From Farmette to Retirement-ready
The property sat quietly for years behind a few rows of houses in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County. It was a gently rolling farmette where the owners kept horses and sheep, a remnant of an earlier agricultural era tucked improbably close to one of Western Pennsylvania’s busiest commercial corridors.
When the team at KACIN Companies first walked the land, they recognized it immediately. The flat terrain, the proximity to Route 30, the sense of hidden serenity within minutes of every convenience the Greensburg corridor could offer. For a builder that has spent more than six decades crafting upscale homes across the Pittsburgh region, this was precisely the kind of site worth waiting for.
Now that farmette is becoming The Reserve at Foxfield, a 41-home duplex and carriage-style community aimed squarely at the buyers KACIN knows best: empty nesters, retirees and anyone ready to trade the demands of a sprawling property for a thoughtfully designed home that doesn’t compromise on quality or customization. The company recently broke ground on its model homes after securing permits. Six lots have already sold, with remaining sales rolled out gradually, largely through word
of mouth.
“I typically don’t have to convince our buyers,” said Jason Corna, vice president of KACIN Companies. “They’ve thought about this for months or years and are just waiting for the right opportunity.”
That level of buyer conviction is not accidental. It’s the product of a reputation built over more than 60 years of consistent, quality-driven construction — and a clear-eyed understanding of what one specific kind of buyer is looking for at a particular moment in life.
A Builder with Deep Pittsburgh Roots
KACIN Companies was founded in 1960 by A. Richard Kacin and has spent more than half a century building upscale homes and communities across Western Pennsylvania. The company has constructed more than 1,500 homes, a figure that reflects longevity and a consistent demand for what the KACIN name represents. Quality has been central to the mission since day one. Corna says the company continues to build to the same standard — or better — than its founder established.
Over the past 10 to 15 years, KACIN’s community development work has increasingly centered on one demographic. As the style of home and the needs of the market evolved, the company evolved with it, moving away from the large custom homes that defined their earlier decades toward planned communities designed specifically for empty nesters, retirees, and homeowners looking to downsize. The transition was not a departure from the company’s identity so much as an extension of it, applying the same commitment to craftsmanship to a format that serves a growing segment of the Western Pennsylvania population.
Edgewater at Oakmont in Allegheny County, developed on a former steel mill site, became a walkable traditional neighborhood community that drew buyers seeking an urban-adjacent lifestyle with architectural cohesion and convenient access to the Oakmont business district. North Meadow at Washington Township in Westmoreland County followed, expanding the company’s reach into a new county while staying true to the downsizer and empty-nester focus. Hillstone Village at Murrysville, in Westmoreland County, is perhaps the closest analog to what is being built at Foxfield, and Corna points to it as proof of concept for the model.
“Hillstone Village is an extremely successful community,” Corna said. “It’s comparable to what we’ll be building at Foxfield.”
Why Hempfield, Why Now
The decision to return to the Greensburg and Hempfield area was deliberate. KACIN had been looking to re-enter the submarket for some time before the Foxfield site came to their attention through a mutual contact. Once they walked the land, the decision came quickly.
The site’s physical character was a significant factor. Because the former farmette was gently rolling and largely flat, the development team didn’t need to dramatically alter the topography. That translated to cleaner construction and preserved the natural feel of the property. The team undertook infrastructure work to bring public utilities to the area, but the underlying site conditions were favorable in ways that more complicated parcels rarely are.
Location is the other half of the equation. Foxfield sits within two miles of Route 30, one of Western Pennsylvania’s most-traveled corridors. It connects residents quickly to Greensburg’s restaurants, retail shops, Westmoreland Mall and the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is nearby, as is a range of medical facilities and professional services. Hempfield Township is also in the process of developing a large public park that will add recreational value to the immediate area in the years ahead.
For buyers who have spent decades in the same county and are reluctant to leave their social networks, the location offers the best of two outcomes. They can downsize the property and the maintenance burden without downsizing their connection to the community they know. That calculus is central to how KACIN positions the development, and it resonates with buyers who have already done the math.
