Downingtown Area School District, Chester County, PA
Applecross
Performance Tier
Underperformer
Median Sold
$648,000
Avg. Appreciation
44%
Avg. $ Gain
$178,300
2025 Sales
21
High Activity
★ Value Play
Compared to the Downingtown Area district average, Applecross is
underperforming by 31%.
Based on 33 years of public sales records across 2418 neighborhoods in 4 counties.
About
Applecross is a Pulte Homes-built residential golf community in East Brandywine Township, Chester County, constructed in phases beginning circa 2007 on the site of the former Overlook Road Farm. The community is organized around an 18-hole Nicklaus Design golf course—designed by Michael Nicklaus and opened July 1, 2010—which was named one of the Best New Courses by Golfweek Magazine and recognized as the Philadelphia region’s only Nicklaus-designed layout at the time of opening. Seven named sub-sections ranging from attached townhomes and carriage homes to gated estate lots of 1+ acre give buyers a wide price and product spread within a single master HOA framework, with all residents receiving access to a 10,000-square-foot Sports Pavilion, year-round indoor pool, outdoor resort-style pool with splash pad, two tennis courts, and more than six miles of walking paths as part of their HOA membership.
Specifications
Home Stock
Seven named sub-sections span the product range: Carriage Homes, Townhomes, Estate Homes (gated, approximately 70 units), Classic Homes (approximately 80 units), The Meadows, The Village, and The Fairviews. Structure types include interior and end-unit townhomes, attached carriage homes, ranch-plan singles, and two-story detached singles up through estate-scaled homes. All Pulte-built homes were constructed to Pennsylvania 2009 IECC energy code standards. The community is served by public water and public sewer.
Location & Access
Primary access via Bollinger Road, north of East Reeceville Road, with Applecross Boulevard as the internal spine. The community is situated off Route 322, just off Route 30, approximately 10 minutes from the Downingtown Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 40 minutes from Philadelphia.
Location Anchors
What Makes This Distinct
Applecross trails the broader Downingtown Area School District appreciation index by a meaningful margin over the long run, which positions it as a relative value entry point into a high-activity, sold-out Pulte community where resale is the only path to ownership—a dynamic that can compress negotiating leverage for buyers when inventory is thin.
For Buyers & Sellers
If You’re Buying
$648k median price point. high turnover means more inventory.
If You’re Selling
Sellers gained $178k on average. trailing the district by 31%. median sale price $648k.
Worth Asking
Have you considered that the HOA fee at Applecross bundles the Sports Pavilion, indoor and outdoor pools, and limited golf privileges into one monthly charge—and that full golf club membership carries a separate, additional cost that should be modeled as part of your true monthly housing expense before you compare this community against non-amenity alternatives in the same price tier?
Common Questions
Who built Applecross and when was construction completed?
Applecross was built by Pulte Homes, a national production builder. Construction began circa 2007, and the community is now sold out as a new-construction offering—meaning all available homes are resales. The 18-hole golf course, designed by Michael Nicklaus of Nicklaus Design, opened on July 1, 2010. The full build-out across all seven sub-sections was expected to reach over 1,000 homes and villas when complete.
What does the HOA cover at Applecross and who manages it?
The Applecross Country Club Master HOA is managed by FirstService Residential. The resident sports membership bundled with HOA dues includes use of the fitness center, indoor pool, seasonal outdoor pool, and tennis courts, plus access to the club’s dining facilities and the ability to play the golf course a limited number of times per year. Full golf membership is available at an additional cost. The HOA’s governing rules and regulations have been in force since 2007 and were most recently updated in July 2023. Buyers should request the current fee schedule and reserve study at time of offer, as monthly dues are subject to change by the Executive Board.
Which schools serve Applecross and does the elementary assignment depend on which section you live in?
Applecross falls within the Downingtown Area School District. Elementary school assignment depends on the specific sub-section: homes in the smaller-singles sections (townhomes and carriage homes) are typically assigned to Brandywine-Wallace Elementary School, while larger single-family and estate-section homes may be assigned to Beaver Creek Elementary School. All Applecross students are zoned for Downingtown Middle School and Downingtown West High School. Buyers should verify elementary assignment directly with the Downingtown Area School District before contract, as boundary lines can shift.
Items to Verify with Your Agent
A few specifics on this page are sourced from secondary aggregators or older filings. Confirm before relying:
- Approx Homes — Multiple sources cite ‘over 1,000 homes and villas’ as the planned build-out figure from Nicklaus Design and press coverage (circa 2011). Livabl/BuzzBuzzHome tracked only one Pulte phase (40 units). The 1,000+ figure appears to be the master plan total across all seven sub-sections and product types. No official recorded final home count was found; figure is treated as estimated.
- Hoa Name — The applecrosscc.net/wentworth.php page lists both FirstService Residential (current) and ‘Managed by the Wentworth Group’ (appears to be legacy/outdated). The ARB rules PDF and community portal both reference Applecross Country Club Master HOA under FirstService Residential, which is treated as the current authoritative name.
- Interior Sqft Range Text — Square footage figures for carriage homes, townhomes, and singles sourced from a third-party real estate site (annbyerrealestate.com), not directly from Pulte or HOA documents. Estate figures sourced from applecrosscc.net/neighborhood/estates. Buyer should verify with current listing data.
- Hoa Monthly Fee — Fee figures of approximately $250–$270/month appear on third-party real estate sites (Ann Byer Real Estate) but could not be verified against a current FirstService Residential fee schedule. Fees are subject to annual adjustment by the HOA Executive Board. Not included in page content per evergreen rules; noted here for reviewer awareness.
- Elementary School Boundary — Multiple sources confirm Brandywine-Wallace for smaller-singles/carriage/townhome sections and Beaver Creek for larger singles and estates, but no official DASD boundary map was found to confirm exact parcel-level assignments. Buyers must verify directly with DASD.
School District
Applecross is served by the Downingtown Area School District. Buyers should verify current school assignments directly with the district.
View Downingtown Area School District Information
Sources Consulted
Public deed records · Chester County Recorder · livingplaces.com · annbyerrealestate.com · nicklausdesign.com · applecrossrentals.net · applecrosscc.com · applecrosscc.net · applecrossarb.com · livabl.com · revireo.com · publicschoolreview.com · phillysuburbsrealtor.com
Data refreshed: April 25, 2026 (median sold, appreciation, performance tiers, narratives) · Content reviewed: April 25, 2026 (overview, structural insight, FAQs)
The Cyr Team · 2418 neighborhoods · 4 counties · 33 years of public sales records