DyerÍs Village Circle ready for debut

Conveniently located in the heart of Dyer's developing Calumet Avenue retail corridor just north of U.S. 30, Village Circle joins Hearthstone, which features the Estate Collection of single-family homes and Rockwell, which offers the Easy Living Collection, maintenance-free lifestyle, with its new American Prairie Collection of sensibly priced homes.

Debuting fresh, architectural designs with a unique array of rich colors, the American Prairie Collection is reminiscent of a simpler time and place, yet updated to include ample square footage to meet the needs of today's families.

The high-quality, reasonably priced homes give buyers the freedom to invest their earnings as they wish. For example, you can choose to invest in more square footage, exterior finishes or the individual options that reflect your personal style and budget, according to Carmen Ware, Olthof Homes' sales manager.

"The American Prairie Collection is a compelling alternative for buyers currently looking at existing homes,'' she said. "In the past, Olthof Homes did not offer single-family homes priced in the $220,000 to $250,000 range. We're really excited to be able to offer buyers the choice of purchasing a brand new home in this value range."

While construction of the Village Circle model homes is scheduled to begin early next month, the brightly painted sales trailer, which offers a real feel for the richness of the unique exterior color palette of the American Prairie Collection, is open for business.

Inside, visitors will find complete details on the community where development plans include the installation of a stop light on U.S. 30, a small commercial complex on the 700-foot frontage, defining landscaped entrance, 131 homes, picturesque pond with fountains and dramatic lighting, convenient access to Deer Creek Drive via Hearthstone and Calumet Avenue via Rockwell, plus an 8-acre park where plans are in the works for future development under the guidance of the Dyer Parks and Recreation Department.

"We always have a lot of people call before we open a new community, but we've had more calls than usual for Village Circle and the American Prairie Collection,'' Ware said. "It's really very exciting to work with so many people who are planning to move into their brand-new homes next spring."

There are four home plans in the American Prairie Collection, all with a variety of options to personalize interior spaces and include three-car or extended garages, full basements and/or sunrooms. They include the Heartland, a 1,730-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath ranch that starts in the $220,000s; the Riverside, a 1,968-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath with game room two-story that also starts in the $220s; the Shorewood, a 2,323-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bath-plus game room two-story that starts in the $230s, and the Brookfield, a 2,720-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bath, plus game room two-story, that starts in the $240s.

Along with stunning shades of blue, green, red, grey, mustard and tan for the exteriors, the American Prairie Collection has enticed buyers at Village Circle with its flexible options. There are four architectural styles from which to choose, Traditional, Country, Classic and Craftsman. Features of each style vary to accommodate an array of tastes. Inside, standard features can be enhanced by selecting options individually or in value-priced option packages.

"In order to offer prospective buyers the best possible way to visualize their personal preferences for the exterior of their new home, we have a touch-screen computer in the sales trailer that instantly changes the color of base siding, accent siding, stone and shingles for each architectural style on all four of the available home plans,'' Ware said.

"Interior selection choices are expertly displayed in our corporate design center, where all buyers meet with a member of our design team to review all of their options."

The first two buyers at Village Circle chose the Riverside and Heartland plans, each with a select handful of options, and were pleased to learn the final prices of their homes were close to the quoted base prices, according to Ware.

"Right now we are offering special preconstruction discounts up to $10,000 for a limited number of buyers at each of our four new communities featuring the American Prairie Collection, including Village Circle,'' she said.

"These buyers were able to take advantage of these tremendous savings. Based on the amazing response so far, I absolutely anticipate rolling through all of the discounts at each location, even during the colder months, before our models will be complete next spring."

In addition to Village Circle in Dyer, Olthof is introducing the American Prairie Collection in Silverleaf, which is centrally located off of U.S. 231 just west of U.S. 41 in St. John; Wyndham Woods, which is tucked away just minutes from Crown Point's historic downtown square south off of U.S. 231 on Marshall Street; and Covington, which is nestled quietly away from the Crown Point square just south of 231 off of Delaware.