Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team season kicks off Memorial Day weekend.

Looking for ways to get involved in your community near your McHenry County new homes? Whether it is through participation or support, we have a local activity that is calling your name – the Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team. You could join Roger Gerstad, president of Gerstad Builders, who is just one of many long time participants and supporters.

Proud to be four-time National Show Ski Champions, this water ski show team is part of what makes McHenry a great place to live. The team is currently in training for their new season and cannot wait to show off their skills Memorial Day Weekend with their first ski show of the year. It will be held on Sunday, May 27 at 4 p.m. at Center Beach in Wonder Lake, Ill.

Come spend the day watching an amazing show, and if you feel you want to do more, talk with a member about joining the team. Out of 140 members about half are skiers, while the rest are supporters. There is a place for everyone in the Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team.

The Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team is just one reason why McHenry County is the ideal place for you to call home. To learn more about homes in the area, visit our model homes at Liberty Trails and The Trails of Pheasant Ridge. A community that boasts ranch and two-story floor plans, The Trails of Pheasant Ridge features homes with popular finishes, as well as the option of adding optional features such as skylights and three-car garages. It is truly a great community that shows what Richmond homes have to offer.

For more information, visit the Gerstad Builders website or call 815-385-4495.

McHenry County new homes with mom in mind

Are you still trying to come up with the perfect Mother’s Day gift idea? Forget the flowers, chocolates and cards. This year, treat your mom to something special by designing a room in your McHenry County new homes specifically for her. After all, she continues to do so much for us; doesn’t she deserve a room devoted exclusively for her needs?

At Gerstad Builders, we can help you design the home of your mom’s dreams. Our customizable floor plans can be altered to fit her individual needs and preferences. For example, instead of using that spare bedroom for your home’s study, redesign it for mom’s craft room.

Or, instead of turning your basement into a hangout for your teenagers or a space for dad to store his tools, finish a room and turn it into a mom cave!

If your mom loves to whip up delicious meals, then design a gourmet kitchen with fabulous upgrades that will help her bake, sauté and pickle with ease.

Does your mom need a home outside of McHenry? No problem. In addition to our beautiful homes at Liberty Trails in McHenry, we have Williams Bay real estate at Bailey Estates, Richmond homes at The Trails of Pheasant Ridge and Poplar Grove new homes at The Trails of Dawson Creek.

For more information about customizing your Gerstad Builders home for mom, visit our website.

Community of McHenry new homes offers tons of green space!

April is a month to celebrate and honor the earth. We recently celebrated Earth Day where many residents of McHenry new homes looked for ways to promote sustainability and go green, as well as Arbor Day, where families across the nation were encouraged to get out and plant a tree. More than just a day to give back to the planet, Arbor Day offers a time where you can enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the trees in your community.

At Gerstad Builders, we work hard to provide our residents with a beautiful community, full of natural beauty, trees and green space. In fact, at Liberty Trails, a portion of our community is actually a nature preserve. This community offers tons of green space and a tot lot, providing homeowners with a place to relax outdoors without having to leave the comfort of their community.

In addition to boasting a nature preserve, Liberty Trails is composed of energy efficient ranch and two-story homes with two to five bedrooms, two to 3.5 bathrooms and up to 3,177 square feet. Homes offer GE appliances and Kohler fixtures with options to customize homes at the Gerstad Builders’ design center with options such as hardwoods, granite, designer millwork and more.

In addition to Liberty Trails, we also offer Richmond new homes at The Trails of Pheasant Ridge. So, buyers have even more opportunities to purchase one of our fabulous new homes in McHenry County.

For more information about our new homes, visit the Gerstad Builders website.

Affordable Poplar Grove homes at the Trails of Dawson Creek

Just because you don’t have time to wait on new home construction, it doesn’t mean that you can’t purchase beautiful new Poplar Grove homes. In fact, we have a fantastic move-in ready home available at an amazing value at The Trails of Dawson Creek.

Featuring the popular Biltmore plan, Dawson Creek’s move-in ready home boasts a convenient ranch design that is perfect for both first-time buyers and empty-nesters. The home offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,382 square feet, and is priced to sell at $159,990.

Plus, you can celebrate Earth Day in style with the home’s low maintenance and energy saving features including vinyl siding, aluminum fascia, R-38 insulation, 2×6 framing, R-21 wall insulation and low-e windows.

The Trails of Dawson Creek is a wonderful community of new ranch, two-story and tri-level homes. Here buyers have the option of customizing existing floor plans to meet their individual needs, and residents have the best of both worlds as the community features a quiet, picturesque setting while remaining close to life’s necessities. Commuters have easy access to I-39, I-90 and Metra, and families will love the Village of Poplar Grove’s community events and summer Farmer’s Market.

In addition to the new homes at The Trails of Dawson Creek, we have Richmond new homes at The Trails of Pheasant Ridge, Williams Bay homes a Bailey Estates and McHenry new homes at Liberty Trails.

For more information about the Biltmore, The Trails of Dawson Creek or any of our other new home communities, visit the Gerstad Builders website.

Support the Human Race

Are you interested in supporting a local non-profit organization, or maybe just looking for something to do close to your McHenry new homes? Why not join the second annual Human Race 5K walk/run on Sunday, April 15, at 9 a.m.? This event is a fundraiser for all charities and non-profits serving McHenry County.

To help, you can sign up and raise money for a charity or non-profit of your choice. Or just participate in the event and designate an organization to receive the donation of your registration fee. You can register online at www.active.com or download a registration form at www.mchumanrace.org.

This worthwhile community event is just one of many offered in the city of McHenry, and just one of the reasons that McHenry is a great place to live.

