Surrounded by 100-year-old trees and the Midwest landscape, Coffee Creek Crossings’ first-class features and amenities speak to both men and women.
Property Profiles
A Walk in the Park
Nature made Coffee Creek Crossing an oasis; builders make it luxurious for residents.
BY
Veronica Toney
PHOTOGRAPHY
courtesy of Coffee Creek Crossing (top photo)

Just 10 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Metcalf Avenue, there is a grove with 100-year-old, 80-foot trees and a natural waterfall. When developers Saul Ellis and Mark Simpson discovered this area at 169th Street and Switzer, they thought this would be a great place to call home. “We were drawn to the lusciousness of the old oak trees,” Mark says. “It’s a neighborhood within a park.” In June 2007, they broke ground on Coffee Creek Crossing.

Photo courtesy of H&S Covenant Homes

The community offers one-and-half and two-story homes in the $300,000 to $400,000 range. “It’s rare to have that much open space in this price range,” Mark explains. The surroundings also offer a lot of room to roam. “Forty percent of the total space [of the community] is dedicated to green space. With our LionsGate subdivision, there was a lot of green space because of the golf course, but the homes started in the $700,000s.” In addition to the natural green space, the Coffee Creek Crossing also will have a club center with an infinity edge pool and waterslide; sport courts; a tot lot with a jungle gym, swings and a play fort; a tournament-size sand volleyball court; and private walking trails along the creek. “We are fortunate because there is a natural spring in the area, so we can naturally irrigate all the common areas,” Mark adds.

Coffee Creek Crossing is being developed in three phases. The first phase included five model homes and 47 lots for sale. The second phase consists of 46 lots and the community center, which is scheduled to open Memorial Day 2009. The remaining residential lots will be built in the third phase. When the three phases are complete, 161 families will call the neighborhood home.
Because of the area’s unique environmental features and price point, Mark and Saul looked for builders that could offer fresh home designs at affordable prices. They found Lambie-Geer Homes, Dusty Rhodes Homes, Koehler Building Company Inc., Universal Build Inc., and H&S Covenant Homes. “We found five good builders who delivered exciting new floor plans,” Mark says. “They found lots of little ways to provide a great house at a great price.”

H&S Covenant Homes used the opportunity to unveil a new concept: a woman-centric home. “About a year ago, we were looking for something to differentiate us from the competition and help us get better in touch with clients,” says Frank Pikus, president of H&S Covenant Homes. Specifically, those clients turned out to be women.

Design Basic Inc., a home plan design firm based in Omaha, discovered that women influence the buying decision up to 91 percent but that most homes were being designed and built for men, by men. The company created a licensing program to help builders make homes that match women’s needs. H&S Covenant Homes is now one of 25 builders in the country licensed to build Woman-Centric homes.

Photo courtesy of H&S Covenant Homes

“With our Woman-Centric approach, we are taking an entirely different view of homebuilding and presenting our homes in a brand new way,” says John Menghini Jr., vice president of sales and marketing for H&S Covenant Homes. “Combining the practical and the aesthetic, these homes are designed specifically for female homebuyers. Guys tell us they appreciate these features, too.”
The Avalon, H&S Covenant Homes’ model at Coffee Creek Crossing, allows prospective homebuyers to walk through the unique floor plan. “There are four lenses of the Woman-Centric house,” John explains. “The first is flexibility. There is a room on the main floor that could be a bedroom, study or playroom. The second is storage. There is a lot of closet space throughout the home. The third is entertaining. The home is open from the kitchen to the great room. The fourth is distressing. The walls are sound-insulated around the master bedroom and laundry room.” Other features throughout the home that appeal to a woman’s needs are a rear-foyer off the garage, an outdoor patio and a radon mitigation system. The total cost of The Avalon is $460,000. “We wanted people to see something that was attainable and affordable,” John says.

With innovative designs, affordable prices and a great ambiance, it’s no mystery why half the lots available in phase two were reserved three months before the lots were ready for building. “We’ve had a great response from people in Shawnee, Olathe, Kansas City, North Kansas City and out-of-towners,” comments Lily Miller, the community manager. “It’s the best value in south Johnson County with the terrain, amenities and Blue Valley schools. That’s the reason why Coffee Creek Crossing has been so successful.”

913.897.9666 or www.coffeecreekcrossing.com