homes

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Astante Villas Features Paired, Side-By-Side Homes

By Story By Jane Mahoney
For the Journal
      DR Horton, which bills itself as “America's Builder,” is determined to provide innovative residential design for master-planned communities. The builder's new Astante Villas community at Rio Rancho's Cabezon Communities lets home buyers choose to live in ways different from the suburban norm of one house, one family, one yard.
       Instead, DR Horton's Astante Villas is a gated community featuring “paired” houses, what once might have been referred to as town homes or duplexes. Make no mistake, however, these are comfortable single-family homes that just happen to be built along a common property line in the middle. The result is a community in which public common green space is more prevalent than individual yards. It's a reality that makes many new homeowners smile as they spend weekend afternoons doing something other than yardwork.
       Astante Villas' 252 home sites, tucked behind an elegant entry gate, is one of three active DR Horton neighborhoods at Cabezon Communities, a master-planned project on 900 acres in the heart of Rio Rancho. Two other DR Horton communities at Cabezon already have been completed, but Astante Villas is the first to feature paired homes in a gated subdivision.
       “We call this a lifestyle community,” said Kathryn Rhoades, the company's senior vice president of sales and marketing. “It appeals to singles and families, empty nesters and retirees. There is a real mix of homeowners here.”
       The side-by-side paired homes, in a mix of sizes and styles, not only break the mold on the outside, but the interiors, too, are up-to-date with in-demand features ranging from dual master bedroom suites to second-story living rooms. The result, Rhoades says, is a flexible home that works well not only for a conventional family of parents and children, but also accommodates multigenerational families in which an elderly parent may be living with adult children. Double master suites also appeal to two adults sharing one house or even to a teenager who craves his or her own space upstairs, apart from Mom and Dad.
       “It's an elegant community,” said Rhoades. “These are clearly single-family residences that just happen to be side by side. “They're not condos — you do own your own home and the land.”
       With the homes paired in twosomes, owners still have a private backyard (some large enough to accommodate only a patio while others are big enough for a swimming pool), and access to the backyard through a private side yard, said Freddy Carr, part of the Astante Villas sales team.
       What each homeowner also has is full access to Cabezon Communities' parks, swimming pool and walking trails. The planned community is also close to shopping, restaurants and medical facilities. Many of the newcomers to the neighborhood are more than happy to shed large lawns and yard work, Carr said.
       The DR Horton homes at Astante Villas feature 10 floor plans. One-story homes (all two-bedroom) range in size from 993 square feet to 1,219 square feet, and are priced from $146,990 to $160,900. The two-story homes (two or three bedrooms) range in size from 1,495 square feet to 2,572 square feet and are priced from $176,990 to $209,990. Four models are onsite at 1733 Cortina (off Cabezon Boulevard.), open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.
       Prospective buyers need not reflect back to their apartment-living days and fear noisy neighbors, said Rhoades. While the homes are side by side, they actually do not share a common wall. There is a physical airspace between the homes, as well as soundboard to mitigate noise concerns.
       Dual master suites, complete with luxurious bathrooms and roomy closets, are available in many of the homes, either divided between upstairs and ground level, or both on the second level. The Wisteria model features a second-floor loft that provides a secondary living room (with fireplace) off the upstairs master bedroom suite. The closet space upstairs is 130 square feet.
       “The style, design and livability are what appeal to our customers,” said Rhoades. “It's just a different way to think about living spaces.”
       For more information about DR Horton at Astante Villas, call 891-2400 or visit www.drhorton.com.
    ESTIMATED MONTHLY PAYMENTS:
       (includes estimated taxes and insurance)
       For $190,990 home (2,004 square feet): $1,050.49
       Assumptions: 20 percent down; 5.625 percent, 30-year conventional mortgage
       Source: Mace Kochenderfer, Anchor Mortgage Group
      
       STANDARD FEATURES:
       2½ baths
       2-car garage
       Expansive loft
       Recessed lighting
       Formal dining room
       9- and 10-foot ceilings
       Oak cabinets
       Front-yard landscaping
       Upgrades include fireplace, solid-surface countertops, tile floors
      
       HEATING/COOLING:
       Forced gas heat/Refrigerated cooling
       INSULATION VALUES:
       R-30 in the ceiling, R-13 to 19 in the walls (depending on the plan)