New homes, old-fashioned feel

“It’s like an old-fashioned place in one way, because all the kids are outside playing, dogs are running around,” Amy Karwatka said of Cedarday, the Bel Air neighborhood where she lives with her family. “We’re all living in these beautiful new homes, but everybody really looks out for each other. If someone has a baby or is sick we bring food, or it’s something as easy as picking up a neighbor’s mail when they’re away.”

The Toll Brothers development in Harford County features homes with four to six bedrooms and four-and-a-half to six bathrooms. Starting at 3,100-square-feet, the houses boast many standard features that are options in other communities.

“We have finished basements with a full bathroom, granite countertops, Yorktown maple cabinetry, tile in all the bathrooms,” said Laurie DeLucia, the community’s sales manager. “They’re all traditional brick, stone and stucco. Very classic looking.”

Hardwood floors in the foyer and kitchen, gas fireplace in the living room, first-floor studies and an attached two-car garage also come standard with the starting list price of $646,995.

“It’s really my dream home,” said Karen Gaylord, a Realtor who lives in Cedarday and has sold homes in the neighborhood as well. “I have a huge entry foyer with staircases on either side, all the bedrooms upstairs have private bathrooms.”

“I love my floorplan,” Karwatka said. “We have three kids, and there’s plenty of space, but at the same time you don’t feel like everyone’s lost in this huge house. It’s very warm and welcoming.”

Options are grand here as well. Residents can add a conservatory on the first floor.

“The thing that attracts most people is our unique setting,” DeLucia said. “We’re only a couple miles from everything, but a lot of people don’t even know we’re here. We have a lot of curb appeal.”

The home sites are about a half acre each, and most sit on 40-foot setbacks. The community is located about two miles from I-95, and two and half miles from downtown Bel Air.

“It really feels like you’re off the beaten path — but you’re not really that far from the beaten path,” Karwatka said. “It’s amazing how quiet it is, because there are so many kids here. It’s a fun place to live. My kids haven’t just made great friends, my husband and I have also.”

At-A-Glance