Charlotte’s first pocket neighborhood is a hybrid between apartments, homeownership
Tired of apartment living but not quite ready to buy a house? Enter: Anker Haus, a contemporary townhome community in the Commonwealth neighborhood. This 49-unit community, developed by MyNiche Multi-family Leasing and Management, is Charlotte’s first “pocket neighborhood,” a hybrid housing option between renting an apartment and buying a home.
Here’s the deal: it looks and feels like a home (specifically, a townhome) — but you’re paying rent, not a mortgage.
“We think the average home size in America has gotten completely out of hand, and we believe there needs to be a shift back to smaller homes designed around common gathering spaces where the community aspect of the development is what makes your house feel like a home,” said Adam Purser, president of MyNiche.
This new community resides just one mile from Plaza Midwood and three miles from uptown, so you can enjoy the community of a suburban home with an urban location. “We built Anker Haus for grown-ups. But grown-ups who want the freedom of renting. It’s a pocket neighborhood,” the website reads.
What’s a pocket neighborhood?
MyNiche primarily develops urban-core communities in the Southeast, so it makes sense that the company set its sights on Charlotte.
“When we studied the market, we saw that there were essentially only two options for housing. Either your standard mid-rise apartment buildings, or large detached single-family homes that are becoming increasingly less affordable,” Purser said.
To fill a gap in the Charlotte market, MyNiche decided to pursue a pocket neighborhood, which are small-scale communities with clusters of small homes built around shared, open spaces. The term “pocket neighborhood” was first coined by Ross Chapin, the architect who constructed the first community of its kind in Langley, Washington.
Benefits of the pocket neighborhood include a stronger sense of community with the added privacy of a home and the benefits of social distancing during COVID-19 (think: no shared hallways, private entrances and garages). The Anker Haus townhomes will be built around shared amenities and green space, so once COVID is over, residents can enjoy time together and then retire to their own homes for the evening.
Since these townhomes are rentals, unlike similar townhome offerings in the area, it gives residents the feel of living in a home without the added burden of a mortgage. According to a report documented by the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, pending single-family homes in the Charlotte region increased 19% since June 2019, and the region’s median house price was $309,000 — the highest since May 2019. And within the Mecklenburg County lines, this median price jumps to over $319,000.
While the rental prices for this new pocket community may look similar to the monthly spend for a mortgage payment, renting the homes relieves the renter of the stresses of homeownership, namely, a costly down payment. Renters are also not tied to the property long-term and are less responsible for saving for expensive repairs such as roofing and gutters, or for paying property taxes. Plus, renter’s insurance is considerably less expensive than homeowner’s insurance.
The median home price in Plaza Midwood is $569,000, and home values have increased 4.1% over the past year, according to Zillow. The price per square foot in Plaza Midwood is $265, higher than the Charlotte average of $153.
In the Anker Haus community, you’ll find multi-story duplex, triplex and quadraplex townhomes ranging from one to three bedrooms and 607-2,129 square feet. Monthly rentals start at $1,225 for a 607-square-foot, 1-bedroom townhome and range up to $2,700+ for a ,2,129-square-foot 3-bedroom townhome. For comparison, rent in Plaza Midwood ranges between $1,000-$3,900 for a one-bedroom and between about $1,200 and $5,200 for a two-bedroom apartment.
“We saw a need for a product that was missing in Plaza Midwood. The neighborhood is full of small, cookie-cutter apartments in large, dorm-style buildings. We’ve found that renters eventually want out of these crowded buildings and into their own space without neighbors above and below them. But with home prices of $500k and up, it’s tough for many people to come up with the down payment needed to purchase in this location they love,” said Jay Rawls, MyNiche director of operations. “To fill this void, Anker Haus introduces contemporary farmhouse cottages surrounding a shared common area to give renters the space and privacy of a maintenance-free home.”
Twinkling lights and resort-style swimming pools
Anker Haus residents will enjoy a resort-style swimming pool and sun deck with a built-in cabana structure, a fitness center and an outdoor fireplace lounge area with TVs. The pet-friendly community features a walkable, European-style village layout with shared areas and green spaces. You’ll find twinkling lights hung above intimate streets and small alleyways with seating areas to crack open a book or chat with neighbors.
The units themselves blend modern touches with warm, inviting spaces, so you’ll essentially feel like HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines designed a space just for you. Townhomes include stainless steel appliances, matte black fixtures and quartz countertops, SmartHome controls and a technology package with high-speed WiFi and streaming video service. Select units will have two oversized car garages.
Resident Shaina Elvin lives in the Anker Haus community with her two pups, citing the location as a benefit, as she and her dogs can walk to coffee shops, breweries and the park.
“The layout was well thought through. My home feels so open and airy with the tall ceilings. It’s allowed me to host friends for wine and cheese night with ample space for all guests to enjoy themselves,” Elvin said. “Everyone raves over the modern design and Scandanavian farmhouse vibes.”
