Many home buyers appreciate the esthetic value of two-story foyers, volume ceilings and open kitchen/family rooms. They also see practicality.
At Windcrest in west suburban Oswego, the Ashley III model has a two-story foyer to improve security. Developer Richard Faltz, president of Primus Corp., said the foyer permits window placement above human reach, discouraging intruders. Higher windows also allow more light to flood the entrance.
Windcrest, co-developed by Primus and Springwood Builders, is a 149-single-family-home community. Forty floor plans in multiple elevations are available, ranging in size from 1,800 to 2,800 square feet and in price from $118,000 to $184,000, including lot.
Phase I construction at Windcrest began in August with first home deliveries planned for Christmas. Phase I consists of 49 homes along the west end of Windcrest`s site.
In the Ashley III, the kitchen, breakfast area and family room are separated only by a knee wall, increasing the perceived presence of space, Faltz said.
The home has an attached two-car garage entered from the front hall.
All four bedrooms and the upstairs bath open to the second-floor foyer. A cathedral ceiling is the focal point of the Ashley`s 15-by-14-foot master bedroom.
A 13-by-11-foot secondary bedroom features a separate sleeping area and sloped roof. The alcove is designed for twin beds, and the sloped roof adds architectural design to the exterior.
Kitchens include dishwashers and food disposers, easy-care no-wax sheet flooring, furniture-quality cabinets, gas ovens with range and hood, and double-bowl stainless steel sinks. Washer and dryer hook-ups are located next to the kitchen.
All homes offer two or three baths with theatrical lighting, decorator mirrors, and marble bowl vanities, along with ceramic bath surrounds and water-saving plumbing.
Optionals include skylights, step-up tubs in the master baths, fireplaces, built-in bookshelves, beamed ceilings, bay windows, upgrade kitchen appliances, ceiling fans, electric garage door openers, screened-in porches and wood decks or patios.
Exteriors are constructed with brick, aluminum siding or rough sawn cedar siding. Roofs, covered in asphalt, 240-pound fiberglass or cedar shingles, have a 25-year warranty.
Windcrest is located on 151 acres along Boulder Hill Pass near Ill. Hwy 34. Approximately one-third of the site will be donated to the Oswego Park District for development of neighborhood parks, including tennis courts and soccer fields.
Primus Corp. will temporarily conduct sales for Windcrest at Fernwood Lakes on Fernwood Road west of Douglas Road in Boulder Hill.
