diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
index 7da8169..368b3c0 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
@@ -1,23 +1,6 @@
+require 'time'
 require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'more', 'property')
-
-class Time                       
-  # returns a local time value much faster than Time.parse
-  def self.mktime_with_offset(string)
-    string =~ /(\d{4})[\-|\/](\d{2})[\-|\/](\d{2})[T|\s](\d{2}):(\d{2}):(\d{2})([\+|\s|\-])*(\d{2}):?(\d{2})/
-    # $1 = year
-    # $2 = month
-    # $3 = day
-    # $4 = hours
-    # $5 = minutes
-    # $6 = seconds
-    # $7 = time zone direction
-    # $8 = tz difference
-    # utc time with wrong TZ info: 
-    time = mktime($1, RFC2822_MONTH_NAME[$2.to_i - 1], $3, $4, $5, $6, $7)
-    tz_difference = ("#{$7 == '-' ? '+' : '-'}#{$8}".to_i * 3600)
-    time + tz_difference + zone_offset(time.zone) 
-  end 
-end
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'more', 'typecast')
 
 module CouchRest
   module Mixins
@@ -25,6 +8,8 @@ module CouchRest
       
       class IncludeError < StandardError; end
       
+      include ::CouchRest::More::Typecast
+
       def self.included(base)
         base.class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
             extlib_inheritable_accessor(:properties) unless self.respond_to?(:properties)
@@ -55,57 +40,41 @@ module CouchRest
       def cast_keys
         return unless self.class.properties
         self.class.properties.each do |property|
-          key = self.has_key?(property.name) ? property.name : property.name.to_sym
-          # Don't cast the property unless it has a value
-          next if (value = self[key]).nil?
-          # Don't cast the property if it is not accessible
-          if self.class.respond_to? :accessible_properties
-            next if self.class.accessible_properties.index(key).nil?
-          end
-          write_property(property, value)
+          cast_property(property)
         end
       end
-
-      protected
-
-        def write_attribute(name, value)
-          unless (property = property(name)).nil?
-            write_property(property, value)
-          else
-            self[name] = value
+      
+      def cast_property(property, assigned=false)
+        return unless property.casted
+        key = self.has_key?(property.name) ? property.name : property.name.to_sym
+        # Don't cast the property unless it has a value
+        return unless self[key]
+        if property.type.is_a?(Array)
+          klass = ::CouchRest.constantize(property.type[0])
+          arr = self[key].dup.collect do |value|
+            value = typecast_value(value, klass, property.init_method)
+            associate_casted_to_parent(value, assigned)
+            value
           end
+          self[key] = klass != String ? CastedArray.new(arr) : arr
+          self[key].casted_by = self if self[key].respond_to?(:casted_by)
+        else
+          if property.type.downcase == 'boolean'
+            klass = TrueClass
+          else
+            klass = ::CouchRest.constantize(property.type)
+          end
+          
+          self[key] = typecast_value(self[key], klass, property.init_method)
+          associate_casted_to_parent(self[key], assigned)
         end
-
-        def write_property(property, value)
-          value = property.typecast(value)
-          value.casted_by = self if value.respond_to?(:casted_by)
-          self[property.name] = value
-        end
-
-        def property(name)
-          properties.find {|p| p.name == name.to_s}
-        end
+      end
       
       def associate_casted_to_parent(casted, assigned)
         casted.casted_by = self if casted.respond_to?(:casted_by)
         casted.document_saved = true if !assigned && casted.respond_to?(:document_saved)
       end
       
-      def convert_property_value(property, klass, value)
-        if ((property.init_method == 'new') && klass == Time)
-          # Using custom time parsing method because Ruby's default method is toooo slow
-          value.is_a?(String) ? Time.mktime_with_offset(value.dup) : value
-        # Float instances don't get initialized with #new
-        elsif ((property.init_method == 'new') && klass == Float)
-          cast_float(value)
-          # 'boolean' type is simply used to generate a property? accessor method
-        elsif ((property.init_method == 'new') && klass == TrueClass)
-          value
-        else
-          klass.send(property.init_method, value.dup)
-        end
-      end
-      
       def cast_property_by_name(property_name)
         return unless self.class.properties
         property = self.class.properties.detect{|property| property.name == property_name}
@@ -113,14 +82,7 @@ module CouchRest
         cast_property(property, true)
       end
       
