What does it take to jump start serious interest in new housing in Manteca?

Up to $18,000 on tax credits can help but if you really want to get traffic that includes serious buyers just roll out refined floor plans that emphasize functional spacious rooms with style as opposed to the same-old simply building bigger house trend that reached a crescendo earlier this decade.

Atherton Homes – the firm that broke ground in the mid-1990s with its Woodward Park collection in South Manteca – is celebrating its new North Manteca creations with a grand opening event. To further entice buyers, Atherton Homes is offering $10,000 toward closing costs for those who use the development’s mortgage firm – Academy Mortgage – plus $10,000 in grand opening incentives.

That means buyers could have up to a $38,000 advantage by buying now.

The Summit Collection at Union Ranch is breaking the mold for new home options.

They have shown not only can you build big two-story homes from 2,800 to 4,343 square feet with character and style but it also translates well on big one-story homes that range from 2,128 square feet to 3,011 square feet.

Last weekend – the start of the grand opening celebration – brought out 100 people, a big crowd by standards of the past two years. They also have taken six reservations – the prelude to writing contracts – over the past two weeks. That is triple the one-home-a-week sales Atherton Homes did in 2008 as the leading Manteca builder of non-age restricted homes.

“People are now taking two to four visits before deciding to put money down on reservations,” said Atherton Homes sales director Kathy Hammons. “They are definitely serious when they commit to contracts.”

Atherton Homes is showing off four finished models — there are seven floor plans available in the neighborhood just east of Del Webb at Woodbridge — that are a different take on bigger tract homes.

It starts with the four distinctive exterior architectural styles — Spanish, Italianate, California Cottage, and French Eclectic. Some models have turrets with front doors at an angle to the street. Another has a recessed private front courtyard complete with a Casitas option — separate living area complete with fireplace, bedroom, and bathroom with separate access off courtyard. Another has a deep setback on the front door with a protected front patio area with a design that puts secondary bedrooms on one side of the home and the master suite on another.

Then there is one with a traditional flush entry along the front façade line.

Mix the model plans up and you  have a neighborhood that looks more custom than production.

The interiors are designed to give a sense of roominess while still being cozy. It is done by creating a sense of warmth with recessed ceilings, recessed wall boxes perfect for paintings and other touches, deep window sills, and a number of built-in options such as bookshelves on landings that help to break up walls. The two-tone interior paint as standard goes a long way.

The 8-foot high doors enhance the sense of space throughout and not just here and there. The common areas don’t just have a fireplace and an adjoining built-in entertainment center. Instead they may have a raised hearth that sweeps across two walls or one that adorns an entire wall.

You can get an outdoor built-in fireplace that is incorporated into the roofline of some models that have huge covered patios.

No longer can you film “Gone With the Wind” on staircases. Instead of dominating the first floor living area, it is tucked to one side to create a sense of scale and subtle elegance.

The options are also planned much better. There is a wine room that can actually be used as a wine room and isn’t simply a converted pantry. On one plan, if you want a tandem garage converted into a room it isn’t simply slapping on more square feet on to the family room or putting in place another wall. It is designed in such a manner that it flows into the floor plan. and can be used as a bonus room, a den or a bedroom.

The garages are different. They have intentionally been designed with additional room in front of the vehicles or to the side. One model even has an area large enough for a workshop that an option package will even put in place.

They also have tossed in rear landscaping and solar energy options plus standards that few others do such as having 1-inch metal window blinds throughout. That eliminates having to come up with the money for window coverings.

The three single story plans start at $324,990 while the two stories start at $354,990 with the largest among the base prices starting at $449,990 for a 4,157-square-foot model that can expand to 4,343 square feet. Incentives and tax credits bring the price of the $324,990 base model down closer to $300,000.

The sales office is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2517 Edgebrook Lane. To reach the office, take Union Road north of Lathrop Road to the first traffic signal. Turn right at the signal — across from the entrance to Del Webb Woodbridge — and travel to the first left turn. (The models in front are Woodside Homes, not Atherton Homes.) Turn left and follow the signs.

The office number is 824-2081.

Visit us online at www.atherton-homes.com