ON-SITE: Knights Bridge Crossing
Couple falls for new
Published: Sunday OREGONIAN , May 23, 2010, 4:03 PM
By CONNIE POTTER
SPECIAL WRITER
Love at first sight doesn’t apply just to romance.
Silvia and Luis Diaz, six months of house-hunting ended when they
walked inside the four-bedroom, Craftsman-style model home tucked at the
end of a quiet street at Knights Bridge Crossing in
“We just fell in love with the house,” said Luis.
Silvia was drawn to the modern island kitchen, with its custom cabinets
and stainless steel appliances. Luis liked the intimacy of a neighborhood with private streets and limited traffic, where it feels safe for children to play outside.
“They’re charming little homes, very practical,” said Karmen Baricevic, a broker with John L. Scott Real Estate, who is marketing the homes. “Every house has its own character.”
The community is being developed by Baricevic’s husband, builder Mladen Baricevic of Arbe Homes.
Situated at the end of
and will be finished this month.
Two model homes at 17265 S.W. Padova Court and 3138 S.W. 174th Ave. are
held open every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Five floor plans are available, all with four bedrooms, 2.5 baths and one- or two-car garages. Prices range from $218,900 to $244.000.
Buyers tend to be pleasantly surprised by the affordable prices, said Karmen Baricevic, especially after they’ve checked out all the features.
Hardwood floors, gas fireplaces, custom kitchen cabinets and ceramic tile countertops and backsplashes are standard interior amenities. Outside, the homes are fully landscaped front and back, with sprinkler systems and backyard fences.
“They’re surprised at the amenities that they get for that price,” said Baricevic. “All of these touches give lasting value to the homes and, of course, quality.”
Cherese Thornhill calls her four-bedroom home “a lot of house for the price.” The 24-year-old paid $230,000 and was able to secure 100 percent financing with Banner Bank as a first-time homebuyer. She also qualified for the federal $8,000 first-time homebuyers credit.
Thornhill, who works in the footwear design department at Nike, had fun picking out countertops and backsplash and even got to select the color of carpeting. The perfect finishing touch was when the builder planted a palm tree in her front yard to remind her of her roots in
With four bedrooms and 2.5 baths on a corner lot, Thornhill calls the home “everything I was looking for.”
The neighborhood is appealing to first-time buyers like Thornhill, said Baricevic.
Even though the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers has expired, Arbe Homes is offering its own $4,000 builders credit during the Summer. The credit can be applied to upgrades such as air conditioning, or used for closing costs.
Little things matter, like being pre-wired for air conditioning and having a water line already installed for refrigerators with ice and water dispensers.
Prospective buyers typically have a similar reaction when they first walk into one of the models, said Baricevic.
“When they come in, they go, ‘Whoa, look at these floors!’ she said. “They’re also impressed with the size of the bedrooms.”
Each home has a different exterior, combining shingles, cultured stone and vibrant colors to avoid the monotony of some high-density projects.
“Every house has its character,” said Baricevic. “It gives a unique feeling to the neighborhood.”
The lots are small — ranging from about 2,100 to about 3,000 square feet — so they require little upkeep but are still large enough to offer room for a patio and a place for pets to romp outside.
The homes are move-in ready, with every room wired for phone and cable television, and the landscaping already in. Homeowners association fees run between $100 and $200 per year, depending on the home, and will be used to maintain the neighborhood streets.
A plus is the convenient location, just a few blocks off
.
Resources
Karmen Baricevic, John L. Scott Real Estate, 5457 S.W. Canyon Court; 503-380-3315 503-380-3315
Arbe Homes, 503-227-2231 503-227-2231 , http://arbehomes.com/knights.html
Address: 3092 S.W. Lanterna Place, Beaverton
Number of single-family homes: 42 (tvelwe have sold)
Lot sizes: 2,100 to 2,748 square feet Home sizes: 1,740 to 1,974 square feet
Prices: $220,900 to $244,000
Features: Two- and three-level homes with up to four bedrooms, 2.5 baths and single-car garages; kitchens with stainless-steel appliances, tile counters and backsplashes; master suites with walk-in closets, built-ins, double sinks and separate showers; main floor with 9-foot ceilings, gas fireplaces, hardwood floors in entry and living room and large windows; CAT-5 wiring; HardiePlank fiber cement siding; exposed aggregate patios and walkways.
Builder: Mladen Baricevic, Arbe Homes; www.arbehomes.com
Open: Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.
Sales information: Tom Hunter, Zip Realty, 503-201-9397; Karmen Baricevic CSP 503-380-3315 www.johnlscott.com/karmenb
Not far from the busy Washington County campuses of Nike and Intel, a quiet oasis of single-family homes sits among a batch of tall fir trees.
Knights Bridge Crossing, a new neighborhood by builder Arbe Homes, features spacious homes on economical lots. Bold colors diffuse any monotony that could have plagued the look of the high-density project.
"They're a kind of contemporary Craftsman tucked on a small lot," said Tom Hunter, the Zip rRealty Broker who is marketing the project. "The colors are what make these homes stand out. Every one has a little something different."
The homes are offered in three plans, including a three-level model that has proven popular with early buyers. That plan, at 1,974 square feet, has an optional, 365-square-foot bonus room on the upper level. The more modest, 1,568-square-foot sales model shows off some fine finishes usually not found in this price point: hardwood floors, kitchens with stainless-steel appliances and fine millwork, including six-panel doors.
"The first thing you notice is the beautiful finish work," Hunter said. "It's warm and welcoming." The main level of the model has a formal living room, kitchen with eating nook and a powder room. Upstairs, the master suite has bathroom with dual sinks, a tub and separate shower. Three other bedrooms share a second full bath. "They're pretty nicely open," Hunter said. "You get that feeling that you have room to spread out. The kitchen is big enough that you can entertain guests and not feel like you're on top of one another."
Each home features a small front yard and a small fenced backyard with a patio.
"For the price point, what separate us is the finishes and the attention to detail," Hunter said. "It adds up to a great value."
-- Phil Favorite