-      def cast_float(value)
-        begin 
-          Float(value)
-        rescue
-          value
-        end
-      end
-      
+     
       module ClassMethods
         
         def property(name, options={})
@@ -136,9 +98,9 @@ module CouchRest
           # make sure to use a mutex.
           def define_property(name, options={})
             # check if this property is going to casted
-            options[:casted] = options[:cast_as] ? options[:cast_as] : false
+            options[:casted] = !!(options[:cast_as] || options[:type])
             property = CouchRest::Property.new(name, (options.delete(:cast_as) || options.delete(:type)), options)
-            create_property_getter(property)
+            create_property_getter(property) 
             create_property_setter(property) unless property.read_only == true
             properties << property
           end
@@ -176,7 +138,8 @@ module CouchRest
             property_name = property.name
             class_eval <<-EOS
               def #{property_name}=(value)
-                write_attribute('#{property_name}', value)
+                self['#{property_name}'] = value
+                cast_property_by_name('#{property_name}')
               end
             EOS
 
@@ -186,7 +149,9 @@ module CouchRest
               EOS
             end
           end
+          
       end # module ClassMethods
+      
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb b/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
index 43e9a62..88ce725 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-require 'time'
-require 'bigdecimal'
-require 'bigdecimal/util'
-
 module CouchRest
 
   # Basic attribute support for adding getter/setter + validation
@@ -16,171 +12,6 @@ module CouchRest
       self
     end
 
-    def typecast(value)
-      do_typecast(value, type, init_method)
-    end
-
-    protected
-
-      def do_typecast(value, target, init_method)
-        return nil if value.nil?
-
-        if target == 'String'        then typecast_to_string(value)
-        elsif target == 'Boolean'    then typecast_to_boolean(value)
-        elsif target == 'Integer'    then typecast_to_integer(value)
-        elsif target == 'Float'      then typecast_to_float(value)
-        elsif target == 'BigDecimal' then typecast_to_bigdecimal(value)
-        elsif target == 'DateTime'   then typecast_to_datetime(value)
-        elsif target == 'Time'       then typecast_to_time(value)
-        elsif target == 'Date'       then typecast_to_date(value)
-        elsif target == 'Class'      then typecast_to_class(value)
-        elsif target.is_a?(Array)    then typecast_array(value, target, init_method)
-        else
-          @klass ||= ::CouchRest.constantize(target)
-          value.kind_of?(@klass) ? value : @klass.send(init_method, value.dup)
-        end
-      end
-
-      def typecast_array(value, target, init_method)
-        value.map { |v| do_typecast(v, target[0], init_method) }
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to an Integer
-      def typecast_to_integer(value)
-        value.kind_of?(Integer) ? value : typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_i)
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to a String
-      def typecast_to_string(value)
-        value.to_s
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to a true or false
-      def typecast_to_boolean(value)
-        return value if value == true || value == false
-
-        if value.kind_of?(Integer)
-          return true  if value == 1
-          return false if value == 0
-        elsif value.respond_to?(:to_str)
-          return true  if %w[ true  1 t ].include?(value.to_str.downcase)
-          return false if %w[ false 0 f ].include?(value.to_str.downcase)
-        end
-
-        value
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to a BigDecimal
-      def typecast_to_bigdecimal(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(BigDecimal)
-
-        if value.kind_of?(Integer)
-          value.to_s.to_d
-        else
-          typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_d)
-        end
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to a Float
-      def typecast_to_float(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(Float)
-        typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_f)
-      end
-
-      # Match numeric string
-      def typecast_to_numeric(value, method)
-        if value.respond_to?(:to_str)
-          if value.to_str =~ /\A(-?(?:0|[1-9]\d*)(?:\.\d+)?|(?:\.\d+))\z/
-            $1.send(method)
-          else
-            value
-          end
-        elsif value.respond_to?(method)
-          value.send(method)
-        else
-          value
-        end
-      end
-
-      # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a DateTime.
-      # Handles both Hashes and DateTime instances.
-      def typecast_to_datetime(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(DateTime)
-
-        if value.is_a?(Hash)
-          typecast_hash_to_datetime(value)
-        else
-          DateTime.parse(value.to_s)
-        end
-      rescue ArgumentError
-        value
-      end
-
-      # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a Date
-      # Handles both Hashes and Date instances.
-      def typecast_to_date(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(Date)
-
-        if value.is_a?(Hash)
-          typecast_hash_to_date(value)
-        else
-          Date.parse(value.to_s)
-        end
-      rescue ArgumentError
-        value
-      end
-
-      # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a Time
-      # Handles both Hashes and Time instances.
-      def typecast_to_time(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(Time)
-
-        if value.is_a?(Hash)
-          typecast_hash_to_time(value)
-        else
-          Time.mktime_with_offset(value.to_s)
-        end
-      rescue ArgumentError
-        value
-      rescue TypeError
-        value
-      end
-
-      # Creates a DateTime instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day,
-      # :hour, :min, :sec
-      def typecast_hash_to_datetime(value)
-        DateTime.new(*extract_time(value))
-      end
-
-      # Creates a Date instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day
-      def typecast_hash_to_date(value)
-        Date.new(*extract_time(value)[0, 3])
-      end
-
-      # Creates a Time instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day,
-      # :hour, :min, :sec
-      def typecast_hash_to_time(value)
-        Time.local(*extract_time(value))
-      end
-
-      # Extracts the given args from the hash. If a value does not exist, it
-      # uses the value of Time.now.
-      def extract_time(value)
-        now  = Time.now
-
-        [:year, :month, :day, :hour, :min, :sec].map do |segment|
-          typecast_to_numeric(value.fetch(segment, now.send(segment)), :to_i)
-        end
-      end
-
-      # Typecast a value to a Class
-      def typecast_to_class(value)
-        return value if value.kind_of?(Class)
-        ::CouchRest.constantize(value.to_s)
-      rescue NameError
-        value
-      end
-
     private
 
