With more than 3,000 homes built and more than 50 neighborhoods developed throughout the Cape Fear region over the past 30 years, Stevens Fine Homes owner Craig Stevens has been on the front lines of each up and down, twist and turn of every housing market imaginable. In fact, it was during a down market many years ago when Stevens made the strategic decision to purchase a large parcel of land in Brunswick County.
Amanda Lisk
“Land is kind of like a fine wine, you buy it in a bad market when land prices are down, and then you let it age for just the right time,” says Stevens.
That right time arrived this year when Stevens Fine Homes debuted a brand-new neighborhood called The Pinnacle Townes. Located inside Brunswick County’s Mallory Creek Plantation, The Pinnacle Townes features stylish board and batten townhomes and twin villas. This exciting new collection responds to an overwhelming demand for townhomes and villas in Brunswick county.
“People kept asking for them saying they have a family member moving into town who needs something a little smaller,” says Stevens.
The Pinnacle Townes is the seventh neighborhood developed by Stevens Fine Homes on the very land Craig Stevens purchased more than a decade ago, well before Brunswick County became the fastest growing county in the state.
“With Brunswick County, I expected it. New Hanover County is a lot like Manhattan. It’s surrounded by water and there’s nowhere to go. This is such a great place to live that it has to grow, but it can’t grow in New Hanover County anymore,” says Stevens.
Stevens was right. According to the city of Wilmington, as of 2019 there are only 2,800 acres left of vacant land in Wilmington, down from 6,757 acres in 2016. In addition, Brunswick County continues to be the leader in population growth of the tri-county area and the state standing at close to 150,000 residents at last count.
“Brunswick County is the place, this is where my children will be building one day,” Stevens says.
Also located in Mallory Creek Plantation is The Grove by Stevens Fine Homes featuring all-brick one-story homes. It is close to being sold out. This summer Stevens Fine Homes released a new collection of homesites in The Pines at Mallory Creek. This sought-after neighborhood features one and two-story coastal craftsman style homes, one of which brought home the Gold award at the 2019 Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association Parade of Homes.
Despite the demand and the growth, Stevens is keeping an even flow pace to building to ensure the highest quality home for every homeowner no matter what the market is.
“My old business model was, build all you can all you can when it’s a great market…now we’ve taken on a whole new approach. It’s a more disciplined way of doing things, controlling the building process, it’s the single best thing we’ve ever done,” says Stevens.
Stevens built his first house in 1991. Two years later in 1993 he launched Stevens Fine Homes out of the back of his pick-up truck and found a niche for the $200,000 – $400,000 range homebuyer. In 2005 he hit an all-time high with 325 homes built and sold in a single year followed by an all-time low of 68 homes in 2008. Stevens made a great comeback in 2010 with 160 projected home closings and today has a sales and development team building homes in all three counties.
Stevens Fine homebuyers can select their own flooring, countertops and other design elements with the Stevens exclusive Create Your Home online design studio.
Stevens Fine Homes Sales 910-833-2438. Call for an appointment to visit model homes.