Wednesday, September 26, 2012

New Model Home at Williams Bay New Home Community

When looking for that perfect home, it isn't always easy to imagine what your dream place would look like with furniture. The advantage to touring model homes is that they give prospective homeowners the opportunity to get a better vision of what their home will look like when it is furnished.

Gerstad Builders recently sold their model home at Bailey Estates, and are building a new model home featuring the Bayview home design. This single-family home will give homeowners a glimpse of what it would be like to live in the Williams Bay new home community.

The Bayview offers three bedrooms with two bedrooms on the main floor and an optional third bathroom in the basement. The elegant interior showcases upscale finishes with vaulted ceilings in the great room, upgraded carpet, hardwood floors in the kitchen and foyer, stainless steel appliances, and soaking tub and ceramic shower in the master bathroom. Additional features of this home include a two-car side load garage and lookout full basement with coffee porch in the rear of the home.
Bailey estates offers a relaxing country setting with close proximity to city life. Homes range from 1,800 to 3,200 square feet and are built on large home sites of almost a half acre up to 1 1/4 acres.

Buyers can expect high quality features in every Gerstad home with GE appliances, Kohler fixtures, and oak or white Colonist doors and trim. The Gerstad design center allows homeowners to customize their home to better suit their wants and needs.

Residents at Bailey Estates can also enjoy a four-acre park with tennis courts, walking paths, and outdoor basketball courts.

In addition to Williams Bay, Gerstad Builders offers new homes in McHenry County, Richmond and Poplar Grove.

For more information, visit www.gerstadbuilders.com.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Chicago New Homes Available at Autumn Creek in Yorkville

Pulte Homes and Centex Homes are pleased to announce that new homes are available at Autumn Creek Fields and the Groves at Autumn Creek in Yorkville. Chicago new home buyers can choose from a variety of models in the community, which is located on 92 acres complete with walking paths and bike paths.

Autumn Creek Fields and the Groves at Autumn Creek are conveniently located near I-88 and the community also offers an on-site elementary school.

Pulte Homes offers four different models of homes and Centex Homes offers five different models.

The Autumn Creek Fields homes by Pulte are priced starting in the low $190,000s, and buyers can choose from four different floor plans, including the brand new Austin plan that features a two-and-a-half car garage and a library.

The Groves at Autumn Creek by Centex offers homes that start at $114,000, and include ranch-style and two-story floor plans.

Stand-out features at Autumn Creek Fields and the Groves at Autumn Creek include full basements, Whirlpool appliances and designer kitchens that are equipped with Kohler and Moen products. In addition to modern interiors, Autumn Creek homes have distinctive, low-maintenance exteriors.

If you want to set up a tour of one of these homes, contact 630-553-4300 for an appointment.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

William Ryan Now Offers Connected Homes

William Ryan Homes has partnered with Digital Innovations to bring Chicago new home residents a special “Connected Home” package.

This special package includes features such as a four-port wireless router and television and telephone distribution modules that can work with any almost any computer or communications device. All of these high-tech items can be controlled by a web-enabled mobile device.

William Ryan Homes also offers the infrastructure package which is priced at $1,500 value and is included at no extra charge. The infrastructure package includes the features listed below.
  • The ability to control air conditioning and heating 24/7 from any location.
  • The option to turn lights on and off in any room from any location.
  • A state-of-the art security system with keyless locks and entry door camera monitoring.
  • The ability to control television, movies, subscription video, digital audio and WiFi from your own computer system.
If you are interested in a connected home call (847) 995-8700 or visit the William Ryan website.

William Ryan is currently offering single family homes in Bolingbrook, Cary, Elgin, Joliet, Lakemoor, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Naperville and Shorewood.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Three Chicago Suburbs Make Best Places to Live List

New homes in Chicago buyers now have another reason to be happy with ther purchase. Several Chicago suburbs were ranked in the top 100 of the CNN Money Magazine “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” 2012 list.
The list was revealed in August and ranks communities based on the following characteristics: quality of school systems, jobs, affordable housing and recreational opportunities.

