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 is excited to announce our premier new home community in Lake Saint Louis!  We’ve acquired 9 outstanding home settings in Sommers Landing, an established residential development situated at the intersection of Highway N and Sommers Road.

In Sommers Landing, Payne Family customers will choose from seven top-of-the line home designs, carefully selected from our innovative Lifestyle and Vision Series portfolio of homes and consistent with the neighborhood’s upscale ambiance.

Our onsite information center is currently open for sales Friday through Sunday, with appointments available during the rest of the week, and Stephanie Russo has been named our Community Sales Manager.  “Lake Saint Louis is considered on of the most prestigious locations in St. Charles County, so we’re anticipating a considerable amount of interest from move-up buyers wanting to build a new home in the Lake Saint Louis area,” Russo commented.

Construction of our display model, a “Franklin” two-story, is now under way.  “The Franklin is one of our top-selling designs, and we’ll be displaying this home at Sommers Landing for the first time anywhere,” Russo added.

Showcasing the architecturally distinctive, quality-crafted styling and customer-preferred features our customers have come to recognize us for, the Franklin is a side-staircase plan with more than 2,500 square feet of living space, an exceptionally open main-floor layout, and a large loft accessing the owner’s suite and three generous auxiliary bedrooms on the upper level.

All but two of our home sites in the community are walk-outs, and Russo urges shoppers to reserve their sites as soon as possible, since ownership opportunities are extremely limited.  Ranging up to 3186 square feet in size, the ranch, 1.5-story, and 2-story designs provide three or four bedrooms, and pricing starts from the $230,000s.

Further enhancing its appeal, Sommers Landing is located just west of I-64/40, offering resident commuters a direct route to the numerous corporations headquartered along the Highway 40 corridor, all parts of West County, and downtown St. Louis, as well as the countless new shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities of Lake Saint Louis.

Residents are served by the top-rated Wentzville School District, and freshman will attend the district’s brand-new Liberty High School, which will be welcoming its first entering class in the fall of 2013.

Interested homebuyers are invited to  inquire on the offerings at Sommers Landing by calling Stephanie at 314-724-6226. Available floorplans and more details can also be viewed here.

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Ranked among the fastest-growing St. Louis homebuilders, Payne Family Homes offers unparalleled customer care and a quality-built home you’ll be proud to live in.  We build innovative lifestyle-oriented homes in a wide variety of styles, featuring unique single-family, condominium, villa, terrace, and cottage home designs.  Our new homes are offered in preferred neighborhoods throughout the St. Louis and St. Charles county areas, including St. Peters, Wentzville, O’Fallon, Lake Saint Louis, Eureka, St. Charles, and St. Louis, Missouri.  We cordially invite you to see the difference, feel the difference, and live the difference in a Payne Family Home.

Some of our Sales Team attended the annual Hot Tips seminar by the Sales & Marketing Council of the St. Louis Homebuilder’s Association yesterday, where they focus on financing, merchandising, social media, and sales updates and tips for the new year.  In the merchandising arena, it’s always interesting to see where the color trends will take us in relation to new home design.  So we thought we would share what we learned and discovered!

Sherwin-Williams ColorMix 2012 was introduced to the market in the fall and you can see how all of 2012′s trend colors are inspired by nature.  A combination of brights, cooler hues and neutrals, these colors are absolutely gorgeous and you can almost envision a home taking shape around these hues this year.  Sherwin-Williams grouped these colors into 4 categories-Reds, Blues, Greens, and Neutrals.  Check ‘em out below!

We're loving all of these nature inspired colors! We can't wait to try them out in some of our homes!

For more on these nature inspired colors, simply visit your your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store or visit their website.  If you’re interested in incorporating these colors into your new Payne Family Home, just ask one of our sales consultants or request more information here!

Payne Family Homes seems to have found the key to success, gaining prominence in the regional St. Louis market in just a few short years.  Already recognized with numerous awards for construction excellence, Payne Family currently offers 10 residential communities in St. Charles, St. Peters, Cottleville, Wentzville, Fenton, and Eureka – and is about to make its initial entry into O’Fallon (MO).

 The company’s newest acquisition consists of 44 attached villa sites in Walden Pond, an established, multi-product development located off Elaine Drive, north of Interstate 70, in North O’Fallon.  The community portfolio will feature three villa designs that have been wildly popular with the full spectrum of homebuyers in The Pointe at Heritage Crossing, a Payne Family neighborhood in St. Peters, plus two new plans that have recently made their debut.

Grouped in pairs, the various models are offered in ranch, story-&-a-half, and two-story styles, with 1338 to 2424 square feet on the main levels.  All include a 2-car garage and full basement, which can be finished for additional living space.  Several attractive new elevations will also be unveiled at Walden Pond, showcasing assorted combinations of brick, stone, stucco, shake, and siding.

