MUKILTEO – After camping overnight in lawn chairs for the privilege, a newly betrothed couple bought a yet-to-be completed Harbour Pointe townhome last month without even touring the model.

Crystal Cox and John Stengle, both of Mill Creek, were certain they wanted the first home they owned together to be in Camden at Harbour Pointe, a new brownstone development in Village Center. The couple had been following Camden’s progress online and at the construction site for weeks, and even knew the on-site staff. They were just back from the trip to Hawaii – during which John proposed – when word came that the sales office was opening.

“John and I camped out overnight to make sure we got our first pick,” Cox said. “That night, we made a decision exactly which lot we wanted. … We were able to get a great deal.”

Whether it’s a sign of the times in this hot real estate market or a sign of something special, the grand-opening turnout for Camden at Harbour Pointe, resulted in numerous sales.

Cox and Stengle, both Mukilteo School District teachers, were the first. The line that formed behind them throughout the night and early morning took the sales staff two hours to serve.

“Toward about 2 or 3 a.m., other buyers started showing up and talking with us,” Cox recalled. “It was nice to kind of get a feeling for who our neighbors would be.”

Within a few days of opening in late June, 35 of the 48 homes in Camden’s first phase had been sold, said Michael Miller, president of the Bellevue development firm Miller Condominium Marketing.

“We have a brand new, 1,200-square-foot townhome with a single-car garage selling now in the high $270s. That’s pretty affordable – entry level, in this market,” Miller said. “The style and quality is almost like what you hear about in Seattle. I think it’s pretty special.”

Initially, the one-, two- and three-bedroom brownstones ranged from about $250,000 to more than $360,000. No more. Sales have been so hot that the remaining smaller homes start at near $280,000 and the largest homes – with more than 1,600 square feet – are priced above $390,000.

Buyers own their attached townhomes, along with the footprint of the land they sit on. Dues paid to a homeowner’s association cover exterior paint, grounds and other maintenance, Miller said.

More than price, Cox and Stengle cited quality and location as Camden’s most attractive features. Stengle said he wasn’t disappointed when they did finally tour the model.

“When you walk inside, you feel like you’ve made a good investment,” he said.

Both he and Cox wanted to live closer to their schools, Challenger Elementary School and Explorer Middle School, respectively. They also were attracted to Village Center.

“We are quite familiar with the area and felt comfortable with the community,” Stengle said. “It’s a safe place with good people who are serious about education.”

Within walking distance of dining, shopping, spas and services in Village Center, Camden is positioning itself as a new take on old-fashioned neighborhoods centered around services and gathering places.

“There’s a walkway that takes you from your front porch to the center of the community, and the homes back to a park,” Miller said. “We envisioned people sitting out on their patios and visiting with the people who are walking down the path.”

Cox said she and Stengle looked at the drawings on Camden’s Web site and imagined how pleasant it would be to just walk out their front door and down the block for coffee before work in the morning.

“We really liked how it combines a lot of neat small shops and apartments with an European feel,” Cox said.

In addition to front porches, most of the models offer balconies or decks. The color scheme (rich greens, with red, black and cream accents) and staggered architecture are intended to create an inviting, energetic atmosphere.

All feature front patios and rear decks, garages, bay windows, open foor plans, double-pane windows, fireplaces, hardwood kitchen and dining room floors, upgraded wiring, maple cabinets, gas ranges and tiled bathroom floors. Some have vaulted living room ceilings.

The upper-end homes have two-car garages, extra interior space and added flair, such as granite countertops, stainless steel refrigerators and natural gas fireplaces.

Priced in the middle of the development range, the Stengle’s B model home, now a wood-frame skeleton, is due for completion in August.

A sign, “Crystal and John’s first home,” marked their spot for several days. The hand-lettered sign, made by Stengle’s parents, has become part of the development’s grand opening lore.

“They saved the sign for their scrapbook,” Cox said.

The first phase, the couple’s new neighborhood, should be finished by April, Miller said. Construction on 53 homes in the second phase is to begin early next year.

Kristin Fetters-Walp is a freelance writer from Lake Stevens.