Family happily ends search for home near gifted school
When it comes down to choosing a place to live, schools play a huge role in the decision. Every parent wants to live in a good school system, or buy close to their child's current school.
That was certainly the case with Christine Wilkinson and her husband, Manuel Bomba.
Christine and Manuel decided to move from Naperville to Elgin to be closer to Christine's son's school, the Da Vinci Academy for gifted students.
Elgin's proximity to Interstate 90 was also convenient for Christine's commute downtown, where she owns her own agency for illustrators.
"While the choice to move to Elgin was an easy one for us, ultimately choosing our new home proved to be a bit more difficult. We toured literally every community and every model home in Elgin," Christine said.
"I'm originally from Germany and was accustomed to the rigorous standards of European construction. It can be difficult to find that quality in the U.S., but I was very pleased with our final home," Manuel explained.
After a year and a half of touring communities and researching developers, they decided on a single-family home at Waterford in Elgin, a clubhouse community by Kimball Hill Homes.
"The floor plans and value were by far the best with Kimball Hill Homes," Christine continued. "We also liked that Kimball Hill was a local builder who had been around for decades."
"Although I've bought four homes before, this was my first new-construction purchase and the reputation of the builder was very, very important to me," she said.
Christine and Manuel chose the Bristol, a four-bedroom, 2-bath plan. The home measures 3,110 square feet and is base priced from $330,990. Features include a two-story foyer, eat-in island kitchen and a loft. Upgrades the couple added include a bay window in the dining room and a lookout basement.
"We really liked the way this home was laid out. It was the best floor plan we saw. It's very bright and open," she said. "It also lends itself well to displaying art and photographs. Manuel and I have a nice collection of original art and we very much like how it looks in our new home."
"We also have incredible views of the wetlands. Plus, the east-west orientation of our home allows for some great sunsets," Christine noted.
For Christine and Manuel, the layout, location and quality add up to a great value.
"This home is far from our first and probably won't be our last, so selecting a home that would retain its value was important to us for resale," Christine said. "Our home is very well-built and has a classic look, and that will make it all the more attractive when it comes time to sell it."
Waterford is located just north of Bowes Road and Longcommon Parkway in Elgin. It offers seven floor plans ranging 2,080 to 3,380 square feet and base priced from $303,990 to $369,990. Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with a sun deck; a clubhouse with a kitchen, common room and fitness center; a playground, pocket parks and a pond.
As for their experience with Kimball Hill, Christine and Manuel are quite pleased.
"There are bound to be issues that arise when building a new home, but it's how your developer handles them that counts," Christine said. "There was plenty of support and the communication was excellent. If we had a question, our sales consultant, Pete Hollowed, researched it until he had an answer. If we had a concern, Kimball Hill addressed it right away."
A recognized leader in the building industry since 1939, Kimball Hill Homes has received numerous awards for both design and quality throughout the years.
To visit Waterford and its three models, take I-90 to the Randall Road exit and turn south on Randall Road. Continue to Bowes Road and turn right. Turn right again on Longcommon Parkway and continue for about one-quarter mile to the community. Sales center hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and noon to 6 p.m. Monday.
For information, call (847) 931-9012 or visit www. kimballhillhomes.com.