“Three new Rodrock Development communities are uniquely delivering what homebuyers ultimately seek in a new home purchase,” says Darol Rodrock, founder and owner of Rodrock Development. According to Rodrock, “in addition to the home of their dreams, home buyers find that in a Rodrock community neighbors become friends, and kids play together. It’s almost like living in a small town. The beautiful thing about my new communities, they are close to everything, the College Boulevard work corridor, shopping and schools. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages is they are located in the first rate Spring Hill School system.”

Rodrock Development’s three new-home Olathe communities—Cedar Ridge Park, Fairfield at Heritage Park and Heritage Manor—are all introducing new home sites, and each community has new homes under construction. All three are also open to outside builders. Home styles and floor plan styles vary by community, home prices range from the $250,000s to the mid-$400,000s.

Having started his professional career as a high school educator, Rodrock appreciates what he terms “the vital importance” of situating new neighborhoods within highly rated school districts.

All are situated within the highly rated Spring Hill School District, long recognized as the little district big on personalizing student curriculums to ensure each student’s academic and social development success. The Spring Hill School District’s is known for balancing forwarding thinking, technology driven, even Internet-based curriculums and in-class college and career preparedness curriculums.

“In the Spring Hill District the staff continually challenges itself to do the utmost to ensure that every child has the personalized opportunities he or she needs to fulfill their educational potential,” says Rodrock. “They are extremely dedicated teachers who are focused on preparing each child for the challenges of tomorrow.”

Heritage Manor homeowner, and area pediatrician, Amy Voelker, made finding the right school district for her two daughters the first priority when new-home shopping. Voelker’s daughters now attend the award-winning Prairie Creek Elementary School, where their grandmother, Carol Voelker, a retired Olathe School District teacher, now volunteers. “I had a specific checklist I set out to fulfill for my children, and I’ve found the Spring Hill District to be more than accommodating,” says Amy.

“It’s clear that the District is committed to ensuring that every child receives the education he or she needs,” says Carol. “The District receives Service Excellence Awards every year, a measure of teaching success in all grade levels and subject matters, and has received the Governor’s Award for Excellence twice, the second time just last year. I don’t think you can do any better than that,” says Carol.

“Both of my girls love it here, and both are doing very well,” says Amy.

“The Spring Hill District enjoys a well earned reputation as a student-success oriented, socially responsible district,” says Rodrock. “This District also receives strong community support,” says Rodrock, citing a recent mill levy, a no-tax-increase bond issue, that is now providing district-wide funding for technology, structural and other upgrades. “The District is doing a great job of expanding staff and curriculum as class populations grow and student needs emerge,” says Rodrock.

“Each of these new Rodrock Development communities fulfill our company’s long-standing ‘Building Better Communities’ mission,” says Tom Langhofer, general manager of Rodrock Development. For more than 35 years, locally owned Rodrock Development has successfully created more than 70 new-home communities throughout Johnson County. “More than 25,000 people come home to a Rodrock Development community every day,” says Langhofer. “It’s an astonishing track record that shows Darol’s commitment to Rodrock Development communities.

Cedar Ridge Park, 165th and Ridgeview Road, offers homes from the $250,000s to $350,000s. The two-story and reverse story-and-a-half plans feature three and five bedrooms, some with first floor master suites, 2-1/2 to four baths and three-car garages. Move-in availability ranges from immediate to sixty and ninety days. Community amenities include a zero entry community pool with water play area and changing cabana, pergola-covered gas grills and picnic area, and a playground.

Fairfield at Heritage Park, 165th and Black Bob Road, offers homes from the low $300,000s to mid-$400,000s. Since Rodrock Development announced the purchase of Fairfield at Heritage Park in May, eight custom build jobs are underway, and another six new for sale homes are also being built. New floor plans include two-story, ranch and reverse story-and-a-half plans with four to five bedrooms, 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 baths and three-car garages. Large frontage sites are at least 80-feet wide. Move-in availability ranges from thirty and sixty days. Community amenities include a community pool and changing cabana and large playground.