       def parse_type(type)
@@ -224,4 +55,4 @@ class CastedArray < Array
     obj.casted_by = self.casted_by if obj.respond_to?(:casted_by)
     super(index, obj)
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/more/typecast.rb b/lib/couchrest/more/typecast.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f866b7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/couchrest/more/typecast.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+require 'time'
+require 'bigdecimal'
+require 'bigdecimal/util'
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'more', 'property')
+
+class Time                       
+  # returns a local time value much faster than Time.parse
+  def self.mktime_with_offset(string)
+    string =~ /(\d{4})[\-|\/](\d{2})[\-|\/](\d{2})[T|\s](\d{2}):(\d{2}):(\d{2})([\+|\s|\-])*(\d{2}):?(\d{2})/
+    # $1 = year
+    # $2 = month
+    # $3 = day
+    # $4 = hours
+    # $5 = minutes
+    # $6 = seconds
+    # $7 = time zone direction
+    # $8 = tz difference
+    # utc time with wrong TZ info: 
+    time = mktime($1, RFC2822_MONTH_NAME[$2.to_i - 1], $3, $4, $5, $6, $7)
+    tz_difference = ("#{$7 == '-' ? '+' : '-'}#{$8}".to_i * 3600)
+    time + tz_difference + zone_offset(time.zone) 
+  end 
+end
+
+module CouchRest
+  module More
+    module Typecast
+
+      def typecast_value(value, klass, init_method)
+        return nil if value.nil?
+
+        if value.instance_of?(klass) || klass.to_s == 'Object'
+          value 
+        elsif ['String', 'TrueClass', 'Integer', 'Float', 'BigDecimal', 'DateTime', 'Time', 'Date', 'Class'].include?(klass.to_s)
+          send('typecast_to_'+klass.to_s.downcase, value)
+        else
+          # Allow the init_method to be defined as a Proc for advanced conversion
+          init_method.is_a?(Proc) ? init_method.call(value) : klass.send(init_method, value)
+        end
+      end
+
+      protected
+
+        # Typecast a value to an Integer
+        def typecast_to_integer(value)
+          value.kind_of?(Integer) ? value : typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_i)
+        end
+
+        # Typecast a value to a String
+        def typecast_to_string(value)
+          value.to_s
+        end
+
+        # Typecast a value to a true or false
+        def typecast_to_trueclass(value)
+          if value.kind_of?(Integer)
+            return true  if value == 1
+            return false if value == 0
+          elsif value.respond_to?(:to_s)
+            return true  if %w[ true  1 t ].include?(value.to_s.downcase)
+            return false if %w[ false 0 f ].include?(value.to_s.downcase)
+          end
+          value
+        end
+
+        # Typecast a value to a BigDecimal
+        def typecast_to_bigdecimal(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(BigDecimal)
+
+          if value.kind_of?(Integer)
+            value.to_s.to_d
+          else
+            typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_d)
+          end
+        end
+
+        # Typecast a value to a Float
+        def typecast_to_float(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(Float)
+          typecast_to_numeric(value, :to_f)
+        end
+
+        # Match numeric string
+        def typecast_to_numeric(value, method)
+          if value.respond_to?(:to_str)
+            if value.to_str =~ /\A(-?(?:0|[1-9]\d*)(?:\.\d+)?|(?:\.\d+))\z/
+              $1.send(method)
+            else
+              value
+            end
+          elsif value.respond_to?(method)
+            value.send(method)
+          else
+            value
+          end
+        end
+
+        # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a DateTime.
+        # Handles both Hashes and DateTime instances.
+        def typecast_to_datetime(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(DateTime)
+
+          if value.is_a?(Hash)
+            typecast_hash_to_datetime(value)
