Appeal of Tinley Park Lures Buyers to Radcliffe Place

Inside the sales office at Gallagher and Henry’s Radcliffe Place, Vic Plastiak hears a familiar refrain from many prospective buyers exploring the community’s single-family homes.

“Tinley Park is the place they want to be,” said Plastiak, who oversees sales at Radcliffe Place.

In fact, nearly 80 percent of recent buyers at Radcliffe Place, Plastiak reported, are current Tinley Park residents eager to buy their “move up” home in the village or hold longstanding ties to the southwest suburban village. Many others are from neighboring communities similarly sold on Tinley Park’s present and its future as well as the marketplace credibility of Gallagher and Henry.

“Tinley Park is the community they’ve come to love and a community they believe in,” Plastiak said.
With a limited amount of new single-family home construction available in Tinley Park, Gallagher and Henry’s Radcliffe Place stands in an enviable position that continues driving consistent traffic and sales. Approximately 25 home sites remain in the 367-home community.

“And we give our buyers a lot of bang for their buck,” Plastiak said. “Our standard lot is 85 feet wide at the building line and all homes include three-car garages, Energy Star certification, Andersen 400 Series windows, brick construction, 10-inch foundation walls and more.”

Radcliffe Place buyers can select from one of Gallagher and Henry’s five Lifestyle Series home plans. Released to fanfare in 2011, Lifestyle Series homes were built with contemporary homebuyers top of mind. The homes feature open-concept layouts and in-demand amenities such as luxury master suites and mudrooms.

“These home plans resonate so well because they reflect the needs and desires of today’s homebuyers,” Plastiak said. “When you can combine relevant home plans and the appeal of Tinley Park with the high-quality construction Gallagher and Henry has been known for providing since 1954, it creates a winning formula.”

Over the last decade, Tinley Park has routinely appeared on independent lists touting America’s best towns to live, including a chart-topping nod in Businessweek’s 2009 list of the nation’s best places to raise a family. The Businessweek honor recognized Tinley Park’s high-performing schools – Radcliffe Place residents can attend a trio of highly regarded schools in Millennium Elementary School, Prairie View Middle School and Andrew High – as well as the village’s low crime rate, job growth figures and local amenities such as parks and museums.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, the National Council for Home Safety and Security named Tinley Park one of the 100 Safest Cities in America. Tinley Park, which ranked 46th, was the top-rated south suburban community on the list that factored in FBI Crime Report statistics and other safety data.

But the village isn’t resting on its laurels.

Village leaders champion the community’s prospects, including the redevelopment of the village’s historic downtown, infrastructure and road improvement projects and a new downtown plaza that will feature some 250 activities each year.

“When it comes to a family-oriented community, Tinley Park checks all the major boxes,” Plastiak said. “The village has such a rich history to celebrate, but its future is just as bright, and that continues to draw people to Radcliffe Place.”

For additional information on Radcliffe Place or Gallagher and Henry, please visit www.gallagherandhenry.com. The Radcliffe Place model home and sales office is located just west of 84th Avenue and 175th Street in Tinley Park. The office is open Thursday to Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Accomplished Schools and Quality Construction Drive Homebuyers to Farmingdale Village

Whenever Sandie Kanakes asks prospective homebuyers about their interest in Woodridge’s Farmingdale Village community, the answer is almost always the same.

“The schools and the opportunity to get a high-quality new home,” said Kanakes, the lead sales manager at the Gallagher and Henry community. “Getting both in this area is nearly impossible unless it’s a teardown and that’s cost prohibitive for many.”

Since its debut last March, homebuyers continue showing strong interest in Farmingdale Village Unit 26A, the latest phase of development in Gallagher and Henry’s prized single-family home community. Of the 22 single-family home sites available, numerous already host completed homes while others are in various stages of construction.

“That speaks to the demand,” Kanakes said.

For many buyers, the area’s accomplished schools are the primary draw.

Serving some 1,000 elementary school students, Center Cass School District 66 is among the region’s most well regarded school districts. With an average class size of 22, the district, which includes Elizabeth Ide Elementary (K-2), Prairieview Elementary (Pre-K, 3-5) and Lakeview Junior High (6-8), outpaces state averages in academic progress and student academic growth.

Downers Grove South High School, meanwhile, ranks among the top 10 percent of high schools in Illinois according to U.S. News & World Report. The 2,700-student school exceeds state averages for college readiness and more than 80 percent of its graduates enroll in higher education. Devoting more than $11,000 per pupil to instructional spending, the school features more than 200 courses offered through 10 departments.

Beyond the classroom, Downers Grove South boasts a rich tradition of excellence in extracurricular activities, including athletics and performing arts. Nearly 60 percent of the student body in involved in one of the school’s 28 varsity sports or 65 clubs and student activities.

“Vibrant, high-achieving schools drive many home buying decisions and those looking at Farmingdale Village can rest assured that they will be able to take advantage of these top-notch schools,” Gallagher and Henry sales consultant Allie Fescina said.

In addition to the schools, Gallagher and Henry’s hard-earned reputation as one of Chicago’s top homebuilders also attracts buyers. Founded in 1954, the family-owned firm packs its homes with standard quality features that transcend today’s norms, including brick construction, 10-inch foundation walls, concrete driveways and sidewalks and Andersen 400 Series windows. All homes also carry the ENERGY STAR label.

