Epcon Communities debuts Valparaiso 55+ community The Courtyards at The Brooks with homesite reservation event

Epcon Communities has unveiled The Courtyards at The Brooks, a new residential community on the city’s west side built around nature and wellness. The project launches a new 55-plus community designed by Epcon builders.

The Brooks at Vale Park offers diverse housing options built by trusted, local builders. Residents can choose from the custom estates in the neighborhoods, such as Silver Oaks and The Bluffs, and now they have the option of specialized, maintenance-free 55-plus residences at The Courtyards at The Brooks. Epcon Communities, an Epcon Franchise Builder, constructs homes with an emphasis on quality and efficiency through features like 2 x 6 exterior construction.  

“It’s a big thing for us to target our 55 and older crowd,” said Jennifer Keating, director of sales. “It really feels good to help people out with their next step.”

The senior-friendly design of the Courtyards at the Brooks supports resident longevity by eliminating burdens like yard work while still offering healthy opportunities. The community features over 50 acres of preserved green space and three miles of nature trails. The expansive trail network encourages active outdoor living with two scenic lakes, cascading streams and established woods. These trails also include fitness stations and a native butterfly garden.

This safe and accessible environment is complemented by a clubhouse and community pool along with pickleball courts that begin construction in 2026. The goal is to create a gathering hub to help foster a strong sense of community among residents. It also provides benefits to those who have family members in the area.

“A lot of them are coming because it will be closer to their grandchildren. It’s a low maintenance community, so all the lawn care and snow removal is taken care of,” Keating said.

The Courtyards at the Brooks offers a strategic location central to both regional and local amenities. The City of Valparaiso’s investment in extending Vale Park Road created crucial east-west regional flow, which makes the community easily accessible from major highways like US-49. This location gives residents quick highway access and positions the neighborhood just minutes from downtown Valparaiso, local parks, and Valparaiso High School. 

Several residents gathered at Stacks Bar & Grill in downtown Valparaiso for a chance to put money down on the lot of their choice. A presentation about Epcon Communities, the first steps in the building process, included features and more was provided to everyone who came with the interest in a new residence. 

“We have 18 home sites that we’ve released,” Keating said. “There’s a huge need for this kind of product in Northwest Indiana.”

By the end of the event, 11 of the 18 lots had been reserved by buyers like Sam and Sheila Brune. The Brunes are a couple who lived in Cedar Lake. When they heard about the Courtyards at the Brooks, they were eager to see what it was all about.

“We decided six months ago that we were going to move from Cedar Lake to Valparaiso because of our daughter and her family,” said Sheila Brune. “We were just thinking about where we would want to go. When we heard about the swimming pool, the clubhouse, pickleball, the golf simulator, and small houses in the community, we were over the moon.”

The Brunes longed for the choice at lot six, and they were happy to be able to select it during the homesite reservation event.

“We’ve been out there and looked at the view,” Sheila Brune said. “We wanted to see a sunset, since we live in Sunset Harbor right now in Cedar Lake. We’re really excited about it.”

The Courtyards at the Brooks project launched in November with an open house event for the design showroom. Now that the final pre-sale event and home site reservation event have taken place, the newest community residents can make the most of what these spaces have to offer. 

On February 26, the Courtyards at the Brooks is encouraging the community to come to its next big event at the design center with a number of vendors.

For more information about the Courtyards at the Brooks, or to schedule a tour, you can visit Valparaiso, IN Homes for Sale | The Courtyards at The Brooks.