Heritage Manor, 165th and Mur-Len, features its own centrally located 24-acre community park with nature trails, a large clubhouse, 24-hour fitness center, zero depth entry swimming pool with fountain, and tennis, softball, baseball and volleyball courts. The community currently has several new custom build jobs going up and construction on a number of new homes, which are for sale, is slated to get underway later this summer. Homes range from the upper $200,000s to upper $300,000s.

Langhofer credits the unique Rodrock Development Moms Council as a key element of the company’s ongoing success. “Darol created the Moms Council decades ago as a way to help neighbors get to know each other better, and Moms and Dads to have time to enjoy community activities with their children,” says Langhofer.

“It’s personal to me,” says Rodrock, “because I never had the opportunity to have those moments as a child.”

He cites summer pool opening parties, early spring egg hunts, July 4th Bicycle parades and December holiday horse-drawn hayride events as occasions that appeal to everyone, and can be the beginning of establishing life-long connections. “It’s an idea that’s worked everywhere it’s introduced,” says Langhofer.

All three communities are near the 1,200-plus acre Heritage Park recreational complex, offering an 18-hole championship course and driving range; pedal boating, sailing and fishing in the 40-acre lake; a 30-acre fenced off-leash dog park; and softball, football and soccer fields. Adjacent to the Park is a full-care horse boarding and training facility.

For more information about each community, including directions, amenities, available homes, builders and more, visit the developer’s web site at www.rodrock.com. Or call: Cedar Ridge Park, 913.829.5813; Fairfield at Heritage Park, 913.768.4800; Heritage Manor, 913.764.1667. All three communities are exclusively marketed by Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City Homes.

“Three new Rodrock Development communities are uniquely delivering what homebuyers ultimately seek in a new home purchase,” says Darol Rodrock, founder and owner of Rodrock Development. “In addition to the home of their dreams, home buyers find that in a Rodrock community neighbors become friends and kids play together. It’s almost like living in a small town. The beautiful thing about these new communities is that they are close to everything: the College Boulevard work corridor, shopping and schools. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages is they are located in the first rate Spring Hill School system,” says Rodrock.

Rodrock Development’s three new-home Olathe communities—Cedar Ridge Park, Fairfield at Heritage Park and Heritage Manor—are introducing new home sites, and each community has new homes under construction by proven area builders. Depending on the community, available floor plans include new two-story and reverse 1-1/2 story plans feature open layouts, extensive master suites, generous kitchens, energy efficiencies and more. Home prices range from the $250,000s to the mid-$400,000s. Availability ranges from immediate to 120 days. Each community is also open to outside builders.

All three communities are near the Johnson County Parks and Recreation’s 1,200-plus acre Heritage Park, a multi-use setting offering an 18-hole championship course and driving range; pedal boating, sailing and fishing in the 40-acre lake; a 30-acre fenced off-leash dog park; and softball, football and soccer fields. Adjacent to the Park is a full-care horse boarding and training facility.

A former Johnson County high school educator before becoming a successful new-home community developer, Rodrock appreciates what he terms “the vital importance” of situating new neighborhoods within highly rated school districts.

“All three of these communities are served by the Spring Hill School District, long recognized as the little district that’s big on personalizing student curriculums to ensure each student’s academic and social development success,” says Rodrock. Rodrock adds that the District is known for balancing forwarding thinking, technology driven, even Internet-based curriculums and in-class college and career preparedness curriculums.

“The Spring Hill District staff continually challenges itself to do the utmost to ensure that every child has the personalized opportunities he or she needs to fulfill their educational potential,” says Rodrock. “They are extremely dedicated teachers who are focused on preparing each child for the challenges of tomorrow.”

