Innovative School and Unique Parks Attract Young Families to Tehaleh

For Tiffany Sutter, it was love at first sight. “We’d toured this beautiful community, and then we took one look at the amazing school, the facilities, the quality of teachers and programs, and just knew we had to live here,” she says.

In May, Tiffany joined the many families with young children who are choosing to raise their kids at Tehaleh, a new-home community integrated with trails, parks and open space. Tiffany’s 5-year old daughter attends Donald Eismann Elementary, the on-site public elementary school built in 2010 with the latest teaching technology. Tiffany and her husband Joel look forward to sending their 2-year old toddler there as well.

Model home tours will be offered this weekend at Tehaleh, the Puget Sound’s top-selling new-home community. Visitors with or without kids will enjoy the community’s six parks, 7.5 miles of trails, and a warm and inviting information center, The Post. Visitors can tour 12 models and 10 move-in-ready homes. Tehaleh offers homes built by Quadrant Homes, Benjamin Ryan Communities, Lennar, Richmond American Homes and Trilogy at Tehaleh.

“Our kids just love the parks,” says Tiffany. “We live right by Sticks ‘n’ Stones Park, an appropriately named park with its large boulders and unique play structures. It is part of the reason we chose our home location. It really extends life beyond our yard. We enjoy the other parks, too - both of the kids love the great big slide at Sprouts Holler!”

Since enrolling their daughter at Donald Eismann in September, Tiffany says their morning walk to school has become a beloved weekday routine. She gets both of the kids ready, then they meet up down the street with a classmate and her mom, and the group enjoys a leisurely walk to the school.

Tehaleh was designed to foster a rich feeling of community. Caffe D’Arte at The Post serves as a focal point for meeting family and friends. Stopping by the Post has become a daily activity for the Sutter family. “When we’re walking home from school we’ll stop by for smoothies and snacks with the kids,” says Tiffany. “I like that I get exercise and delicious coffee at the same time!”

Tiffany enjoys the convenience of being close to Bonney Lake’s shopping centers, paired with being surrounded by nature and wildlife. “We have a huge herd of elk that we like to keep an eye out for,” says Tiffany. “We feel like we live secluded in the woods, yet we can walk the kids to school, or jump in the car and pick up groceries in a matter of minutes.”

Tiffany and Joel have enjoyed special events hosted by Tehaleh. “We’re very close to the people in our cul-de-sac, but it’s also nice to meet and mingle with other neighbors, including people from the 55 and older community,” Tiffany says, referring to neighbors at Trilogy at Tehaleh, the community’s active adult neighborhood. “I’m trying to get my parents to move there,” she laughs.  The rich diversity of people who have chosen to call Tehaleh home makes it an even more special place to live.

Tehaleh is carefully planned by experts in creating community. Tehaleh is owned by a partnership between two strong companies; North American Sekisui House (NASH), the U.S. business unit of Sekisui House, Japan’s largest homebuilder and leading diversified developer, and Newland Real Estate Group, whose development business, Newland Communities is the largest private developer of planned residential and urban mixed-use communities in the United States. Collectively, the NASH-Newland partnership manages and is developing more than 30 communities across the country.

The Sutters are excited to watch their kids grow up at Tehaleh. Tiffany and Joel chose a floor plan by Richmond American Homes, customizing it to fit their family’s needs. “Instead of the loft upstairs, we added a fifth bedroom,” explains Tiffany, “which will allow our family to grow into the house.”

Though her kids are young, Tiffany can easily see them appreciating new facets of the neighborhood as they grow older. “They’ve made friends so fast already, playing with sidewalk chalk and riding bikes on the paths.” She can see them wanting to do sports together and enjoying the playgrounds and skate park as they get more independent. “I know Tehaleh will keep growing, adding retail and more homes. We are thrilled to be part of such an engaging community and we can’t wait to grow with it!”