This is the Plan 4 home at the Summerhill new home development in Mountain View CA at the former Pumpkin Patch property on Grant Road. The first release plan 4 homes will sell for approximately $1,770,000.00, and be constructed on at least an 8,000 square foot lot. The plan 4 homes feature 5 bedrooms and 31/2 baths.  These new construction homes will have approximately 2925 to 2940 square feet. New homes will have some features that buyers can customize to their needs such as extra bedrooms, study areas, or media/family room areas. Summerhill builders does an outstanding job of making their homes customizable to the needs of  buyers. If the past is any indication, this luxury builder will price each individual home according to the market conditions at the time of release, and the desirability of the  location within the complex.  This plan 4 model home is currently the sales office, which is where the garage is located. There will be 53 single family homes built in the Enclave at Waverly Park development, but only three models: plan 1, a single story home, plan 3, a two story home and plan 4, one of the largest homes. The plan two homes and plan 5 homes will not have a sales model, however some have already been sold. The price quotations by Summerhill are for homes with standard (as in plain) finishes. As in all Summerhill new home developments, ALL prices are subject to change without notice.

Homes for sale, especially new homes for sale in the greater Los Altos and Mountain View neighborhoods have been increasing in price since April of 2009. This week I spoke with 5 different families that have plans to relocate to the Silicon Valley area and so I would expect that these gorgeous new single family homes will cost more with each release by Summerhill home builders.

Innovative Floor Plans: The architectural design of Summerhill developments really takes into account the needs of today’s homebuyers. All homes will have a ground floor bedroom so that aging visitors or relatives can easily enjoy the home without fear of falling while climbing stairs. The optional Casita, a small guest house is intelligently designed an beautifully detailed. It could serve as a guest house, au pair quarters, or slightly removed office or studio. The optional Casita really fits the needs of today’s buyers.

Summerhill homes is perhaps the most savvy new homes developer in the Bay Area or even the nation. They always seem to be launching their developments at the beginning of a business expansion, typically in an excellent school district, and in a convenient, sought after location. Generally, they only release a few new homes at a time, unlike other builders that release many homes or home sites at once. If homes are released in an upwardly trending real estate market, the costs of  the new homes in each release escalates over time, mostly due to market conditions. Real Estate market conditions in the Silicon Valley are heavily influenced by an expanding economy and job market. In the past, there have been times when multiple offers were a frequent occurence in a Summerhill development.

Green Homes: Not only are these homes beautiful, spacious and conveniently located, but they will be green point rated. Each new construction home in the Enclave at Waverly Park development will have some very significant green features, along with some even greener options.

Green Home features include some of the following:

All homes will have some Solar

Green Point Rated

Tankless hot water heaters

15% plus over t-24

Low-emitting insulation in walls and ceilings

Hot water pipe insulation

Energy Star appliances

Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) for paints, caulking, and adhesives

Bath fans that are Energy Star: They have a vent that closes when you turn them off so heat does not escape out the fan

Low flow toilets

HVAC filter MERV 8+

High efficiency air conditioner with environmentally responsible refrigerants

Optional Green Features include the following:

Whole house fans

Blowin-in insulation

Owl electricity monitor

Kohler dual flush toilets

Map of Homesites for the Pumpkin Patch development

This is a map of the homesites for the Enclave at Waverly Park in Mountain View CA. This new home development of 53 homes along Grant Road in Mountain View CA has had instant success. In the first release 6 of the 9 new homes available were sold in less than two weeks. These home range in price from the high $1.5M up to about $1.8M at this time. These approx prices are with standard finishes, and most homes will probably have many updated finishes. The residence one is a one story home and only 11 of these homes will be built. This is the most popular of the models according to the marketing team.

Scroll down to see previous blogs with  videos of Residence Plan 1 and Residence Plan 3.

 “I remember waking up in the Eichler after we moved.  I remember waking up in a white bedroom and walking out into light,” says Nick Fodor.  Now 25, Nick grew up in Palo Alto near the border between the Meadow Park and Adobe Meadow neighborhoods.  He was four when his parents moved in.  When asked about his childhood home, it is clear from the way his eyes light up that his family’s Eichler is still a cherished memory.  

Eichler Brochure showing the Eichler lifestyle for young Palo Alto family

 The home, off of Ross Road, backs up to Adobe Creek and is an earlier model than the E-21 at 728 Gailen Ave.  Fodor’s house did not have an atrium, instead opening into a large room with a fireplace, but much of what he recalls of the home are Eichler characteristics that make the models ideal for young buyers and families.

Perhaps the most memorable feature of the home, Fodor says, were the huge windows in the kitchen and great room.  The east-facing windows filled the kitchen with golden dmorning light and warmth.  “It really woke you up before school,” Fodor laughs.  These large windows, also seen at 728 Gailen Ave., are an Eichler trademark, blending indoor and outdoor living.

 The oldest of three boys, Fodor recalls the Eichler as being a great place to play, a quality undoubtedly bolstered by the home’s multi-functional rooms.  A bedroom became a playroom for Fodor and his brother, and ultimately a nursery when the youngest joined the family.  Similarly, a divided great room became two separate rooms for “quiet time,” and also functioned as large play space, as the boys could chase each other around the division.

 Beyond functional adaptability, Eichlers enjoy physical adaptability as well.  “The owners before us had added a room, we added a deck and a tree house, and the owners after us made further modifications,” Fodor says of his home. “The house has changed significantly to fit the needs of the people who move in.”

 Large lots, such as those in Meadow Park, allow owners to adjust their homes as needed, and make the neighborhood feel spacious and relaxed.  In combination with the attention to layout, Eichler developments strike a unique balance of privacy and community.

 Cul-de-sacs punctuate Meadow Park, creating pockets of homes.  Neighbors in cul-de-sacs feel connected, Fodor says.  Sleek exteriors marked by landscaping with hedges allow the Eichlers near Fodor’s home to preserve privacy as well.  This balance appeals to those who want to know their neighbors and be part of a community, but also feel secure in a private space.  Fodor remembers playing with children in the neighborhood, racing his brother on bikes up and down the street and playing hockey in the cul-de-sac.  “There was absolutely no traffic,” he says.  “We had the street all to ourselves.”

 This “just for us” feel is reinforced by nearby parks and schools.  “My mom didn’t want us crossing busy streets, and there were a few parks in range where we didn’t have to,” Nick says. “We went to Don Ramos Jesus Park and Palo Verde all the time.”

 Still, Fodor thinks about returning to an Eichler in the future.  “Looking back it seems like it would be good for kids, especially if you’re starting a family.”  Nick remembers feeling at home the first morning he woke up in his new bedroom.  Because of their mid-century charm, Eichlers still feel lived in and loved; they are welcoming and effortlessly warm.

 This series of posts is intended to highlight the many characteristics that make Eichlers ideal homes  for today’s buyer. The Meadow Park neighborhood combines the best of Palo Alto, with tranquil streets, proximity to acclaimed Palo Alto schools, and the timeless style of one of the Bay Area’s most influential designers.

Coming Soon!