Hidden Creek at Harleysville, a community of 90 homes in Lower Salford Township, opened to strong sales in June 1999. Already fifty-seven homes have sold, including four to area real estate agents - professionals who know exactly what to look for in a new home. Like most new homebuyers, they sought the perfect combination of location, value and features to fit their lifestyles. They found it all in this successful new community from Michael Anthony Homes.

Michael Torres, with ReMax Central in Lansdale, and his wife Emily, who is also a real estate agent, looked for two years before deciding on Hidden Creek. The Torres' visited several completed communities by builders they considered. "We wanted to see what our community would look like two or three years down the road. We strongly recommend that step in the selection process," says Michael. "A good builder creates a community that ages well."

Deborah Ripley, formerly of ReMax Central and now with Security Abstract of Pennsylvania, Inc. in Worcester, never considered anyplace except her hometown of Harleysville. She looked at other homes, then talked to clients who purchased a Michael Anthony home. "I got good feedback," she recalls, "and I thought Michael Anthony Homes had a better product.

Sherry Larson, who spends part of her time as a real estate agent with Weichert Realtors in Springhouse and the rest as a nurse with Smith Kline Beecham in Collegeville, thought Hidden Creek's Harleysville location was perfect for her. Larson was attracted by the bike trails connecting the community to Heckler Farmstead Park and the rest of the Township's extensive trail system. "Everyone in the family has a bike except me," she said. "I think we'll have to remedy that soon."

Justin Frost, an agent with Prudential Fox Roach in Doylestown, and his wife, Emily, are adopting a daughter now that they are in their new home at Hidden Creek. The Frost's mission to find the most for their money took them to new home communities all over the area. A ground floor study was very important and the Frosts loved the back staircase in the model they selected. "We fell in love with the floor plan. I was impressed by how well thought-out everything was, even details like the layout of the basement mechanicals to facilitate finishing that area in the future."

Cluster developments and permanently preserved open space became a part of many communities. While this new planning tool allowed neighborhoods to enjoy undeveloped property and more creative lot design, it often came with an additional price tag. Townships insisted homeowners associations be created to own these properties. The added monthly cost to maintain and insure the open space was exactly what many single-family homeowners were trying to escape as they moved out of townhomes or apartments.

Michael Anthony Homes has been fortunate to work with townships that have discovered a more enlightened way to make this open space more affordable and attractive for its new residents. At The Homestead at Harleysville, Hidden Creek at Harleysville and Brookfield, the open space will be dedicated to the townships to be incorporated into their park system. In the process, Michael Anthony Homes has installed community trails in the open space that allow the residents to do more than admire the permanently preserved acreage from afar. Lower Salford Township, home to Hidden Creek and The Homestead, has over six miles of trails that enable their residents to bike and walk from their homes to recreation, shopping and schools.

At Brookfield, the beautiful banks of The Little Lehigh Creek have been protected by placing them in the ownership of the township. In addition a 4-acre park contains a community fitness trail and state of the art playground equipment. The community has large, 1/2 acre lots giving the residents the best of both worlds.

I am very proud of that reputation and want to keep selling homes to people who make up communities like that.

The best way to attract great buyers is to treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were buying the single largest purchase of your lifetime. We have tried to make our buying process user-friendly. Our community managers are knowledgeable and see their role as service providers rather than salespeople. We have developed a homeowner's handbook that takes our buyers through each step of the home building process and tells them what to expect. We want to be honest with our buyers. New homes do settle, new lawns do take work to establish, and we are going to make a profit when we sell you a home. If we didn't, we shouldn't sell it to you because we wouldn't be around to back up our warranty and finish the community. By helping our buyers have realistic expectations we hope to earn their trust and their recommendation of our homes to their friends and family.

If you are currently a resident of a Michael Anthony Homes community, thank you for entrusting us with the task of building your family's home. And, thank you to the hundreds of people who have sent future buyers our way. If you are considering a move to a Michael Anthony Home, we look forward to doing business with you.