“When it comes to construction, we don’t take shortcuts and believe in providing our buyers the best value right out of the gate,” Gallagher and Henry principal John Gallagher said.

Gallagher added that a number of Farmingdale Village’s most recent buyers previously lived in a Gallagher and Henry home.

“That’s a testament to our work and the greatest endorsement we could ever receive,” he said.

At Farmingdale Village, homebuyers can select from one of five Lifestyle Series home plans. Launched in 2011, Lifestyle Series homes feature open-concept floor plans and include many of today’s most sought-after elements, including three-car garages and spacious master suites. Prices start at $448,300 with numerous premium walkout and lookout lots available.

“Our Lifestyle Series home plans were built with today’s homebuyers top of mind and that’s clear in the diversity of the plans as well as the standard features we offer with each home,” Gallagher said.

Sitting in the southeast corner of Woodridge, Farmingdale Village residents enjoy close proximity to I-55 and I-355 as well as an increasing array of shopping, dining, entertainment and recreational options in the immediate area.

“Woodridge has really shown itself to be a thriving community and that further drives interest in Farmingdale Village,” Kanakes said.

For additional information on Farmingdale Village or Gallagher and Henry, please visit www.gallagherandhenry.com. The Farmingdale Village model home and sales office is located at 9041 Gloucester Road in Woodridge and open Saturday through Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment by calling (630) 985-9500.

Homer Glen Captures the Spotlight

Throughout the 20th century, Homer Glen was largely a sleepy little unincorporated town in the shadow of its more heralded Southland peers.

Here in 2017, however, those days are fading – and fast.

In the 16 years since Homer Glen incorporated as a village, the southwest suburb has asserted itself a prominent mover-and-shaker that provides its residents a high quality of life and rising optimism for the future.

For Gallagher and Henry sales managers Tina Plastiak and Alice Burgston, both of whom spend their days talking to prospective homebuyers interested in building a new home at the Goodings Grove or Kingston Hills communities in Homer Glen, the appeal of the village is easy to define.

A Little Country, a Little City

Located in the northeastern corner of Will County, approximately 35 miles from downtown Chicago, Homer Glen covers 22 square miles. That makes Homer Glen one of Will County’s largest municipalities in land area and provides the village’s 24,000 residents plenty of room to spread out. At Kingston Hills, for instance, the average lot size is 75-by-150 feet while the Gallagher and Henry-built homes cover upwards of 3,400 square feet.

Homer Glen pairs that serene living with quick access to modern-day conveniences. A short drive brings residents to nearby regional shopping centers, convenient local dining and several entertainment options, while I-355 sits close as does Metra Southwest service to Chicago’s Union Station.

“Homer Glen is such a unique place in that it offers some of the peace and quiet of country life alongside all of the modern conveniences one would need,” Plastiak said.

Happy, Healthy Residents

Earlier in 2017, Homer Glen released results of its first National Citizen Survey, an objective study of residents’ feelings on community livability.
More than 90 percent of Homer Glen’s current residents rated the village as a “good” or “excellent” place to live and raise a family. Residents also gave the village stellar marks for safety, ease of travel, K-12 education and the natural environment. Yet more, 84 percent of survey respondents intended to remain in Homer Glen while 85 percent said they would recommend Homer Glen to others.

“The number of generational families you see in Homer Glen speaks to the high character of the community and that’s something others are continuing to pick up on,” said Burgston, adding that Homer Glen has yet to impose a property tax on its homeowners.

A Family-Oriented Spirit

With families seeking high-achieving schools and safe environments for their children, Homer Glen distinguishes itself.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Lockport Township High School ranks among the top 10 percent of high schools in Illinois, while Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C, which serves some 3,700 elementary school students, outpaces state averages in preparing students for the next level and instructional spending per pupil.
This summer, Safewise also rated Homer Glen among the 25 safest cities to live in Illinois.

“Parents wanting a safe community with high-achieving schools find that and more in Homer Glen,” Plastiak said.

A Growing Village

In the last 16 years, Homer Glen has added a Village Hall, bike trails, community parks, community events and approximately 2,000 residents. The village has also begun construction of its biggest municipal project to date: the 103-acre Heritage Park.

When complete, village leaders believe Heritage Park, the former home of the Woodbine Golf Course, will become “the heart of the village” with its 1.5-mile multipurpose trail, interactive water feature, nature-themed creative play area, picnic groves, courts for tennis, sand volleyball and horseshoes, sled hill and multifunctional Village Green space designed to host farmer’s markets, community celebrations and movie-in-the-park events.

Gallagher and Henry’s Goodings Grove community, meanwhile, will soon welcome Goodings Grove Park, a 3.5-acre recreation area that includes a walking path, playground, basketball court and picnic shelter.

“Homer Glen hasn’t stayed static,” Burgston said. “It’s very much a village on the move that keeps its residents’ quality of life top of mind.”

For additional information on Kingston Hills or Goodings Grove, Gallagher and Henry’s two single-family home communities in Homer Glen, please visit www.gallagherandhenry.com.