Top-of-the-line Custom Home Builder needs a Homepage

Karoleena Custom Homes

We need a homepage design for a high-quality custom home builder. We have brand colors & logo (See description).
We’ll be very quick about responding & providing feedback.
We have some images that can be used in the design (see description for download).
This contest is for graphic design only: no HTML work.

Please grab the zip download which includes images, logos, etc. here: http://75.101.135.99/karoleena/design-res.zip

We need a design for a new website. We first need the homepage to be designed. From there, we’ll need 2 other inner page templates to be designed on a related theme (more on this below).

Karoleena Custom Homes build custom enviro homes. Karoleena uses a unique process to reduce waste, increase quality, and speed the final delivery. You can find out more (as well as see moer images of our work on our current website: http://www.karoleena.com).

We have a lot of great imagery from existing homes (photos & 3D architect renderings) and, while we’ll be using that in photo galleries, we want to use that throughout the design as well. You can get a sampling of some of these images here in the zip download.

This contest is for the first design, then we will work with the winning designer on the 2 related designs (other page templates for the website) - for an additional fee, of course.

The target audience is mostly home buyers (the end home-owner). They are often younger (20-40). But this is not exclusive, by any means - it has to appeal to older buyers as well

Some words to describe the design
Clean
Simple
Large, prominent images
Bold (especially text)
Strong colors
Solid areas of screen real-estate
Breaks out of the visual box somewhat
Slight web 2.0 look
Full, but not be busy
Textured, but not messy

Needed Elements in the design
Logo (rough version in zip download, full version coming)
Nav / Menu
Main image / video highlight
Featured Development (with an image)
Email Sign Up
Area for text
Search
Copyright & other footer information
Nav repeated in the footer area
Optional Idea: include a few “highlight areas” (article, current homes for sale)

Colors
Attached is a color palette. The browns are fairly set, but feel free to alter the accent colors if you have a good reason and idea that you want to run with.

Menu
3 levels
First Level (Max 8 items): Home, About, Portfolio, Featured, Our Process, Portfolio, Homes For Sale, Resources
Second Level (Max 15 items): Under Process > FAQ, Modular Systems, Communication, Built Green, Construction Process
Third Level (Max 15 items): Under Built Green > About GeoThermal, High RValues, Why it Matters

Sites we like
http://www.hivemodular.com/
Simple design, prominent calls to action, interesting use of shapes to break up the box.
http://macallanridge.com/
Nice header & link area. Good use of the background & the bottom silhouette treeline to break up the rectangular nature of the design
http://www.mckinleymasters.com/
Prominent images, simple (a bit too simple perhaps)

A few more:
http://www.gardsbruk.no/
http://www.fantesca.com/
http://www.loftlivingkrefeld.de/