The Mediterranean-style Navarro is compact yet open

The Navarro isn't a large home, which some people find quite attractive. This Mediterranean-style plan is well-suited to the needs and pocketbooks of first-time home buyers. Empty nesters looking to downsize their maintenance responsibilities may also find what they're looking for here.

Gathering spaces fill the center, bedrooms are on the outer edges, and the kitchen is at the heart of everything. Standing in the kitchen, you can gaze through the dining room to the front yard, or through the great room to the back yard. This feature is particularly useful for the parents of small children, but it also illustrates the essential openness of the floorplan.

Two huge windows bathe the airy, vaulted great room in natural light. One of the windows is actually a sliding glass door that opens onto a wide screened porch at the rear. Sink and dishwasher are built into a long counter that doubles as an eating bar. Utilities are just a few steps away, tucked in a pass-through space that opens into the garage. A coat closet is just inside the front door.

The Navarro's owners' suite is more luxurious than you might expect to find in a home this size. It has a huge walk-in closet and a large tub and shower combination tucked into an alcove illuminated by an arched opening filled with glass blocks.

On the opposite side of the house, the two secondary bedrooms share a bathroom. A large linen closet is in the hall.