Summerville, SC · Dorchester County
The Ponds Homes for Sale
The Ponds is the old rice plantation on Highway 17A south of downtown Summerville: about 2,000 acres, more than half of it kept as preserve, with an 1830s farmhouse for a clubhouse, a YMCA and a county fire station inside the community, and two 55+ neighborhoods. It is in Dorchester District Two and unincorporated Dorchester County. Our office is ten minutes up Main Street.
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Sold, new and pending listings in The Ponds, live from the Charleston MLS.What is it like to live in The Ponds?
The Ponds feels older than it is. Greenwood Development kept the live oaks along Hundred Oaks Parkway when it laid out the community in 2005, moved and restored the 1830s Schulz-Lotz Farmhouse as the social center, and built the pavilion, saltwater pool and the amphitheater on Village Pond. Residents fish and kayak Village Pond and Schultz Lake, walk the trails through the preserve, and use the Summerville Family YMCA at The Ponds, which sits inside the community on Pottery Circle. Kolter Homes, the developer since 2013, added the grilling stations, the Coffee Cottage, playgrounds, a sports field and a dog park, and Cresswind has its own gated clubhouse on top of all that.
The trade-offs are real. The community has had one entrance on Highway 17A since 2007, and the county-funded second entrance at Linger Longer Drive is only now being built. The village center with shops that was in the original plan has never been built, so every errand is a drive to Main Street or Dorchester Road. The trail system is smaller than the marketing says; the county's development agreement requires ten miles, and residents have counted far less natural trail than the 20-plus miles that was once advertised. And residents and Kolter spent 2020 through 2023 in a public dispute over home counts and amenities that ended in a revised development agreement. Ask us about it; it matters to how the last phase gets built.
Where exactly is The Ponds?
The entrance is at Village Ponds Drive and Highway 17A (U.S. 17 Alternate), about four miles south of downtown Summerville and just past the Dorchester Road intersection. It is unincorporated Dorchester County with a Summerville mailing address and the 29483 ZIP code. From Interstate 26 exit 199 you drive about seven miles down 17A through downtown to get there, which is the daily commute for most residents. Joint Base Charleston is about 14 miles and Charleston International Airport about 18 miles by way of Dorchester Road; figure 35 to 45 minutes to downtown Charleston at commuting hours. The Ashley River begins in the swamps along the community's southern edge, which is why so much of the land is preserve and why you should ask for the flood zone on any specific lot.
Sections
Which part of The Ponds fits you?
The Ponds is one master association with two gated 55+ neighborhoods inside it and a general community built in eras by different builders. Here is how we sort it for clients.
Cresswind Charleston
Kolter's gated active-adult neighborhood, planned for about 650 homes, with its own clubhouse, resort pool and spa, fitness center, tennis, pickleball, bocce, event lawn and a full-time lifestyle director. Single-level plans from about 1,780 to 2,890 square feet. Dues include lawn care and trash. Only a handful of new homes remain, so most sales are resales.
Fits: 55+ buyers who want a club calendar and yard work handled. Compare 55+ options
Carillon at The Ponds
A 56-home 55+ enclave built by D.R. Horton during the Greenwood years, with one- and two-story Lowcountry plans and wide porches backing to the preserve. No clubhouse of its own; Carillon residents use the Farmhouse, pool and trails with everyone else, so its dues are a fraction of Cresswind's.
Fits: downsizers who want age-restricted neighbors without a resort fee.
Village Pond and Headwaters
The Greenwood-era streets around the Farmhouse, the amphitheater and Village Pond. Greenwood sold lots for custom builds first, then brought in David Weekley, Sabal, HH Hunt and Harbor Homes after the crash, so the houses vary and the oaks are the biggest here. Walk to the pool, the YMCA and the kayak launch.
Fits: buyers who want character, mature trees and the shortest walk to the amenities.
West of Donning Drive
Kolter extended Donning Drive past Tortoise Street and opened everything west of it, building some sections itself and selling lots to Dan Ryan, Ryan Homes, Crescent Homes and D.R. Horton's Estate Collection. Newer systems, larger two-story plans, and lots that back to wetlands or the sports field. The DD2 school site is planned near here.
Fits: families who want a newer resale with a warranty still in force.
Kolter's last 211 homes
Released in fall 2025 near the amphitheater and the Farmhouse, this is Kolter's first new homesites in the general community in more than five years and the last new construction The Ponds will see. Two- to five-bedroom plans from the $400s, with several lots facing the lakes and preserve. Models opened in early 2026.
Fits: buyers who want to pick finishes and do not mind a couple of years of construction nearby.
Preserve, pond and lake lots
In The Ponds the lot matters as much as the house. Homes backing to the 1,100-acre preserve, Village Pond or Schultz Lake carry a premium and hold it on resale, and the difference between a preserve lot and an interior lot on the same plan can be tens of thousands of dollars. Some of these lots sit near wetlands, so pull the flood map before you fall for the view.
Fits: buyers who moved here for the trees and the water, and want them out the back door.
Homes & Builders
What kinds of homes are in The Ponds?
