Saturday, August 25, 2007
By Michelle Krueger

Not all new home buyers have the uncanny ability to visualize how an emerging community will look once complete. While colorful brochures, inviting landscaped entrances and well-appointed model homes represent the developer’s specific plan, it can still be very difficult for some people to get a true sense of what the future holds.

In fact, it's usually not until the streets start taking shape and some early residents who were willing to take a leap of faith begin calling a new community home that a true picture begins to form.

With the promise of convenience and value, Olthof Homes introduced Hearthstone in Dyer. Featuring their elegant Estate Collection of Single Family Homes, this captivating community is in a prime northwest Indiana location flanked by a pristine 40-acre wildlife refuge to offer residents a tranquil escape from the frenzied pace of life beyond its borders.

"Location has definitely been a key selling feature for Heathstone,'' Carmen Ware, Olthof Homes sales manager, said. "We definitely get a lot of interest from people who currently live or work in Chicago because of the convenient access to Route 30 and Interstate 394 as well as Route 41 and Interstate 90/94. They want a brand new home in an area where they can enjoy all the benefits of a small-town atmosphere along with the comforts and conveniences of a major metropolitan area.''

When you enter Hearthstone today, you'll find a little over half of the planned 145 new homes complete. As you wind along the roads and observe the new homeowners out and about supervising neighborhood baseball games, walking leisurely along the sidewalks or tending well-established gardens, you can't help but be impressed by the genuine pride of ownership displayed throughout the community.

From vibrant blooming flowers to handsome porch swings, unique personal touches make Hearthstone an incredibly inviting place to call home.

While Hearthstone is tucked away in a peaceful corner of Dyer that borders Schererville and is just minutes from St. John, residents benefit from a diverse range of nearby professional services, shopping, dining and recreational opportunities. Students attend the award-winning Lake Central School Corporation, including Protsman Elementary and Kahler Middle School, both prestigious 4-star schools.

In addition to the neighboring vast nature preserve area, Hearthstone features 2 scenic ponds with 3 dramatic fountains and will boast one of Dyer's largest community parks when the designated 9.6 acre tract of land in the southwest corner is developed by the town’s park department next year.

"Right now we have a limited number of premium homesites that back up to a pond or tree-lined border offering these buyers an incredible amount of privacy, with just one of the desirable homesites that will border the future park remaining at this time,'' Ware said. "We’ve found that our buyers in Hearthstone, especially those that have been looking in the Lake Central School district, really appreciate the fact that our Single Family Homes includes an extraordinary 3,100 square foot plan.