+          else
+            DateTime.parse(value.to_s)
+          end
+        rescue ArgumentError
+          value
+        end
+
+        # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a Date
+        # Handles both Hashes and Date instances.
+        def typecast_to_date(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(Date)
+
+          if value.is_a?(Hash)
+            typecast_hash_to_date(value)
+          else
+            Date.parse(value.to_s)
+          end
+        rescue ArgumentError
+          value
+        end
+
+        # Typecasts an arbitrary value to a Time
+        # Handles both Hashes and Time instances.
+        def typecast_to_time(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(Time)
+
+          if value.is_a?(Hash)
+            typecast_hash_to_time(value)
+          else
+            Time.mktime_with_offset(value.to_s)
+          end
+        rescue ArgumentError
+          value
+        rescue TypeError
+          value
+        end
+
+        # Creates a DateTime instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day,
+        # :hour, :min, :sec
+        def typecast_hash_to_datetime(value)
+          DateTime.new(*extract_time(value))
+        end
+
+        # Creates a Date instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day
+        def typecast_hash_to_date(value)
+          Date.new(*extract_time(value)[0, 3])
+        end
+
+        # Creates a Time instance from a Hash with keys :year, :month, :day,
+        # :hour, :min, :sec
+        def typecast_hash_to_time(value)
+          Time.local(*extract_time(value))
+        end
+
+        # Extracts the given args from the hash. If a value does not exist, it
+        # uses the value of Time.now.
+        def extract_time(value)
+          now  = Time.now
+
+          [:year, :month, :day, :hour, :min, :sec].map do |segment|
+            typecast_to_numeric(value.fetch(segment, now.send(segment)), :to_i)
+          end
+        end
+
+        # Typecast a value to a Class
+        def typecast_to_class(value)
+          return value if value.kind_of?(Class)
+          ::CouchRest.constantize(value.to_s)
+        rescue NameError
+          value
+        end
+
+    end
+  end
+end
+
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
index 9156795..71adfcd 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument properties" do
       end
     end
   end
-  
+ 
   describe "casting" do
     before(:each) do
       @course = Course.new(:title => 'Relaxation')
@@ -625,4 +625,4 @@ describe "a casted model retrieved from the database" do
       @cat.toys[1].casted_by.should === @cat
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/more/course.rb b/spec/fixtures/more/course.rb
index eada30f..f340469 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/more/course.rb
+++ b/spec/fixtures/more/course.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'person')
 class Course < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
   use_database TEST_SERVER.default_database
   
-  property :title
+  property :title, :cast_as => 'String'
   property :questions, :cast_as => ['Question']
   property :professor, :cast_as => 'Person'
   property :participants, :type => ['Object']
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ class Course < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
   
   view_by :title
   view_by :dept, :ducktype => true
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/more/event.rb b/spec/fixtures/more/event.rb
index 97aa248..81a4cba 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/more/event.rb
+++ b/spec/fixtures/more/event.rb
@@ -5,5 +5,4 @@ class Event < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
   property :occurs_at, :cast_as => 'Time', :init_method => 'parse'
   property :end_date,  :cast_as => 'Date', :init_method => 'parse'
   
-  
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end