Archive for the ‘Living in St. Louis’ Category

Home for the Holidays: A List of Musts for the St. Louis Holidays

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

It may be getting darker earlier and colder every day, but for us at Payne Family Homes that just means one thing: it’s time for the holidays!

When it comes to the holidays, our Payne staff loves exploring various St. Louis destinations for music, events, and other activities that are synonymous with spreading the winter cheer. And since we’re all about community, what better way to enjoy the holidays than to share some of our favorite ideas with you?

  • AmerenUE Thanksgiving Day Parade. A mere two days away, the Ameren Thanksgiving Day Parade is a Payne Family favorite. Entertaining for the kids and adults alike, the parade starts at 8:45am on Thursday and will include some of the area’s best marching bands competing for the top spot!
  • Winter Wonderland 2010 at Tilles Park. The Winter Wonderland is in its 25th year and looks to be better and brighter than ever. Whether you do the drive or the romantic carriage ride, this is a visually stimulating experience that we love to visit every year. And if you can brave the cold, you can do the WinterWalk, too!
  • St. Lou IS Holiday Magic. This unique holiday event takes place December 3-5 at the CVC downtown St. Louis. A Schlafly Beer Garden for the adults, arts and crafts for the kids, and a full-size ice-skating rink for all to enjoy—this has everything!
  • St. Louis Zoo’s U.S. Bank Wild Lights. Starting this weekend and going through Christmas weekend, enjoy the splendid colorful lighting of the famous St. Louis Zoo! Gorgeous lighting displays, a beautiful atmosphere and live choir performances on various nights make this an area favorite every year.

These are only a few of the many things to do for the holidays in St. Louis. But enough from us—we want to hear from you! Where do you like to spend your holiday evenings and weekends in St. Louis? Share below!

Stocking Stuffers: Payne Family Homes Inventory Sale Yields Holiday Cheer

Friday, November 19th, 2010

It’s the holiday season at Payne Family Homes and we’re in the giving spirit.  Stop by any of our nine luxurious homebuilder communities across the St. Louis and St. Charles areas for our fantastic “Home for Holiday” promotion.

Between now and the close of 2010, a purchase of a Payne Family Home inventory home lands you a great gift of your choice to celebrate your purchase – and the season!

With over 28 stunning inventory homes available that feature the most tremendous savings in our history, Payne Family Homes wants to offer just a little extra to say “thanks” with your next single family, luxury villa, cottage home and condo purchase: holiday cheer!

Deck the halls with these boughs of holly:

        ·         $1,000 Holiday Grocery Gift Card

·         $1,000 Holiday Photo Session in Your New Payne Family Home

·         $1,000 Donation in Your Name to the Charity of Your Choice

Payne Family Homes crafts distinctive homes that are built to stand the test of time. Their communities include Ashton Woods, Bella Vista, Bordeaux Condominiums, The Enclave at Heritage, The Meadows at Ohme Farm, The Pointe at Heritage Crossing, The Townes at Belleau Creek and Tuscany.  Our custom-built homes at each of our nine communities in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties feature quality craftsmanship, incredible locations residing in AAA-Rated school districts and affordable value.

For additional information about our “Move In Ready Specials,” be sure to check out our website for updated listings!

 

Payne Family Homes Holiday Promo 

 

Payne Family Homes Announcing iPad Giveaway Winner

Monday, November 15th, 2010

iPad Winner Photo

Throughout our most recent Facebook contest, Payne Family Homes has received quite an array of answers to the following contest question: “If you could add one room to your home, what would it be?

Some said a play room for their kids. A few pushed for a music room for a baby grand piano. Still others threw out the idea of a man cave with a beer fridge and a secret compartment for their Junior Mints stash (hey, we all can dream, right?).

This contest was a fun and unique way to interact with you and listen to your insights about home design and more. We had a blast reading your creative ideas and the reasoning behind each one. That being said, we are proud to declare Katie Dimmitt as the winner of the Payne Family Homes random drawing and the recipient of a brand-new iPad!

We were thrilled with the amount of responses we received during this giveaway. At Payne Family Homes we take pride in our ability to design homes with unique character, styles and meticulously-designed floor plans. We take the time to learn about our customers and build homes to exceed their individual expectations.

We want to thank everyone for their participation! Continue to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for our updates on everything you need to know about your home. Below are some of our participants’ responses, for your enjoyment:

“If I could add any room to my (imaginary) house I would add a pet hotel room so I could continue to rescue animals off the streets of Saint Louis and give them the loving and safe home they deserve!”

“If I could add a room, it would be a Florida room. To be able to sit looking outside at the seasons over a cup of coffee sounds perfect!”

“…A fully finished Man-Cave in the basement – readily equipped with Kegerator, pool table, and special trophy wall for the newly acquired deer head :)

Thanks again to those whom participated and congratulations to our winner, Katie Dimmitt. We really enjoyed reading everyone’s ideas and are excited about planning our next giveaway. What would you like to see in our next contest? Let us know in the comments section below!

Join Payne Family Homes In Supporting “Toys for Tots” This Holiday Season

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

T4T

As the winter weather slowly makes its way to St. Louis, Payne Family Homes is again supporting “Toys for Tots”, the annual campaign sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Here at Payne Family Homes we consider it a privilege to participate in this nationwide charitable effort.  Our vision of “community” extends far beyond the borders of our residential neighborhoods and this is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate children. 

We pride ourselves on building more than just houses.  We create communities where our homeowners can enjoy life, raise their families and build their futures.  The joy “Toys for Tots” brings to less fortunate children seems a particularly appropriate way for us to give back to the greater St. Louis community that has made our success possible.

This is Payne’s second consecutive year with “Toys for Tots”.  Last year we were delighted and impressed by the generosity of our homeowners, vendors, employees and visitors touring our neighborhoods.  With more locations and more owners in residence, we are very excited for this year’s campaign.  We are thrilled to support the “Toys for Tots” program knowing the donations go directly to children in the St. Louis region.

From now until December, the “Toys for Tots” drop boxes will be stationed in the sales centers of all eight of our Payne Family Homes communities in St. Charles and St. Louis Counties.  We ask that donors contribute new, unwrapped toys that will be collected, sorted by age and gender and distributed to needy children in the St. Louis area.

We’re excited to support the St. Louis children and we hope you will join us in making their holiday one to remember.  Simply check out our locations to see which is the most convenient for you!

Fall Fun Fair at Payne Family Homes’ Ashton Woods’ Community

Friday, November 5th, 2010

 

Here at Payne Family Homes we understand how important it is to be an active member of your community.  The youngest community of the Payne Family is Ashton Woods, located outside of St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri.  Ashton Woods has done an incredible job engaging with its homeowners, neighbors and community, and last weekend’s Fall Fun Fair was no exception!

The Eureka-based community held the annual neighborhood event last weekend and received quite a turnout.  Neighbors and homeowners embraced the opportunity to enjoy festivities with each other.  The night included a chili cook-off, face painting, a jump house, various games, and pumpkin painting.  And what would a community gathering like this be without incredible food?

We were thrilled at the turnout for the event—over 100 people attended and were dressed to impress in their Halloween costumes for the evening.  Payne Family Homes was honored to provide the pumpkins for the children to enjoy and we are proud of our Ashton Woods community for their efforts at community engagement.  You can see all the pictures from the Fall Fun Fair right on our Facebook page.


Payne Family Homes looks forward to participating in and contributing towards future community events.  We are eager to plan our next outing and want to thank all those who participated.  Be sure to take a look at our Ashton Woods community and the rest of Payne’s beautiful communities.  Visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates on pricing, events and incredible tips!

Payne Family Homes’ Julie Jones Wins Two Prestigious Awards By Home Builders

Friday, October 22nd, 2010


Julie Jones, community sales manager at Payne Family Homes’ The Pointe at Heritage Crossing and at Bella Vista in St. Charles County, has been named “New Home Salesperson of the Year” in the competition sponsored by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri’s Sales & Marketing Council.

The prestigious annual award selects the top new home salesperson based on sales numbers, as well as challenges, community involvement and personal sales attributes.  From July 2009-June 2010, Jones was responsible for selling 22 homes, with a dollar volume of $5,140,277.
According to Ed Lott, vice president of sales and marketing, “Julie’s personable style and her knowledge of the business puts homebuyers at ease, so it is no surprise that she won this honor. We’re proud to have Julie on our team of professionals.”

 

Jones was also recently honored by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri’s Sales & Marketing Council for having the largest total amount of homes closed and/or highest dollar volume sold from July 2009 to June 2010.

The HBA’s annual Sales & Marketing Merchandising and Advertising and Pacesetters Awards program recognizes professionals and companies who excel in the areas of sales and marketing in the home building industry. The prestigious annual award selects the top new home salesperson based on sales numbers, as well as challenges, community involvement and personal sales attributes. 

Lott also commented, “Julie closed 22 new homes over the past year, which is a company record. Her ability to guide homebuyers through the process of making one of the largest purchases of their lives makes her an outstanding member of the Payne Family Homes sales team.”

 

Jones is a graduate of Oakville High School and Southeast Missouri State University and has been in new-home sales for nearly 10 years. She joined Payne Family Homes in 2009 and was previously the Online Sales Consultant for a major St. Louis home builder. The Pointe at Heritage Crossing, located on Highway 94 in St. Charles, offers single-family homes and luxury villas priced from the 179,000s to $240,000s. Bella Vista is conveniently located just minutes from Highway 94 and the Page Avenue Extension in St. Peters and offers the all-new Lifestyle Series of single-family homes from the $180,000s.

 

To contact Julie Jones, call 314-482-0769 or visit www.paynefamilyhomes.com.

Giving Back to Those Who Give So Much: Military Can Still Buy and Save with Federal Housing Tax Credit

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Created to give those who serve our country all the help they need when purchasing a new home, after they’ve served our country in such an amazing way, we wanted to remind everyone that the government has extended the Federal Housing Tax Credit to all qualified service members.

“Congress recognized that many service members may have missed out on the home buyer tax credit due to being posted overseas,” said National Association of Home Builders’ Chairman Bob Jones, a builder and developer in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “It is only fitting that they be given another year to take advantage of this opportunity in appreciation of the sacrifices they have made serving our country.”

You have until April 30, 2011 (an additional year) to buy a home and claim the home buyer tax credit, which expired for most Americans on April 30, 2010.

Qualified service members who served on official extended duty outside of the United States for 90 days or more at any time between Jan. 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010, have until April 30, 2011, to place a contract on a home, and until June 30, 2011, to close! Best of all, both the $8,000 first-time and $6,500 repeat home buyer tax credits are included.

“Qualified service members” are defined as a member of the uniformed services of the United States military, a member of the Foreign Service of the United States, or an employee of the intelligence community.

In addition, some of the rules and regulations that come with the Federal Housing Tax Credit are also exempt for military families. The rule that requires buyers to repay the credit if they move out of their home within three years has also been waived for qualified service members if they have to sell their home due to receiving government orders for extended duty service.

So for many military families who are relocating to the St. Louis area after duty, or coming back to the area to reside, Payne Family Homes can help you find the perfect home for your lifestyle. We offer eight fantastic communities in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties featuring AAA-rated School Districts, convenient locations near major thoroughfares, shopping, dining and entertainment, and a variety of distinctive floor plans that are perfect for a variety of lifestyles.

The reasons behind your purchasing decision and how you will live in your home are important to us! Contact Payne Family Homes today and we’ll help you match your lifestyle and budget needs to a community and plan that will work for you. Click the “Contact Us” button at the top of our website or contact our Online Sales Consultant, Kelli Gould, at 314-477-1218 or via email at http://mailto:kag@paynefamilyhomes.com. We really appreciate all that you do for our communities and country and look forward to providing you with a joyful home buying experience!

Interested in more information? The NAHB provides more information on the home buyer tax credit, including eligibility requirements and links to home buying resources on its consumer website, www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com.

Tuscany: Payne Family Homes’ ‘Secret Kingdom’

Friday, October 15th, 2010

“Everyone buys here for the location,” declares Brooke Bailey, Community Sales Manager for Tuscany, Payne Family Homes’ scenic residential enclave off Hemsath Road in St. Charles. “And the streetscape is gorgeous! With all the brick and stone, it has almost a Mediterranean flavor.”

Just a mile north of the Page Extension, Tuscany’s 53 homesites are configured around a single loop drive. To ensure variety, Payne has assembled a portfolio of 15 exquisite Estate Home designs, starting from the $240’s and providing up to 3388 square feet of living area.

On display is a sophisticated Milano story-&-a-half, the first version of this design ever built in a Payne Family community and noteworthy for its fine detailing. Plans are also underway for construction of a new display model to start this fall.

