Payne Family Homes - Blog

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)

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!

Three Regrets to Get Rid of in the New Year

By Marc Muchnick

Payne Family Homes has added Molly Maher to their sales team. Maher will serve as Assistant Community Sales Manager at Ashton Woods, which is the homebuilder’s newest community and its first in St. Louis County.

Prior to joining Payne Family Homes, Maher was a sales consultant for two of the area’s largest and most well-known homebuilders. During her 10 years in the industry, Maher has been honored with numerous awards for her outstanding sales achievement from the Sales & Marketing Council of the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri.

Maher, who has earned her Certified Sales Professional designation, is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she received a B.A. degree in architectural design.

A resident of Webster Groves, she has been active in the Junior League and Nurses for Newborns.

At Ashton Woods, Payne Family Homes is debuting their new Lifestyle Series of designs, containing the features that today’s buyers want most. The neighborhood offers an array of highly desirable homesites, including some large enough to accommodate a three-car garage. Located near I-44 and Hwy. 109 in Eureka, Ashton Woods is in the highly desirable AAA-rated Rockwood School District. Prices start in the $190’s.

According to Ed Lott, Payne Family Homes Director of Sales and Marketing, “Molly Maher is an exceptional addition to our team. Her impressive track record in new homes sales reflects her ability to relate well to buyers and provide them with a superior homebuilding experience.”

Payne Family Homes crafts distinctive homes that are built to stand the test of time, with seven well-located communities in St. Louis County, St. Charles, St. Peters and Cottleville. Their communities include Ashton Woods, Bordeaux Condominiums, The Crossing at Heritage Pointe, The Enclave at Heritage, The Meadows at Ohmes 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 most are located in one of Money magazine’s “100 Best Places to Live in America.” For information call 314-477-1218.

Tucked away in the heart of St. Charles County lies the most wonderful small town; Cottleville. Established in the early 1800′s, this town’s population and Historic Old Town developments have grown rapidly over the past few years. Their mission is to develop a main street comparable to Main Street St. Charles.

Spend an evening at one of the town’s exquisite restaurants. No matter your craving, the restaurants and markets on Cottleville’s Historic District are sure to please your pallet.

Mannino’s Market: Truly a staple in Cottleville (and a frequent stop for church-goers after Sunday mass) Mannino’s Market offers fresh and quality meat, produce. Jo’s 5th Street Pub: Remember Cheers? Get ready to experience it yourself at Jo’s where everybody really does know your name.  Thyme Out Café: Thyme Out’s quaint patio is perfect to enjoy a sunny day on.  Sherlock’s Steak and Seafood: Casual dining in a warm, stylish environment -it’s a great place to meet friends for happy hour.   Cottleville Wine Seller: Set in a quaint and charming atmosphere, Cottleville Wine Seller has live music on the weekends and a large wine garden; it’s a wonderful place to spend a beautiful evening. Stone Soup Cottage: This 1850′s restored farmhouse allows you to enjoy classically prepared Southern French and Northern Italian fare.

Stunningly Stylish
Minutes away, you’ll find Cottleville’s premier condominiums, Bordeaux Condominiums. Conveniently located off Mid Rivers Mall Drive and Ohmes Road, these stunning condominium homes come equipped with a patio or deck for you to enjoy on warm summer nights. Enjoy an evening at one of Historic Cottleville’s recommended establishments and head home to your luxury condominium patio. What could be more perfect?

Not Your Traditional Condo
Floor plans in these condominiums range from just over 1,000 to over 1,200 square feet. With the ability to choose your interior finishes, these new homes are equipped with soundproof floors and shared walls. The ability to choose your interior finishes gives you the opportunity to personalize the overall look of your home based on your taste and style preferences. Bordeaux’s beautiful sweeping views of the park and fountains set these new homes apart from others in the St. Charles area.

Built By The Best
Payne Family Homes was awarded The Fastest Growing Homebuilder in 2009 and continues to strive for excellence. Not only are Payne’s homes luxurious, they are timeless. Payne Family Homes crafts distinctive homes that stand the test of time.

Heads up all Payne Family Homes fans!

The Eagle has landed: Payne Family Homes is now selling at Ashton Woods – a beautiful masterplanned community nestled in a treelined location in St Louis County! Ashton Woods is served by AAA Rated Rockwood Schools and features 65 “once in a lifetime” home sites that are 80′ wide and ideally suited for home owners that want an expansive site that offers a 3 car garage opportunity!

Eureka, Missouri offers convenient highway access near Highway 109 and 44: whether you’re travels take you downtown, West County or St Charles County this location is in the heart of it all with a beautiful treelined drive awaiting you whether travelling along Highway 44 or Highway 109 to 40!

Come check out our all new Lifestyle Series of homes – 10 all new plans that have been designed with thoughtful features that make a difference!

Payne Family Homes is introducing its new Lifestyle Series of 10 floor plans, the first of which – the Breckenridge – is now on display at The Pointe at Heritage Crossing. “We’ve really done our homework,” says Sales and Marketing VP Ed Lott. “It’s all in keeping with our philosophy, ‘Expect more, get more’- with a twist,” he explained. The series is designed with lots of opportunities to personalize, and include opulent master baths, full-length mirrors in the walk-in closet, 9-foot ceilings, see-through fireplaces that can open from the family room to a screened porch or to the living room, princess suites with their own private bath, kitchen center islands, three-car tandem garages for hobbyists and more. “All of our two-story and 1-1/2-story models have zoned heating and cooling for additional comfort,” he said. “Our ranches offer pre-designed finished lower levels.”

