There are few dreams more significant for young couples than that of home ownership. For Leilani and Cameron Aktepy, their dream came true in 2013 when they bought their first home, in Tehaleh.
“As soon as we drove into Tehaleh, Leilani was in love,” says Cameron. “We thought, ‘Could we even afford to live here?’“
“We had been renting for several years and knew we really wanted to own,” says Leilani. Leilani and Cameron started saving up toward buying their first home in September 2012. “We thought we had a long way to go,” Leilani continues. “But we moved in to our house one year, to the day, after we made that decision! When we saw how beautiful Tehaleh is, and how it has everything we could want, the decision of where to live was easy.”
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As the Puget Sound’s top-selling new-home community, Tehaleh offers a premier Pacific Northwest living experience.
Cameron appreciates the overall plan of the Tehaleh community. “In some other neighborhoods, all of the houses look exactly the same, but not here. At Tehaleh, there are several builders and the houses all look different, but they have a cohesive feel – it feels like a true neighborhood.”
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The community offers a wide variety of home choices from five builders. The newest Tehaleh builder, Pulte Homes, brings two model homes and six brand new floor plans to Tehaleh this month.
For buyers looking for an outdoor lifestyle and a place to establish roots in a tight-knit, welcoming community, Tehaleh is ideal. The Aktepys were attracted by the fact that the community already has an elementary school, six parks, 7.5 miles of trails, and stunning views of Mount Rainier.
Cameron and Leilani enjoy walking the trails that connect the community and making friends with neighbors. Cameron says, “We have a trail from our house that is just 0.2 miles to The Post. We go in for coffee and we bring the dogs, and they get treats. That kind of walkability is another reason we picked Tehaleh.”
Leilani agrees, “You hear about neighborhoods where people are friendly - I didn’t believe that really happened, but it exists here. We’ve already had many get-togethers and parties with neighbors.”
The Aktepys worked with Quadrant Homes to choose their lot, floor plan, and all of their finishes. They were impressed that their home came standard with many high-end, designer finishes.
Their favorite features are the wood floors and fully fenced yard, both of which were important features for their dogs and cats. “We were able to design every detail and we loved that our house was customized to us,” says Leilani. They chose a large home that they could grow into. “Right now our pets have their own room,” says Leilani, “but we hope to add children to the mix in the future.”
Considering their plans for children in the future, the Aktepys appreciate that Donald Eismann Elementary is located in the community, within walking distance from their home.
“It’s still very surreal that we were able to purchase such a beautiful home in such a beautiful community,” says Leilani. “It’s nice to see all of our hard work materialize.”
Cameron grew up in Enumclaw and Leilani grew up in Kirkland. Leilani says, “It was a push and pull for where we would end up living. Tehaleh provides the perfect balance between urban and rural lifestyles.” Cameron agrees, “It’s all of the best things about Washington State, all in one place. We love the woods and the trails. There’s the best view of Mt. Rainier and the stars at night are just incredible.”
Tehaleh is owned in a joint venture between two strong companies; North America Sekisui House, LLC (NASH), the U.S. business unit and full subsidiary of Sekisui House Ltd., Japan’s largest homebuilder and leading diversified developer, and American Newland Communities, LLC, whose development business, Newland Communities, is the master developer of Tehaleh. Collectively, the NASH-Newland partnership owns or manages more than 30 communities across the country.
Tours of the Tehaleh community are available this weekend, with 14 models and 11 move-in-ready homes to explore, along with The Post, Tehaleh’s community gathering and information center, featuring handcrafted Italian coffee from Caffé D’arte and sandwiches, salads and pastries from CJ’s Deli.
View these homes: Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily at 19001 Cascadia Blvd. E., Bonney Lake
Prices: Base prices starting in the mid $200,000s
Information: Tehaleh.com or 253-205-8190
Tehaleh Builders: Lennar, Pulte Homes, Quadrant Homes, Richmond American Homes, Trilogy at Tehaleh
Model Home Count: 14
Model Home Hours: Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily