Payne Family Homes - Blog

We are excited to annouce the introduction of a brand new story-and-a half plan to four of our communities!  The 2,630 square foot “Wright” model is part of our Vision Series and has a main floor master suite and three auxiliary bedrooms on the second floor-plus a loft.  Other features of the new floor plan include a dramatic two-story foyer and wswitchback staircase, open kitchen with large walk-in pantry and breakfast bar peninsula, a spacious master suite walk-in closet, and a main-floor flex room that can be used as a formal dining room, office or play room.  Optional plan features include a 3-car garage, luxury master bath, vaulted or 10′ ceilings in the great room, loft open to the first floor, “princess” suite, Jack and Jill bath and more!

The Wright is offered at Ashton Woods in Eureka, and Bella Vista, The Meadows at Ohmes Farm and Willow Walk Estates in St. Charles County.  Simply click on the community’s name to view pricing, available elevations and plan options for this all new plan!  Or for more information, talk to our Online Team at 314-477-1218.

Payne Family Homes has announced the acquisition of 157 additional homesites in two villages at Ohmes Farm, a 250-acre, master-planned community on Ohmes Road in St. Peters.

According to community sales manager Brooke Mayer, the decision was based on Payne’s brisk sales tempo in The Meadows at Ohmes Farm.  Featuring the builder’s newest and most popular single-family design collections, the 59-homesite village is already nearly half-sold.

“This is a great neighborhood in an outstanding location,” Mayer stated.  “St. Peters is ranked among MONEY Magazine’s Best Places to Live in America.  People want to live here – and we’re ready to accommodate them!”

In The Meadows, Payne Family Homes will continue to offer the Vision Series, starting from $179,900, and the Lifestyle Series, based from $204,900.  Both hot-selling portfolios were designed in response to customer requests and emphasize highly functional, adaptable living spaces, as represented by the “Meridian” display, a spacious split-bedroom ranch that is open for touring daily.

Now, however, buyers have the choice of 125 newly-added single-family homesites in The Crossings at Ohmes Farm.  Grouped around nine cul-de-sacs and ranging in size from 10,000 to 27,000 square feet, the lots have 80-foot frontages, and some are wooded or back to trees.

The Crossings showcases all 12 Lifestyle plans, plus the “San Marino,” an upscale ranch with enduring customer appeal.   Pricing starts from $229,900, and several characteristics will distinguish the homes in this fashionable village, including all-premium elevations and a standard 3-car front-entry garage.

The Crossings’ generous homesites also allow for a variety of unique garage configurations.  Purchasers can opt for a 3-car garage with one front entry and two side entries, and 4-car tandem garages are available, as well.

“Keeping up with demand for inventory homes has been a real challenge in this neighborhood,” Mayer remarked, “so we already have our first inventory home under construction.”  The wildly popular “Breckenridge II“, with four bedrooms and nearly 3,400 square feet of living space will be available for a Spring 2012 move-in.

There’s exciting news for buyers hoping to enjoy easy-maintenance living at Ohmes Farm, too!  Payne Family Homes is introducing detached villas in The Chateaux, a private, 42-site enclave located at the development’s northern perimeter.

“We’ve had tremendous success with villas elsewhere in St. Charles County, and buyers are going to be thrilled to find this lifestyle option now available here at Ohmes Farm,” said Mayer.

Payne’s all-new Chateaux collection is comprised of four free-standing ranches with wonderfully innovative floorplans with 2-3 bedrooms and 1300 to 1750 square feet on the main level.  Notable standard amenities include 2-car garages, handsome brick-&-stone elevations, architectural shingles, aggregate driveways and 4-foot-wide walks, and lawn irrigation systems.

Full basements allow for finished lower levels, and villa customers also have the unique option of adding an upper-level “eagle’s nest” on select plans.

The newly-designed “Hamilton” is under construction as The Chateaux’s display model and is projected to be open for viewing in early Spring 2012.

Here's a sneak peak of what the Hamilton Display at The Chateaux at Ohmes Farm is going to look like!

Payne Family Homes’ expanded offering is clearly the “pick of the crop” at Ohmes Farm, and Mayer encourages homebuyers to ask about special incentives currently in effect in all three villages.

