Island Lake, IL - (May 21, 2007) - Maybe you can have it all. After speaking with Dawn and Steve Dennison about the new home they are building at Walnut Glen, a Residential Homes of America (RHA) luxury single-family community in Island Lake, you get the idea that this couple is getting everything they had dreamed of in a new, larger home. The couple has lived in Island Lake for 16 years and wanted to find a bigger home with a basement and fireplace, while also staying in the community. It was at Walnut Glen that they found what they were looking for and became among the first buyers at the community. Walnut Glen has been planned for 222 luxury single-family homes on spacious quarter acre or larger home sites, with prices beginning at $296,990. Lavishly decorated and fully furnished models are open for tours everyday.
“When we found out that Walnut Glen would be opening in Island Lake, we were anxious to get a look at the community because we wanted to find a larger home but also wanted to remain living in Island Lake. We were third in line on the first day the neighborhood opened for sales and ended up purchasing our home that very same day,” said Dawn. “We felt the overall layout of the community, the lot sizes and the homes themselves were all superior to everything else we had seen throughout the northwest suburbs.”
RHA has nine spacious floor plans at Walnut Glen, ranging in size from 1,909 to 3,483 square feet. There is one ranch design that features two to three bedrooms, two full baths, a full basement and two-car garage plus eight two-story layouts with three to five bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, full basements and attached two or three-car garages. Prices for the homes begin at $296,990. Four model homes are presented, each depicting one of the four seasons as well as a fifth model, the ranch floor plan, which is available to walk through.
One of the big factors the Dennisons liked about Walnut Glen was the large landscaped home sites and the way the community is surrounded by the Black Crown Forest Preserve. The couple selected a spacious half-acre home site that backs to the preserve and is also adjacent to one of several ponds throughout the community.
For their new home, Dawn and Steve wanted a larger kitchen, a basement and a fireplace, along with a plan that would have an open feel. They found the perfect design in the Hawthorn model at Walnut Glen. Their home will be ready this summer.
The Hawthorn is a comfortable 3,367 square foot two-story with four bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, a dramatic two-story family room open to the kitchen and breakfast area, formal living and dining rooms, a den plus a luxury master suite with his and hers walk-in closets and a large private bath. This home also has a full basement and a two or available three-car attached garage.
“We really liked the way the Hawthorn is so open. The two-story family room is great and since I love to cook, the kitchen is perfect. I also enjoy the large master suite with the oversized master bath and soaking tub,” Dawn said.
The Hawthorn’s kitchen has a center island with built-in breakfast bar along with abundant amounts of counter space. The couple selected beautiful 42” cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances and ceramic tile for their kitchen.
Additional luxury items they chose for their new home include whirlpool jets for the soaking tub in the master bath, a fireplace and surround sound for the family room, a lookout basement and a deluxe elevation that includes brick trim and a three-car garage, a double bay window and a covered front porch.
But it’s more than a wonderful new home in a beautifully laid out neighborhood that appealed to the Dennisons. When they first learned about Walnut Glen, they did research on RHA and heard nothing but good things about the company, including from Dawn’s cousin who owns an RHA townhome. It has also been the exceptional customer service that has kept the couple satisfied during the course of construction on their new home.
“We have had endless questions and have made numerous requests about certain items and RHA has really bent over backwards to help us out. They are always friendly and accommodating to our requests and have been responsive and willing the entire time. This outstanding customer service is a big reason for our satisfaction at Walnut Glen,” said Dawn.
One example of RHA’s winning attitude was in making a change to one of the secondary bedrooms. The couple’s daughter, Sara, is in college and spends most weekends at home. She will occupy one of the secondary bedrooms in their new home and the Dennisons wanted to move the laundry room to create a walk-in closet for this bedroom and also change the location of the doorway. RHA had no problem accommodating this request for the family.
The couple will use the other bedrooms as a guest suite and exercise room. The den on the first floor will become a home office and Steve plans on finishing the basement to create a rec room, which will be especially nice with the large windows that look out into the natural setting of their back yard.
Their home includes a large wooden deck that overlooks their deep back yard, where both Dawn and Steve are looking forward to gardening.
Dawn also likes the way RHA has seamlessly integrated the Walnut Glen neighborhood into the natural surroundings, as the community is bordered by over 3,000 acres of forest preserve. “The overall layout is responsive to the forest preserve and I like the way they are keeping the mature trees. The park areas and open spaces all contribute to a beautiful setting,” she said.
There are also walking and biking paths that link the community with two park areas. The Lake County Forest Preserve District’s Millennium Trail will pass through
Walnut Glen and connect to the McHenry County Illinois Trail System, which will soon extend from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River.
So for the Dennisons, buying a new home at Walnut Glen has been a positive experience. Steve and Dawn love the layout and size of their Hawthorn model and Dawn is excited to be able to decorate a new home. They appreciate the size and scale of the community landscape, where the homes harmonize with the natural setting. “Walnut Glen had the best combination of features for us and along with the great customer service we have received, we are very satisfied and looking forward to moving in towards the end of the summer,” Dawn said.
Residential Homes of America, Inc. has been recognized for the highest standards of quality and integrity with the Diamond Builder Designation from the Home Buyers Warranty Corporation for its superior workmanship and spotless claims record. RHA
is the only homebuilder in Illinois to receive the coveted award which is a one-time only,
life-time award given only to those builders who have demonstrated at least a five-
year track record of offering the highest standards of construction, design and customer service in their markets based on strict criteria.
Walnut Glen is located in northwest suburban Island Lake. To visit, take Route 176 to Darrell Road, north 1-1/2 miles to Neville Road, west on Neville Road to Dowell Road, south on Dowell to the Walnut Glen Information Center on the west side of the street. Or, take Route 120 west to Darrell Road, south 1-1/2 miles to Dowell Road, south one mile to the Walnut Glen Information Center and models. The information center and models are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. Call (815) 344-3030 for more information or visit rhahomes.com.