Payne’s Lifestyle Series is offered at Ashton Woods; The Pointe at Heritage Crossing; The Meadows at Ohmes Farm; The Enclave at Heritage and Tuscany. Payne soon will be opening displays at Ashton Woods in west St. Louis County. This is the builder’s first community in St. Louis County. For information and to get on the update list call Online New Homes Consultant Kelli Gould at 314-477-1218. Our Sales Trailer will open this weekend, June 5, 2010.

Real estate briefs for May 9

Home sales rise

Sales of existing homes rose 15 percent in St. Charles County during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2009, the St. Charles County Association of Realtors announced.

The median home price rose during the same period to $169,000, an increase of $2,000 over last year, according to the association’s news release.

In a further sign of the rebounding market, 26 percent more homes went under contract during the first quarter of this year than during the same period in 2009, the association said.

“The real estate market in St. Charles County continues to rebound from the challenging times of the last couple of years,” said association President Joe Sahrmann. “The combination of stable home values and near-historic low mortgage rates make this a unique opportunity for those thinking about buying a home. We have not seen homes this affordable in many years.”

The St. Charles County Association of Realtors is the largest trade association in St. Charles County, representing 1,600 Realtors and affiliates.

We’ve got close to 20 Fast Move! Inventory Homes under construction and all of them are in BRAND NEW, TIP TOP CONDITION, ready for a new home owner to enjoy! AAA Rated School Districts, stellar locations and appealing design coupled with stunning streetscapes allow YOU to get the lifestyle benefits that we can offer in all 7 Payne Family Homes Communities.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, LOW INTEREST RATES + OUR PUBLISHED SPECIAL PRICING WILL HELP YOU GET AN EVEN BETTER VALUE!

Visit our Fast Moves! Page or call our Online Sales Consultant, Kelli Gould at 314 477 1218 to learn more.

PAYNE FAMILY HOMES’ LAUREN JOHNSON RECEIVES MASTERS DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS

Lauren Johnson, community sales manager at Payne Family Homes’ Bordeaux Condominiums, has earned her M.A. degree in communications, with an emphasis on publication relations, advertising and marketing, from Webster University. Johnson received her B.A. degree in communications and history from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Johnson came to Payne Family Homes from McBride & Son, where she was a top salesperson and where she also earned the company’s Strategic Communications and Marketing Excellence Award. Prior to that, Johnson was a real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty.

A resident of O’Fallon, MO, Johnson has been honored by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri with the Sales & Marketing Council’s Seven Figure Award for New Home Sales in 2009. She also has received the SMC’s New Home Top Sales Performance Awards of the Month for both units and dollars sold.

In addition, Johnson is active in the Delta Gamma Alumni Association, where she is vice president Foundation and oversees the Delta Gamma Center for Visually Impaired Children. She also is a member of the Gateway Interactive Marketing Association.

According to Edward Lott, Payne Family Homes Vice President of Sales and Marketing, “We are proud that Lauren Johnson has achieved this educational milestone. Webster University’s mission of preparing its graduates to be future industry leaders – professionals that are knowledgeable consumers who can improve all aspects of communications is evident in Lauren’s case. Her communications expertise and knowledge will be invaluable as she works with our customers to make the new home buying experience a rewarding and pleasurable one.”

Payne Family Homes is a St. Charles-based homebuilder with seven well-located communities in St. Charles and St. Louis Counties. Neighborhoods include Bordeaux Condominums, Tuscany, The Pointe at Heritage Landing, The Enclave at Heritage, The Meadows at Ohmes Farm, The Townes at Belleau Creek and Ashton Woods. All Payne Family Homes neighborhoods are served by an AAA-rated school district and most 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.

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SHARON WRIGHT BRUEMMER JOINS PAYNE FAMILY HOMES

Payne Family Homes has promoted Sharon Wright Bruemmer as to Community Sales Manager at The Meadows at Ohmes Farm, the homebuilder’s fast-selling community in St. Peters.

Bruemmer previously was Payne Family Homes’ Sales Associate at Tuscany and The Townes at Belleau Creek, both located in St. Charles County.

Bruemmer brings 18 years of new-home sales experience with some of the area’s largest and well-known homebuilders. In addition, she has served as director of sales and marketing with a major builder.

A resident of St. Charles County, Bruemmer is a graduate of Maryille University, where she received a B.A. degree in business administration. She also completed the certified management program while working for a Dallas homebuilder. Bruemmer is an active member of the Sales & Marketing Council of the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri.

“I am proud to have been selected to head Payne Family Homes’ sales at The Meadows at Ohmes Farm,” Bruemmer says. “It’s one of the most exciting new-home destinations in the area, with exquisite homes and an exceptional St. Charles County location.”

The Meadows at Ohmes Farm is part of a spectacular master-planned community, showcasing four of St. Charles County’s most respected builders. The tree-lined neighborhood, with convenient access to I-70 and Hwy. 40, offers three lakes and walking trails.

Ed Lott, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Payne Family Homes, notes, “We are pleased to promote Sharon Bruemmer to Community Sales Manager. She has valuable experience in new-home sales throughout St. Charles County. She also is a standout when it comes to making the new home buying process an enjoyable one for our customers.”

Payne Family Homes crafts distinctive homes that are built to stand the test of time, with seven well-located communities in St. Louis County, St. Charles, St. Peters and Cottleville. Their communities include Ashton Woods, Bordeaux Condominiums, The Crossing at Heritage Pointe, The Enclave at Heritage, The Meadows at Ohmes 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 most 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.