A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Jan. 21 at Dream Acres in Panora by Origin Homes.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Groundbreaking occurred on Jan. 21 for five new homes being built at Dream Acres in Panora by Origin Homes. The homes will be on West Clay Street, near downtown Panora and the Panorama schools. Representatives of Origin Homes, Panora Fiber, the city of Panora and Lake Lumber were on hand.
The new homes will be on the north side of Clay Street with house numbers of 301, 303, 305, 307 and 401. Origin Homes, based in Des Moines, builds homes of various designs with the five planned in Panora priced between $312,700 and $364,000.
“We continue to be so encouraged by the outreach, support and excitement for our Rural Housing Initiative,” Matt Daniels, Director of Operations for Origin, said. “Panora has been on our radar for a year or two thanks to their great leadership, community and economic development plans with local businesses and other builders in the area. The homes at Dream Acres will be just two blocks away from the Little Panther Daycare, Panorama Community Schools and five minutes from Lake Panorama, so we believe they’ll be a great fit for this neighborhood.
Homes are expected to be completed in mid-summer 2026. The homes will all be three- and four-bedroom ranches with two-car garages, some with finished basements, and a range of 1,300 to 2,400 square feet.
“Like many rural Iowa towns, we’re facing the hard truth that our lack of housing is holding us back. Origin Homes has a proven track record across Iowa built on collaboration, local insight and long-term vision that I believe will only strengthen our local economy, expand our tax base and keep our town moving forward,” Panora Mayor Curtis Thornberry said.
If interested buyers reserve a home in the early stages of construction, Origin can customize finishes, siding colors and more inside and outside of the home.
In 2026, Origin is building an additional five homes in Knoxville’s Veterans District as part of this years’ ongoing Rural Housing Initiative. The initiative is aimed at building homes in rural communities across Iowa to improve the housing market. Origin has previously built and sold 10 homes in two phases in Knoxville, as well as 18 additional homes in Conrad, Jefferson, Manning and Gowrie. As part of the initiative, Workforce housing tax credits, awarded from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, will be used to help offset the costs of the homes to homebuyers.
This drawing is similar to the homes that will be built in Panora.