Although construction hasn’t started yet, an upcoming neighborhood in the Masonboro Sound area of New Hanover County already has potential buyers.

“We have more names on our waiting list than we have home sites,” said Chip Bishop, general manager of Raleigh-based Robuck Homes, on Thursday.

The homebuilder bought 64 acres last year at 7500 and 7420 Masonboro Sound Road to build East & Mason, a 170-lot master planned community that will include villa townhomes with the owner’s suite downstairs, alley-fed, single-family homes with garages in back and traditional single-family homes.

“In addition, the developer has reserved 30 lots for local custom builders to enable buyers to design and build their own homes,” according to a news release.

The developer recently released plans for the community’s main clubhouse and pool amenities.

“The architectural plans submitted to New Hanover County include a clubhouse with a large event room and warming kitchen, flexible meeting/activity rooms, and a six-lane competition swimming pool. The clubhouse is designed to blend within the coastal style community of East & Mason, with a modern farmhouse-meets-new-shore vibe,” the release stated.

More than 700 people have expressed interest in building in East & Mason, according to the release. 

“From this feedback, builders are developing home plans that enable work-from-home, integrate indoor and outdoor living and accommodate multi-generational living,” the release stated.

As far as dealing with homebuilding challenges that have arisen in the area and beyond, Bishop said, “We’re doing the best we can. I think we're facing the same challenges everyone else is, and the lack of supply, the increase in demand is just something we’re having to plan for and react to right now.”

Fonville Morisey Barefoot will begin marketing the home sites in late 2021, and construction on the first home sites could start around the first of the year, with potential move-ins by mid-2022.