Single-family homes from about 1,450 to 4,300 square feet, built from 2007 to today. The original sections have Lowcountry and Charleston-style houses with deep porches, some of them custom; the Kolter-era sections are larger production two-stories; Cresswind and Carillon are single-level 55+ plans. There are no apartments and no meaningful townhome inventory, which is one of the ways The Ponds differs from Nexton and Cane Bay.
Nine builders have worked here over two developers, which is why the streets do not all look alike. Kolter Homes has been the developer and main builder since it bought Greenwood's remaining holdings in 2013.
New or resale?
Mostly resale. Outside Kolter's final phase and the last Cresswind homes, The Ponds is finished, so closed resales set the price and you are buying mature trees and a settled street. Where Kolter is still selling, a nearly-new resale two streets over often includes the fence, blinds and finished yard the new home does not, and we price the two against each other before you decide.
If you visit the Kolter design studio or a Cresswind model, bring us with you or register us before you go in. The builder pays our fee in almost every case, and the builder's sales rep represents the builder, not you. How new-construction representation works
Schools
Which schools serve The Ponds?
The Ponds is Dorchester District Two, which is the reason a lot of families choose it over Nexton and Cane Bay. Here is the zoning, and the school that has not been built yet.
The district's subdivision list assigns The Ponds, including Cresswind, to:
- Sand Hill Elementary (324 Gnarly Oak Lane), about two miles away and at its 1,300-student capacity after a ten-classroom addition.
- Gregg Middle School (500 Green Wave Boulevard) in Summerville.
- Summerville High School (1101 Boone Hill Road), the original Summerville High, not Ashley Ridge.
The 2005 development agreement set aside a school site inside The Ponds, and the district's 2024 bond referendum funds a Pre-K through fifth grade elementary on about 40 acres next to the planned village center. As of May 2026 the school was still waiting on Kolter to deed the land, which happens after the final plat of the last phase, so the district does not expect to open it before roughly 2029. When it opens, The Ponds will almost certainly be rezoned to it. Confirm the zone for the exact address with the district before you write an offer, and ask us where the school stands today. Rollings Middle School of the Arts, a DD2 magnet about two miles away, takes students by application. Pinewood Preparatory is the closest private option.
Fees & Taxes
What does it cost to own in The Ponds?
Because The Ponds is outside the town limits, there is no town tax, and because the YMCA carries the gym, master dues stay modest. Cresswind is the exception. Here is what to budget for beyond the mortgage.
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ponds Community Association | The master association, managed by FirstService Residential from the Farmhouse. Covers the Farmhouse, pool, pavilion, amphitheater, parks, trails, kayak launch and common landscaping. The master assessment is $790 a year in the 2026 budget, billed $395 on January 1 and $395 on July 1. Every home pays it, including Cresswind and Carillon. |
| Cresswind Charleston HOA | An additional $310 a month in 2026 (homes with a fence add $46.57) for the gated clubhouse, resort pool and spa, tennis, pickleball, bocce, the lifestyle director, street lights, trash service and individual lawn care. |
| Carillon HOA | A small separate association for the 56-home 55+ section, on top of the master. Older listings quoted about $975 a year combined, so ask for the current Carillon budget. |
| Closing fees | The covenants fund The Ponds Conservancy through a transfer fee on every sale, and the associations charge one-time capital or transfer fees at closing. Your closing attorney will show them on the settlement statement; we will tell you what they are before you write an offer. |
| YMCA membership | Not included in any HOA. Residents join the Summerville Family YMCA at The Ponds on their own, with no joining fee and a resident discount, so budget a monthly membership if you plan to use it. |
| Trash | Outside Cresswind, there is no town pickup. Residents use Dorchester County's Knightsville convenience site or a private hauler, so budget for that. |
| Property tax | Dorchester County rates, with no town tax. A primary residence is assessed at 4%; a second home or rental at 6%. How Summerville-area property taxes work |
| Insurance | The Ponds sits at the headwaters of the Ashley River, and some lots border wetlands and ponds. Ask for the flood zone and an insurance quote on any specific lot. Our Summerville homeowners insurance guide |
Dues change with each association's annual budget. We pull the current figures and the HOA documents for any Ponds home before you go under contract.
CPRES-Certified · Probate and inherited homes
Inherited a home in The Ponds?
The Mills Team is CPRES-certified. Jim Mills holds the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist designation, which is formal training in how a home is sold out of an estate: who has the authority to sell, what the probate court needs first, and how to value, clean out and prepare a house when the heirs live somewhere else. We work alongside your probate attorney and the closing attorney so the sale does not stall, and we will tell you plainly if selling is not your best move.
How selling an inherited house works Probate sales in the Summerville area View the CPRES certificate (PDF)
We are real estate agents, not attorneys, and nothing here is legal advice.
Market Report
Sold, New Listings, and Pending Listings in The Ponds
Live from the Charleston MLS and updated automatically: what has sold, what just came on the market, and what is under contract in The Ponds. Want only one section, one price range, or alerts as homes come up? Tell us and we will set up a saved search for you.
