First buyer of a Tower Oaks condo did not want to wait

Devon Lackey, multitasking mom, started her day with a big win one morning in September 2019. She was strapping her twin year-old daughters into their car seats when her phone rang. An eager Joy Shuman was on the line.

Lackey was (and still is) a sales consultant for Pulte Homes and the then-unbuilt Tower Oaks condominiums in Rockville, Md. Shuman, a 25-year resident of a nearby townhouse development, was ready to commit, sight unseen, to buying a unit. She promised to bring a check and to sign a contract.

“She was adamant about being buyer number one,” Lackey recalled recently. “We set the contract appointment that day.”

Soon after, Lackey clinched the first sale of one of Pulte’s 128 Tower Oaks condos, and Shulman, the first buyer, and her husband, Michael — now 72 and 78, respectively — were on the way to their next chapter.

Advertisement

Of the condos, 85 have now been sold. Two of the unsold units are move-in ready; six are expected to be finished by August; and 32 will be released for sale this month, with completion expected in September or October. The three furnished model condo units will be sold last.

The Tower Oaks community is surrounded by green spaces that include a conservation area along Preserve Parkway and the grounds of Woodmont Country Club. In addition to the Pulte condos, the community master plan calls for 30 single-family houses by Pulte, all but two of which are sold, and 217 townhouses by EYA, 85 of which are sold.

Condo buyers have a choice of six floor plans, ranging from the Colton, an interior unit with 1,274 square feet, starting at $549,990, to the Declan, a corner unit with 1,658 square feet, starting at $764,990. All units are one level with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room and a parking space. The Declan, Finn and Ethan floor plans include a den. Bundled upgrade packages are available for the kitchen, bathrooms and floors.

The Shumans moved into a fourth-floor Declan unit in early November. Joy Shuman said they loved their previous home, a three-level townhouse, but were ready for one-level living, with elevator access.

Advertisement

They chose top-level upgrade packages for the kitchen and bathroom fixtures and finishes, including a separate package of KitchenAid kitchen appliances. Apart from the bundled upgrades, they added a built-in quartz desk and floating shelves (with no visible support) in the den and customized all the closets and pantry spaces. In the owner’s suite walk-in closet, “my husband has the bottom three shoe shelves, and I have the other 13,” Shuman said.

“We feel totally blessed,” she said. “Everything in life is timing. We were very lucky to get in when we did. They’re going like crazy.”

The Declan’s entry door opens into a foyer flanked by the laundry room and the den. It winds past the owner’s suite to the open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, which is flooded with light from six windows on two sides. A roomy balcony with a storage closet is accessible from the kitchen.

Advertisement

Sam Williamowsky and his wife, Barbara, also moved into a Tower Oaks condo in early November. Their unit has the Ava floor plan — similar to the Declan, without the den — and nine windows in the living area. Williamowsky said they were attracted to the natural light and appreciated the configuration of the space.

The Williamowskys have three grown children with families of their own living in the area, he said, and they decided that it was time to downsize from a 3,800-square-foot house in the Rockville area of Montgomery County. The only thing that takes some getting used to, he said, is the smaller space.

“It forces you to be organized,” Williamowsky said. “There’s nowhere to throw my junk.”

Nearby: Tower Oaks is near the Montrose Road exit on I-270 and the Park Potomac retail, office and dining complex. Wolftree Park is a six-minute drive or a half-hour walk. Clyde’s Tower Oaks Lodge is an outpost of the area’s Clyde’s restaurant group.

Advertisement

Schools: Bayard Rustin Elementary, Julius West Middle, Richard Montgomery High

Transit: The community is a 13-minute drive from the Shady Grove Metro station, on the Red Line. Buses run along Tower Oaks Boulevard, about a 10-minute walk.

Tower Oaks

3501 Bellflower Lane, No. 107, Rockville, Md.

Condominium units with starting prices ranging from $549,990-$765,990.

Builder: Pulte Homes

Features: All units are one level, accessible by elevator. Condos have nine-foot ceilings, hardwood floors in the living areas and Shaw carpet in the bedrooms. Kitchens come standard with cabinets by Aristokraft, granite countertops, Moen faucets, a Whirlpool stainless-steel appliance package, ceramic tile backsplash and pendant lighting over the island. Owner’s suite bathrooms come standard with 12-by-12-inch ceramic tile flooring, frameless shower doors, shower seat, Aristokraft cabinets and Moen faucets. Other highlights include energy-efficient windows, a tankless water heater and recessed LED lights.

Advertisement

Amenities: The Core — a community center with a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a cafe, a yoga studio, green space, a play area, a sport court, grilling stations, firepits and a hub for Amazon packages — opens this month, with pandemic protocols.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 2/2 in all floor plans (three models include a den)

Square-footage: 1,274 to 1,658

Homeowners association fees: $465 a month

Contact: Devon Lackey, sales consultant, 301-922-8820

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZL%2Bmrcueqq2ZpJp8p7XRrKtmmqWusrN5zp9kmmWkpMSmvoyomKSrXZi8r7DOZpuinF2jvLV51pqlrWWkpHq4rcitZmtoYmZ8cX2OaWtocWVpsaexxZpkbW9paXpyfcSbZJtolWl6cbKQcWlyamOWfXOBvqyrqKqpY7W1ucs%3D