Heritage Manor homeowner, and area pediatrician, Amy Voelker, made finding the right school district for her two daughters the first priority when new-home shopping. Voelker’s daughters now attend the award-winning Prairie Creek Elementary School, where their grandmother, Carol Voelker, a retired Olathe School District teacher, now volunteers. “I had a specific checklist I set out to fulfill for my children, and I’ve found the Spring Hill District to be more than accommodating,” says Amy. “Both of my girls love it here, and both are doing very well.”

Voelker’s mom, Carol, a retired schoolteacher, agrees. “The District receives Service Excellence Awards every year, a measure of teaching success in all grade levels and subject matters, and has received the Governor’s Award for Excellence twice, the second time just last year,” says Carol. “I don’t think you can do any better than that.”

“This District also receives strong community support,” says Rodrock, citing a recent mill levy, a no-tax-increase bond issue, that is now providing district-wide funding for technology, structural and other upgrades. “The District is doing a great job of expanding staff and curriculum as class populations grow and student needs emerge,” says Rodrock.

For more than 35 years, locally owned Rodrock Development has successfully created more than 70 new-home communities throughout Johnson County. “More than 25,000 people come home to a Rodrock Development community every day,” says Tom Langhofer., general manager of Rodrock Development. Langhofer credits the unique Rodrock Development Moms Council as another key to the company’s ongoing success.

“Darol created the Moms Council decades ago as a way to help neighbors get to know each other better,” says Langhofer, “and spend time with the kids.”

“It’s personal to me,” says Rodrock, “because I never had the opportunity to have those moments as a child.”

“As a standard company practice, we’ve always encouraged homebuyers to compare all aspects of the purchase equation before making what may be the biggest investment decision they’ll ever make,” says Langhofer. “In addition to a community’s amenities, or a home’s unique features, we also recommend that homebuyers assess the developer’s financial soundness before taking any home-buying leap. Homebuyers deserve to know that the community they’re considering has the financial strength and stability behind it to ensure its long-term success.

“We can point to Rodrock Development communities throughout Johnson County that that are aging gracefully, communities we started twenty to thirty years ago, as examples of what homeowners can expect in the long term,” says Langhofer. “In every price range, we offer a well-rounded amenities package, proximity to highways, award-winning schools, shopping and office parks, and the added assurance of developer longevity and stability,” says Langhofer.

All three southern Olathe Rodrock Development communities are exclusively marketed by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes. For more information about each community, including directions, amenities, available homes, builders and more, visit the developer’s web site at www.rodrock.com. Or call: Cedar Ridge Park, 913.829.5813; Fairfield at Heritage Park, 913.768.4800; Heritage Manor, 913.764.1667.

It’s a Rodrock Development holiday tradition in communities throughout Johnson County. Much-anticipated horse-drawn hayrides feature huge Belgian draft horses all decked out for the holidays, sleigh bells ringing, traversing through luminary-lit streets. Every year, community residents of all ages gather to sing carols and savor hot cocoa. A nod to a gentler time gone by? Yes, and also, a reminder of the importance of strengthening community ties.

Decades ago, Rodrock Development founder and owner Darol Rodrock created the Rodrock Development Moms Council as a way to help his new neighborhoods get off to a great start. Volunteers in each community help plan year-round events, opportunities for new neighbors to get to know each other. “It’s an idea that has worked everywhere it is introduced,” says Tom Langhofer, general manager of Rodrock Development, “and still does.”

Well-known in Johnson County real estate circles, Rodrock Development now numbers more than seventy new home communities in its extensive development portfolio. According to Langhofer, the company motto “Building Better Communities” has served as the impetus behind the company’s successful new-home communities in Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe, Shawnee and Stilwell, Kansas.

“In addition to finding the home of their dreams, home buyers find that, in a Rodrock Development community, neighbors become friends and kids play together. It’s almost like living in a small town,” says Rodrock.

“For most of us, buying a house is more than an investment, it’s creating a personal definition of home,” says Rodrock, “the central gathering place for family and friends.”

