The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 143

A. (f! Sunday June 14, 1970 Wkt Ihtrfiri- REAL ESTATE SECTION SECTION CLAggTFIED TTT.vr, ATlfl Heat (All Kinds) Helps Boom in Vacation Homes Condominiums Grow as Lure To Jersey Shore By OSCAR 6. TELLER Inquirer Real Estate Editor The one segment of the housing industry that continues to expand in the face of rising construction costs, tight money and other negative factors in the economy is the market for second homes. Oscar Teller Ranchers Prevail at Seashore Developments At the seashore, where the emphasis is on a relaxed way of life, most purchasers specify that they want a home that eliminates or at least minimizes housework. The builders' answer to that is the rancher, shown here in three versions.

Above is a home in a new community between Tuckerton and New Gretna, N. called Off Shore 3Ianor; below are types at Forked River Point and at Mystic Islands. -r IT itfcig -s? LafcAlsEI fas tea si 1 mB -A i IS MSI 8151 niinnnnr1'! ill ti i-m, jip JKSS: iii-SSiJrf 5 'Si if 'Wi'fS ji'Sii. ff 5 jj 4: 'if i' Two-bedroom rancher at Forked River Point is built on a bulkheaded lagoon lot. While some "city builders" have curtailed their operations or shifted entirely to apartments, the seashore builders are tooling up for what may be a banner year.

The seashore boom is by no means limited to single-family houses. High-rise apartments, especially in Atlantic City and environs, are doing extremely well, as are duplexes and quadruplexes. In the latter case, purchasers enjoy the best of two worlds a place at the shore for their own families and an investment not subject to the vagaries of the stock market. UPKEEP FEES The only major condominium project current in this area is at the seashore. That is the Courts at Beachgate development in the northern section of Atlantic City -above Virginia ave.

Under the condominium concept, purchasers own their individual garden type or townhouse apartment, while having a share of the landscaped grounds and common recreational facilities. Prices for the apartments and town-houses are modest, ranging from to $29,500, while care of the grounds and rec-creational facilities air paid for through monthly maintenance fees of from $30 to $53. One explanation for the continuing boom in vacation homes is offered by veteran builder Herbert Shapiro. He bills his Beach Haven West, ai. the causeway leading to Long Beach Island, as New Jersey's largest vacation home community.

'TO GET AWAY' "It's the desire of people to beat the heat," says Shapiro blandly but then hastens to add: "And I don't mean just the kind of heat that registers on the thermometer. We are living in a time of unusual psychological stress, especially in the cities. Everyone feels the need to get away from it all occasionally through a complete change of scene. A second home in a relaxed seaside environment provides the ideal solution." Shapiro and other seashore builders point out that second or vacation homes tend to be much lower in price and require relatively small down payments and mortgage commitments. That is another reason for the comparative strength of the second-home market today.

A third reason is that the growing number of urban apartment dwellers find the inexpensive second home "their only practical means of owning a place of their own," said Shapiro. MANY NEW ONES Many of the seashore developments, including Mystic Islands, near Tuckerton, the Fairways, at Somers Point and North Cape May, at Exit 0 of the Garden State Parkway, have been under development for years. Their, builders have stockpiled hun-' dreds of acres of land, preparing homesites perhaps two or three years in advance of their building schedules. But a number of new developments are opening for the first time this year. One such new development is Forked River Point at Bay-side, a 270-tract by Mayer Construction well known in the Ocean County area.

The development firm, now a subsidiary of Development Corp. of America, is introducing eight model homes there this week, one of which is pictured on this page. They range in price from $21,950, including fully bulkheaded lagoon lot. WATER SPORTS The Lark, as the model pictured here is called, carries a $25,750 price tag. The two-bedroom model has a full' dining room as well as a living room with picture window, family-size kitchen and screened rear porch.

The attached garage, also included in the price, measures 14x22 feet, providing room for a work area as well as year-around storage. Boating and water sports are the principal activities at most of the short communities, augmented by other facilities. Mystic Islands, for instance, has programs for every age group centered around the Playhouse, Rotunda, the swimming pools 'imTSmmmmm xx Lwtr- mn. xxtirf JLJaBau. and the community golf course.

The Playhouse is principally for children and teenagers. Regular dances many of them with live music are held there. Basketball and tennis also are popular as are the doggie roasts and boating parties. At the Rotunda lounge, adults have their card parties, fashion shows, movies, lecture courses and discussion groups. Sanford Miller, president of the development company, said that Mystic Islands families and find the Rotunda an an excellent place to get to know neighbors with similar interests.

Hovnanian Bares Plan For 1239 Units Plans for another in a series of Planned Unit Developments made possible by recent New Jersey legislation were unveiled last week by Jirair Hovnanian. Birchfield, as the Hovnanian project is called, is the fourth such development proposed for booming Mount Laurel Township. The detailed plans will be presented to the Township Commissioners at a hearing on June 30. By usual PUD standards, Birchfield will be small a little better than 200 acres in an irregularly shaped area entered from Elbo lane, Union Mill rd. and Church st.

Only a thin panhandle extends to Church the principal road connecting with Rte. 38. 1239 DWELLING UNITS Hovnanian's plans call for 1239 dwelling units in a variety of single-family styles as well as garden and mid-rise apartments. There also will be a commercial center, an elementary school and a small industrial park. He also envisions three man-made lakes fed by a stream that runs through the property.

