By Jeff McKinney
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The 2005 Homearama show will showcase the Tristate's most expensive homes ever, ranging up to $2 million.

The 44th annual show will be at Long Cove, a new development with 212 homes in the Mason School District in Deerfield Township. Starting at $800,000, 14 homes will be featured and could fetch up to $2 million at next year's Homearama 2005, held in June.

About half of the homes will be in the $1.4 million range. That would be about eight times higher than the average home sales price of $167,602 in Southwest Ohio in 2003, a record-breaking year, according to the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors.

The board of directors of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati approved Long Cove as the 2005 site Thursday.

The two-week Homearama event typically draws about 100,000 visitors, most of whom can't afford the opulent homes but want to see the latest and most expensive gadgets and designs for homes.

"We anticipate this show will have the highest average sales price of any Homerama to date," said Tim Hensley, the president of the homebuilders' association.

About 100 of the Long Cove homes will be built on slightly larger than half-acre lots in a community connected by waterways, hiking and biking trails. Another perk: More than a mile of waterways will be navigable by residents using nonpowered boats.

Hensley said the lot prices alone would run from $200,000 to $240,000.

Long Cove also will feature a recreation center with a clubhouse, which includes a fitness center, entertaining areas, two pools, a playground, dock and picnic area. The homes will be developed by Rhein Interests Inc.

This year's Homearama is at Chestnut Hill from June 12-27.

E-mail jmckinney@enquirer.com