Affordable, new Johnson County community is perfect for families

The first home always produces excitement for a new homeowner, but as the family starts to expand, a bigger home is usually needed.

Highland Ridge Crossing community is perfect for the family that has children nearing or entering the school years or for people ready to purchase their second home.

Besides the affordable price starting at $320,000, the homes being built by Prieb Homes offer four featured floor plans in a secluded area that will have 46 homesites.

Located near K-7 and Johnson Drive, Highland Ridge Crossing still has quick access to Interstate 435, making drives anywhere in Johnson County, to Lawrence or into downtown Kansas City easy.

“The community has an intimate setting,” said Marti Lilja, an agent for Reece & Nichols. “You have that feel that is not so massive that you are not going to know your neighbor. It is surrounded by trees. It has a lining around the neighborhood of trees and the whole community is in middle.

“Prieb Homes has created a community that creates value.”

The first homeowner in the new community just recently moved in. There are five homes that are about 60 days from completion and ready for purchase.

The homes are open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and an onsite agent will be there.

The variety of each home’s appearance will also make this community aesthetically eye pleasing.

“You have a unique look to all the houses,” Lilja said. “The builders try to separate it out to make each house look a little different, but they all have great qualities. They all have the hardwood floors. Some of them have a loft. Some of them have a fifth bedroom. Some of them have built-in bookcases.”

The four featured plans by Prieb Homes are: The Brooklyn, The Harlow, The Levi and The Paxton.

The Brooklyn, which has four bedrooms, 3 ½ bathrooms and a three car-garage, is a beautiful two-story entry with a front door and transom lined with stone. The kitchen has an oversized granite island specifically designed for large families that will accommodate multiple bar stools. The breakfast area offers access to an optional covered patio or deck off the back.

The Harlow has a nice two-story vaulted entry. This plan features a versatile fifth bedroom/office and a spacious great room that opens up right into the kitchen and kitchen island. The mud room is a mother's dream come true with a boot bench, a desk and ample storage space. Access to the laundry room from the hallway and the master closet is a great convenience. An optional front porch elevation is available with this plan. It has four bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms.

The Levi is a two-story, five-bedroom, four-bathroom plan that is 2,618 square feet, making it slightly bigger than The Brooklyn’s 2,504 square feet and The Harlow’s 2,316 square feet.

The master bedroom has privacy located at the opposite end of the hallway from the secondary bedrooms. The Levi also features a large kitchen with a granite island and countertops plus a hidden walk-in pantry with ample storage. The main floor includes a full bathroom and an office that could be used as a fifth bedroom, as well as a mudroom with a boot bench off the garage.

The Paxton is a two-story, four-bedroom, 3½-bathroom plan that is 2,477 square feet. It has a beautiful open, vaulted entry. There are hardwood floors throughout the first floor with a mudroom off the garage that features a boot bench. The kitchen has a huge walk-in pantry, granite countertops and a generous island that opens into the great room. Double doors lead into a very spacious master bedroom, which features a jetted tub, a double vanity, a linen closet and a walk-in shower with a window.

In addition to these floor plans, approved outside builders can also construct the home of your dream.

Some of the homesites are in cul-de-sacs that are adjacent to a city park and close to a lot of areas that people can get out and about, Lilja said. Shawnee is great because it has so many public pools. Highland Ridge Crossing is also close to Shawnee Golf Course and Country Club.

Elementary-age children will go to Belmont Elementary. Older children will attend Mill Creek Middle School and Mill Creek High School.

“It is nice because the families moving in there are families that have kids,” Lilja said. “You see them out walking their dogs and pushing strollers. It has the perfect feel for an intimate little community that is not massive,” Lilja said.

This story was originally published June 12, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "Affordable, new Johnson County community is perfect for families."