Cougar Mountain homes available in a range of styles

BELLEVUE — Since coming on the market six months ago, 24 homes have sold at Belvedere, a view community on Cougar Mountain that is bordered on three sides by the 3,100-acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.

The collection of 81 four-, five- and six-bedroom homes is under construction in Bellevue's Lakemont area, which is in the Issaquah School District. The address is minutes from The Golf Club at Newcastle and less than 10 miles from the urban luxuries of downtown Bellevue.

From its perch, the community offers panoramic views of Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline and the Olympic Mountains.

"The definition of the word Belvedere is a building sited to command a gorgeous view, and that is certainly true of the homes here — all have at least a partial view," says Stephanie Shurtliff, the community's listing agent. "And we also currently have five homes that border the wildland park."

Troy and Julie Gamble were among the first to purchase a home at Belvedere, and the outlook was one of the key features that attracted them.

"I think the view is the best in the region," Troy Gamble says. "It's hard to find a home that has the combination of Belvedere's elevation and western exposure. The homes will have sunlight from morning to night."

The community has a mix of architectural styles, including Craftsman, Tudor, shingle and contemporary. Set on oversized homesites that range from 90 to 120 feet wide, the homes are designed to fit a range of lifestyle needs. Depending on the floor plan, they can include daylight basements, two-story great rooms and private guest suites.

The Gambles live just down the hill from Belvedere, and were looking to upsize when they chose their new home.

"All of the resales in the area had the same traditional layout, and we really wanted an open, modern, great-room floor plan," Gamble says. "When we found out that there was new construction with the open floor plans, we were really excited. All of the home designs [at Belvedere] seem to be very well thought-out for the topography and maximized for views."

Paul and Koleen Cook, who live up the hill from the community, were interested in downsizing when they discovered Belvedere.

"We really thought long and hard about where we wanted to live and looked in a lot of places — from homes in little neighborhoods to downtown Seattle condominiums," Koleen Cook says. "I visited Belvedere when they first put up the signs, and the floor plan we chose is a nice fit for our lifestyle.

"We've lived in this area eight years, and I just couldn't leave the people and the community. It's an amazing place — when you go shopping at Matthew's at Lakemont, you always run into someone you know. And the accessibility to nature and hiking is so convenient. You can literally go right out your back door for some really great hiking."

Built by CamWest, a Toll Brothers company, the homes are being sold presale. Buyers can customize their homes through the builder's CamYes! program, which allows buyers to work one-on-one with the community's senior project manager.

Toll Brothers was named 2012 Builder of the Year by Professional Builder magazine, becoming the first builder to win the honor twice. Its purchase of CamWest Development, LLC — which has been building homes locally for more than 20 years — expanded the company's reach to the Pacific Northwest.

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