of electricity each year proving to be 24% more efficient saving both money and resources.

An unforeseen perk is that you don’t have to take the plunge in ownership to live there: Nexton understands that homeownership is not always the right path for their residents and offers a large selection of renter-friendly options from apartments to townhomes and even single-family style homes they call “The Villas at Nexton” which is their first single-family home and cottage for-rent neighborhood.

These single-family for-rent villas offer an affordable way to live in your dream house without the obligations that come with a home purchase. This is good for the consumer: it adds pricing diversity and gives the potential Nexton-resident an extremely wide range of options to choose from.

If you are considering the move to a more affordable local location that has everything you could need in one place, explore the many choices offered one of the top 30 selling master-planned communities in the country based on year-end 2021 home sales.

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