Which is why, according to Langhofer, Rodrock holds steadfast in his commitment to building communities of lasting value.  “Helping create new neighborhoods where families and friends can come together is something that Darol has always been passionate about,” says Langhofer.

Rodrock admits that his motivation is part professional, a lot personal. As a child he spent a number of years living in a Winfield, Kansas orphanage with no home to call his own. “When I look back on my life, I want to know that I did more than just buy and sell land. I’ve seen for myself that, in addition to providing a great new-home value for homeowners, we’re also helping new neighborhoods come together in positive ways. To me, it’s one of the most gratifying aspects of what we do.”

“More than twenty five thousand people come home to a Johnson County Rodrock Development community every day,” says Langhofer. “It’s an astonishing record.” One Langhofer believes is due in large part to the developer’s Moms Council vision.

Moms Council events vary by community, and may include Spring Egg Hunts, Memorial weekend pool opening parties or July 4th Bike-a-Thons. According to Langhofer, the goal is always the same: give new homeowners opportunities to get to know each other, and have fun.

In addition to Moms Council events, Rodrock also rewards early homebuyers in new communities by committing to the installation of recreational and aesthetic amenities during a community’s earliest development stages, “a major departure from industry norms,” says Langhofer.

Citing community amenities including extensive common-area landscaping, stone entrance monuments, wrought-iron perimeter fencing, swimming pools and playgrounds and more, Langhofer says “Darol has always sought to make Rodrock Development communities the very best they can be from day one, rather than waiting until final development stages.”

Today, Rodrock Development offers new-home communities with single-family homes, maintenance provided villas, and also acreage home sites zoned for horses. Depending on the community, home prices range from the mid $200,000s to the $500,000s plus.

“We’re especially proud of the fact that in today’s market all of our communities feature proven area builders adding exciting new two-story, ranch and reverse story and a half plans that homebuyers resonate with,” says Langhofer. Rodrock Development communities also welcome outside builders, with developer approval.

Another standard company business practice is to encourage homebuyers to compare all options before making what may be the biggest investment decision they’ll ever make. “In addition to evaluating a community’s amenities or a home’s unique features, we also recommend that homebuyers assess the developer’s financial soundness before taking any home-buying leap,” says Langhofer. “Homebuyers deserve to know that the community they’re considering has the financial strength and stability behind it to ensure its long-term success.

“We can point to Rodrock Development communities that are aging gracefully throughout Johnson County as great examples,” says Langhofer. “In every price range, these communities offer a well-rounded amenities package, proximity to highways, award-winning schools, shopping and office parks, and developer longevity and stability,” says Langhofer.

It’s a formula that is working. Even after all these years, Rodrock Development’s new-home community growth continues. The company added five new communities to its ever-expanding community roster just this year.

Rodrock Development communities are exclusively marketed by Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City Homes. Community Welcome Centers, staffed by full-time community managers, are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays, noon to 5:00 p.m. For more information including community manager phone numbers, directions and more, visit the developer’s web site at www.rodrock.com.

Grayson Place, the Rodrock Development community in Olathe, has new single-family homes, and also maintenance-provided villas, now under construction. Move-in availability ranges from thirty to 180 days. Single-family homes in Grayson Place, which is located just east of 7 Highway at 119^th Street and Valley Road, are priced from the mid $200,000s to low $300,000s. The new maintenance-provided villas are priced from the $250,000s to $280,000s.

The nine new single-family family floor plans include expanded versions of popular ranch, reverse story-and-a-half and two-story homes priced from the mid $200,000s to low $300,000s. Grayson Place is also open to outside builders for custom build jobs, and for spec homes, with developer approval.

