Lake Geneva, WI – August 3, 2021
In 1965 Nicholas Vorpagel’s grandparents opened Lake Geneva Country Meats, a high-quality butcher shop and grocery store on State Road 50 East in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Appreciating the beauty and small-town charm of the area, Nicholas, now the third-generation owner, and his wife Sarah, a Fontana native, wanted to build a home but weren’t sure where to start.
“We purchased a lot three miles from Grand Geneva close to town and the lake with lots of space,” Nicholas said. “Sarah had been researching and visiting many builders. She attended a Shodeen Homes’ open house at their Prairie View community in Williams Bay and found exactly what we wanted.”
The Vorpagels, through the help of Lake Geneva realtor, Shari Rauland Mohr, contacted Shodeen and asked them to build the Southfork ranch plan that they had seen in Williams Bay.
“We really liked the open concept kitchen design,” Nicholas said. “I make cooking videos for our website and the open design and large kitchen made it the ideal backdrop. Sarah works remotely so having a dedicated in home work space was very important. The Southfork checked all the boxes.”
Shodeen Homes, a family-owned and operated builder celebrating 60 years in business, has built homes in Williams Bay and Delavan, Wisconsin and now offers homes within walking distance of downtown Geneva and Geneva Lake at Stone Ridge, just west of Route 12 and north of 120.
“We were very pleased with the customer service Shodeen provided and how transparent the process was,” Nicholas said. “Some builders overwhelm you with options and upgrades. Shodeen showed us a wide variety of items but were transparent about pricing and conscious of our budget.”
When complete, Stone Ridge will include 168 homesites in three phases. Shodeen Homes offers an impressive collection of open-concept ranch and two-story designs, priced from the upper-$400s and ranging from 1,860 to 2,674 square feet in size with three or four bedrooms, two to 3 ½ baths, gourmet island kitchens, basements and two or three-car garages.
Highlights of the 2,373 Southfork ranch plan include three bedrooms, study, island kitchen open to the family room, formal dining room, master bedroom with two walk-in closets and private luxury bath, basement and three-car garage.
Energy-efficient features include a house wrap air infiltration barrier system, 92% energy efficient forced air gas furnace, high-efficiency central air conditioning, Energy Star Power 50-gallon hot water heater and insulated sidewall, vapor barrier, attic and exterior basement walls.
“The customer care communication was great,” Nicholas said. “They walked us through the entire process. At our 11-month walk-through we had three small items that were addressed immediately. We are very happy with the quality of our home. On a scale of one to ten we would give Shodeen a 10.”
Stone Ridge is in Walworth County and served by Lake Geneva School District J1, including Badger High School. The community is within walking distance of Geneva Lake and its 21-mile Shore Path and offers endless water sports, boat tours and beaches. Other area attractions include Black Point Estate, Riviera Beach and music and picnics in the park. Lake Geneva is known for its championship golf courses, balloon rides, snowshoe hiking, horseback riding tours and aerial adventures. Dozens of restaurants, from 5-star gourmet to lakefront pubs, can also be found.
“I’ve spent my entire life in this area and love all that it has to offer,” Nicholas said. “The lake, shopping and restaurants attract a diverse group of people from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. You get to meet a lot of really interesting people.”
To learn more about Stone Ridge, please call (262) 394-5650 or visit www.shodeenhomes.com. Hours are Monday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.