Naperville earned the top spot and was ranked as number 53. The decision was influenced by Naperville's devotion to providing lots of entertainment to its residents such as parades, jazz festivals and heritage celebrations. These events are funded by an additional 1% tax that Naperville adds to food and beverage purchases.

Naperville also boasts top schools and many established businesses, and has a picturesque downtown which features the 1.75 mile Riverwalk and a variety of shops and restaurants.

Bolingbrook earned spot number 62 on the list. During the past few years the suburb has experienced economic growth due to companies such as G&W Electric and WeatherTech opening their headquarters in town. Similar to Naperville, Bolingbrook offers plenty for its residents to do, whether it’s going to a local theater performance or relaxing at the local fishing lake.

Wheaton was ranked as number 80. The town was given accolades for its stellar education system and is also home to Wheaton College.

Bolingbrook and Naperville were featured on the list in 2010, while Wheaton previously made the 2009 list.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Enjoy Fall Foliage in McHenry County New Homes

A McHenry County new home from Gerstad Builders can make it easy to enjoy the fall sights when you have the option of a four-season room. These sun-filled additions not only bring in extra light, they also add approximately 168 square feet of living space to the main floor. As a bonus, Gerstad Builders makes the basement larger to accommodate for the room which gives the home buyer a total of 336 square feet of usable space.

Four-season rooms aren't the only cutzomized option that Gerstad Builders offers. Home buyers can also choose from a variety of finishes including hardwoods,ceramic tile, granite counter tops, designer millwork, and much more. Each home also comes with state-of-the-art GE appliances and Kohler fixtures.

Gerstad Builders currenlty offers homes in four communities throughout the Richmond, Williams Bay, McHenry County and Poplar Grove real estate markets. Residents in these high-quality communities will enjoy close proximity to the best dining, shopping and entertainment that the area has to offer.

Interested in one of these custom homes? Be sure to visit the Gerstad Builders website today!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Get Your Home Ready to Sell This Fall!

Spring and summer may be the busiest real estate seasons, but Chicago home owners can still make a successful fall sale.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has some great tips on how to spruce up your home in preparation for colder weather and shorter days.

Tip #1
Take advantage of your landscaping and make sure your lawn doesn’t look unkempt. A yard full of colorful trees will make your residence the standout home on the block. Keep up with your raking, so that your yard is neat.

Tip #2
Make sure to use the holidays to your advantage. Show off your home’s best features using holiday decorations and consider setting up the dining room table the same way you would for a holiday meal.

Tip #3
Pay lots of attention to the cold weather essentials of your home. Have someone check your heating system and clean your gutters. If you have a fireplace, clean it and make sure it is working properly.

Tip #4
Be mindful of the current real estate market. Buyers have access to lots of information via the Internet and they are savvier than ever! Do you homework and work with your Realtor to find out more about similar homes for sale so that you can successfully negotiate the perfect deal.

If you are putting your home up for sale this fall, make sure to share your own tips.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Highland Woods Perfect for Back to School Season


Back to school season has just begun and residents looking for a new Chicago home may want to check out the Crown Communities neighborhood Highland Woods. Families living at Highland Woods have access to the top-rated Central Community School District #301.

Highland Woods is a new community in Elgin that offers spacious and modern homes with access to a variety of amenities, such as a fitness center and water park. Access to an award winning school district is just another bonus

The nearest elementary school is Country Trails Elementary which is close enough for many children to walk to school. Country Trails opened in 2007 and won an Academic Excellence Award from the State of Illinois in 2011.

Prairie Knolls Middle School is also nearby. The school boasts average test scores in the 90th percentle and also provides a variety of extracurricular activities for students, from sports to music clubs.

High school students living in Highland Woods receive the benefits of Central High School, where teachers give each student one-on-one attention. Students can also participate in a variety of clubs and sports.

Even students at the preschool level will benefit from the location of Highlands Woods, which is nearby several pre-K facilities.

So if you’re looking to move into a new home before back to school season is over, stop by Highland Woods from Crown Communities and check out one of their model homes.