For more information you can call Brooke Mayer at 314-713-0838, stop into our Sales Center located at 712 Magnolia Trails Lane, St. Peters, MO 63376, or visit us online anytime at www.PayneFamilyHomes.com.  You can also simply request more information by clicking here!

It was a surprisingly quiet Saturday afternoon in the Siders’ gorgeous new Payne Family home at Ohmes Farm.  Thirteen-year-old Spencer was in his “man cave”; toddlers Maggie and Hayden were down for their naps; and cherubic, copper-haired Anna, age 3, cheerfully abandoned the cartoons she’d been watching to supervise the interview with her parents.

Mom and dad to these active youngsters, Mackenzie and Ben Siders are a classic example of two highly successful young professionals who found their ideal “match” on the Internet.  Ben is an attorney with the Lewis Rice law firm, specializing in technology litigation.  Formerly a senior project manager with Express Scripts, Mackenzie now devotes her considerable management skills to organizing their busy household.

 By last year, the Siders family had outgrown their West County house, and Ben and Mackenzie began an intensive six-month search that included both pre-owned homes and new construction.  Space was a priority, and the couple had a clear vision of the home they wanted.

 Ultimately, their real estate agent found the perfect floorplan – a “Breckenridge II” two-story, one of 12 designs featured in Payne Family Homes’ Lifestyle Series and offered in several of the builder’s communities.  The logical neighborhood choice was Ohmes Farm, an expansive multi-village development in St. Peters, where Mackenzie’s brother was already a resident and her father lived nearby.

 “Payne Family gave us the most home for the money,” Ben maintains, “and unlike many other builders, they were extremely flexible.”  In fact, the couple laughingly describe their home as a “guinea pig project,” explaining that this was the first time Payne had built the Breckenridge II with the modifications they requested. 

 Assisted by Payne’s community sales manager, the Siders’ adapted the plan to include six bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths, a loft, and a home office.  “It’s hard to put your dream together on paper,” Mackenzie noted.  “We’re reasonable but particular, and we wouldn’t have the same house if it weren’t for her.”

 Construction began the first week of January, with continual site inspections by one or both of the new homeowners.  “We rarely found anything amiss,” Ben recalls, “and anything we did find was addressed quickly.”

 Both attribute the smooth construction process to builder Bruce Wilson, and their assessment of his performance can only be described as glowing:  [He] “inspired tremendous confidence”; “was in charge”; “knew what he was talking about”; “got things done”; “definitely above and beyond.”  “The subs Payne works with are excellent, too – consultative and helpful,” Mackenzie added.

 Comfortably settled in their new home, the family celebrated with an open house in earlier this summer, proudly accepting enthusiastic compliments on the quality and styling from their guests.  But this excerpt from Mackenzie’s thank-you note to company headquarters may be the best summary of the Siders’ experience with Payne Family Homes:

 ”We’re trying to get all of our friends and family to move here!… We’re extremely pleased…  It didn’t matter what I asked for, you guys always tried to make it happen!… Service was great.  House is even better!”

Open daily, Ohmes Farm fronts Ohmes Road in St. Peters and showcases two of Payne Family Homes’ most popular single-family collections – a grand total of 20 home designs.  Pricing starts from $189,900, and details may be obtained by simply clicking here or by contacting Ashley, Payne Family Homes’ Online Sales Consultant. (click here)

Payne Family Homes is proud to annouce that we are 2011 Professional’s Choice Award Winners!  The Professional’s Choice Awards Program is sponsored by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri and the homes are judged on construction quality by professional building inspectors.  Each year, homes entered into the awards program are judged in 10 specific areas including foundation, framing, exterior finishing, flatwork, finish carpentry, drywall, woodwork, floor coverings, and hard surface materials.  This ensures a comprehensive review of many of the major components of a new home.

This is the third year we have received this award from the HBA and we are aboslutely thrilled to have a 3rd party testiment to our commitment to construction quality standards.  A big thanks goes to our community builders, sales managers, and subcontractors who all play a crucial part in constructing quality built homes for our customers!