The lakes, totaling about 20 acres, will be used for boating, fishing and ice skating. A novel feature of the plan is that the ground reserved for the commercial center will be owned by the community association. Rentals from merchants will help defray the cost of maintaining swimming pools and other community facilities. ALL AGE GROUPS Only one a a loop around the principal lakes and extending into the residential areas will be maintained by the township. The other roads and cul-de-sacs will be maintained by the community.

Hovnanian, just completing the development of Holiday on the Green on the other side of Church feels that Birchfield will be able to accommodate all age groups from new-lyweds to grandparents. He claims that the typical suburban development is basically wrong in its appeal to a single age group in a single economic class. At Birchfield, he said, a couple might move into a mid-rise apartment as newlyweds, raise their children in one of the single-family houses, then move to a garden apartment when they become "empty nesters." Then their own children could begin married life in one of the midrise apartments, starting the cycle all over again. Lot Brings $4250 Vacant, ground at 271 Paoli ave. was sold through Gross Barr for Dominic DiBiase and and his wife, Margaret, for $4250.

The new owners are Mr. and Mrs. Silvio Iannuzzi and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Iannuzzi.

Mariner model home is located in the wooded upland section of Mystic Islands, where Apartments Feature Luxury Appliances The Meadowbrook Samples Open Four new models are being shown this weekend at Meadowbrook, Korman new garden apartment community in Huntingdon Valley. The four new styles are a one bedroom, a one-bedroom with den, a two-bedroom and a two-bedroom with den suite. They are part of a new section of 160 units in two-story buildings grouped arour.d garden courtyards connected by landscaped walkways. The all-electric apartments come equipped with wall-to-wall carpeting, individually controlled air conditioning and a host of appliances such as washer-dryer combinations, refrigerator-freezers, dishwashers, deluxe ranges and disposals. Rentals start at $250, including all utilities and appliances.

A private clubhouse on the site offers residents a full schedule of social ar.d recreational activities. Sauna fcaths, an Olympic swimming pool and year-around tennis courts are already in operation, while a nine-hole golf course designed by George F. Fazio is scheduled to open in Seotember. The development is on Huntingdon pike, a half mile north of Meetinghouse rd. and next to the grounds cf Holy Redeemer Hospital.

ly a 10 many homes are occupied all ages and timing. That explains the "safe approach" so many refrigerators and television sets take and, consequently, the "sameness" in the whole gamut of appliances and electronic products, -f Munz mentioned that Philco- jj year. Ford maiiitainis design consultants in Europe, especially in Italy, with the impact of that country's design now being exerted here. An exhibit of now-and-future products showed some of the Italian influence, which may take American design out of the present rut. Prototypes of what home-makers have to look forward to in the near future are refrigerator styles that lick certain problems.

On one model a two-way door has recessed bandies to permit opening on either side. Thus, installation anywhere in the kitchen is possible, solving an often-encountered situation when remodeling or moving to another home. Naturally, it's a double-door style. As shown, woodgrain front panels added a furniture look, easy to harmonize with the trend to wood kitchen cabinets. INSIDE LIGHT A radical departure is the "fridge" with the front doors of translucent black glass.

The glass reacts similarly to a thermopaue window, in this Case retaining the cold. By touching the door handles, an inside light is switched on so that everything appears in full view although the door actually is not opened. A side-by-sidd model was displayed. By GRACE MADLEY Inquirer Home Furnishings Editor Yesterday's luxuries become tod-ay's standard equipment. Isn't it amazing how quick-' everyone gets used to the good things of life, especially labor-saving household goodies? You can't help notice the step-up of basic appliances in new home and apartment construe tion.

Not long ago the double-door refrig-erator-freez -er was limited to luxury partments. Look around now and you find few GRACE MADLEY builders considering any other kind. Some even go the whole way to totally frost-free types. Gathering steam, too, is the trend to laundry facilities in individual rental units. The exception of the past five to years is fast becoming a rule, as more developers adopt the practice of including washer and dryer equipment in apartments and rental townhouses.

For them, the- advantage lies in eliminating maintenance of. community laundry rooms. 'Wider use of fast-cooking -Mm? ranges, wall ovens and two-oven arrangements appear with such frequency that home buyers and apartment residents almost can take them for granted. Recently we've been watching the emergence of self-cleaning ovens as standard features in several developments. It wouldn't be going too far out on a limb to suggest this item soon may be included in all residential construction programs.

It's just one more evidence of the highly-sophisticated tastes of more knowledgeable consumers. At a recent design conference sponsored by Phiko-Ford in New York City, Leo C. Beebe, executive vice president and general manager of domestic con-summer division, told reporters such awareness makes "design a number one consideration of purchasers, on a par with quality and use." MUSTANG CONCEPT "Take the Mustang," be said. "It is a 'design concept that created a whole new class of car and became, in fact, a mystique." Speaking at the same meeting, Robert E. Munz, vice president of industrial design, pointed out some risks in original designs.

"A product can be too far ahead ji time," he said. iven tnough people want to Forecast of Things to Come New in refrigerator field are two-way doors (left), and see-through black glass front (right). be identified with newness, beinj too different where appliances and electronics are concerned does not always meet with success L- the marketplace. According to Munz, leadership has be a combination of design, functional advant ijf- i r1 1 -g, 4 it.