Edgebrook Glen, a development of 64 single-family homes in Jefferson Park, launched about 7 years ago, and it’s been nearly two years since our last visit to the site. At the time, we mocked what we considered a severe disconnect between the reality of the project and its marketing.
Yesterday’s email brought a lengthy “news release.” Rather than deconstruct it, we’ll leave it to you to do that.
C.A. Development is projecting sales of 30 new single-family homes in 2013 at Edgebrook Glen, an 11.5-acre development at 5200 W. Armstrong Ave. in the Edgebrook-Sauganash area on the Northwest Side.
“We’ve sold 24 homes through late-November and are projecting up to 30 sales homes in 2013,” said Paul Bertsche, Vice President of C.A. Development. “We just broke ground on five more new homes.” Home prices start at $409,000.
Bertsche said that the new home market has rebounded substantially this year. “Buyer interest and sales this year at Edgebrook Glen mirrors pre-2007 levels,” he noted.
“Only 12 homes remain for sale at Edgebrook Glen,” Bertsche said. Serious buyers are therefore well advised to make their decision now before prices rise after the first of the year. Otherwise, they may have to wait until we open our upcoming developments in Logan Square or Edgewater in early 2014.”
C.A. Development attributed the sales burst in part to the fact the company is one of the only developers of new single-family homes in the city to have continued to build and honor their warranties during the downturn.
“We are one of the few Chicago home builders who had the financial integrity to continue maintaining their developments, building, and honoring warranties during the recession,” Bertsche said.
“Our buyers enjoy the confidence of knowing not only do they have warranty on their home but they have someone who will be there to service it as well, no matter what the economic conditions are,” he said.
“People are impressed with the ‘Smart Choice’ homes we offer—models with higher levels of insulation and high efficiency systems,” Bertsche said.
Showcasing 3 to 5 bedrooms and attached 2-car garages, these homes all feature high-efficiency HVAC systems with zoned dampers for multilevel comfort as well as energy saving high- efficiency hot water heaters and Energy Star certified appliances.
They also feature 50-percent higher levels of wall insulation, 25-percent higher levels of ceiling insulation, low- E, argon gas filled windows, advanced-warranted waterproofing for the fully finished lower levels, fiberglass-faced exterior sheathing with moisture barrier among their many other appointments.
“Buyers also are attracted by the new ‘urban-chic’ finishes of the Edgebrook Glen homes,” Bertsche said.
Features include dark-stained hardwood floors, choice of dark-stained or white flat-panel cabinets with chrome pulls, new contemporary lighting fixtures, 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles in the master bath, subway tiles and vessel-style sinks in the secondary baths.
Today’s savvy, energy-conscious home buyers are shopping wisely for more flexible and energy-efficient floor plans, Bertsche said.
Many Edgebrook Glen purchasers are favoring the development’s 2,800-square-foot Linden model, with its open plan full of gathering spaces and very little “transport” space lost. “The Linden feels—and lives—like a house much larger than it is,” Bertsche said. It is currently priced at $459,000
“In addition, our professionally furnished and decorated Cherry model — an ultra-flexible, ultra-efficient 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath home—has the room count, features, and grace of homes with 50-percent more floor space yet, its purchase price, ownership and utility costs are extremely economical,” Bertsche said.
The home, with 2-car attached garage has 3,216 square feet of space is base priced at $469,000. The Cherry model also features an inviting full front porch on its Victorian cedar and stone front elevation.
The home showcases a column-lined foyer and an open, airy first floor plan with dark-stained hardwood floors throughout the spacious living room with bay and dining room.
A wing wall (optional full wall) separates those rooms from the great room and kitchen.
The thoughtful kitchen features dark-stained flat panel cabinets, stainless appliances, breakfast bar seating for five, a pantry and choice of quartz or granite tops with marble and glass backsplash and loads of work space.
The ample great room has a wood-burning fireplace and patio doors leading to the deck and the large rear and side yards with access to an optional 20-by-20-foot roof deck over the garage. A powder room completes the first floor.
Upstairs, the flexibility of the Cherry really shines. The standard 4-bedroom standard layout features a master suite with vaulted ceiling along with three other full-size bedrooms and a second bath. The master suite features a 10-foot walk-in closet and master bath with separate shower and dual marble vanities. The master suite has French doors opening into the fourth bedroom.
The fourth bedroom has its own closet and entry, but depending on the buyer’s lifestyle and choice, can alternately be a sitting room for the master suite or a nursery, with or without its own entry and closet. Depending on the option taken for that room, there are a variety of closet and entry options for the other bedrooms.
