Home builders also sell lifestyles

Is there a science to selecting a lifestyle community?

Do people use some sort of formula? Or is it more about evoking emotion, as Tammy Barry believes.

"Sometimes there's no word for it; it's a feeling," said Barry, director of sales and marketing for Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort in Ottawa. "People know when it's right."

Whether it's a science, emotion or combination of each, many homebuyers choose a specific community based on their values, interests and the kind of life they want to live.

Of course, buyers consider the cost - not only the selling price of the home, but how much it will cost to live in the community, including homeowners association dues, condo fees, property taxes, utilities and the cost of amenities such as the fee to join a golf club.

They determine whether they want to live in the heart of town, out in the country or in a resort community. They decide how they want to spend their time.

Popular neighborhood amenities that can influence buyers' decisions include biking and walking paths, a clubhouse with swimming pool and fitness center, a golf course, tennis court, community parties and social events and even concierge services and roving security patrols.

With lifestyle communities a fast-growing sector of the housing market, homebuyers have more lifestyle options than ever before.

Here are some suburban-area lifestyle communities that may pique your interest.

Clubhouse community with no-maintenance ranch homes

Maples at the Sonatas in Woodstock features maintenance-free ranch homes in a clubhouse setting designed to foster a sense of community and an easy lifestyle.

"We want our homeowners to have time to do the things they love rather than spend their free time having to take care of house maintenance, landscaping and snow removal," said Ember Ferrantino, director of sales, marketing and business support for Wilcox Communities.

"And that's what most of our owners are looking for when they move here - freedom from household upkeep, freedom from stairs, and freedom to do the things they never had time for before."

The community is rich with opportunities for social, recreation and fitness activities. At the multipurpose clubhouse, you can relax at the outdoor swimming pool, socialize and unwind with friends in the community great room, or exercise in the workout room, which features the latest exercise and training equipment. Countless community events and interest groups meet regularly where residents often establish lifelong friendships.

Resort community with small-town charm

Heritage Harbor Ottawa resort offers a 32-acre marina surrounded by pocket neighborhoods of waterfront custom homes, condominiums, cottages, townhouses, coach homes and lofts.

In a prime location within the Starved Rock region, this community attracts people who want a full-time vacation or retirement home with marina amenities and nearby water access.

"People love Ottawa because of its small-town charm and simpler way of life, and some even relate it to Mayberry," Barry said.

People who live in the West suburbs who want a vacation home like that Heritage Harbor is within 90 minutes of Chicago because they don't have to drive far to enjoy resort-style living in their second home.

And those who live in the community permanently want to be close to their families and grandkids in the suburbs. They can still go to family functions, leave for a couple weeks or travel for a short time during the winter. Some permanent residents will retire in a few years, and they have already settled into their retirement/vacation home in the community.

Lakefront community with marina

One of the favorite selling points at Newport Cove in Antioch is its 100-plus-slip marina that extends along the community's 1,800 feet of shoreline and fronts an eight-acre private lakefront.

The award-winning waterfront community by New American Homes offers a year-round vacation lifestyle with 15 acres of open space with beautiful landscaped common areas, a waterfront park, walking paths that wind throughout the community and a lighted waterfront walk along the community's shoreline.

Set along Bluff Lake in Antioch, Newport Cove is the only new-home development taking place on the Chain O' Lakes, said Susanne Tauke, president of New American Homes.

The community features custom homes in three distinct neighborhoods - the Waterfront, the Estates and the Cottages - all with coastal architecture.

People want to live on the water, but they also want certain rules and homes with consistent quality, Tauke said. They're not just buying a house; they're buying into the whole community. The lifestyle covenants ensure residents have an upscale, well maintained community for decades to come, she said.

Agrihood community

Serosun Farms in Hampshire features the agrihood concept, a popular lifestyle where builders introduce community agriculture into new-home developments.

This lifestyle appeals to a diverse group of people such as professionals who don't have the time or money to run a farm, people who grew up on a farm and want to return to that environment, and people who want a second home as a country getaway or for retirement, said John DeWald, president of John DeWald & Associates, developer of the community.

Centered around a 160-acre working farm, Serosun Farms residents also enjoy hundreds of acres of open space with restored prairie and woodlands.

"This is a great opportunity for families to live on a farm and for children to grow up experiencing farm life," DeWald said.

Serosun Farm offers residences from smaller cottages to country estates that sit in clusters on 114, one-acre homesites. Community amenities include a world-class equestrian center, a community center with swimming pool and fitness center; jogging, hiking and biking trails; tennis and basketball courts, stocked fishing pond, and a bar and grill and meeting event facilities.

Community with natural areas and lakes

For nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, the Willow Lake development in Lake Forest offers a beautiful natural setting with preserved wetlands and mature trees and also connects to the adjacent Middlefork Savannah Forest Preserve.

With 640 acres of natural areas and a network of walking paths, the forest preserve is the ideal place for residents to enjoy a scenic hike and see birds and wildlife in the area.

"Many Willow Lake residents have very busy lifestyles between work, kids and volunteering. So the fact that they can come home, walk outside their door and be just steps away from an amenity that offers them so many different ways to unwind or recharge is seen as a luxury," said Karen Schmid, sales manager for Willow Lake. "Plus, our residents have water-access rights to two on-site lakes, where they can enjoy kayaking or fishing as other fun activities for being out in nature."

The upscale Willow Lake community by Red Seal Homes sits across from Conway Farms Golf Club and includes 52 semi-attached, maintenance-free homes.