JW Home Builders - Building Luxury

The lovely home at 375 Cemar Court in Marion has great curb appeal: with its peaked roofline, stacked stone exterior, and carriage style garage doors, it exudes luxury.

It’s hard to believe that this home is a condominium.

JW Home Builders presents the new development, Residences at the Park. Offering luxurious, maintenance-free living in a park-like setting, this exclusive area will eventually house 30 duplex-style condos. Many homes back up to Marion’s Legion Park, and the development is easy walking distance to shopping and dining.

“We are reaching out to people who are downsizing, but who still want a luxury home,” explains Sara Wright, co-owner with her husband Justin, of JW Home Builders. With condos ranging from $250,000 and up, Residences at the Park condos offer all the amenities of upscale homes.

Inside the front door of the model home, one is struck by the gorgeous wood all around. The hardwood floors are custom-stained maple with a distinctive grain. Light streams in from windows at the back and side of the spacious great room with its twelve-foot ceilings. From every window are views of the wooded valley behind the home. A private trail leads down into the valley where it joins up with the Marion Parks Trail. A door leads out to a raised maintenance-free deck that’s tucked discreetly into a corner of the home so that residents have privacy from the neighbors.

Inside, a corner fireplace anchors the room. The unusual mantelpiece—a natural walnut log—catches the eye. “It’s made from a downed tree that was here on the property,” says Wright. More gorgeous wood is visible in the built-in walnut wine rack between the great room and the kitchen.

The kitchen, which is open to the great room, has lots of space for family and guests to gather. “The kitchen is large for a condo, but we know that residents will be having people visit for holidays,” says Wright. There’s a huge kitchen island with room for seating along one side, and a spot for a dining table, too. Custom walnut cabinets hang above a sparkling glass tile backsplash and light-colored granite countertops.

On one side of this living area is the home’s master suite. The bedroom has its own private deck; like the deck off the great room, this one is also maintenance-free and private. The master bath features ceramic tile floors, a walk in shower with glass tile, a jetted tub, and dual vanities.

There’s a guest bedroom on the other side of the great room, complete with closet and full bath. This room could also be used as a home office—its large window faces the front of the property. Also on this floor are a bright, cheery laundry room and a powder room. Those rooms are right off the hallway to the home’s spacious three-car garage. Downsizing doesn’t mean giving up room for the boat or bicycles. No need for a lawnmower, though; the condo organization takes care of that.

Just like so many new homes today, this condo has a walk-out lower level. Designed with guests in mind, this level features a huge open area with light coming in from large windows. There’s one finished bedroom with full bath, and another could easily be finished. Some residents may want to put in a bar, exercise room, or even a movie room—that’s all possible with this much space. A door leads out to a small patio and further out to the shared backyard.

This home offers plenty of visible amenities, but there are more special touches that aren’t so easy to see. The home is rated energy star plus, and has whole-house audio, a security system, and central vacuum. In addition, JW Home Builders has thought about the future: each home is designed to make it easy to age in place. Hallways and doorways are extra wide, and residents can live entirely on the main floor.

Residents who are interested in a condo here can be part of the building process. Most residents work with one of four different floor plans; JW Home Builders will work with homeowners to customize the plan to fit their needs. Clearly, at this development, downsizing to a smaller home doesn’t have to mean downsizing luxuries.