Sales and construction are now underway on the first 25 homes in Phase I at The Reserve of St. Charles—John Hall Homes’ new community of 133 custom single-family residences near the Fox River and St. Charles North High School.

The first five homesites have already been claimed, with initial buyers preparing to take delivery before the end of the year, said John Hall Jr., co-owner of John Hall Homes.

“The Reserve of St. Charles represents an opportunity for our company and our customers,” he said. “We were able to obtain these lots for almost half of what they were originally priced at, and now we’re passing on those savings to our buyers in the form of lower lot plus home package base prices, which start in the $470,000s.”

John Hall Homes’ St. Charles parcel spans 135 acres and features open space, numerous ponds, heavily treed areas and several homesites amenable to walkout and lookout basements. Securing the property was a fortuitous confluence of driving ambition and good timing.

“At the height of the real estate downturn, when so many builders were treading water and afraid to remain active, we decided to be proactive. We took advantage of the down time and refined our floorplans and way of doing business. Consequently, our prices have been lowered and our operations streamlined to improve efficiencies and make the selection process simpler. And when the opportunity was presented to us, we jumped on the chance to add The Reserve property to our roster of active communities,” said John Jr., who credits the Janko Group, a Deerfield-headquartered investment company, with helping to make this project a reality.

What impressed Hall Jr. and his brother/co-owner Joshua and father/company founder John Sr. was The Reserve’s prime location, topography and bountiful homesites—which are currently the largest available lot sizes, at approximately a half acre each, in the city of St. Charles. Each also includes city water and sewer service.

Les and Tricia Goostree, the community’s first buyers, will inaugurate The Reserve when they take delivery later this year of their Ana’s Cottage II, now being built. The two-story home will feature four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,300 square feet.

“We’ve been following John Hall Homes’ activity over the last 10 years or so and have been impressed by the high level of detail and workmanship built into every one of their homes. My husband and I noticed that they were introducing a new property—The Reserve—after visiting their Web site earlier this year. We were so excited about this location that the very next day, we drove out to meet with John Hall Jr. and learn more. Within just a few days, we had made up our minds to have John build us our dream home and become the first residents at the community,” said Tricia, who can’t wait to start using her new kitchen.

Les said he and his wife try to drive by every day and check the construction progress on their future home, which is proceeding well on schedule.

“It’s fun watching the house of our dreams take shape and get closer to completion,” said Les, who is anticipating some well-deserved rest and relaxation in the family room, which will showcase a two-story fireplace.

Buyers at The Reserve of St. Charles can bring in their own floorplan, start from scratch on a one-of-a-kind-residence with a John Hall Homes’ architect, or choose from 17 different customizable ranch and two-story designs—each providing four to five bedrooms, three to five baths, formal living and dining rooms, family room, large kitchen, basement and 2,800 to 4,500 square feet. Base prices on lot-plus-home packages, including landscaping, range from the $470,000s to $900,000 (all prices subject to change without notice).

“Every home we build here will be completely unique,” said Joshua. “No two elevations will be alike, and each residence will reflect the individual tastes and personalities of its owners.”

Every residence John Hall Homes builds is Energy Star-rated. Among the standard inclusions in each home are an 8’10” deep pour foundation; roughed-in plumbing in the basement; wood-burning fireplace with stone face and custom mantle; full landscaping with paver patio; custom maple cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops in the kitchen; deluxe trimwork throughout; custom bench with cubbies and custom bookcases in the study; tray ceiling with trim in the master bedroom; custom-milled stairs; brushed nickel flair hardware; Andersen low-E windows; hardwood oak flooring in the kitchen, hall, foyer and nook, and much more.

The neighborhood has one inventory home available for early 2010 move-in. Located at 4625 Grandfield Dr., this custom Ana’s Cottage II boasts four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, master bedroom suite with an oversized closet, spacious laundry/hobby room, bonus room and extra laundry room on the second floor, and 3,600 square feet—priced at $659,900.

Sales for The Reserve are being conducted at two different sales offices. On Mondays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., shoppers can visit the sales center at 2020 Dean St. (suite A) in St. Charles: Take I-90 to Randall Road and head south to Dean Street; take a left and head east approximately 50 feet and turn into the parking lot on the left.

On Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., shoppers can visit the sales office at 3664 Broadleaf Ave. in Elgin at Highland Woods, another premiere John Hall Homes community: Take I-90 to Randall Road and head south to Rt. 20; proceed west approximately 4.5 miles, past Plank Road; turn right into the Highland Woods community; take a left at the first street, then a right at Broadleaf one block ahead, and proceed to the model. For more information, call (630) 377-1515 or visit http://www.johnhallhomes.com/.