The lower level of the Cherry offers an optional walk-out plan, and can double as an “in-law” apartment. It features a huge recreation room and an option for a wet bar/mini kitchen. A large fifth bedroom or home office/den with walk-in closet, and a third full bath with subway-tile and octagon tiles are also located in the lower level.
C.A. Development also has introduced the Linden and Hickory models—two other “Smart Choice” single-family homes at Edgebrook Glen. Here are details on the homes:
The Linden. “The Linden is 26 feet wide and lives and feels like a residence that is much larger,” Bertsche said. “By removing unnecessary hallways and walls we were able to eliminate square footage and reduce construction costs while maintaining the features and room count of larger similar home designs priced $50,000 to more than $100,000 more.” The 3-bedroom 2.5-bath Linden is base priced at $459,000.
The Linden has a charming Craftsman style exterior with Stone and Cedar and an attached 2-car front-load garage. It features a contemporary floor plan with an open and gracious main level that is perfect for entertaining and large parties,” Bertsche said.
“A highlight in the living room is large window-filled bay and a gas fireplace with stone surround that also is visible to the dining room,” he said.
“An optional fourth bedroom in the Linden’s walkout lower level with the optional third bath makes for a perfect ‘in-law’ or ‘boomerang-child’ quarters. Only two feet of this level is below grade so it has full-size windows and truly is a garden level,” Bertsche said.
The kitchen-great room of the Linden model features soaring 12-foot ceilings, cherry cabinets, stainless appliances, and granite or quartz counter tops with a marble and glass backsplash and large island.
Patio doors open from the adjoining great room to a deck and large 45-foot-wide backyard. Zoned heating assures energy efficient comfort on each floor year round.
Upstairs, the master bedroom features tray ceilings, a private balcony, his and hers walk-in closets and a five-piece marble bath with soaking tub and separate shower. Two more bedrooms and a second full bath with “subway tile” complete the second level.
The Hickory. This model is the new 3-level design which is on display at Edgebrook Glen. The home showcases 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a 2-car attached garage with stone and cedar trim on a charming Victorian front elevation. The Hickory is base priced at $409,000 at Edgebrook Glen.
“The Hickory looks and lives much larger than its efficient 2,483 square feet,” Bertsche said. The living room with soaring 13-foot ceiling is to the left of the gracious foyer and a powder room.
The kitchen features a granite or quartz breakfast bar opening to a great room with fireplace. The dining room, with oak railing, overlooks the living room. A 12-by-22-foot-wide deck adjoins the great room and overlooks the backyard and private drive.
Upstairs, the master suite with vaulted ceiling features a private balcony, dual closets and a luxurious private bath with soaking tub, separate shower and double marble vanities. Two more bedrooms and a second full bath complete the second level.
The home has a basement family room that can be used as a home office or guest room.
This spring, C.A. Development also introduced the “Hickory Plus” which adds an additional 330 square feet of living space to the Hickory plan with a third full bath and a 13-by-22-foot family room. The additional living space features an at-grade-level entrance, and a sliding glass door exit to the spacious side and rear yard. The Hickory Plus model, with 2,813 square feet, is priced from $449,000.
“These four new homes—the Hickory, the Hickory Plus, the Linden and the Cherry—priced from $409,000—are a Smart Choice because they were created with more energy-efficient systems, and finishes and designs that are both sophisticated, and flexible, providing the room count and lifestyle of homes with much greater square footage and cost,” said Bertsche.
Although they feature many of the same luxury appointments as C.A. Development’s Platinum Series homes—including granite, quartz, marble, stainless-steel appliances, and stained hardwood floors, “these Smart Choice residences were also designed with sensitivity to current market conditions and to qualify with both Federal Housing Administration-insured and conventional loans for the best possible rates,” Bertsche noted.
So far, 36 homes have been built and closed at Edgebrook Glen, and 12 more are under construction. Most home sites are a minimum of 45 feet wide and double lots from 60 feet to 90 feet wide are available. The development features more than two acres of private landscaped common area with a fitness trail and a circular tiered limestone arena for a gathering or performance area.
Homes at Edgebrook Glen have 3 to 5 bedrooms and 2.5 to 3.5 baths and standard lots are 45 feet wide. Prices on immediate delivery homes start at $409,000…
The sales center and models at 5200 W. Armstrong Ave. are open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Visit CA Development…