Homebuyers Want New Floor Plans

SANTA CLARITA, CA—Five Knolls, a 247-acre masterplanned community, recently held its first preview for potential homebuyers. The community is the first of its kind to come to the Los Angeles submarket of Santa Clarita in several years, and will supply a market in demand of single-family homes. Brookfield Residential, which is well known for its work on the Playa Vista masterplanned community, is building two of the five neighborhoods at Five Knolls, Highglen and Brighton, which will have a total of 494 single-family homes. We sat down with the company's director of marketing Alison Girard, to talk about the development, demand for single-family housing and trends in design for these product types.

GlobeSt.com: Why was Santa Clarita an ideal location for a masterplanned community?

Alison Girard: Santa Clarita is the third-largest city in Los Angeles County, and yet, a masterplanned community of this size has not emerged in several years. Santa Clarita offers many competitive advantages: It balances excellent employment opportunities with thousands of acres of parks and preserved open space. It was named number-three among the Top 10 Safest Cities in America 2014 by Parenting Magazine. Its system of locally generated and locally spent tax dollars has fostered a broad range of innovation and amenities for its citizens.

GlobeSt.com: What is driving demand not just for single-family housing but these types of communities?

Girard: There is a strong thirst among homebuyers for the latest floorplans and features, including great rooms, creative indoor/outdoor spaces and expansive kitchens. This situation provides an ideal opportunity for our homebuilders. They have responded with floorplans and price ranges (starting from approximately 1,849 square feet and the low $500,000s), segmented to the greatest demand according to our research. A masterplan of this scale responds in new ways as well: The Five Knolls neighborhoods cluster around open space, its namesake knolls and meandering trails, with a mix of open spaces and social gathering spots.

GlobeSt.com: What type of interest have you received from potential residents/buyers?

Girard: Our Saturday preview event attracted over 1,000 home shoppers. There has been an equal attraction to the modern new homes, the park, knolls and the resort-style resident center “The Club.” You have two neighborhoods in the community, both gated with two-story detached homes starting from the $600,000-$700,000 range.

GlobeSt.com: Tell me a little bit about the design of these homes and the trends they follow in residential design.

Girard: Brookfield Residential is building Highglen and Brighton. Both are gated neighborhoods (behind the same set of gates with Monterra) of two-story detached residences. Highglen homes are, approximately 3,789-4,235 square feet, with 4-6 bedrooms, 3.5-5.5 baths and 3-bay garages. They start from the $700,000s. The homes of Brighton are approximately 3,116 – 3,471 square feet, with 4 -6 bedrooms, 3.5 – 4.5 baths and 3-bay garages. They are anticipated to start from the $600,000s. Their thoughtful design and generous size allows for flexibility. So bonus rooms, optional bedrooms and unique spaces such as outdoor rooms and covered decks are popular options. Both neighborhoods feature wonderful windows, great rooms, kitchen and dining areas perfect for family time and entertaining.  Brighton offers some wonderful volume spaces upon entry. Highglen rooms are also very spacious, even the master closet and laundry rooms. 

GlobeSt.com: First Playa Vista and now Five Knolls, do you have any other master planned communities in the pipeline? What is you interest in these projects?

Girard: Playa Vista is one of the most innovative and connected urban infill communities in the United States. Among masterplans, it constitutes one of the largest transformations of obsolete land into a walkable mix of new homes, creative offices, retail, year-round events, and active open space. Under Brookfield Residential's guidance it has become internationally recognized, attracting high-profile tenants such as Google, Yahoo and YouTube. Playa Vista has approximately 7,000 residents, with up to 12,000 expected by build-out in 2018.

Brookfield Residential has several other master plans in the region. New Haven in Ontario is part of the approximately 8,200-acre Ontario Ranch community (formerly New Model Colony). New Haven opens in September of this year. Rosedale in Azusa is the only new master-planned community in the San Gabriel Valley. It is set in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and within walking distance of a new Metro Gold Line Station that will soon connect Azusa all the way to Santa Monica.  Other Brookfield Residential master plans include Audie Murphy Ranch in Menifee, Spencer's Crossing in Murrieta, Morningstar Ranch in French Valley, all in Riverside County, and Colony Park in Anaheim.