Some Pulte townhouses still for sale at Potomac Shores
Felicia Sanders, 37, lived with her mother in Woodbridge, Va., for seven years while she saved enough money for a down payment on a place of her own. Now she’s living in a townhouse in Potomac Shores in nearby Dumfries.
“Homeownership is something that’s really important, says Sanders, who works for the U.S. Education Department as a research analyst. “Both my parents instilled it in me.”
Staying close to family was a key reason for choosing a three-level Pulte Homes townhouse in the master-planned riverfront community of Potomac Shores, about 10 miles south of Woodbridge.
The mixed-use, master-planned development has been under construction since 2014 and comprises nearly 2,000 acres. The plan has space for about 3,800 residences — single-family houses, townhouses and villas (attached single-family houses) — and more than 1,000 have been sold.
Advertisement
Buying New | Potomac Shores in Dumfries, Va.
Base prices for three-level Pulte Homes townhouses range from $467,000 to $472,990.
Pulte is building 231 townhouses in one section of Potomac Shores. About 200 have been sold. Other home builders working in the community are Beazer Homes, Brookfield Residential and Ryan Homes.
When Sanders began shopping for new digs in the spring of 2019, she had a budget in mind and a desire to stay close by. That Potomac Shores exists came as a surprise.
“I grew up around here and had no idea it was back there,” she said. “From Mom’s house it’s about 15 minutes, so I was able to keep everything the same in terms of the gym and grocery shopping. I added 10 minutes more to my commute when I was still going in to work in my office in D.C.” Sanders has been working from home because of the pandemic.
Waterfront attractions at Potomac Shores include a marina and a canoe club. The development also has an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a sports complex and miles of walking trails. A new Prince William County elementary school is opening nearby this year, and a middle school is scheduled to open there next year.
Commercial development will provide new places to shop and dine in Potomac Shores, “with everything within easy walking distance,” said Mark Shepherd, a sales consultant for Pulte. And a Virginia Railway Express station, slated to open in Potomac Shores by 2022, will give “homeowners a great commuting option into Northern Virginia or D.C.,” Shepherd said.
Sanders bought a townhouse that hadn’t been built, so she put down the deposit and began the painstaking process of making decisions. “As a first-time home buyer, I probably asked the same questions a million times in slightly different ways,” she said. “I had 10 or 12 change orders. You might sell some day in the future, so you’re also trying to plan for future buyers, too. It’s very stressful.”
Sanders said the builder’s patience and cooperation helped her get through the process. She moved in early this year before the pandemic hit.
Christopher Terry, 50, who is serving in the Air Force, also described Pulte as helpful and professional. He and his wife, Karen, who is 47 and a lawyer, have moved into a four-level townhouse with a roof terrace. The pandemic, he said, had little effect on the sales process. “Pulte was on top of this and ahead of the game with most of the paperwork done online,” Terry said. “Because of that, closing was a breeze.”
Advertisement
Schools: Covington-Harper Elementary, Potomac Middle, Potomac High School
Share this articleShareTransit: A commuter parking lot on Route 234 is two miles away. An on-site VRE station is scheduled to open in 2022. Amtrak trains stop at the VRE Rippon station about seven miles away. Reagan National Airport is about 30 miles away. The community has easy access to Route 1 and Interstate 95.
Potomac Shores
2001 Alder Lane, Dumfries, Va.
Pulte Homes is building 231 townhouses in a section of Potomac Shores, a master-planned community in Prince William County that has nearly 2,000 acres. Pulte has already sold about 200 residences in the section. Base prices on three-level townhouses range from $467,000 to $472,990.
Builder: Pulte Homes
Features: The townhouses have a two-car garage, with a remote opener, in the back, a programmable thermostat, wireless access ports and a first-floor flex room. Bathrooms have ceramic-tile flooring, and owner’s bathrooms have a granite vanity top. Kitchens have maple cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, a pantry, granite countertops and a hardwood floor. Adding a fourth level by way of a roof terrace is an optional upgrade. None of the townhouses have a basement, but the Elmbridge model has a lower level that’s partly below grade because of to the topography.
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 3/3
Square-footage: 2,318 to 2,326
Contact: View model by appointment only, contact George Rocawich at 703-552-5347.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZL%2Bmrcueqq2ZpJp8tLvMnmSprZypsm7AzrCloaelqLK0edKtoKWkXZu8s3nSmqOeZZGperG706ikmptdqLWwvsSsZmtoYmV8cYWOaW5obWRnsaSwkppknZpja3pyfcSaZJtqYGp6p7KXbG%2BeaWWWhqKCvqyrqKqpY7W1ucs%3D