By J. E. Kuyper
The Northwest Herald

(This article is a portion of the article which appeared in the June 19, 2004 edition of The Northwest Herald)

Lakewood- The weekend event is called the Street of Dreams, but it is on three streets with four builders and five houses. The idea, though, is that buyers will find a house of their dreams on one of the streets.

Street of Dreams, which is in the Hidden Lakes subdivision, is an open house, free to the public, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 26-27. The homes are at 7513 Vida Ave., 7570 Galena St., and 7420, 7450 and 7455 Bonnie Drive. The small impromptu event was prompted by the recent Spring Medley of Homes sponsored by the McHenry County Home Builders Association. That event had 48 homes attracting thousands of potential home buyers during three consecutive weekends. "We four builders got together as we are building similar single-family custom homes as far as size, quality and price go" said Scot Begovich of Burnham Custom Homes, whose spec house is at 7570 Galena St. "All of us got started building our single-family custom homes about the same time and all of us have completed them today.

"We are right around the corner from each other and have prepared our homes for immediate occupancy" Begovich said. Begovich is a veteran at new home shows. He was in the last November's New Home Holiday Tour, also sponsored by the MCHBA, and the late April-early May spring medley. "Actually, people have the opportunity to see the two homes which had the best exterior, best interior and won best overall rating in the $800,000- plus category during the spring medley. Burnham Custom Homes won the best interior award for the Aberdeen model at 7570 Galena Street and Joe Glasder of J.S. Glasder Builders won best exterior and best overall for the Bordeaux model at 7450 Bonnie Drive" Begovich said. For the other two builders, Mark Chambers of Chambers Custom Builders and Tony Gagliano of Tuscan Builders, this will be their first experience in a McHenry County- type medley of homes. "I didn't sign up in time so I wasn't in the spring medley, and I didn't get information on last fall's holiday tour, so missed that one, too" Chambers said. "But I've been in business 20 years, designing and building custom single-family homes so that is nothing new to me. I do the designing and everything, the whole ball of wax, from scratch. "I liked the idea of a Street of Dreams as it's a good opportunity to give those houses a little recognition" Chambers added.

Several main roads lead to the Street of Dreams. The entry from Lakewood Road is Vida Avenue, about a half mile or less east of Haligus Road. Lakewood can be reached from the east by Randall Road and the south from Route 62.

The entry from Haligus Road is Bonnie Drive. Haligus Road can be reached on the north from Route 176, several miles west of the Route 14 intersection in Crystal Lake or several miles east from the Route 47 intersection. Hidden Lakes is part of the Turnberry complex and is on 63 acres formerly owned by J.Marsh. The 63 acres have been divided into 41 lots by the developer, Centerville Properties in Woodstock. "The developer added hundreds of mature trees to create many wooded lots and lot sales have exceeded the developer's expectations" Begovich said. "Currently only five lots remain, but that's deceptive as many of the lots were purchased by builders, such as Burnham Custom Homes, and we still have lots for sale" Begovich said.

"Typically, the clients have been move-up buyers from Turnberry or Boulder Ridge. Other clients have come from the Arlington Heights-Schaumburg corridor" Begovich said.

The subdivision is divided between two school districts, Crystal Lake and Huntley. Lot sizes range from .75 acres to four acres. Lots feature city water and sewer. The subdivision is part of the Crystal Lake park district and homes are in walking distance of Turnberry Country Club (private).

"In fact, street-ready golf carts are approved to drive to the country club" Begovich said. "Plus, there is a bike path on the perimeter of the subdivision."

The public RedTail golf course is nearby. "People are moving to the subdivision because of its proximity to Randall Road and Interstate 90" Begovich said. "Plus, residents are excited about the new upscale mall being built on nearby Randall Road and, of course, there are great homes being offered for sale."

For information call Burnham Custom Homes at (630) 742-2785

Burnham Custom Homes builds custom homes throughout the Chicago area.

Specializing in the custom home market enables Burnham Custom Homes to give each of their 15 annual projects the attention to detail that has helped the company develop a reputation for excellence. "Kitchens featuring granite countertops, custom cabinets, and commercial appliances are typical examples of the materials used. Extensive moldings and millwork add the elegance.

"Specific attention is paid to the layout and traffic patterns of each home. How the family utilizes the home and derives the most enjoyment are important aspects of any good design.

"With full-time staff devoted to home technology, Burnham Custom Homes is able to incorporate home theaters, lighting systems, sound systems, and other advanced technologies into any home.

"Clients can expect a building experience that is well organized and manageable. For instance, each project includes time working directly with our architect and interior designer.

"Some clients prefer to 'start from scratch' while others prefer to look at one or two homes and select the features they find appealing.

Burnham Custom Homes recently won six design and construction awards during the recent Spring Medley of Homes.

Burnham Custom Homes is owned by Scot Begovich and Steve Case, who built their first home together in 1989. The two went to grade school together. Begovich is responsible for customer relations, business operations, and project management. He has an MBA in marketing and finance and worked as a business consultant for several years. Case is a carpenter responsible for field development and construction, personnel, and trade relations.

Burnham Custom Homes' $929,900 model is at 7570 Galena Street. Case has several projects under way in the Hidden Lakes subdivision of Turnberry, which is the site of Street of Dreams.
The tour model has 4,350 square feet with four or five bedrooms and 4.5 baths. It has a first-floor master bedroom with a 100- square-foot closet and a master bath which includes a steam room. The kitchen has Viking appliances, granite counters, cherry cabinets, and porcelain floors. The home also has a wine bar and butler's pantry.

The basement is finished and includes a theater room with 110-inch screen, along with a large bar, entertainment area, double-sided brick fireplace, and full-sized windows.
Exterior features include a four-car garage, vaulted screened porch, sprinkler system, and a 1.25 acre lot.