It’s the final day of the Fall Parade of Homes, and you may be asking for yourself: How do I make the most of the time that’s left? If you want to see the most new homes and the best in home decor in the least amount of time, the answer is simple: visit the Golden Mile.
Stretching from Antioch to Quivira roads between 151st and 159th streets, south Overland Park’s Golden Mile has been home to the hottest-selling communities in the city for three years in a row. “The area really is golden,” said Landmarketing owner Dan Whitney, who advises bankers, builders, developers and homebuyers on real estate values based on market research his firm collects. “It’s led the recovery in housing in Kansas City.”
Located along the Golden Mile are Rodrock Homes’ newly expanded Summerwood and Wyngate communities, where you can tour up to seven model homes within a one-mile radius. Each model is decorated by Kansas City’s Twigs Interiors, a boutique design firm known for creating cutting-edge spaces. So far the homes are generating more than the normal Parade-worthy buzz.
“We’ve been getting calls from people saying these are the best models they’ve seen in years,” said Brian Rodrock, CEO of Rodrock Homes. “We’re glad people are responding to the innovations we’re putting in place.”
Chief among those innovations is a focus on home design that relegates weary Johnson County beige stereotypes to the background. Both the Summerwood and Wyngate models feature on-trend decor and are ready for the parade.
“We’re getting two or three inquiries per week about our designs,” said Lisa Mermis, Twigs’ owner. In Rodrock’s newest model, Summerwood’s Larsen II, Mermis combines the latest shades of crisp gray, citrine yellow and deep cobalt blue to stunning effect. “People are ready for color,” Mermis said. “They’ve weathered feeling down about the economy, and now that there’s a new vibrancy in the marketplace, they want that same vibrancy reflected in their homes.”
In addition to color, Twigs’ signature mix of high and low design elements (think zebra print rugs paired with crystal sconces and burlap-textured curtains pooled next to classic wingbacks,) adorn many homes available for immediate purchase in both Summerwood and Wyngate.
The two-story, 11/2-story and reverse 11/2-story models also showcase trademark Rodrock luxuries like covered decks and patios, stone fireplaces, river rock European showers and granite-topped kitchen islands. Special built-in features like box-beam ceilings and wall-length custom cabinetry shine too.
“People are floored that details like these come standard,” said Rodrock Homes’ Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gifford, whose team builds and customizes over 20 different floor plans to suit clients’ tastes. Most plans can be built in either Summerwood or Wyngate, two Golden Mile communities with a lot in common.
Both communities offer an unparalleled quality of life that’s unique to the area, with quick access to award-winning Blue Valley schools, shopping, businesses and highways. Both communities are developed by Rodrock Homes, a hometown builder born from a legacy of over a quarter-century developing premier communities in southern Johnson County.
Both neighborhoods are resort-style communities featuring paved nature trails, green space and water features. Wyngate residents also enjoy a community clubhouse, swimming pool and a sport court; the same amenities are planned for Summerwood in 2013. Homebuyers in both neighborhoods receive one-on-one interior design services from Twigs, free of charge and courtesy of Rodrock Homes. Finally, home prices in both start in the mid-$400,000s.
But if you’re looking to distinguish the two communities, there are some noteworthy differences. Located at 159th and Quivira, Summerwood offers homeowners a rare luxury: super-sized home sites. Featuring plenty of green areas too, the community is spacious and sanctuary-like. “With over 50 acres of green space but home sites for just 212 residents, Summerwood features some of the largest Golden Mile home sites available,” Rodrock said.
Close to Blue Valley’s newest schools, the neighborhood also boasts two sections: Summerwood and Summerwood Estates. While prices in the Summerwood enclave are commensurate with Wyngate, prices in Summerwood Estates start around $750,000. New, more spacious home plans like Rodrock Homes’ Chesapeake — featuring 3,500 square feet of living space, a two-story great room, floor-to-ceiling windows and a curved entry staircase — fit perfectly on the neighborhood’s expansive home sites.
Located just one mile east along 159th Street, Wyngate families enjoy a different sought-after convenience: in-neighborhood access to elementary and middle schools. A paved walking trail connects kids and parents door-to-door. “You can’t beat having that short walking distance to school,” said Wyngate homeowner Jeff Rice. And, thanks to a new phase opened just this fall, Wyngate residents enjoy in-neighborhood drive-up access, too. Reglin says Wyngate’s new phase also includes the addition of 33 new home sites, 19 of which are ideal for walkout or daylight-style homes.
And so many choices mean one thing: you’ll want to see the Golden Mile for yourself.
With top-shelf communities like Summerwood and Wyngate, Rodrock Ready homes available for immediate purchase and up to seven models within a one-mile radius, you’ll see the best and the most the city has to offer in the least amount of time. And even if you miss out on this last day of the Parade, don’t despair. Homes will be open during regular hours starting Monday.
