Upscale apartment development is a crowded field, so making one's project distinctive is especially important. Miller-Valentine Group VP of conventional multifamily development Charles Rulick tells us the company's Beckett Farms "blends the pastoral setting of Fort Mill with the latest in luxury design.” It has all the amenities of an urban-oriented development, but in a quieter, non-urban setting (which is still in demand, even among some Millennials).

Miller-Valentine Group started work on the 280-unit Beckett Farms in Fort Mill last month. While the company has been active with other product lines in the Carolinas, such as commercial and affordable housing, this is its first foray into upscale multifamily development in the Charlotte area, a sector the company has pursued in Michigan and Ohio. Miller-Valentine established a long-term commitment to Charlotte and the Southeast with the addition of partner and managing director of investment management Michael Riechman in 2014.