Karen and Mark Perkins came to Tuscany after “window shopping” new-home developments for quite a while. They’d owned a large two-story in Harvester for 12 years, but their eight children – four boys, four girls – were now grown and living all over the country. Despite economic conditions, this past spring seemed a good time to take advantage of the Federal tax credit and downsize to a ranch.

After touring another Payne Family community, the couple was referred to Tuscany – and, predictably, they fell in love with the location. “I call it our ‘lost kingdom,’” Mark quips. “It’s nestled in a perfect spot, extremely quiet and private. But during rush hour, it takes me less than a minute to get from the highway to our home.”

“Creve Coeur Park is just five minutes away,” Karen chimed in. “We enjoy kayaking on the lake and biking on the Katy Trail, too.”

Both considered Tuscany’s Napoli III ranch “real value for the money,” but ventured into the construction process with a certain amount of trepidation. They’d never built a new home but had heard disturbing stories from others who had.

Alternating sentences as longtime married couples do, they described their experience. “It was just the opposite with Payne. They understood that we wanted to stay within our budget. We were very selective about options and wanted to do some things ourselves.

“Brooke has a decorator’s taste and helped us make several personalized changes. And everyone is very professional, with a really good attitude about doing quality work in a timely fashion.”

An electrical engineer, Mark inspected every facet of the house with a critical eye. True, superintendent Dave Wilcoxen was a bit startled watching Mark crawl through the trusses, checking for possible leaks. Finding none, Mark concluded, “Payne does it right the first time!”

At home in Tuscany since the end of June, the Perkinses are already planning to finish their lower level for large family gatherings – a family that just welcomed a thirteenth grandchild, with a fourteenth expected in February.

For more information on the “secret kingdom” that is Tuscany, call 314-220-2861, or go to the ‘Contact Us’ page.

A Payne Family Home Guide: Things to Do in October

Friday, October 8th, 2010

October is here, the weather is changing and leaves are turning. The fall air brings along lots of fun activities in the St. Louis and surrounding areas. Payne Family Homes takes pride in each and every one of their communities and has carefully picked out the best places to live in the St. Louis area. These places not only provide great schools and amenities, but also display great activities for the whole family year round. Here are the top festivities and events going on in October, near our communities that can be fun for the whole family.

Columbus Day Celebration
Residents on “The Hill,” St. Louis’ famous Italian neighborhood, celebrate their rich history in October with the annual Columbus Day Parade and Festival. The parade starts at noon at Kingshighway and Southwest Ave. Everyone is invited to line the route and watch the floats, cars and bands go by. Then head over to Berra Park for an afternoon of food, music and fun.
October 10, 2010
The Hill, St. Louis. For more information, visit
http://www.thehillstl.com/.

Oktoberfest
St. Louis also celebrates its German heritage in October with Oktoberfest. The celebration in Soulard is one of the fastest growing Oktoberfests in the country. There’s plenty of beer, food and music, plus activities for the kids and a Miss Soulard Oktoberfest pageant.
October 8 – 10, 2010
Soulard Oktoberfest.
For more information, visit

http://stlouis.about.com/od/topattractions/tp/Oktoberfest.htm.

Ottertoberfest at the Zoo
For a different kind of Oktoberfest celebration, make a visit to the St. Louis Zoo. Each year in October, the Zoo puts its own twist on the infamous German celebration with its own party, called Ottertoberfest. Kids can play games and learn about North American River Otters while mom and dad enjoy German food and beer in the biergarten. What’s even better is that admission is free.
October 2-3, 9-10 & 16-17, 2010
St. Louis Zoo.
For more information, visit

http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/ottertoberfest.htm.

Haunted Houses
There are several places to go when you want a real Halloween fright in St. Louis. The Darkness Haunted House in Soulard is ranked as one of the best in the country and draws big crowds every year. There’s also Creepyworld in Fenton and the Fear Factory in Old Monroe.
October 2010
Various Locations.
For more information, visit

http://stlouis.about.com/od/eventsfestivals/tp/haunted_houses_2009.htm.

Bob Dylan in Concert
The legendary Bob Dylan is coming to St. Louis. Dylan will perform with his band at Chaifetz Arena on the St. Louis University Campus. Tickets are $27 for students (must show valid student ID) and $47 for general admission.
October 21, 2010
Chaifetz Arena.
For more information, visit

http://thechaifetzarena.com/event_285.

