48 minute read
CELEBRIT Y HOMES
Photo credit: Wright Bros.
Derek Jeter’s castle
More unique than almost anything else on the real estate market today and expansive enough for family, extended family, teammates and favorite friends, retired New York Yankees star and first-ballot MLB Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter, has dropped the price on his castle-like resort home on Greenwood Lake in New York by $2 million. Previously listed in 2018 at $14.75 million, it is now back on the market at $12.75 million.
Known locally as ‘The Castle’ and originally built in 1903 by New York Doctor Rudolph Gudewill for his wife, the estate is actually two castles - the master castle with a connected tower and a guest castle. After Gudewill died, John and Julia Tiedemann bought the castle, where they lived with their 13 children including an adopted son, William Connors. Connors was later to become Jeter’s maternal grandfather. Jeter spent many of his childhood summers at the castle swimming, playing sports and chores. The Tiedemanns sold the estate in 1996, but when it came back on the market in 2002, Jeter bought it and began a long and expensive restoration.
Encompassing 12,590 square feet of living space between the main and guest castles, the Jeter compound includes four indoor kitchens, one outside kitchen and an extralarge, infinity-edged pool. Living areas include six bedrooms, seven full and five half baths, great room, multiple stone fireplaces including one on the terrace, dens, game room, sunroom, formal dining room, office, gym and family room with a bar. The turret opens out to a widow’s walk, which is duplicated on the guest house, providing beautiful lake and wood views. There are extensive gardens, a Statue of Liberty replica and a four-car garage. Even with a large number of guests, there is always a quiet place to spend some alone time.
With his busy schedule as part owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins, Derek oversees the day-to-day operations of the team that surprised most baseball experts by making the MLB playoffs in 2020 and then knocked out the Chicago Cubs in the first round. Jeter also manages a plethora of other business interests and since his marriage to model Hannah Davis in 2016, is also a family man helping to raise their two young children. Unable to spend time in his castle on the lake, it makes sense to pass it on to a family who will enjoy it as much as his own family has over the years.
The listing agent is Mary Lovera with Wright Bros. Real Estate, Nyack, New York.
Source: mlovera.wrightinnyack.com
For details of these houses and other celebrity homes, please visit: www.topTenRealEstateDeals.com
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Building quality
With over 15 years’ experience of creating extraordinary homes in the best neighborhoods, Integrity Homes can be described as ‘a small builder with big connections’
The name that this business chose for itself includes a noun that perfectly sums up its business model – Integrity. It represents who the company is and is reflected in every aspect of how it does business, as throughout its operations, it continually strives to exemplify all meanings of the word Integrity. So, not only does it build houses with complete soundness of construction, but it also works with truthfulness and honesty towards the people that will call its houses home.
The start of the process of having a home built by Integrity begins with the creation of a quality relationship. Direct, sincere and open communication is one of the cornerstones of the company’s philosophy, and Integrity Homes believes that this approach brings peace of mind during what is often one of the most important purchases that a person will ever make.
Having first created a rapport with the developer, customers buying an Integrity home also know that their dream house is being carefully and skillfully created by expert hands, drawing on a wealth of homebuilding experience and passion. The company works with only the best vendors and subcontractors, using superior materials and products and working with familiar brand names such as G.E., Moen, Kohler and Progress Lighting.
Integrity Homes builds in highly desirable locations in the Washington DC/Virginia/ Maryland areas, but even as the business expands, it always stays true to its ethos of building high quality and beautiful homes that can be seen as physical extensions of the individuals who live inside.
To get an insight into the stunning projects that Integrity Homes creates, the first port of call should be its website www. yourintegrityhome.com. Here visitors can select the area that they are interested in and see a variety of community options – and one aspect that does exemplify the popularity of an Integrity home is how many are sold out! Looking at Embrey Mill in Stafford, VA just as example, and Rob Hutzel, Co-Owner/Partner at Integrity noted that it had a record year in this community with 51 sales in 2020 and the balance of homes will be delivered in 2021. An 831-acre master-planned community that is loaded with amenities, Embrey Mill offers resort style living, with the success of the scheme already evident.