In The Estates at Grayson Place, featured floor plans include all-on-one-floor ranch, California split-level and two-story homes featuring open first-floor layouts, luxurious finishes, sophisticated layouts and energy efficiencies. Square footages vary from sixteen hundred to twenty-five hundred square feet, with three and four bedrooms, 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 baths and three-car garages. Available home sites include walkout, daylight and cul-de-sac site options, some backing to mature trees or a future City of Olathe park.

According to Darol Rodrock, founder and owner of Rodrock Development, the area topography is comprised of gently rolling prairie hills, and mature trees.  ”There are no through streets or busy intersections to mar the tranquil setting,” says Rodrock. “Grayson Place offers homebuyers an ‘away-from-it-all’ feel, and close-in convenience.” Grayson Place is only minutes to K-7 via 119th Street, allowing for efficient commutes.

Community amenities include distinctive stone entrance monument, extensive common area landscaping, two swimming pools, a clubhouse and a lake with walking trails.

Grayson Place is served by the award-winning Olathe Unified School District. Forest View Elementary, Mission Trail Middle and Olathe Northwest High Schools are all nearby. The District recently announced the acquisition of property right across 119^th Street from the main Grayson Place community entrance. The District intends to build a new elementary school at that site.

The new Grayson Place single-family homes under construction include The Sheridan II, an expanded version of builder James III Homes’ popular ranch plan. It’s situated on a wooded home site, maximizing the home’s covered deck and daylight lower level.

Interior finishes include a vaulted entry with hardwood floors, arched doorways, 10-foot ceilings throughout the first floor, extensive crown molding, wrought iron stair spindles, stone fireplace, hardwood floors in kitchen, breakfast and mud rooms, furniture grade kitchen cabinetry, granite counters, large center island with seating for four, pendent lighting and stone tile backsplash. The all-suite three bedroom, three bath, 3-car garage home lists for $309,950.

The two-story Yorkshire II by Chris George Homes is a four-bedroom, 3-1/2 bath plan that shifts the stairwell to the back wall, maximizing open living space between the great room, formal dining room, kitchen and breakfast room. The kitchen features a large walk-in pantry, oversized center island with sink and seating for four, and separate breakfast area. The second floor master suite adjoins a second-floor laundry. This home is listed at $297,950 and is situated on a walkout wooded home site and includes a 12×12 deck overlooking a treed back yard.

The Villas of Grayson Place offers the freedom of lawn maintenance provided living. The expandable ranch plans range from the $250,000s to $280,000s.

The Laurel, a two-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage ranch plan, is expandable to a reverse story and a half featuring three to four bedrooms. Main floor features include a four-season porch off the kitchen and breakfast rooms, ideal for use as a den or study. Optional lower-level finish options include a second family room with fireplace, plus one or two more bedrooms and a bath. The Laurel front exterior is comprised of distinctive French-inspired stone and stucco finishes.

Curry Management Company has been retained to manage Grayson Place common area amenities, and also oversee community activities, including year-round Rodrock Development Moms Council events.  The Rodrock Development Moms Council is a unique concept created by Darol Rodrock decades ago to help new neighborhoods get off to a great start.

According to Tom Langhofer, general manager of Rodrock Development, the first Grayson Place holiday horse-drawn hayride and caroling event will be held next month. “These events have become annual traditions in Rodrock Development communities throughout Johnson County,” says Langhofer.

Well-known in Johnson County real estate circles, Rodrock built his new-home community development company “based on the idea of creating neighborhoods of lasting value,” says Langhofer. “For more 35 years, locally owned Rodrock Development has delivered on its ‘building better communities’ promise, the company’s motto, and now numbers more than 70 new-home communities in its portfolio,” says Langhofer. “More than 25,000 people come home to a Rodrock Development community in Johnson County everyday.”

Grayson Place is exclusively marketed by Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City Homes. For more information, visit the developer’s web site at www.rodrock.com or contact community managers Mike Slaven or Anita Hadel at 913.254.7144. To get to Grayson Place take K-7 south to 119th Street, 119th Street east to Valley Road, south to 121st Terrace, west on 121st Terrace, follow signs to community Welcome Center at 12197 South Brookway Street.

