Hearthside Homes

Hearthside Homes was founded in 1987 by Wayne Valentine, and Dennis Shriver is president today. They have built more than 1,500 homes, nearly all of them on the Missouri side. Let me be direct about the geography, because it is the first thing Johnson County buyers ask: Hearthside does not build in Kansas. If you are set on Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, or Lenexa, you will not find them there. If you are open to the Northland, Liberty, Kearney, Parkville, Lee's Summit, or Raymore, they are one of the more organized builders in those markets and worth a look.

They describe themselves as semi-custom, but the way they operate reads as production-style to me: a plan library, furnished models, and a design center rather than open-ended customization. Selections go through SRS Design. The build runs on a 10-stage process with third-party inspections and a Buildertrend portal, and the construction phase typically takes about six months after groundbreaking, which is faster than most semi-custom timelines. After closing there is a 12-month warranty with a dedicated warranty manager. For a buyer who wants a clear process and a predictable date, that structure is the appeal.

Their communities include Benson Place Landing, Cadence, Creekside, Davidson Farms, the Reserve at Riverstone, and Staley Farms from the $700s in the Kansas City Northland; Homestead in the $600s and Homestead Hills in the $450s in Liberty; Prairie Field and the Meadows at Greenfield in Kearney; the Woods at Creekside in Parkville in the $400s; Hook Farms in Lee's Summit; and Parkside in Raymore. Pricing runs from the $400s to the $700s and up. I include them here because Kansas City buyers often compare across the state line, and it helps to know who is where before you spend a Saturday driving.