Builder Profile: Foxlane Homes

Builder Profile: Foxlane Homes

A Semi-Custom Builder

No matter the time frame, dreams can always come to fruition given one’s drive, desire and determination.  One such “dreamer” was Joe Morrissey who realized his vision of creating a home building company with a distinct philosophy: “to strike a chord among beauty, custom details and functionality” while providing an exceptional customer experience.  Thus was born Foxlane Homes in 2017 backed by Morrissey’s 20 years of expertise in the home construction industry. 

Builder Profile: Foxlane Homes

A Semi-Custom Builder

No matter the time frame, dreams can always come to fruition given one’s drive, desire and determination.  One such “dreamer” was Joe Morrissey who realized his vision of creating a home building company with a distinct philosophy: “to strike a chord among beauty, custom details and functionality” while providing an exceptional customer experience.  Thus was born Foxlane Homes in 2017 backed by Morrissey’s 20 years of expertise in the home construction industry. 

Launched in Philadelphia, Foxlane Homes succeeded in building luxury homes throughout the Philadelphia suburbs as well as coastal Delaware with the belief that a home should be an individual’s or family’s sanctuary, one that adapts to the owner’s likes and lifestyle rather than what is offered to them.  Through a highly trained and experienced team, customers are guided through a process in which they can visualize and build their luxury home in a desired neighborhood and customize that home in a manner that is thoughtful and gratifying. 

In late 2020, that same home building fervor arrived in the southwestern Pennsylvania area through the combined efforts of Morrissey along with Mike McAneny, a Pittsburgh native, and Eric Nicholl.  Both McAneny and Nicholl share a long history of both friendship and experience in home construction and development.  “Mike and I have known each other for more than 20 years,” Nicholl said. “We’ve worked for large, national corporations as well as regional developers across Pennsylvania.”  Nicholl and McAneny later found themselves working for the same home building and development company, with one of them overseeing the eastern market of Pennsylvania while the other covered the western market.  Sharing the same entrepreneurial spirit, McAneny and Nicholl linked with Morrissey at Foxlane Homes to expand to the Pittsburgh market.  “We recognized an opportunity in the Pittsburgh market for combining a semi-custom luxury home, giving people the ability to customize, with enough volume to create a tremendous value for our customers,” explained McAneny.  “The Pittsburgh area has several options for large scale production builders with limited ability to customize, as well as smaller, fully custom home builders.  There are, however, limited options for consumers in the semi-custom world.”  Applying the Foxlane philosophy, McAneny and Nicholl also share a strong focus on customer experience – one in which you can build your dream home, but also build the home where your story begins – along with using high quality products to accomplish the customer’s wants and needs.  “From our customer’s first interaction with our knowledgeable sales team in one of our beautifully decorated model homes, through one-on-one meetings with our design consultant, to the construction process and beyond, our team is dedicated to building the best home and bringing an exceptional experience to life,” Nicholl added.  “Everyone has unique needs and tastes, and our goal is to fulfill those by allowing a level of customization not found with other production builders.”  Entertaining spaces, home offices and outdoor living options are most popular, but each customer has the opportunity to individualize his/her home.  “In our centrally located design showroom, customers meet with our dedicated design team to review their wants and needs,” he continued.  “And, if a buyer wants something beyond these available options, we can work with them to accommodate their specific requests in designing their dream home.”  He explained further that with production, tract and other similar builders, homes may come in limited colors and options so they can build volume quickly and offer value that is comparatively less expensive than other homes.  On the other hand, fully custom homes can become overwhelming to a customer, adding much more time and money to the process.   “As a semi-custom builder, we thread that needle between production and fully custom homes by offering a wider selection of options and the ability to customize beyond,” he added.  To date, homes have been and are being built in Baden, Eighty-Four, Hampton, Murrysville and South Fayette Township, with many more in the near future. 

Since 2021, the demand for Foxlane Homes has grown in the region.  Only three homes remain at Walnut Grove, located in North Strabane.  This charming community features wooded home sites, open spaces, sidewalks, street lights and close proximity to Interstate 79, shopping on Route 19, and Lindenwood Golf Club, exemplifying the kind of laid back, stylish atmosphere found in Foxlane communities.  With Murrysville, Westmoreland County, as a prime location given its low taxes, variety of shops and restaurants along Route 22, quality schools and easy accessibility westward to Pittsburgh, Villa Ciano is nearing completion with just one home remaining.  Set amid the rolling hills of picturesque South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, sits Stonegate, which boasts stunning luxury single family homes with beautiful views, and a recently opened, decorated model home.  “These homes especially appeal to families with school age children, given its close proximity to the acclaimed South Fayette Township School District,” McAneny added.  “The schools are consistently ranked among the top scoring school districts in Western Pennsylvania.  In fact, the impressive school campus is right around the corner from your
new home!”

With the active 55+ crowd in mind, Foxlane Homes embarked on its latest project, Watermark at The Landings located in Baden, just over the Beaver and Allegheny County lines and located just minutes from Franklin Park, Sewickley, Wexford and Cranberry.  Here, Watermark by Foxlane Homes features luxury, low maintenance patio homes geared toward active 55+ adults.   McAneny and Nicholl worked for years in the 55+ market and have really developed a fondness and passion for the space.  “It’s a really unique, fun space to be in,” noted McAneny.  “It’s underserved, particularly with the aging population of the region.”  While some of that population needs to downsize into a low maintenance home that offers first floor living and universal design, many don’t want to give up the luxury that they have become accustomed to over time.  “Many builders in the space will offer a simple first floor living home but overlook the importance of luxury finishes, customization within the home, and the lifestyle that a community like ours offers, including a state-of-the-art community clubhouse, pool and pickleball courts,” he continued.  “Potential home buyers here can tour four brand new model homes just opened in July.”  “The homes here are really important to us but equally important is the lifestyle we are creating,” remarked Nicholl. “The clubhouse will include a gym, meeting spaces, lounges with a game room, and an indoor/outdoor kitchen space connecting to the pool and fire pit as well as a pickleball court and other amenities.”  Starting in the upper $400,000s, Watermark at The Landings has raised the bar for 55+ resort style living.  The patio homes provide 1,600 to 2,300 square feet for single level homes, but offer the opportunity for a second level if additional space is desired.  Further, 10-foot ceilings, quartz and granite counters, 42-inch carriage house kitchen cabinets, stylish exteriors with real stone and premium siding grace these homes.  “Many of our included features would be considered upgrades with other builders,” he added.