Search all Ponds homes with filters · Get alerts for new Ponds listings
Nearby Communities
The Ponds is the Dorchester County, DD2 answer to the big Berkeley County communities. Compare it with Nexton and Cane Bay Plantation, see the rest of Summerville, or look at Ridgeville further out 17A, West Ashley down Highway 61, and North Charleston and Ladson closer to the base and the airport. Considering a new build anywhere in the area? Start with our new-construction guide. Looking at 55+ living? See 55+ communities.
FAQ
Questions buyers and sellers ask about The Ponds
No. The Ponds has a Summerville mailing address and ZIP 29483, but it sits in unincorporated Dorchester County, about ten minutes south of downtown on Highway 17A. You pay Dorchester County taxes with no town tax, the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office and Dorchester County Fire Rescue cover the community from stations inside it, and your schools are Dorchester District Two.
Dorchester District Two: Sand Hill Elementary, Gregg Middle and Summerville High as of the 2026 school year. Not Ashley Ridge High, which surprises some buyers. Sand Hill is at capacity, and the district plans a new elementary school on a 40-acre site inside The Ponds, but the land transfer from Kolter had not happened as of May 2026, so do not count on it before about 2029. Check the district's subdivision list for the exact address before you write an offer.
Every home pays the Ponds Community Association master assessment, which is $790 a year in the 2026 budget, billed $395 in January and $395 in July. Cresswind adds its own dues of $310 a month for the gated clubhouse, pool, courts, trash pickup and lawn care. Carillon has a smaller association of its own. Expect a one-time transfer fee at closing as well; part of it funds The Ponds Conservancy. Get the current budget for the specific home.
Resales have closed at a median of roughly $495,000 to $515,000 over the past year, about $210 to $220 per square foot, with closed prices from the high $300s to the mid $700s. Kolter's final phase starts in the $400s, and Cresswind quick move-in homes have been listed from about $510,000 to $675,000. About 44 homes are on the market at a time. Ask for a current, section-specific number.
Two. Cresswind Charleston is Kolter's gated 55+ community with its own clubhouse, resort pool and spa, tennis, pickleball and bocce, planned for about 650 homes. Carillon at The Ponds is a 56-home 55+ enclave built by D.R. Horton during the Greenwood years. Both are age-restricted with their own dues on top of the master assessment, and both share the Farmhouse, trails and YMCA with the rest of The Ponds.
It is the most common complaint. Since 2007 the community has had a single entrance at Village Ponds Drive and Highway 17A. A temporary traffic signal went in there in 2024, and Dorchester County has funded a second entrance at Linger Longer Drive, about $2.5 million, that was scheduled to start construction in late 2025. Drive it at 7:30 in the morning before you buy, and ask us where the second entrance stands today.
Most of The Ponds is finished, so resales set the price in the original sections and in Carillon. New construction is limited to Kolter's final 211-home phase near the amphitheater and the last Cresswind homes. A resale often includes the fence, blinds, mature trees and finished yard a new home does not. If you tour a model, register the Mills Team as your agent first; the builder pays our fee in nearly every case.
Price against closed sales in your own section and lot type, not the community average: a lot backing to the preserve or Village Pond sells differently from an interior lot, and Cresswind sells to a different buyer than the general community. Then market what The Ponds has that Nexton and Cane Bay do not: old oaks, a thousand acres of preserve, Dorchester District Two and a Dorchester County tax bill. That is the plan behind our 45 Days Sold program.
The court is set by the county where the person lived, not where the house is. If they lived in The Ponds, that is the Dorchester County Probate Court, even though the address says Summerville. The Mills Team is CPRES-certified: Jim Mills holds the Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist designation, and we work with your probate attorney and closing attorney from the first court filing to the closing table. Selling an inherited house in Dorchester County walks through the steps. Our full guide to selling a house after someone dies
Talk to a Ponds agent
Buying or selling in The Ponds?
We are based in downtown Summerville, ten minutes up Main Street from the Ponds entrance, and we have sold in the original sections, the Kolter sections and Cresswind. Tell us what you are thinking and we will come back with a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
The Mills Team at NextHome The Agency Group. 69+ combined years, 2,000+ homes sold, and 94% of our business comes by referral. CPRES-certified for probate and inherited-home sales.
Community facts on this page come from Kolter Homes (kolterhomes.com), the Cresswind Charleston HOA's 2026 information sheet, the resident-run Ponds history site, the 2005 Dorchester County development agreement and its 2023 amendments as reported by Live 5 News and The Post and Courier, Dorchester County, and Dorchester School District Two. Market figures are from the Charleston MLS as of September 16, 2026 and change daily; the live report above is current. HOA dues, school zones, the second-entrance schedule and tax rates should be confirmed for a specific property before you rely on them. The Mills Team is an independent brokerage and is not affiliated with Kolter Homes, Greenwood Development, the Ponds Community Association, the Cresswind Charleston HOA, the Summerville Family YMCA or any builder named here. The Ponds, Cresswind and the section names are trademarks of their owners. Last reviewed September 2026.