Exceptional homes
The newest Integrity community is due to open in spring of 2021. Called The Enclave at Fair Lakes, it will consist of 197 three- and four-story townhomes, in Fairfax, Virginia. “The Fair Lakes area is a very desirable location that is rich with amenities and provides easy access for commuting,” said Rob. “We expect to open for sales in early May and plan to deliver our first homes in the 4th quarter of 2021. These will be upscale homes that are similar to the design we build at National Harbor.
“Our Estates series on five-acre lots at Popes Head and Creekside have also recently sold out,” added Rob. “Plus, since inception we have completed eight phases of construction at National Harbor with over 350 homes completed.”
Having referred to National Harbor, Rob brings the conversation onto this unique upscale commercial and residential development, which is located in Maryland and enjoys panoramic views of the Potomac River, Old Town Alexandria, and Washington, DC. With over 40 restaurants and 160 retail outlets, as well as the MGM National Harbor Resort, the area is not just a hub for shopping but also for art, dining and entertainment. “Integrity Homes reached an agreement to build in National Harbor in 2010, and it has, and continues to be, a significant contribution to the success of our company,” revealed Rob. “Monument Series is the newest phase of homes there, which we have adapted from our original Brownstone product line of fourstory luxury townhomes. We delivered our first homes in the Monument series this past February and have just recently opened our models. The reception to our newest product line has been very positive as we have sold 47
Our projections call for a continuation of our operations in terms of volume and overhead based on our present land position and projected new land opportunities, but, we are positioned well for the next three years and have our sights on the needed land positions to sustain our operations for the future
Masonry Design, Inc. Masonry Design, Inc. have been working with Integrity Homes since their inception. Our relationship is built on the same core principles that include Quality, Truth, Integrity, Pride and Communication. It is a pleasure working with a homebuilder who employs professional, quality-minded personnel. We value our relationship with Integrity Homes and are proud to be a Trade Partner.
of the 55 homes that we plan on delivering in 2021.
“We have paid particular attention to design and the siting of our homes to maximize the views,” Rob added. “The inclusion of a roof top terrace provides exceptional views as well as an outdoor living space.”
Team development
Delivering exceptional homes such as the Monument Series has had an additional layer of challenges added to it over the past year, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that has caused logistical and resource issues for all in the construction sector. Rob highlighted that for Integrity, the effects were felt in the cycle times to build homes, among other areas. “From delays in permitting and material shortages, to extended lead-times for material deliveries, and staging trades in the houses, these factors - all related to Covid-19 - have challenged us to build our homes and have extended our cycle times,” he said. “The recent spike in materials costs, especially lumber, has also put pricing pressure on our homes.
“As a company, we were very optimistic coming into 2020, we had a solid business plan and backlog of sales to support it,” he continued. “It was April when we felt the initial impact of Covid-19 when sales activity came to a halt. Fortunately, in May our sales rebounded for the balance of the year and resulted in a record year for both sales and closings for our company. We had no manual or policy on how to manage a pandemic, but we quickly adopted one to promote a safe working environment by having office staff work remotely or in shifts and the office was locked down for employee access only. In our communities, we controlled access into our models and our project managers limited their physical interaction with our trade partners on site.
“Our daily operations and how we functioned had to change in many ways. How we conducted meetings, processed files, managed virtual site inspections of our homes by county officials, interacted with our customers via our website and directed virtual tours of our models, are all testaments to our employees’ ability to not only adapt, but to do so in a manner that seemed seamless. The success we achieved in 2020 would not have been possible without the ability of our employees to acclimatize to the changes that were required due to Covid-19.
“I also feel the development of the senior management team and their ability to work cohesively to manage the operations on a day-to-day basis has been a significant development and will greatly enhance our success.”
