article by maria weidich | photos by nathan satran

McCall Homes has been building quality houses in Billings for nearly 30 years, but their work doesn’t stop there. The late Jim McCall and now, his three grown children, Greg, Brad, and Carolee, had and have a greater mission to build homes and a community.  

The McCall family’s vision has been realized with its 500-home Josephine Crossing community. “We’re taking it back to the good old days, where kids are on bikes, parents feel safe letting them play, and homes are more affordable,” McCall Homes Marketing Coordinator Savannah Traywick described.   

The Josephine Crossing community is known for its inviting front porches and abundant pocket parks. The streets are intentionally narrow to slow the traffic speed, and its boulevard sidewalks create a safe walking place. “People connect when they are outside, off screens, and on their porches,” Savannah said. 

This vision to build safe neighborhood communities for young families, empty nesters, and everything in between continues into McCall Homes’ most recent community, Annafeld. 

Located along the Yellowstone River, just a mile to the West of Josephine Crossing, Annafeld cultivates the same ethos where neighbors know neighbors. “It’s a place for family, whatever that might look like. You have single-family homes next to townhomes, next to a coffee shop, next to a cottage,” Savannah explained. “There’s more diversity, and it makes the community that much richer.” 

Since its groundbreaking in 2017, the team at McCall Homes is delighted to share the progress made. And, with roughly 60% of the neighborhood built so far, there’s much more in store for the Annafeld community and those who call it home.   

Live, Connect, and Play at Walter Park 

With a focus on affordability and diversity, the homes on newly built Walter Park offer an opportunity for homeownership regardless of one’s stage of life. This southeast corner of the Annafeld community offers diverse home styles on premier lots. The designer-curated collections offer simple, energy-efficient floor plans and an opportunity to live just steps away from the acre-sized park. With a covered pavilion, ample seating, fields, basketball courts, and a playground, Walter Park is desirable for homeowners to find community outside their door. 

Work From Home at Annafeld 

The Annafeld community offers its own take on “work from home” with the new addition of its Live-Work Units decorating Elysian Road. The possibilities are endless when offering commercial or office space on the ground floor, with a finished, two-bedroom apartment upstairs. “The concept is for people to work to live, not live to work,” Savannah said of the Live-Work Units. McCall Homes aim to mimic a modern version of Downtown Billings’ shops and residential spaces. “Whether in the creative or product space, we’re offering the ultimate work-from-home solution while adding to the community.” 

A Place to Meet and Greet 

Located just off Elysian Road is Annafeld’s new Marketplace, offering a unique retail space and is also home to McCall Homes’ Sales Center. Providing a designated place in the Annafeld neighborhood for visits with homeowners makes an ideal space for client meetings, Savannah said. “For homeowners who want to come to Annafeld, have a coffee, and drive around, it just gives an elevated feel for the neighborhood.” 

That cup of coffee isn’t far, either. The Sales Center is conveniently next door to The Maple Moose Coffee and Pop Shop, which opened its doors in 2022. “The neighborhood has really adopted it,” Savannah said of Maple Moose. “It has the dynamic of a vintage-classic pop shop where kids will come from school, hang out, and grab a soda. It enriches the neighborhood with more places to gather.”  

Maple Moose Coffee & Pop Shop | photo by Savannah Traywick 

The Future of Annafeld 

The Annafeld community is just over halfway complete, and you better believe the McCall Homes team is already getting excited about launching the next phase. With expansions north of Annafeld, more lots and homes are coming. 

“We’re an established neighborhood with room to grow,” Savannah explained.  “As we expand, we want to do so intentionally. When it comes down to the build, energy efficiency is a big deal for us. There are standards for new construction, and we go above and beyond for safety and comfort. It’s about bringing value to your home for a long time, so it’s built well to last.” 

McCall Homes have mastered their floor plans, making them so homeowners can live in their dream home and afford it.  The McCall Homes mission to Empower People means providing families with the expertise and skills needed to become a homeowner, no matter their stage of life. “We don’t want a home's price point to be an obstacle to finding a safe community to live.”  

The latter part of the McCall Homes mission, Building Community, has already been actualized at Annafeld. “It’s all about creating spaces to encourage neighbors to interact on a deeper level, in a safe place where you belong,” Savannah said. “Here, you can walk out your door and know community is a verb and feel rooted in a home you love.”  

Stay updated on the latest developments at Annafeld and beyond at mccallhomes.com or Instagram @mccallhomes. 

Originally printed in the June 2023 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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