“Most of our customers come from within the county, typically within a 10-mile radius,” Corna said. “Many are looking to downsize, while others are looking to right-size. They don’t want the increase in maintenance and upkeep.”
Township officials say Hempfield has long positioned itself as a hub for central Westmoreland County, and that Foxfield fits squarely into a broader vision for the community’s future. Matthew Pernelli, planning manager for Hempfield Township, points to the area’s lower cost of living, central location and convenient access to employment, shopping and recreation as factors that have made it consistently attractive to residents at every stage of life.
“Hempfield Township has been a hub in central Westmoreland County for decades, providing convenient and centralized opportunities for our residents to work, shop, recreate and live,” Pernelli said. “Long-term, the Township wishes to see our residents have a safe place to live. The Foxfield development provides such opportunities.”
Pernelli notes the development will deliver 41 units of housing for residents who wish to age in place — and who will remain active contributors to the local economy. He also points to Founders Park, a new township park located less than five miles from the Reserve at Foxfield, as one of the area amenities that will be within easy reach of future residents.
Designed for the Way People Live
The floor plans at the Reserve at Foxfield reflect years of listening to what buyers in this demographic want from a home. The living areas — great room, dining room and kitchen — flow together in an open configuration suited to entertaining and everyday gathering. The bedroom wings are separated, with the primary suite on one side of the home and additional bedrooms on the other. That split creates genuine privacy in a single-story design without sacrificing the communal warmth of the shared spaces.
Two-story models are available as well, designed with en-suite configurations that work well for multigenerational households, visiting adult children or guests who want their own space. Whether a buyer is purchasing a 1,900-square-foot ranch or a sprawling 5,000-square-foot custom build on one of the larger home sites, the design philosophy remains open where life happens, private where rest matters.
“The floor plans allow privacy for the bedroom areas but open, communal space for the living areas,” Corna said.
That range in home size and custom options are important to understanding what separates Foxfield from production-builder alternatives in the region. This isn’t a development where every floorplan looks like its neighbor. KACIN works with buyers to configure room layouts, add three- or four-season rooms and modify plans in ways that suit individual lifestyles. The company describes its approach as fully customizable, with no preset packages constraining what a buyer can request. “If you can picture it, we can pretty much build it,” said Corna.
Premium Materials, Trusted Local Partners
KACIN’s material standards at Foxfield reflect the same priorities the company has maintained since its founding. On the exterior, the homes feature Andersen 400 Series windows, James Hardie fiber-cement siding, GAF shingles and concrete walkways and driveways. These are not entry-level products. They are chosen for durability and low maintenance over time, a priority that aligns directly with the lifestyle the community is designed to support, Corna said.
On the interior, buyers work with a curated network of local suppliers to select finishes that reflect their tastes. Manor House Kitchens and Bathrooms handles cabinetry and fixture selections. Vangura supplies and installs all countertops. Rusmur Flooring manages floor finishes. The Lighting Gallery in Greensburg provides lighting choices. APR Supply handles plumbing fixtures. Each supplier operates a physical showroom, giving buyers a hands-on selection experience that contrasts sharply with the swatch-from-a-binder approach common at larger production builders, said Corna. Buyers are encouraged to visit the showrooms, take their time and choose materials that will feel right in their home for years to come.
The HOA at the Reserve at Foxfield covers lawn maintenance and snow removal, reinforcing the lock-and-leave lifestyle the community is designed to support. KACIN made a deliberate decision to keep HOA fees manageable by forgoing a clubhouse or swimming pool, choosing instead to invest in a central pond and a sidewalk network throughout the neighborhood. The result is a community with genuine outdoor appeal and a monthly cost that doesn’t strain retirement budgets.
“Many of our buyers have second homes or travel,” he said. “They love the idea they can lock the door and leave, and their home will be in the same state when they return.”
