Lewes, April 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Schell Brothers scores big with new community Governors in Lewes, Delaware
Coastal community Governors sells 110 units in nine months
Governors, a new home community developed by Jack Lingo Asset Management with new homes by Schell Brothers, is ideally situated on a premier road in the coastal town of Lewes, DE. This 423-home community launched sales in June of 2018 and has proven to be one of the most successful selling communities in coastal Delaware in recent history. With over 110 sales in the books in only nine months, we wanted to find out why this community is proving to be so successful. We sat down with Schell Brothers Community Sales Manager Adam Pettengell to discuss what makes Governors so special.
What do you attribute the sales pace to at Governors?
Adam: Opportunities east of Route 1 in Lewes, DE are limited. We had people waiting for Governors after the completion of Senators (an earlier developed community) who wanted to be a part of Gills Neck Road living. Land is scarce on Gills Neck Road and people knew if they didn’t move here, they may never have an opportunity to live in this prime location.
What makes this community different from some other Schell Brothers communities? From your competitors’ communities?
Adam: 50% of sales in this community are Delaware residents; 25% already reside in Lewes. This is not typical for our market. Normally, we have buyers that are retiring to Delaware from elsewhere or are purchasing a second vacation home. But ‘the locals’ know that this location and price point are perfect for their next new home at the beach.
Do you foresee maintaining this pace?
Adam: I foresee the pace as record-breaking every year. Last year we pre-sold over 90 homes without anything in the community other than dirt! That was incredible. This year sales will be driven by the activity. We are a quarter of the way sold out in nine months AND now we have construction and product to show. Momentum will grow in the community as we actually have homeowners as our ambassadors for living on Gills Neck Road, and soon a model to show prospective homeowners.
What floorplans have been most successful and why?
Adam: The Coastal Series plans are brand new for Schell Brothers, but they are making a huge impression on our buyers and for the very reasons they were designed. The Orchid is a brilliant 1600 square foot ranch home, which for many is downsizing; but it is downsizing without sacrificing. These plans offer amazing spaces and the ability to personalize. In fact, the Orchid won the esteemed Gold Award for Best Home at the recent National Home Builder Awards Ceremony. The Lilac is one of our two-story home floor plans and it gives you everything right from the start: 2400 square feet with 4 beds, 2.5 baths, loft, flex room, and open living. Better than that though, all of these floorplans have amazing light throughout the living spaces.
How have you approached sales at Governors?
Adam: We have worked hard to promote the socially active surroundings, like direct access to the Junction & Breakwater Trail which connects Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. We even have a blog series about bike routes from Governors to Lewes, Rehoboth, and the beach, and have done pop-up happy hours at local restaurants and breweries. We also did advance realtor information on the community and had tours of the new floorplans in our other Schell Brothers communities.
What challenges, if any, have you overcome to create buzz at Governors?
Adam: Being in a trailer! We started selling in this community when it was just dirt. We didn’t have any roads - just mud, dirt, and mud again. We were forced to let our prospective buyers leave to go see models in other communities. As a salesperson, you want to keep them on site as much as possible. Fortunately, the location brought them back to us and we really didn’t lose buyers because of this. We are selling single-family and townhomes in this community and everything we are currently selling is a new product for Schell Brothers.
For more information about Governors and Schell Brothers, contact Alyssa Titus: Alyssa.Titus@SchellBrothers.com
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