A sneak peak of one of the exterior elevation options of the villa homes offered at Walden Pond!

 According to Shawn Arterburn, vice president of operations, “It’s the pricing structure for these quality-built villa homes that is most likely to impress our customers.  The collection is based from the $130’s, which is an amazing price point for this product line.” 

 The Agenda

Walden Pond’s temporary onsite sales center opened to the public last weekend and Grand Opening is projected for spring.  Construction of Walden Pond’s “Earhart” display, a 1444-square-foot ranch with two bedrooms and two full baths, is expected to begin shortly.  Shoppers can also experience one of the models offered at Walden Pond, the “Keller“, which is now on display in The Pointe. 

Wonderfully livable and ideal for entertaining, the Earhart’s activity areas – living room, dining room, and kitchen – are completely open and extend the full depth of the home.  Flexibility, is another feature Payne will be showcasing at Walden Pond.  Two of the floorplans offered provide buyers with the ability to build up, or down, or both!  Payne’s “Earhart” display will be highlighting the optional 2nd floor plan offered in a loft or 3rd bed/3rd bath configuration–providing buyers with ample flexibility to have guest quarters, space for grandkids, holiday quarters for a child returning from college, crafting room, reading nook, 2nd office, and much more!

Although all of the walk-out and ingrade sites are available for purchase, prime site selection isn’t the only good reason to be among the early villa owners at Walden Pond.  Payne Family Homes is offering a valuable Preview Special – one year of free Homeowner Association dues (including provided exterior maintenance services) plus $2,500 toward closings – to pre-grand opening buyers.

 A Great Place to Live

Highly selective in its choice of geographic locations, Payne Family Homes carefully evaluates the anticipated “lifestyle considerations” of each community’s future residents – commuter access, quality schools, and nearby commercial, recreational, and entertainment amenities.  And the City of O’Fallon certainly meets – and exceeds – those standards.

Twice ranked among America’s “100 Best Places to Live” by Money magazine, O’Fallon offers a wealth of shopping, dining, and recreational opportunities, including 475 acres of city parks and Renaud Spirit Center, with its state-of-the-art fitness, sports, and aquatic facilities.  Public education is provided by the top-rated Fort Zumwalt School District.

Affordable pricing.  Award-winning quality.  Easy-maintenance living.  A fabulous location.  And outstanding customer service.  Walden Pond is destined to be a winner!

Interested villa buyers can inquire about Walden Pond with Community Sales Manager, Jane Peacock, by simply calling (314)-996-9909, clicking www.PayneFamilyHomes.com, or stopping by!  You can also request more information by clicking here and directions to Walden Pond can be found here.

Disclaimer: Payne Family Homes reserves the right to make changes or improvements to prices, specifications and incentives without notice to maintain our continuous improvement policy. Select plans may be restricted to certain sites. Select elevations, colors, landscaping, lighting, and other selections represented above are an artist’s interpretation and may carry premiums. See Community Sales Manager for details.

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!

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!

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!

The leaves have come and gone (unless you haven’t raked your yard yet!) and there’s frost on the pumpkin and landscaping.

Payne Family Homes would like to offer a handful of tips to get the house in shape as “Old Man Winter” creeps his way into a weather forecast.

• Windows, Doors & Siding…Oh My! In the cold winter months, a home’s windows, doors and siding can not only provide you shelter from a storm, but it can also help keep those energy bills down and your pocketbook smile. By properly sealing the crevices that may have appeared during exposure to the summer elements, the cold air has little to no chance to enter into your home, preventing your furnace from running virtually around the clock.

• Roof/Gutter/Downspout Inspection. After going being exposed the elements for months, your home’s roof, gutter and downspouts may have experienced some wind or weather-related wear. In cleaning out the gutters and downspouts of leaves, you’ll prevent potential damage to your roof’s shingles due to drainage backup and water seepage into your basement. Additionally, a gutter that’s filled with water and leaves could freeze over, causing the gutter to potentially loosen – and even fall – from your home’s fascia.

• HVAC Maintenance. Despite the age of your home and heating system, with temperatures regularly falling below freezing there’s always the possibility of your furnace failing. Have your HVAC system serviced by a licensed professional to ensure it’s running properly and equipped to handle the harsh cold. Stock up on air filters and change them frequently; also consider clearing the area around your furnace of flammable materials like cardboard boxes to prevent the possibility of fire.

• Landscaping Preparation. You thought you were done with yard work?!?!?! Oh, contraire! Trim any trees that may hang over your home, seal decks and driveways to avoid possible cracking and move sensitive vegetation indoors to avert serious damage.

By putting together a good checklist in preparation for “Mother Nature’s” harshest conditions, your Payne Family Home can be a nice oasis from the cold temps…and your pocket book will thank you! What else can you do to prepare for “Old Man Winter?”