Feel free to stop by to tour our two winners:  The Bristol Display at Ashton Woods in Eureka, MO and The Meridian Display at Ohmes Farm in St. Peters, MO!  Again, a big hats off to the many people who have made this possible!

Payne Family Homes 1st ever Summer Signing Sale has been underway for just over 3 weeks, and what a success it has been!  Over 20 buyers have chosen a Payne Family Home as their new place to call home in the past three weeks across the St. Louis Metro Area.  The best incentives ever offered at Payne Family Homes are still available for the next six days for anyone looking to purchase an inventory home or build their dream home! 

For specific incentive details, please contact Online Sales Consultant, Ashley, at 314.477.1218 or click here to request more information.  You may also click the below links for incentives per community.

Ashton Woods, Eureka, MO

Bella Vista, St. Peters, MO

Belleau Creek, St. Peters, MO

Bordeaux Condominiums, Cottleville, MO

Boulder Ridge, Wentzville, MO

The Enclave at Heritage, St. Charles, MO

Ohmes Farm, St. Peters, MO

The Pointe at Heritage Crossing-Single Family Homes, St. Peters, MO

The Pointe at Heritage Crossing-Villas, St. Peters, MO

Tuscany, St. Charles, MO

The Estates of Uthoff Valley, Fenton, MO

Hurry!  Time is running out!  If you’re looking in Eureka, Fenton, St. Charles, St. Peters, Cottleville, or Wentzville-Now is the Time!

You may have noticed some changing faces in some of our communities.  We’re proud to announce that two of our seasoned Community Sales Managers, Brooke Bailey & Kim McIver, are settling into their new communities at Ohmes Farm, Tuscany, and The Enclave.  Brooke Bailey had great success selling our Tuscany & Enclave locations and we are excited about the momentum she is already building at Ohmes Farm in St. Peters, just off of Mid Rivers Mall Drive!  Kim McIver, has had equally great success at our Belleau Creek and Bordeaux locations, and we’re looking forward to having her customer centric, upbeat attitude at Tuscany and The Enclave, both conveniently located in St. Charles County near the Page Extension.  For those of you who might be homeowners curious about the new faces you’re seeing in our displays, pop in and introduce yourself!  Both Kim and Brooke are excited to get to know all of our homeowners that have chosen to call these communities “home”.  For those of you considering purchasing a new home, there’s never been a better time to visit these communities than now!  Offering a variety of plans from our Vision Series, Lifestyle Series, and Estate Series, these three communities offer the flexibility of selection, timing and location!  New Lifestyle Series displays have been built at both Tuscany and Ohmes Farm and we have a selection of Fast Move! Inventory Homes available at various stages of construction!  For more information, visit us Mondays 12-5, Tuesday through Sunday 11-5, or click here to request more information!

Fiscal conservation is all the rage these days, isn’t it? And as Old Man Winter begins to bear down on us, energy conservation becomes equally as important for homeowners whom are trying to save as much energy and money as possible.

Payne Family Homes knows how critical it can be to save even the smallest of amounts on your home heating costs. We want to share with you some conventional energy-saving tips that can make your bills more bearable and your holidays happier!

• 68 is your new favorite number. Setting your thermostat to 68 degrees will allow your system to use less energy by operating less. And as you leave the house or head upstairs for bed, don’t hesitate to turn the thermostat down an additional 5 degrees to conserve additional energy. There is no use in using the heat when no one is home or awake. You can also purchase an inexpensive programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home’s temperatures when you are sleeping our out of the home.

• Here comes the sun. Little darling, take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer—free sunlight. Open your south-facing window shades or coverings to let natural light in. At the same time, make sure those that cannot receive sunlight are closed. Close all the coverings at night to retain the heat and insulate from drafts.

• Something scary is in your attic. That would be the lack of insulation that’s haunting you in the wintertime. Insulating your attic is an investment, but it’s also one of the most cost-effective methods to save costs in your home. Depending on what you plan to insulate (walls, crawlspace, etc.), you may need a contractor for assistance or consultation.

