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Sports abound in basement playground

Every family is unique. Some want gourmet kitchens. Others want in-law suites. Still others, like Corey and Gayle Toppel, want an extra deep unfinished basement where their young sons can play basketball, dodge ball and in-line skate.

Wyndham Deerpoint Homes specializes in custom requests in their Prairie Pointe subdivision of 98 single family homes in South Elgin.

"Every home we build at Prairie Pointe can be personalized to suit the buyer's preferences and match their lifestyle. From reorganizing rooms to moving walls to expanding square footage, Wyndham Deerpoint Homes can fulfill most custom requests," said Keith Thompson, sales consultant for Wyndham Deerpoint Homes.

The Toppels opted for a full basement with nine-foot ceilings, but chose not to have it finished "because our boys are pretty active down there," explained Corey, who serves as the assistant varsity basketball coach for South Elgin High School and is a teacher at Glen Crest Middle School in Glen Ellyn. "It's equipped with a basketball hoop, and they play dodge ball and (in-line skate) around. It's definitely their favorite space in the house."

"I remember soon after we moved in our kids were playing down in the basement with some friends they had over, and I kept hearing these squishy sounds," Gayle added. "I suddenly remembered that my husband had bought them these special squishy dodge balls. I remember smiling to myself and thinking that, even though it was noisy down there, they were having a blast. We definitely made the right choice by choosing Prairie Pointe."

The couple began hunting for a new home because their other home was too small and had no basement.

"We were living in an older home in South Elgin, but we needed more space," recalled Corey. "With three young, growing boys, we were practically living on top of each other in our last home. But we wanted to remain in South Elgin."

When they saw an advertisement for Wyndham Deerpoint's Prairie Pointe community they visited and were smitten with the Savannah, a 2,764-square-foot two-story design featuring four bedrooms, 2½ baths and a full basement.

"I loved the layout, the fact that the Savannah had an open kitchen next to the family room and a full basement, where our boys could run around and play," Gayle said.

Gayle also adored the family room with its floor-to-ceiling, curved brick fireplace.

"We spend a lot of time sitting around the fire and relaxing in the family room, which opens up to the kitchen and eating area, making it ideal for family gatherings," she said. "It burns wood, but it's a convenient gas-starter type fireplace."

Corey, on the other hand, appreciates the extra square footage in the three-car garage, "which gives us plenty of room for our cars as well as our bikes and sports equipment."

They also loved the fact that Prairie Pointe is located near Kenyon Farms Middle School and South Elgin High School, where their boys, Jake, 16, Luke, 13, and Dane, 11, would be studying.

"Having a Prairie Pointe address would mean our sons could get to school in just a few minutes, and it would shorten the commute for both me and my husband," said Gayle who works as an instructional coach for Elgin Area School District U-46.

And they quickly found the ideal home site for their family -- one with a large backyard that didn't back up to any other homes so that their kids could play baseball without worrying about breaking a neighbor's window.

"Wyndham Deerpoint Homes was very accommodating during the entire building process," Gayle said. "They kept us informed through every stage of construction and finishing, and we never felt like we were in the dark. Everything stayed on schedule, and we couldn't have been happier."

Sales are now underway in Phase II, which offers 70 home sites to choose from, including lots that offer pond views, back up to the Prairie Path, are amenable to walkout basements and span up to a third of an acre.

Buyers can select from 15 ranch and two-story floor plans ranging in size from 1,835 to 4,045 square feet and priced from $376,750 to $535,900.

To visit the community, take I-90 to Route 59, south to West Bartlett Road, west to Route 25, north to Kenyon Road, west to South Elgin Road, north to the community on the right. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The office is closed on Friday. For more information, call (847) 742-0200 or visit www.wydp.com.

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