As the vaccination program gathers speed and confidence increases further in the market, Integrity Homes can look towards the future with a sense of optimism. Rob did note that a recent surge in sales has depleted finished lot inventories, but the pipeline for new residential land opportunities is a challenge most builders are facing. “Our ability to secure additional land opportunities will be critical to achieve the goals we have set in our future business plans,” he agreed. “Our projections call for a continuation of our operations in terms of volume and overhead based on our present land position and projected new land opportunities, but, we are positioned well for the next three years and have our sights on the needed land positions to sustain our operations for the future.” F
Integrity Homes
www.yourintegrityhomes.com
Services: Quality house builder
Best in the Northwest
From sunrise mountain views to lush green forests, Azure Northwest Homes is inspired by the land, culture and lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest
Isaac Stocks and Tom Young were working at a national home builder when they met. Operating in the land-constricted Puget Sound region, a market traditionally dominated by local builders, the pair watched on as the aftermath of the Great Recession forced many well-established home builders to decide between buy-out offers from national firms and retirement.
Isaac and Tom realized the scarcity of entitled lots in the region, and recognized the need for a local development and home building company that could help meet the demand for housing in the Northwest. “This is a unique market in many ways, so you really need someone who is very familiar with each jurisdiction and how to navigate the waters,”
Isaac explains. After many late-night strategy sessions and cups of local coffee, Isaac and Tom founded Azure Northwest Homes in 2014.
Acquiring raw land, entitled land and finished lots all over the Northwest, Azure closed over 70 homes in 2020 and is quickly establishing itself as one of the larger local builders in the region. Most recently, work was completed on the East Harbor Estates project, a development of private, tucked-away, openlayout homes with rooftop decks, detached garages, and an average lot size of 15,000 square feet.
Inspired ideas
Ranging from 1370 square feet to 1685 square feet, homes in Edmunds Park - another Azure project - contain up to three bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as easy access to community coffee shops, playgrounds, and nature trails. The Edmunds Park development is located in Tehaleh, Washington’s best-selling master-planned community.
Just 20 miles from Tacoma and 40 miles from Seattle, Tehaleh lies in the shadow of Mount Rainier and features ‘rustic-meetsrefined’ Northwest-style living, popular with those looking to balance work-home life and enjoy outdoor activities. Along with Edmunds Park, Azure has created one-of-akind, affordable, single-family homes at fellow Tehaleh communities Observation Ridge, The Peaks and The Trails. Rich with amenities and boasting over 20 miles of trails through forests, meadows and wetlands, as well as 12 unique parks, open spaces and native terrain for exercise and leisure, Tehaleh is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best-loved mixed-use communities.
“One of my favorite developments at present - one that I am particularly proud of - is in Tehaleh, where we are building what we call ‘half basements’,” Isaac says. “We are constantly struggling with affordability in our market. Azure NW was presented with an opportunity to design smaller, more affordable homes on 35 wide by 80 deep lots. We sketched out some product ideas, but a drive through an older neighborhood in Tacoma really inspired us. These were single story homes with five- or six-foot tall basements that provided storage and space for mechanicals. We knew that we could apply this building style and develop a modern and more efficient version of these classic homes.”
After experimenting with this concept, Azure developed a plan whereby living space could be located on the main ‘upper’ floor and bedrooms on the lower ‘basement’ level.
If we maintain our current trajectory and improve our processes, we will soon be closing 100 to 150 homes a year consistently in the Puget Sound. I think we have a really unique ability to develop land and I think more of those development opportunities will be heading our way in the months and years ahead
Bringing Designs to Life
Full service Interior Design Studio, specializing in Model Home design and merchandising for production builders in the Pacific Northwest.
PENNINGTON DESIGN GROUP LLC 562.208.1811 Meg@penningtondesigngroup.com www.penningtondesigngroup.com
MEG PENNINGTON Principal Designer Chair-Professional Women in Building, PDX, Metro
One benefit of the new design was that it allowed the company to build with a lot more concrete, improving Azure’s ability to control costs in the face of market fluctuation.