• Payne can be a good thing! Payne Family Homes is working hard for our customers. Our Lifestyle Series offers an energy savings package which includes higher efficiency furnace and higher seer air conditioner, low-E windows, digital programmable thermostat, power cost monitor and higher r-values in the ceiling insulation. We try to practice what we preach, so feel free to contact us with any questions about our energy saving applications!

Of course, regardless of the home you’re in, there are other daily subtle changes that can help. Using cold water in your washing machine, running the dishwasher only when completely full, and closing the fireplace damper when not in use are effective and routine tasks that can save you money.

What are other ways you can save energy and prepare your home for the wintertime?

Here at Payne Family Homes we’re all about getting outside, enjoying nice weather and staying active. But when the freezing temperatures and precipitation have other ideas, we have to adjust accordingly throughout the winter. Trust us—it’s not always easy entertaining kids, pets or even that spouse of yours when you’re all sharing the same space.

So when you’re occasionally “stuck” inside that beautiful Payne home of yours, here are a few ideas on how to entertain in other ways.

• Channel your inner Emeril. That’s right—you don’t have to be Martha Stewart’s relative to take up cooking as a hobby. With every resource now at your fingertip (Food Network, online cookbooks, etc.), make a point to learn a new meal or snack every week or so. And if you have kids, put them to work—create a “Feed the Family” night where one child cooks for the family. Yes, you can help them if they’re only 10! It’s a great way to bond with your family or loved ones.

• Have kids? Have a camp-out! Who said you can only camp outside? Turn your living room into your own campground with blankets, games, family movies, and even tents. Suddenly your fireplace is your source for cooking dinner and making s’mores (okay, you can still use the kitchen for dinner). Use your imagination!

• Everyone has that one room. You know you have it—that one room that needs a cleaning badly. Whether it’s a paint job, a plaster job or even just throwing things out—this is the time to do it. Because once spring rolls around, you’ll have one less room to worry about… and a bit extra time to spend outside in the sun!

• Stimulate that brain of yours. There are countless ways to keep sharp when trapped indoors. Puzzles, crosswords and online trivia can help you keep mentally fit and entertained at the same time. Pick up that dusty book that’s been under your nightstand for months. And we’re not ignoring TV—watch shows on the History Channel or Discovery Channel if you’d like! No knowledge is useless knowledge.

• Finally…time to unpack. We know, we know—no new homeowner likes to unpack everything.But what better time than when you’re stuck inside with all of your things? Make it enjoyable with music and snacks, or make it a contest with another friend you know moving in elsewhere. Perhaps the first family or couple to unpack wins a bet (we’re not encouraging gambling… but you get the idea!). Hey, it has to get done sometime, right?

While these are all entertaining suggestions, we want to hear from you! What are some other in-home activities you can use during the cold winter weather?

Ah, ‘tis the season in St. Louis.

The holiday season isn’t something that can always be described with words, can it? There is just something about reuniting with family, or even just becoming closer to those around you—on your street, in your neighborhood, around the city—that isn’t always there the other 11 months of the year. The holidays have a way in breeding community and creativity that truly brings people together.

So as the holidays approach, Payne Family Homes wants to share some subtle yet creative holiday decoration ideas that can help bring your entire Payne home together:

• Rockin’ Around the… Mailbox? Cars will come and cars will go, but the first thing they may notice from the road is a beautifully decorated and/or lit mailbox or light post. A simple mix of evergreen branches and white lights can give off a festive and inviting feel to passersby. Don’t want to wait for the snow? You can even add some of your own, if you’d like!

• Baby it’s Cold Outside… so we’re not going to be sitting on our bench out there, are we? Instead, use it as a decorative prop for tinsel, red bow, and wintergreen elements (cones, wreaths, etc.) to complement your outside decorations.

• All I Want For Christmas is… for someone to move that pile of logs out of the front yard. But until then, use those random objects—bushes, logs, etc.—as a source of lighting and decoration (neatly, of course). Get creative and see how you can utilize those objects around your yard!

• Up On the House Top… are nothing but gutters and shingles. Winterize your roof with beautifully lit icicles and lights across the front of the house to illuminate not only the house, but the yard in general.

These are just a few ways you can visually enhance your home for the holidays. But don’t leave it just up to us—in what other creative ways can you decorate your yard or home for the season?

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!