Gerstad Builders is excited to announce that we are building a brand new inventory Poplar Grove home at The Trails of Dawson Creek. This ranch home on a basement featuring the Prestwick plan is priced at $208,160. Features of this home will include a welcoming front porch; 9-foot ceilings on the main level; ceramic tile in the foyer, which opens up to the great room; solid hardwood floors in the great room, kitchen with eat-in dinette and hallways; an upgraded kitchen with 42-inch cabinets and granite countertops and upgraded carpet and padding in all of the bedrooms. […]

When choosing a new home community, many buyers are looking for the total package: a quality home, reputable builder and outstanding local amenities. For those buyers looking at purchase a new home from Gerstad Builders, you get just that. In fact, in addition to making sure all of our communities are near top schools, shops and restaurants, we also look for nearby recreation opportunities. And, this month, having plenty of local and state parks near your new home makes celebrating National Picnic Month easy! Homeowners at The Trails of Dawson Creek will love making a short day trip to the nearby Rock Cut State Park in Loves Park, Ill. This recreation area near our Poplar Grove real estate offers more than just picnic shelters, though. You can also spend time hiking, biking and horseback riding on miles and miles of trails, taking your boat out on Pierce Lake, fishing on Olson Lake, going for a swim at Olson Lake beach or sleeping under the stars at one of the many campsites. […]

When searching for the perfect new home, it is always important to consider the community that surrounds you. When you purchase a new home from our beautiful Poplar Grove new home community, The Trails of Dawson Creek, there is always something going on nearby for you to enjoy. Saturday, October 13 from 7-11 p.m.,  get your friends and family together, and join The Rhythm Rockets for a night of swing dancing fun! The Rhythm Rockets will be playing at the 2nd Annual Swing Dance event held at the Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum in Poplar Grove. For those that are a little rusty on their dance moves or want some extra practice, there will be dance lessons held before the performance. The Rhythm Rockets are a seven piece band from Chicago that features three saxophones, so this weekend listen to some good music, put on some vintage attire and swing into a good time. […]

As leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy this beautiful sight from the warmth of your McHenry County new home? At Gerstad Builders our four-season rooms help bring the outdoors in. These sun-filled additions not only bring in extra light and offer amazing natural views, they also add approximately 168 square feet of living space to the main level. As a bonus, we make the basements larger to accommodate for the room which in total gives the buyer 336 square feet of usable space. Our four-season rooms provide the perfect spot to spend time with family, watch a sunset or host a dinner party with a fabulous fall backdrop. A four-season room is just one of several state-of-the-art options available to home buyers looking for a customized home. […]

Music Events When looking for a home, buyers often talk about location, location, location. They want to be in an area that provides it all, and our Williams Bay real estate does just that. The area is packed full of events year round including this summer’s Music by the Lake concerts, and our homes at Bailey Estates are in the middle of it all.   There have already been a variety of Music by the Lake concerts throughout the summer and they will continue through August. The next concert is this Sunday, July 29, by Tom Chapin and Friends, and it is an event that the whole family is sure to enjoy.   Tom Chapin and Friends are returning to the stage once more after an extremely popular performance last season. Chapin plays an assortment of original music that will keep children’s attention while parents can sit back and relax. […]

McHenry County real estate known for beautiful new homes and fun events Are you looking for a place to call home that boasts more than just beautiful new homes on prime real estate? Around here, McHenry County real estate isn’t just known for its homes. The area is also home to highly-anticipated summer events such as the McHenry County Fiesta Days. The event kicked off last Friday night with music, food and amusement rides, and continues through July 22. The remaining Fiesta Days include a variety of entertainment, so there is something for everyone in your family. Food, amusement rides, music, big wheel races, 3-mile and 6.8-mile runs, comics, master puppeteers, dances, crafts, a parade and children’s ice cream social are just some of the fun events that you’ll find. For more information about the 2012 Fiesta Days, visit the website. In addition to Fiesta Days, McHenry County features top schools, excellent shopping opportunities, lakes, Fox River, parks and beautiful golf courses, providing tons of recreation for families. If this sounds like the place for you, then you must stop by Liberty Trails for a tour. This community is located close to everything that McHenry has to offer. Plus, Liberty Trails boasts a tot park and green space, giving residents even more opportunities to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. […]

Mid-Summer Wheels Festival Near Prime Poplar Grove Real Estate Those looking for Poplar Grove real estate near exciting events can stop their search. That’s because at Gerstad Builders we have beautiful new homes available at The Trails of Dawson Creek, just a short drive from the Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum’s Mid-Summer Wheels Festival. Co-sponsored by the Northern Illinois Vintage Tractor and Engine Association, the Mid-Summer Wheels Festival starts this Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m. You can attend this night of the event for FREE. Festivities include a beer tent, live music with Clutch Cargo a cruise night and hot air balloon launch. The fun continues on Sunday, July 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets for this day are only $5 at the gate and children 12 and under can attend for free. Or, if you buy your tickets in advance, you can purchase five for $20. Sunday’s events include tractor pulls, horse drawn feed races, petting zoo and kids tent, tractor parade, EAA Young Eagle Flights, delicious food and more. For more information about the Mid-Summer Wheels Festival, check out the flyer online. […]

Apple pie contest and more at Heritage Fair in McHenry. If you’re proud of being a McHenry County real estate resident, then make sure to let everyone else know too by representing your hometown at the McHenry County Historical Society’s 2012 Heritage Fair. This year the fair is surrounded around the theme “Hats Off to Your Home Towns,” and all guests are invited to come to the festivities wearing a fun hat with the name of their hometown on it. The family friendly event is taking place this Sunday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is packed full of events the whole day. Main events include a home baked pie contest, the Clef Hangers barbershop quartet, vintage quilt bed turnings, a magic show that the kids are bound to love and more. There will also be an antique auction, vintage clothing sale, indoor white elephant sale and free admission to air-conditioned museum exhibits including The James Mobile Museum and the 1843 log cabin and 1895 one-room school house. […]