Opportunities to own a new home in Weatherby Lake

Weatherby Lake in the Northland has a history of being a sought-after community with a resort lifestyle revolving around the 274-acre private lake where residents boat, fish and swim. Residents enjoy the benefits of lake living while being within minutes of restaurants, shopping and employment in the metropolitan area.

For years, finding a new home in this community has been difficult. But now West Ridge at Weatherby Lake offers newly built homes on treed estate-size home sites situated on rolling hills above the lake.

“Buyers are able to purchase some of the most beautiful home sites in Platte County,” said Mark Rao, who markets the community for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Kansas City Homes.

Although West Ridge at Weatherby Lake is minutes from Barry Road and Interstate 29, homeowners enjoy a secluded atmosphere thanks to the 67-home community’s enclave-like surroundings. And since Weatherby Lake is an incorporated city, West Ridge residents are not subject to the Kansas City earnings tax, unless they work in Kansas City.

“Weatherby Lake is more than a great community, it’s a lifestyle,” Rao said. “Boating, swimming, tennis and an abundance of community events create a vacation atmosphere every day. This is a tight-knit, close community where several of our new residents have resided for years and have chosen to stay in the city with their new home purchase.”

Homebuyers at West Ridge at Weatherby Lake can select from a variety of floor plans from the community’s primary builder, Frisbie Carter Custom Homes. New inventory will also include homes by James Hagen Construction and Marc Chris Modern Homes.

An inventory home by Frisbie Carter is expected to be completed by February and is priced at $394,900. This reverse 11/2-story Barbados plan offers 3,000 square feet of living space and is on a walkout home site backing to green space. The home offers all the features desired by today’s homebuyers, including hardwood floors in the great room and kitchen, granite counter tops and custom cabinets. A wall of windows offers exceptional views of the treed setting.

Other features include covered screened-in decks to take advantage of the natural setting and a variety of interior choices from traditional to contemporary finishes

Rao said activity in West Ridge at Weatherby Lake has picked up recently, with five custom homes under construction and multiple home sites reserved for additional inventory homes that should be available by spring.

Buyers also may select a home site for a custom-built home, many of which have seasonal lake views. The pastoral setting is replete with wildlife and mature trees that provide color in the spring and fall. A variety of home sites are still available, including walkout, flat, treed and cul-de-sac locations.

The lots in West Ridge average 22,000 square feet versus the 9,000 square feet that a traditional neighborhood subdivision lot would have. Home sites are priced from $40,000 to $70,000.

The city of Weatherby Lake offers a community center, multiple park and picnic areas, sand beach, tennis courts, sand volleyball court, soccer and softball fields, basketball courts and numerous lake access points. Residents enjoy participating in a variety of clubs and social events such as the well-known Fourth of July celebration.

West Ridge at Weatherby Lake is one of the few new-home communities remaining that is served by the top-rated Park Hill School District, including Hawthorn Elementary, Congress Middle and Park Hill High schools. Proximity to Barry Road and Interstate 29 gives residents easy access to Kansas City International Airport, as well as a wide array of shops, services and entertainment, including the Zona Rosa shopping district and downtown Parkville.

This story was originally published November 29, 2014 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Opportunities to own a new home in Weatherby Lake."