A Market that Keeps Growing
The demographics driving demand for communities like Foxfield are not difficult to identify. Baby Boomers in Western Pennsylvania are aging into the right-sizing moment. Many are holding significant equity in homes they no longer need or want to maintain. Their financial profile also sets them apart from younger buyers navigating a challenging mortgage market.
“We find that our demographic doesn’t typically rely as heavily on a mortgage as younger buyers,” Corna said. “They typically rely on cash or are only financing a small portion.”
That financial independence means the rising interest rates that have rattled first-time buyers across the country in recent years have had a more muted effect on this segment. Demand for high-quality, maintenance-free homes in desirable locations remains durable. Corna says the depth of the buyer pipeline at Foxfield reflects that reality. The inquiries that led to the first six sales came largely through the KACIN name and referrals from past buyers, a testament to the kind of loyalty that accrues to a builder with a 60-plus year track record.
Corna notes that while other developers have entered the Westmoreland County patio-home market, KACIN’s reputation for quality and its willingness to customize are points of genuine differentiation. The company doesn’t focus on competing on price or speed. It competes on the depth of the buyer relationship and the caliber of the finished product.
“There are other developments in the area with similar-style homes, but they don’t offer the quality and customization that we do,” he said.
The arrival of new housing at this scale has also prompted a closer look at the surrounding infrastructure. Pernelli says Foxfield has created an opening for the township and county to work together on the roads and pedestrian corridors that will serve a growing population. He points to a joint study with Westmoreland County focused on the Mount Pleasant Road corridor as one direct result.
“This is a corridor we anticipate will need improvements to support efficient vehicular movement and pedestrian safety as a result of continued development — not only from this project, but from other housing developments within a few-mile radius of this roadway,” Pernelli said.
As with most new developments, Foxfield drew some initial resistance from neighboring residents. Pernelli says KACIN Companies has worked to address those concerns and earn goodwill in the surrounding community. “The developer has gone above and beyond to address many concerns and to be a good neighbor,” he said.
Pernelli says the township expects Foxfield to be the first of more projects aimed at an aging population, and that such communities serve the broader housing market in ways that extend beyond their immediate residents. As older residents move into right-sized communities, their larger homes become available for first-time buyers or families looking for more space — a dynamic that helps address housing needs across multiple generations.
“It is the goal of the Township to provide housing for all of our residents, not just our 55-plus community,” Pernelli said. “These communities provide an opportunity for the existing housing stock to become available for those looking for their first homes, or those looking to upsize as older residents transition into communities such as the Reserve at Foxfield.”
What’s Next
With model home construction underway and lot deposits flowing in, The Reserve at Foxfield is moving from concept to community. The 41-home site will grow incrementally, with KACIN working through its pipeline of interested buyers methodically rather than rushing to fill lots. Corna expects construction to begin on the first buyer homes within the coming months. The model homes will give prospective buyers a tangible sense of the space, the finishes and the feel of life at Foxfield.
Looking beyond Foxfield, the company is already in early conversations about a second property with characteristics like the Hempfield site. Opportunities arrive regularly — KACIN receives inquiries on a weekly basis — and the team evaluates each one carefully before committing. Some are ruled out quickly. Others, like Foxfield, take time to develop into something worth building.
What hasn’t changed across six decades, multiple communities and generations of leadership is the foundational principle A. Richard Kacin established at the company’s start. Quality is non-negotiable. The style of home has shifted. The target buyer has come into sharper focus. The approach to serving customers has grown more refined with experience. But the standard of craftsmanship that Western Pennsylvania buyers have come to associate with the KACIN name remains the constant.
For the buyers quietly researching their options, driving past Hillstone Village, talking to neighbors who built at North Meadow or Edgewater, The Reserve at Foxfield represents the next chapter they’ve been planning. The land is ready. The permits are in hand. The builder has been doing this for more than 60 years. The only thing left is to choose a lot. NH
For more information about the Reserve at Foxfield or other KACIN communities, visit kacin.com.