DJK Custom Homes Expands to Channahon

A Rising Tide Raises All Boats

President John F. Kennedy once said, "A rising tide raises all boats." The same could be said of a recent string of good news for Channahon, the up and coming suburb located some 45 miles southwest of Chicago.

The great recession of 2008 left many developments sit idle for years and Copper Leaf in Channahon was no different. What started in 2003 as part of the Ravine Woods master plan, Copper Leaf was supposed to be an enclave of exclusive homes ranging from $500,000 and up; making it one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the area. Then, the great recession hit and the property ended up in foreclosure.

After a decade of several failed attempts by other developers, Luxury Home Investments and Judy Gardner sprang into action by acquiring the development in January 2019. Her company cleaned up the property, changed its marketing strategy - and it all appears to be paying off. The once stale development is now bustling with activity. Just take a drive down Copper Leaf Drive and you'll notice new homes going up, along with several others starting construction.

Patch asked Gardner why Copper Leaf has all of sudden come back to life. "The timing was really just perfect. The number of new residential lots in Channahon have really started to dry up. You also have the benefit of a high performing school district. The final thing that I think would be worth mentioning is that buyers are getting to live where they want, not where they have to. We're seeing a huge uptick in the remote workforce space, and that's giving people a lot more flexibility these days."

DJK Custom Homes Comes Into Play

If you don't think you've never heard of DJK Custom Homes; think again. You've probably seen their premier craftsmanship throughout downtown Naperville, Plainfield, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale and Elmhurst. Since 1988, DJK Custom Homes has been building the American dream in the western and southwestern suburbs. Having sailed through the great recession of 2008, DJK Custom Homes has stuck with their guiding principal: Where there is love, there is life. And, in the case of Channahon, there was definitely something for DJK to love.

Mat Borej, director of marketing for DJK told Patch that coming into Copper Leaf and Channahon was really a unique opportunity to expand into a higher end market. "You have an amazing area in Channahon that people love. You have the beautiful ravines, miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing opportunities, and you're an hour away from downtown Chicago. It's really a unique area and we're just excited to able to enhance the growth in the area", Borej said.

DJK is constructing high efficiency custom homes in Copper Leaf from the low $500's.

Gardner Luxury Homes Offers Balance

Judy Gardner told Patch that by having DJK Custom Homes in Copper Leaf - it really expands the offering. "Gardner Luxury Homes has built over 5,000 homes in the Joliet and Lake Geneva area, and we know what we are good at. Having a custom home builder like DJK to come in build a product that they have better expertise in makes great sense. We aren't like most other builders - we wan't everyone to succeed. We know we can't possibly mean all things to all people. We have semi custom homes available in Copper Leaf from the low $400's and we're always happy to refer business. We like to do what's in our client's best interest and we stand behind our product."

For more information about Gardner Luxury Homes, please visit https://www.glhhomes.com/

For more information about DJK Custom Homes, please visit https://www.djkhomes.com/communities/overview/channahon/copper-leaf

About the author: Michael Morman is a local real estate consultant with an expertise in mixed use, multifamily, hospitality, as well as commercial.