Demand remains high for subdivision living

“New subdivisions have been very strong here for eight to 10 years,” said Matt Morrow, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield. “It ebbs and flows a little bit, but (it’s) still very strong in the area.”

New construction

Foundation construction began Aug. 1 at Spring Meadows Estates, off Interstate 44 and Kansas Expressway. Developer Picket Fence Homes will have five model homes ready for viewing on Dec. 15 or shortly after, according to Todd Reed, the general contractor.

The subdivision will have 24 maintenance-provided townhomes, as well as 96 single-family homes that can be customized based on the designs of the model homes, with options in flooring, cabinetry and other finishing touches. Completion is set for 2009.

“It’s a unique subdivision in terms of style and look, especially on the north side,” Reed said. “Our theme is kind of an Old World style with New World construction.”

Home sizes will start around 1,500 square feet and reach more than 2,000 square feet, and prices will start around $150,000 and top out around $250,000.

Amenities will include walk-out basements, crawlspaces, cul-de-sac lots, treed lots, sprinkler systems, Jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces, Reed said.

The subdivision will be marketed by Murney Associates, and a full-time Realtor will be on site.

Also along I-44, but a mile north of Springfield city limits off Highway 13, plans are coming together for the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Developer Randall Cantrell of Twin Lakes LLC said infrastructure construction for the 229-lot community should begin in January, with home building anticipated to begin in July or August.

Homes will range between 1,500 square feet and 3,500 square feet with three or four bedrooms, and costs will be between $149,000 and $229,000.

“We’re purposely going to keep it a little bit smaller homes so it’ll be a little more affordable,” Cantrell said. “There’s a lot of people in this area that don’t want to spend (big) money.”

An unusual feature to Twin Lakes is evident in its name: two spring-fed lakes that will be stocked for fishing. About 40 percent of the homes will have walk-out basements, Cantrell said, and many of those lots will back up to the lakes.

On the east side of town, Bob Fitzgerald of First Venture LLC expects to file the final plat for Cobblestone Creek within 30 days. Infrastructure construction for the gated community, located south of Cherry Street and Farm Road 193, is slated to begin in January, and home construction could begin by September, Fitzgerald said.

Cobblestone Creek will feature high-end homes priced between $600,000 and $700,000 on 30 lots ranging from half an acre to one acre. Two lots have been sold in Cobblestone Creek, one of them to Michael Hair, a sole proprietor home builder. Hair is beginning to lay out plans for a house that could be close to 7,000 square feet. He expects that it will have six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a four-car garage, walkout basement and a 15-foot-ceiling entryway.

Hair, who said it’s too early to determine a selling price, said he’s likely to buy more lots at Cobblestone Creek as the subdivision takes shape.

Fitzgerald also has his hands in a couple of subdivisions in south Springfield.

Frisco Trails, a 106-lot subdivision at Golden Avenue and Republic Road, is nearing completion. Only 25 lots remain, while some homes are under construction and others are ready for occupancy, Fitzgerald said.

The homes have an 1,800-square-foot minimum and range in price from $200,000 to $325,000.

Nearby, at Plainview Road and Golden Avenue, are 47 lots in Fitzgerald’s Plainview Oaks subdivision. One lot has been sold, and that home should be ready in about 90 days, Fitzgerald said.

Plainview Oaks also has an 1,800-square-foot minimum, and homes will be priced at $275,000 and above. Amenities include brick construction and walk-out basements.

New trends

The look of subdivision homes is evolving.

“The people have more options than they’ve ever had before,” HBA’s Morrow said. “They get better value for their dollar when it comes to the neighborhood that they’re living in.”

According to Fitzgerald, popular options include three-car garages and split-bedroom plans, which have the master bedroom on one side of the house and remaining bedrooms on the other side.

While many Springfield natives tend to go for ranch-style homes, Fitzgerald says the influx of people moving to southwest Missouri from other parts of the country has boosted the popularity of two-story homes.

“They’re used to that and, in lots of cases, they prefer it,” he said, noting a cost savings for builders and homeowners. “You can really build more square footage for fewer dollars per square foot. It’s more expensive to build out than it is to build up.”