Apple Butter Festival
The Apple Butter Festival is Kimmswick, Missouri’s largest celebration of the year. More than 100,000 visitors fill Market Street and the city park to sample apple butter and dozens of other foods. Hundreds of craft vendors sell their goods at booths around town. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October 30 & 31, 2010
Kimmswick. For more information, visit

http://www.gokimmswick.com/applebutter_festival.html.

Trick or Treat Street
Every year, one small block in South St. Louis hosts one of the area’s biggest Halloween celebrations. The block has actually earned the nickname of “Trick or Treat Street.” To join the fun, bring your kids to the 5300 block of Nottingham on Halloween night. Residents deck out their homes and dress in costumes for the thousands of visitors who descend upon the block by the car or bus load. It’s a fun and safe way for your children to enjoy the holiday. The block party officially runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
October 31, 2010
St. Charles.
For more information, visit

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1306850/trick-or-treat-on-main-street-st-charles-mo.

Apple Picking
Looking for a place to go apple picking this year? There are many places right in St. Charles county where you can find ‘pick your own’ apple orchards and apple farms. These apple farms offer the best apple picking so get some friends or family together and start picking apples in Saint Charles County!
October 2010
St. Charles County.
For more information, visit

http://www.americantowns.com/mo/saintcharles-county/news/saint-charles-county-apple-picking-orchards-and-apple-farms-guide-for-saint-charles-county-793511.

Campfire Storytelling Festival
Take the family to Boonesfield Village for “Halloween: Ghosts of the Past,” an evening of good old-fashioned fun. The flicker of candles and campfires highlight tours, music and tales designed to enchant. Marshmallows and cider will sweeten up the evening.
October 23, 2010
St. Charles County.
For more information, visit

http://www.greatriverroad.com/stcharles/stcharlesevents.htm.

While you’re out and about don’t forget to take a visit to any of our Payne Family Homes’ nine Communities in St. Louis and St. Charles County. From everyone at Payne Family Homes, have a blast this October!

Homebuilders Named Edward Lott as New Home Sales Manager of the Year

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

The Sales & Marketing Council of the Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis & Eastern Missouri has chosen Edward G. Lott of Payne Family Homes as New Home Sales Manager of the Year.  Lott has served as Payne’s Vice President-Sales & Marketing for the past two years.

Under Lott’s leadership, Payne Family Homes will triple revenues in calendar year 2010. The company grew year over year building permits in 2009 over 2008 more than any other home builder in St Charles County. The homebuilder also projects another increase in building permits of 25 percent for 2011.

According to Payne Family Homes President Ken Kruse, “Ed Lott’s knowledge and expertise in new-home sales and marketing have been key contributors to the rapid growth and success of our company.  He has assembled one of the finest sales teams in our area, and he continues to motivate and guide them to even greater levels of success.  We are proud to have a new-home professional of his outstanding caliber at Payne Family Homes.”

In addition to managing Payne Family Homes’ sales team, Lott also coordinates the company’s marketing activities for its nine communities in prime locations throughout St. Charles County and most recently St. Louis County.

Lott also has been a consistent stand-out and award winner from the HBA’s Sales & Marketing Council.  In addition to chairing the SMC, he twice received its prestigious Hugh L. Pettus Award for the SMC builder member who does the most to further the council’s goals.

A member of the HBA’s Board of Directors, Lott is a lifetime member of the Seven Figure Sales Circle of the National Association of Homebuilders and an NAHB Certified Instructor.  He also earned his Certified Sales Professional (CSP) designation from the NAHB and is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI) of the National Association of Realtors.

Prior to joining Payne Family Homes, Lott was Vice President-Sales and Marketing for several well-known St. Louis-area homebuilders.

A resident of Eureka, Lott received his B.S. degree in business administration, accounting and finance from St. Louis University.  He earned his M.A. degree in management from Webster University, where he is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Applied Management.

Payne Family Homes crafts distinctive homes that are built to stand the test of time, with eight well-located communities in St. Louis County, St. Charles, St. Peters and Cottleville.  Their communities include Ashton Woods, Bella Vista, Bordeaux Condominiums, The Enclave at Heritage, The Meadows at Ohme Farm, The Pointe at Heritage Crossing, The Townes at Belleau Creek and Tuscany.  All Payne Family Homes neighborhoods are served by an AAA-rated school district, and all of its St. Charles County communities are located in one of Money magazine’s “100 Best Places to Live in America.”

For information, call 314-477-1218, or visit www.paynefamilyhomes.com.