Southwick on the Lake, the planned rural living retreat in Stilwell, Kansas, has three new homes under construction and for sale. The southernmost Johnson County Rodrock Development community is located just north of 199^th Street and east of Mission Road on Canterbury Road, and features 34 acreage home sites, each zoned for one or two horses. Home prices for the community range from the upper $400,000s to $1,000,000.

The three new homes under construction are slated to be move-in ready within 90 to 180 days. The two-story and story-and-a-half plans feature uncommonly large mudrooms thoughtfully designed for the rigors of country living. Home prices for the three new homes range from the $500,000s to $600,000s.

Todd Hill Homes’ two-story Prairie-style plan is being built on a four-acre site. Included are four bedrooms, 4-1/2 baths, first floor office, first floor sunroom, a front porch, and elaborate lanai and outdoor area.

James Engle Custom Homes’ The Laurel II is a story-and-a-half plan on a 2.91-acre site with mature trees. The four-bedroom, four-car garage home features a first-floor master and three upstairs bedrooms. Also included: a loft plus laundry rooms on both first and second floors.

The Shelby, Estes Custom Homes’ five-bedroom, 5-1/2 bath 1-1/2 story plan is being built on a 3-1/2 acre site. Features include two main floor bedrooms, including a generous first-floor master, an open loft and four-car garage.

In addition to the three new homes that are for sale, two new custom homes for private homeowners are also underway. One is under construction now, construction for the second home is slated to begin soon.

Five of Southwick on the Lake’s 34 homesites are already owner occupied. A natural 14-acre private community fishing lake is exclusively for homeowner use; some lakeside home sites are available. Homebuyers may choose from Rodrock Development’s extensive portfolio of proven floor plans and builders. The community is also open to outside builders, with developer approval.

According to Darol Rodrock, founder and owner of locally owned Rodrock Development, the new horse-friendly custom-build community is the culmination of a decades-long dream. “For more than forty years I’ve enjoyed rural southern Johnson County living, raising horses and fishing my own lake. I long hoped that, one day, I would have the opportunity to offer home buyers a similarly unique, yet affordable, rural lifestyle community option,” says Rodrock. “This is it!”

Since announcing the purchase of Southwick on the Lake in January, Rodrock has upgraded common area landscaping, planted two hundred four-inch caliper trees lining both sides of all major community roadways, installed stone walking trail entrance monuments. Two lake fountains and trail benches are being installed soon.

Additional community amenities include paved roadways, nearby highway proximity, easy access to all points in the Kansas City metro, and award-winning Blue Valley School District schools. Stilwell Elementary School, consistently ranked in the top 5% of elementary schools in the state, is minutes away. New Aubry Bend Middle School opened August 2011. Blue Valley Southwest Senior High School opened in 2010.

According to Tom Langhofer, general manager of Rodrock Development, the company’s purchase of the once financially distressed property is a reminder of the importance of checking out a community developer’s financial strength before investing in a property. “Rodrock Development’s financial strength and stability is a comfort to homebuyers who are concerned about the long-term viability of their investment,” says Langhofer.

“More than twenty five thousand people in Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and Olathe come home to a Rodrock Development community every day,” says Langhofer. “Rodrock Development has created more than seventy successful new-home neighborhoods throughout the county.”

Southwick on the Lake is marketed exclusively by Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City Homes. For more information contact community managers Lynne Matile or Sherri Hines at 913-378-2500 or visit www.rodrock.com. Both Hines and Matile are experienced full-time real estate professionals. Matile is also a life-long horse lover, 4H’er, former county extension agent and southern rural Johnson County resident for fifteen years.

To get to Southwick on the Lake take Highway 69 to 199^th Street, go east on 199^th Street to Canterbury Street, (just east of Mission Road), north on Canterbury Street into the community.