THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503290626
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN MILES, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Just off Interstate 664, in a Chesapeake area minutes from both Portsmouth and Suffolk, is The Crossings at Western Branch.
As one of the builder's brochure reads: ``When it comes to the old-fashioned neighborhood of yesterday and the custom new home of tomorrow, families come to Western Branch . . . families come to the Crossings at Western Branch.''
It sits off Bruce Road, with only two entrances, one thoroughfare and a maze of cul-de-sacs, between Miars Farm and an orchard. The future site of a 3.5-acre city park is within the neighborhood.
Michael Rashkind began developing the 94-acre area in 1993. In early 1994, the model homes opened.
There are two builders for the subdivision. Donald Moore has seven styles of homes and Napolitano Enterprises has 14. They all have optional features and floor plans.
Four model homes are open seven days a week. The average price is $160,000. The existing houses range from brick to vinyl, ranch to two-story, although most are two-story.
The lots vary from a quarter-acre to an acre. The areas of the houses ranges from 1,800 to 3,000 square feet. Standard features include two-car garages, master bathtubs with whirlpool jets, landscaped yards, , and pre-wiring for a garage door opener and a security system.
Fifty families already live in The Crossings, and there's room for 227. In June 1994, Florette Henry and her family moved into their two-story, four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house. They previously lived in Virginia Beach, but wanted to ``get away from the crowd.'' Henry says.
They chose The Crossings.
``It's isolated and peaceful, the traffic isn't bad,'' Henry said, ``The houses are really nice, the schools are wonderful, and the neighbors are very friendly; they love to have fun. They are always dropping off party invitations.''
Jan Bennett, an agent with Leading Edge Realty describes the neighborhood as ``quiet, with the feeling of being out of town, yet convenient to the mall and freeway.''
Linda Allen, also of Leading Edge Realty, says ``one nice thing about a new neighborhood is that there are no established cliques, everyone's new together.'' Another bonus, says Allen, is that ``Western Branch has no gridlock traffic.''
Richard Goldburg and his family moved into their two-story, four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom house in July. They had drivenout to the neighborhood and liked what they saw.
``The houses are built nicely, the neighborhood is not congested and the neighbors are nice,'' he says.
Julie Luster and her family moved into the area in January, and she says ``it's wonderful.'' They were pleased that compared to other areas they looked in, these houses are spread farther apart. And, they don't all look the same, she says.
They live in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom ranch, where ``everyone has their own bathroom!'' she says. ``We live on a large, wooded lot, with no house directly behind us. We know most of our neighbors. They're nice and have kids the same age as ours.''
Even though the Lusters have been there only a short time, they are looking forward to a spring block party. With the multitude of cul-de-sacs, the area is a perfect one for such an event, as well as for walking and riding bikes.
Sandra Trent and her family, along with her parents also moved in last summer. They had lived in a Virginia Beach house for 2 1/2 years and, says Trent. But when it was time for a new house, they ended up just ``tripping upon'' The Crossings, she says.
The Crossings ``had what we needed,'' says Trent. ``It's not as busy as Virginia Beach, and everything you need is right here. ``We're very pleased with the school system, and the area's quiet with very little traffic through here.'' Their two-story house was built with six bedrooms to accommodate the Trents, as well as Sandra's parents.
Their wooded lot, with pines and magnolias, is more than half an acre. Trent sums up her feelings for the neighborhood when she says, ``I have to travel to Virginia Beach for work, but it's worth it!'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by Gary C. Knapp
Intersection at Crossings Drive and Galston Court...
Sandra Trent, right, with daughter Morgan, son Michael and mom Mary
Young.
Graphic with map
About the Neighborhood
by CNB