Review of the Andrew Carnegie Model and Beechtree Community

When we look at different homes and communities we like to make lists of all the positives and negatives to help us make the right decision. We try to be as objective as possible because there is rarely a perfect home or community. So these are our opinions:

Beechtree Community:

Positives:

• Its a stunning community with the lakes, golf course, natural setting and beautiful landscaping. The community really shines in this way and you'll have a hard time finding a better looking development in the area.
• A ton of amenities that include the Lake Presidential golf course, olympic size pools, tennis courts, walking trails,  and a community center that features a gym. We want to live a more active lives so these features are a huge plus.
• Easy access to the highway, its located right of 301, route 4, and a 10 minute drive to the beltway
• The location is a short 20-30 minute drive into D.C for the museums and trips into Annapolis during spring/summer
• The community and surrounding neighborhoods are places you can feel very safe because it has a very low crime rate
• The investment potential is good. The area is rebounding from the recession and home values have been rising. Those who bought post recession have seen a return on their investment and we see that as a positive.

Negatives:

• Lack of any public transportation options. Residents do have the option to do a park and ride at the Largo metro station which is probably a 15 min drive. 
• There isn't any immediate shopping option available, residents must drive about 5-10 minutes to Bowie town center, 10 minutes to Woodmoore Town Center or another 5+ minutes in the opposite direction for some smaller options like Safeway. The good news is we've heard about plans to build a 300000 sq ft shopping complex next to the community. The community developer has received approvals and permits from the Prince Georges County Planning board but there has been very little information about the project released. 
• The schools assigned to the community are above average for Prince Georges County but are not great. We don't have children so this wasn't a big deal. We've heard the trend in the community is to send children to private school. The community also has land reserved for a future elementary and middle school, however, I don't think these projects will happen anytime soon. 

Conclusion:

Obviously we bought here so were going to recommend buying at Beechtree. If your a city dweller like I am, its about a change in lifestyle. Residents there come home to a beautiful place where they can be safe, relax and enjoy stress free living. We absolutely love living in the city with all the conveniences, however, what convinced us to move is that were still really close to thing we love in D.C and a 30 minute drive isn't too far at all. The area is rebounding and is a good investment with future shopping and school options in the future.

Andrew Carnegie Townhome Review

Positives:

• The home is among the largest town homes on the market. It can be as large as 3800 sqft with the bonus 4th level. Our home will end up just under 3200 sq ft which is larger then many single family homes. Every single room in the home feels spacious.
• Its a very energy efficient model which will help keep cost down. This model also includes a tankless water heater. 
• The kitchen is the best part of the home, its so well designed and feels custom. It has tons of counter space, soft close doors, a lazy suzanne, all the pull outs and a very large pantry. The included appliances are stainless steal and the upgrades are reasonably priced. Our favorite feature is the 12ft island which we plan to use for entertaining. 
• The details... As a future interior architect I'm alway looking for those little details that make a home.  Im particularly fond of the casement around the windows and the trim used though out the home.

Tankless Water Heater:

Negatives:

• One of my gripes is the kitchen sink NVHomes uses in all its homes. Its a very odd shape and isn't very functional. They don't even offer any alternatives. It would have been nice to see an apron sink or a deep zero radius sink.
• Hardwood flooring throughout the main floor Great Room and Dining should be standard. An upgrade is offered but very over priced, we will be adding this on with a third party company. 
• Layout does not offer a dedicated study or office space as an option. Were converting one of the bedrooms into my studio which is fine because we don't need the extra bedroom. 

Odd shape Sink:

Conclusion:

We took a look at a ton of layouts being offered by all the new home builders in the DMV area and this by far was our favorite. Among the luxury builders like Toll Brothers or MidAtlantic the open layout and design details make this model feel more current.  Hopefully Nvhomes will just continue to improve some of the smaller details like the sink.