National production builders and many of their local counterparts have seldom ventured into the south suburbs which long have been the preserve of a sturdy breed of home-grown independent builders.
But that may be changing. The battle for land north, west and southwest of Chicago is so costly and the potential drive times and traffic congestion are growing so much that more developers are eying the south portion of the metro area with interest.
One builder that has taken the plunge is Oak Brook-based Montalbano Homes. The company opened Gleneagle Trail in south suburban Matteson in late 2003 and has plans this year to open additional projects in south suburban University Park, Lynwood and Beecher.
All 105 houses and about 70 of the planned 105 townhouses at Gleneagle Trail have been sold and the builder has opened sales for a second subdivision–The Point at Glen Eagle, planned for 236 houses and 170 townhouses on 149 acres. It will be across U. S. Highway 30, also known as Lincoln Highway, from the original development.
Both developments, about a mile west of the intersection of Interstate Highway 57 and U.S. 30, are smack in the middle of a new construction hot spot, both for residential and commercial building.
“It’s so convenient,” said Debbie Stimac, Gleneagle Trail townhouse sales manager. “It’s near the Interstates, the train and the mall (Lincoln Mall). And for those who like suburban living, it still looks like there is open space.”
Judging by the “for sale” signs on vacant property and the building activity here, the open spaces will not last long.
Stimac said the early buyers at Gleneagle Trail have been single people, especially women, young couples buying a first home and some empty-nesters.
And while she did not stress it, I suspect one key to the townhouse sales is pricing. All five of the available townhouse plans are base-priced at less than $200,000.
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Interestingly, the layout of the homes is very similar to some I visited in a far northern suburb several months ago with base prices nearly double those at Gleneagle Trail.
There can be a number of reasons for such a disparity, not least of which is the cost of land, but it is one reason mobile, value-minded customers who are not tied to a particular locality may want to explore every part of the metro area when house hunting.
Garages are a prominent part of the front facade of these townhouses, jutting out toward the street. Homeowners almost certainly enter and exit a home though the garage in a car, seldom using what is designated as the “front” door.
Those unfamiliar with the area also should know the “convenience” of the neighborhood is solely for buyers with plenty of wheels. Lincoln Highway is a busy, multi-lane thoroughfare without a sidewalk in sight.
There are models of four plans and three are decorated. The Wilshire, the newest and largest of the floor plans, isn’t shown in Matteson, but Stimac said it can be toured at one of the builder’s other developments.
The Huntington, at 1,754 square feet only 40 square feet smaller than the Wilshire, is shown, however, and was my least favorite plan.
The builder wisely chose to show all four models with two bedrooms and a loft. The result is a generally open and spacious feeling when touring the homes.
I generally consider lofts a waste of usable space except to display or store furnishings because of the noise floating up from the main floor. But in a couple of instances these lofts truly are large enough for conversion to a bedroom.
My favorite plan was an end unit called the Fairfield with 1,668 square feet. Visitors enter a small, formal foyer with a door to the kitchen at left and the living room straight ahead.
The kitchen in this plan is 11 by 19 feet and is big enough for a breakfast table and chairs and has the most counter space of any of the models.
The long kitchen is divided from the formal dining room by a half-wall. The dining room is next to the 14-by-nearly-15-foot living room with a two-story ceiling. The stairs to the second floor form one wall of the living room and lead to a 17-by-9-foot loft.
To the left of the loft at the front of the house and over the garage is the master bedroom, 12 1/2 by 17 1/2 feet, with a big walk-in closet and private bath. The laundry/utility room and the secondary bath open to the loft as does the secondary bedroom, 11 by 12 feet, at the back of the second floor.
The Huntington is the other end unit. Visitors step into the two-story living room, about 13 by 12 1/2 feet, from the front door and the stairs to the second floor are immediately to the right.
At the back of the living room is a half-wall separating the living room from the family room. This half-wall can be eliminated, although a couple of pillars will be needed for structural reasons.
Eliminating the half-wall might make sense because it only seems to truncate the living room and make it feel small. To the right of the living room is an area designated as the dining room on the floor plan, yet it seems like an awkward space between the kitchen and the garage.
The second floor traffic flow is somewhat better. At the top of the stairs is a loft overlooking the living room; the master bedroom suite is at the back of the home over the family room and kitchen.
The bedroom is 15 1/2 by 15 feet with a good-size walk-in closet and private bath. As with the Fairfield, there is a second-floor laundry, secondary bath and a second bedroom, about 10 by 11 1/2 feet.
This is housing where the base price is in the square footage, not in the finery inside. That will cost extra.
Shoppers can go as plain as they wish or pile on the extras, but I urge any visitor to read the upgrade lists provided in each model as they are browsing.
The Huntington, for example, is shown with $35,000 in upgrades, boosting its price as shown to more than $200,000.
The Fairfield, with a base price of $173,900, is shown with $50,000 in options including upgraded cabinets, fireplace and TV niche, high ceiling and skylights in the master bedroom.
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Gleneagle Trail
Address: 6311 Great Plains Ave., Matteson
Developer: Montalbano Homes
Phone: 708-720-4107
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Web: www.montalbanohomes.com
Description: An 80-acre development planned for 105 townhouses and 105 houses. Townhouses have two to four bedrooms, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 baths and attached two-car garages, with 1,449 to 1,794 square feet. Base prices $162,900 to $179,900.
Assessments: $97 to $120 for exterior maintenance, plus $132 annual fee for park and entrance maintenance. Prices as of Feb. 1.
Amenities: Brick and vinyl facades, Whirlpool gas range and dishwasher; separate laundry room with hookups, professional landscaping.
Neighborhood: Development has a private two-acre park; near Interstate Highway 57, Lincoln Mall and downtown Frankfort.