Highland Woods‘ Meadow’s Edge Neighborhood boasts a 2.5 acre park with playground equipment, a two-acre naturalized area, beautiful landscaping and mature trees. On top of that, we can now add a brand new model to the mix, grand opening on September 8. Pictured to the right is The Savannah, which features an energy-smart floorplan and many more amenities including:

• Dramatic 2-Story Foyer
• Formal Living and Dining Rooms
• Large Family Room
• Open Kitchen Layout
• Walk-In Pantry
• Master Bedroom with His & Hers Walk-in Closets and Full Bathroom
• Generous closets in all bedrooms
• Tech Center on 2nd Floor

The Savannah is a 2-story plan that features, along with all the amenities above, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a 3 Car Tandem Garage. The model is fully decorated as well, which will give you an idea as to what your future home could look like. William Ryan Homes offers single family floorplans from 2,000-3,357 square feet. Homes start from $239,990.

The Savannah is a William Ryan Homes model. William Ryan Homes is one of our featured builders and has made a commitment to showcasing a model home and carrying an ample inventory of homesites available depending upon your personal needs.

Click to schedule your appointment today!

The John Hall Homes mission is to build the finest homes with leading edge technology and building techniques, and to meet and exceed your expectations for a reasonable price. The custom-crafted and semi-custom homes feel like they were crafted just for you.

Learn about John Hall Homes exciting current incentives, and the distinct features and unique qualities of the John Hall Home experience in the following video interview with John Hall Jr.

John Hall homesites within the beautifully landscaped Ridgeview, Summergate, Graystone, and Old Bridge neighborhoods feature wooded walkout and lookout basements, as well as corner and deep interior lots. John Hall Custom homes will range from 1,800- to over 4,000-square feet in size.

Homes start in the upper $300’s in Graystone. Take advantage of a Free Finished Lower Level With Full Bath on the last 2 great walk out lots 48 and 52 in Ridgeview. Ana’s Cottage is now available at $679,000.

Schedule an appointment today to visit Highland Woods and learn more.

In this month’s contest, visitors will have the opportunity to win a $75 gift card to Regina’s, an Italian restaurant located at 629 South 8th Street, West Dundee, IL. With an excellent wine list and great Italian food, Regina’s is the perfect spot for date night.

Every month, Highland Woods holds a contest for visitors who register at the Owners Club. Simply complete an information card at Highland Woods and you will be entered into our drawing held on the first of every month.

Schedule an appointment to tour one of our uniquely decorated models or learn more about the fine custom and semi-custom builders at Highland Woods.

The Dover model home is currently available, with 3,660 square feet of space and other incredible features. Don’t miss out on this wonderful home available for $744,900!

Browse the available features view our interview with Paul Hassler below.

Interior highlights:

• 3660 Square Foot Floor Plan
• Large Interior Kitchen with Custom Alder Cabinetry, 1-1/4″ Granite Counter Tops
• Raised Snack Bar with GE Stainless Appliances
• Four Bedrooms with Walk-In Closets
• Upgraded Moen Faucets and Sinks
• Whirlpool Tub and 2-person Tiled Shower with Sink in Master Bath
• Group II Trim throughout First Floor with Double Crown
• Group II Trim in Master and Hallways, all other Bedrooms are Group I Trim
• Four Full Baths
• Full 9 foot deep Basement with Future roughed in Bath

Exterior highlights:

• Concrete Driveway
• 3-car “side load” garage which is fully insulated and drywalled
• Insulated Garage doors with opener
• Anderson Windows and Sliding Doors
• Maintenance free aluminum overhang and Facia with beaded hardie board cement siding
• Fully sodded front yard with street trees and plantings with rear yard seeded and concrete patio.

For more information on how you can become a part of this master-planned community, sign up for our e-newsletter or make an appointment to visit.

1. Find an agent you can trust. Your real estate agent is the pro. The agent finds people homes for a living, and has gone through this process many times before. Although you may do your own research, the agent’s job is to know the market, know the process, and know how to find you your best deal. You also should always have the sense that the agent knows what you want. It will save you a lot of stress if you find someone who you trust will take care of you and whose advice you respect.

2. Set a reasonable budget. Taking on a mortgage is a big responsibility. The mortgage payment will likely be one of the biggest monthly checks you write. Outline your monthly expenditures to figure out how much money you have that you can apply to a mortgage. Be sure to consider any association fees, if applicable, taxes, insurance, and if you don’t already own a home, approximate utilities in your area. Then use a mortgage calculator to approximate the monthly cost of a mortgage based on current interest rates.

3. Create a list of must-have features. Once you know about how much you can spend, do a quick online search of homes for sale in your area to see what features are reasonable to include as “must-haves”. You probably have spent some time picturing your ideal home, and you may have a few sticking points that you’re positive you want. Perhaps you love to cook and need a lot of counterspace. Or you have pets, so carpet or flooring that is pet-friendly is a must. Remember to plan 5, 10, and 30 years out if you think you may be in the home that long. You may have not have children now, but perhaps are thinking of starting a family in the future. All of these things are important to consider when doing your search, and very important for you to communicate to your agent in advance to make the search process as simple as possible.

4. Set up a searching timeline that is a month or less. Don’t make the mistake of being too hesitant when searching for a new home. This market has homes at ideal prices, so you really don’t want your search to go on for months and risk missing out on this buyer’s market. And if you’ve done a good job communicating with your agent exactly what you are looking for in a home, you should only be looking at homes that fit your budget and match what you want. Keeping the process as brief as possible will help you to remember the homes you like, what you like about them, and will keep you confident you have made the right decision.

5. Don’t bring too many people along on the search. Ideally you’ll visit the homes with your spouse or anyone purchasing the home with you, and leave others behind, especially on the initial visits. Too many opinions can add chaos to an already overwhelming decision. And other’s opinions don’t matter anyway, as they won’t be living in the home.

6. Take notes and pictures. Especially if you are visiting multiple homes in one day, keep a list of what you liked or didn’t like about each home. Write down the home’s 3 best and worst features, as well as something to remember each home by (for example, 1000 Pleasant Way is the home with the large back deck). This will help you keep track and remember which homes make the final cut. Don’t bother writing likes or dislikes about the homes you are certain are out. Just cross them off the list and move on.

7. Revisit your top two or three. Once you’ve finished your initial visits, give yourself a few days to rest, step back, and not think about what you’ve seen. Then revisit your top 2 or 3 homes before making an offer, seeing the homes with a fresh set of eyes may help you catch things you missed (good or bad) and will give you confidence that you’ve made the right decision when it comes time to make an offer.

Best of luck to you in your new home search! If clubhouse living meets your lifestyle, be sure to check out a Crown home, and sign up for our elist for more information.

Do any experienced homebuyers have other tips to add?