By Carole Hawkins, [email protected]
Emily Sanchez, 3, probably didn’t realize her mom and dad were shopping for a new home.
But she’d already found the most interesting part of Dream Finders’ Edison II — a built-in “dog house” underneath the stairs.
She crawled inside, fed a toy bone to a stuffed dog and gave it a hug as her parents were visiting Parade of Homes.
The annual event returned in April, with 87 new-home entries across Northeast Florida that ranged in price from $153,000 to $1.3 million.
While open-floor plans, covered lanais and oversized spa-like master baths continued to dominate home designs, other creative ideas emerged.
More builders added mud rooms this year and upstairs lofts were abundant.
Small private spaces appeared more frequently — office nooks, owner’s retreats and even kids’ retreats.
Also, wall treatments got more complex, with accent walls gaining new textures and new materials, ranging from rough wood to a chalkboard finish.
It’s been a busy start to homebuying season and shoppers were checking out models with or without help from the Parade of Homes.
Tatiana Sanchez, Emily’s mom, said she her husband found another home on the Internet and discovered St. Johns County’s Verona subdivision and Dream Finder’s Edison II, by driving around afterward.
They’re shopping for a four-bedroom, five-bathroom house, even though they only have two children.
“I have a big family,” Tatiana Sanchez said.
Nicole and Tom Rogaski found their way to the Edison II using Realtor.com.
They were impressed by an upstairs room dedicated as a “man cave,” with cedar plank walls and a small office nook to one side.
“This is for watching football games,” Tom Rogaski said.
$150,000-$160,000
Gold: Dream Finders Homes, The Meadowbrook
$190,000-$205,000
Gold: Landon Homes, The Vilano
Silver: Mattamy Homes, Venice
$205,000-$215,000
Gold: Express Homes, Flora
Silver: Mattamy Homes, Braddock
$220,000-$230,000
Gold: Mattamy Homes, Milano
$245,000-$255,000
Gold: Lennar, Brio
Silver: Adams Homes, 2557
$270,000-$280,000
Gold: KB Home, The Kennedy
Silver: Lennar, Augustine
$285,000-$295,000
Gold: Mattamy Homes, Seaside
Silver: Dream Finders Homes, Fleming II with Bonus
$295,000-$305,000
Gold: KB Home, The Carrington
Silver: Drees Homes, San Pablo
$305,000-$315,000
Gold: Adams Homes, 3000
Silver: Mattamy Homes, Tidewater
$315,000-$325,000
Gold: Providence Homes, 3110
Silver: Providence Homes, The Fanning
$325,000-$340,000
Gold: Providence Homes, The Juniper
Silver: Lennar, Medallion
$340,000-$355,000
Gold: D.S. Ware Homes, Cayman II
Silver: Dream Finders Homes, Cordova
$365,000-$380,000
Gold: AV Homes, Davenport
Silver: Dream Finders Homes, Edison II
$380,000-$395,000
Gold: Standard Pacific Homes, Cayman
Silver: KB Home, The Maston
$395,000-$410,000
Gold: Drees Homes, Durbin
Silver: Drees Homes, Palmetto
$410,000-$425,000
Gold: ICI Homes, Egret II
Silver: Mattamy Homes, Ella
$425,000-$440,000
Gold: Drees Homes, Northgate
Silver: Dream Finders Homes, Montego II
$445,000-$460,000
Gold: Riverside Homes, Concord
Silver: Standard Pacific Homes, Santiago
$460,000-$475,000
Gold: Lennar Homes, Genesis Bonus
Silver: ICI Homes, Lucca
$475,000-$490,000
Gold: Vintage Estate Homes, Deborah
Silver: Ashley Homes, The 2917
$490,000-$505,000
Gold: David Weekley Homes, The Southfield
Silver: Richmond American Homes, Piermont
$510,000-$525,000
Gold: Standard Pacific Homes, Santa Cruz
Silver: Richmond American Homes, Dillon
$540,000-$560,000
Gold: David Weekley Homes, The Belmonte
Silver: Emerald Homes, Grand Cayman
$560,000-$575,000
Gold: ICI Homes, Marabella
Silver: Del Webb, Tangerly Oak with Loft
$580,000-$600,000
Gold: D.S. Ware Homes, Carrara II
Silver: Richmond American Homes, Bradford
$600,000-$620,000
Gold: MasterCraft Builder Group – The Thomas Plus
Silver: CornerStone Homes, Castille III
$630,000-$650,000
Gold: Toll Brothers, The Anastasia Mediterranean
$670,000-$690,000
Gold: Dostie Homes, Riverside Coastal
$775,000-$795,000
Gold: Standard Pacific Homes, Strathmore
Silver: ICI Homes, Vanderbilt
$830,000-$850,000
Gold: Dostie Homes, Alexandra Classic
$970,000-$1,000,000
Gold: ICI Homes, Biltmore II
Silver: Dream Finders Homes, Tuscany Custom
$1,075,000-$1,100,000
Gold: Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Cortina
$1,300,000-$1,3050,000
Gold: Riverside Homes, Rosemary
Silver: Toll Brothers, Catalina Shingle