Visit our model homes at Liberty Trails to truly experience what life in McHenry is all about. The community is close to schools, shopping, recreation and everything you need. Plus, with a tot park and tons of green space, Liberty Trails offers the perfect place to cool down and relax after your exhilarating run/walk.

Liberty Trails is composed of ranch and two-story homes with two to four bedrooms and up to three bathrooms, so there is something to meet every family’s need.

In addition to new homes at Liberty Trails, we have Richmond new homes at the Trails of Pheasant Ridge, Poplar Grove homes at The Trails of Dawson Creek and Williams Bay homes at Bailey Estates.

For more information, visit the Gerstad Builders website or call 815-385-4495.

Use your tax refund on remodeling or renovations for your home.

It’s tax time, and most of us are probably expecting some sort of refund this year. That means you can finally get around to all of that renovation and remodeling work you’ve been putting off around the house. That’s right, no more half-finished projects keeping your house from feeling like a home. Now, you just have to find the right contractor to make those repairs. We have your solution. You may know us as a McHenry County home builder that specializes in constructing quality new homes in beautiful communities such as Liberty Trails, The Trails of Dawson Creek, The Trails of Pheasant Ridge and Bailey Estates. But, did you know that we also help homeowners with their remodeling and renovation work as well?

From re-tiling your kitchen and bathrooms to complete overhauls of your home, we can help you make the updates your home needs to bring it into the 21st century. Plus, as an established builder with experience in helping homebuyers customize our floor plans, you can feel confident that we will get the job done right the first time.

And, of course, we still build beautiful Richmond, Williams Bay, Poplar Grove and McHenry new homes in excellent communities where you can help design your home from the ground-up, making interior selections and customizations to fit your family’s needs and lifestyle.

To get your renovation projects started, visit the Gerstad Builders website.

Check the smoke detector in your McHenry new homes.

Those who have not recently purchased McHenry new homes may have something aging in their houses that could affect their families’ safety. It’s something that we often forget to check because it’s one of our household items that are (hopefully) rarely used. What are we talking about? Smoke detectors.

It is a little known fact, but smoke detectors that are more than 10 years old should be replaced with a new one since age affects the sensitivity of the detector. To find the date, you should look on or under the cover of your smoke detector. If you cannot find the date, then just be safe and replace the unit.

However, if you want to forgo all of the upgrades and maintenance required of an older home, then you can give us a call. We are a leading new home builder in McHenry, Richmond, Poplar Grove and Williams Bay.

We take special care in building homes that will last a lifetime, and help to keep your family happy, comfortable and safe. Our homes include all of the newest energy efficient features that will save you money on heating and cooling costs.

With decorated models in our communities of Poplar Grove, McHenry, Williams Bay and Richmond new homes open for viewing, you owe it to yourself and your family to see what a great home we can build for you.

Visit the Gerstad Builders website or call 815-385-4495 for more information.

Festival of Homes features The Trails of Dawson Creek

Whether it’s to take care of an aging parent or because your child needs a little extra help after college graduation, more families find that they need McHenry new homes that can accommodate multiple generations. If your family is in the same boat that many others have found themselves in these days, then give us a call. Our customizable floor plans have many options that will give your family plenty of room to spread out and live comfortably, no matter what life situations you face.

If climbing stairs will be an issue for your family, then you don’t have to worry in one of our spacious ranch homes. Fully designed to support a stair-free lifestyle, your family will be able to access everything they need.

For those with children who have moved back home after graduation, our floor plans with full walkout basements and three-car garages are just what you need. By finishing the basement, you’ll have the privacy that you both want and the three-car garage will give your child space to park his or her car.

We have homes in Richmond, McHenry, Poplar Grove and Williams Bay, so you’re sure to find the right home in the right location for your family. And, to make it even easier for you to buy new, we’ve recently lowered the prices for our McHenry, Williams Bay, Richmond and Poplar Grove homes.

So, stop by one of our new home communities today to see what we can do for you.

For more information about our new homes, visit the Gerstad Builders website.

Discover Treasures at the McHenry Community Garage Sale

Whether you’re looking for some extra special knick knacks to help you spruce up your McHenry new homes, or want to help your spring cleaning along by getting rid of some unnecessary items, you don’t want to miss the community-wide garage sale this weekend, Saturday, March 24 at the McHenry Middle School from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The community garage sale will have everything from baby clothes to gadgets and electronics. The event is free, so bring the whole family out to just browse the selection or purchase decorations for your entire home.

Although the deadline to purchase a table at the garage sale has already passed, if you do still need to get rid of some unwanted items then the Salvation Army will be onsite at the end of the event to collect any donations. For more information, check out page 7 of the McHenry Parks & Recreation Department’s Winter/Spring 2012 news letter (PDF).

After the event, make sure to stop by Liberty Trails or The Trails of Pheasant Ridge for a tour of our beautiful McHenry and Richmond new homes. Both communities feature spacious home designs with plenty of room to house your new treasures from the community-wide garage sale.

For more information about our new homes, or for directions to Liberty Trails and The Trails of Pheasant Ridge, visit the Gerstad Builders website.

Host a March Madness Party at your McHenry New Homes.

Those living in our McHenry new homes are always looking for a reason to show off their spacious abodes to friends and family. If you’re ready to host your next big party since the Super Bowl, then we have just the occasion for you to celebrate. March Madness starts this Sunday with “Selection Sunday,” when 64 college basketball teams are selected for the Big Dance that so many of us love.

That means the best time to host a March Madness party is just two weeks away. That first weekend of play, when everyone’s favorite team is still part of the tournament, is when spirits and hopes are high, and everyone’s amped up about the exciting weeks to come. Take advantage of this energetic time by hosting a slam-dunk party in your home.