Sajo Farm, a joint venture between Virginia Beach-based Napolitano Homes and Terry Peterson Residential Companies, takes its name from industrialist Sam Jones, the previous landowner of the property on which the project is being built. The parcel commands a prime waterfront position on Lake Lawson, and the developers are creating several more lakes to afford even more water-centric views for residents.

The exceptional quality of Sajo Farm is readily apparent from the moment one enters the neighborhood. "We spent a tremendous amount of effort in the design and execution of our entry features," says Terry Gearhart, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Terry Peterson Residential Companies. Brick columns and walls, wrought iron fencing and curved pergolas frame a median that features the first of many gas lamps in the neighborhood. (The lamp icon is even incorporated in the Sajo Farm logo.) Further along, visitors encounter a grand Village Green featuring a formal English Knot garden and a large clock tower.

Bordering this open space is a "visual tunnel" of Village Green homes, decked out in six different hues of HardiePlank™ lap siding with ColorPlus® technology. These traditionally-styled homes have alley-loaded garages, front porches, and charming dormers which help create an intimate, inviting streetscape. "Even though it's about an 80-acre site, your view line is constrained by this wonderful palette of homes," contributing to an exciting sense of discovery at every turn, says Gearhart. "This is not a product line that you can drive across the street and see."

A Market Edge With James Hardie
Every home in Sajo Farm will have a James Hardie fiber cement exterior. "We felt that we needed an edge in the market, and HardiePlank provides a real rich look," the builder says. "The immediate visual impact is really what separates us from a lot of other vinyl communities. Your instinct is 'Wow!' this is probably a $500,000 or $600,000 community—and to find out you can get into it in the mid-$300's" is a thrilling revelation.

HardiePlank's sustainable qualities are another benefit that Sajo Farm sales agents communicate to prospective buyers. The product is made from natural raw materials (wood pulp, cement, sand and water), and its guaranteed 50-year lifespan helps to keep waste out of landfills—and upkeep to a minimum. In addition, the 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty reduces the consumption of paint and masking materials.

While some builders mistakenly believe that fiber cement is cost-prohibitive, Gearhart says that pricing was competitive enough with beaded and shake vinyl to "make the leap" to the upgraded siding. HardiePlank "adds a tremendous palette to the whole community."

In fact, the builder says that with the pre-painted material and bold color scheme, many homebuyers at Sajo Farm develop a strong preference for a certain siding color on their new home. "They don't budge," Gearhart says, which sometimes forces a shake-up of the builder's predetermined block plan of colors. "It's been an interesting challenge to have," he laughs, but it underscores how vibrant exteriors can create an emotional connection point in the sales process. In another sense, the developer says "buyers choosing their own colors creates the organic variation in the community that you find in actual traditional neighborhoods – like Ghent in Norfolk."

In addition to the Village Green homes, Sajo Farm will feature upscale paired homes, The Lake Homes, and The Estate Homes located on larger lots at the edges of the development. Homes range from 1,953 to 3,015 square feet, with prices starting at $337,500. A new clubhouse and pool area will be operational by mid-2009.

An Economic Benefit for Associations
Sajo Farm is unique in that it features a condominium form of ownership for all homes in the neighborhood, which rewards residents with a low maintenance lifestyle in a single-family-type experience. Gearhart says HardiePlank's durability provides an unheralded benefit for associations. Unlike vinyl, HardiePlank's lifespan "is so good we don't even have to put it in our condominium reserves for replacement," since it exceeds IRS lifespan limitations. "That's a few more bucks you get to pull out of your dues."

In today's housing environment, it could mean the difference in a sale.

For more information visit www.sajofarmhomes.com.

Streetscapes Online, Volume 31 <