Carpentersville smiling over resumption of home construction

There may be a glut of vacant homes in Carpentersville, but at least one developer is banking on a real estate turnaround to fill dozens of new homes planned for the village's west side.

Pulte Homes is building about 40 new homes in the Winchester Glen neighborhood, where the homebuilder is completing a 460-home project.

Although the village is struggling with a high number of vacant and foreclosed homes, Chris Naatz, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte's Illinois division, said there is a demand for new development.

"We realize people have a lot of choice with the existing homes, but quite frankly, some people only want new," Naatz said. "We are providing for that market. This gives people the opportunity personalize their home."

In addition, Naatz said the development sits in a prime location, close to a mix of open space with access to the conveniences of Randall Road and Interstate 90.

Prices start in the mid-$200,000s, Naatz said.

Village President Ed Ritter said the new homes are an important addition for the village.

"This is significant because it means we have a cushion to keep the assessed values of our homes from dropping," Ritter said. "If the assessed value goes down, then the property (tax) rate goes up."

Currently, Pulte is the lone new-home developer building in the village. But Village Manager Craig Anderson said there are individual developers and numerous groups, like Habitat for Humanity and Steadfast Companies, working on reconstructing old homes, particularly on the east side of the village.