“The half basement design also meant that we were able to take a 25 wide plan and make the living space feel just as inviting and spacious as a larger property,” Isaac reports. “We were also able to reduce the amount of lumber, siding, and other materials that helped keep costs down. It was a puzzle for a while, until we were able to figure out the most functional layout, but we were able to deliver a unique and affordable product that has been very popular with our buyers.”
Flexible & resilient
Recipient of the Local Tribute Award for Builder of the Year in 2019, Azure has grown tremendously over the last half-decade, employing more than 50 local people in the process. Cognizant of the latest industry trends and demands, the company is currently navigating demographic shifts, alongside a strong tailwind for housing. In order to keep its finger on the pulse of the market, Azure is careful to listen to its customers and adapt its offering accordingly.
“As a builder of our size, we believe in trying to understand what works for our customers and then appropriately serving those needs,” Isaac remarks. “We also really pride ourselves on our purchase process. We knew from our previous experience with larger builders, that it was essential to have established processes for guiding and managing customers through the phases of homebuilding. We wanted to provide a personal customer experience, and consistently deliver homes that our buyers can be proud of.”
Azure’s customer-centric approach is exemplified by its work at Tehaleh. In line with requests from buyer surveys and client wish lists, the company has focused on designing and delivering homes with larger garages, pantries and outdoor living spaces. Not only has this resulted in developments better suited to client needs, but also in a boost to Azure’s ever-growing reputation that even helped the company defy expectations in 2020 – a year dominated by Covid-19.
“The company has done incredibly well over the last 12 months or so,” Isaac reveals. “It was actually a little shocking how well we were able to navigate the waters. We invested in technology quite early on as a company. We have a builder platform that is web-based and our computers are Microsoft Surfaces, so we were able to create home workstations and move around with hotspots onsite. When the pandemic hit Washington state, we were shut down and unable to work for six weeks. Fortunately, our team was flexible and resilient. Everyone adapted to the new landscape and kept the company moving forward.
“All in all, our team really embraced working from home,” Isaac continues. “The majority of workers in the home building industry remember the Great Recession, so I think when times get tough, our sector is pretty nimble and can adjust with the tide. We found that we were pretty efficient working from home, and now are in a position where we need to decide what our business is going to look like moving forward.”
As we move into the spring, Azure continues to work its way through a number of existing projects, including a new development in Edgewood. With the company already expanding at a significant rate, Isaac believes that the key to further success for Azure is to keep focusing on what the business does well.
“If we maintain our current trajectory and improve our processes, we will soon be closing 100 to 150 homes a year consistently in the Puget Sound,” Isaac declares. “I think we have a really unique ability to develop land and I think more of those development opportunities will be heading our way in the months and years ahead.” F
Azure Northwest Homes
www.AzureNW.com
Services: Designer and builder of single-family homes
Hot property
Building lasting memories in Utah’s Hurricane Valley, Interstate Homes has forged a reputation for creating innovative homes at affordable prices in desirable communities
In amongst the mountain valleys and red rock mesas of southwestern Utah, sits the Hurricane Valley. Sandwiched between St George and Zion National Park, the region has become famous for escape, adventure, and thanks to the work of Interstate Homes, beautiful places to live.
A subsidiary of Interstate Rock, Interstate
Homes has been designing and building innovative, energy-efficient, and affordable homes in Hurricane Valley communities for more than a decade. Benefitting from the engineering and excavation capabilities of its parent firm, Interstate Homes can transform any dirt tract into a property of the highest modern standard.
Amanda Condie, Production Manager at
Interstate Homes, believes that a large portion of the company’s success over the years has been driven by the pride it takes in each and every one of its projects. “Not only do our home owners live in our communities, but we live in our communities too,” she explains. “Most of us in the Interstate Family of businesses have grown up in Hurricane, and as a result, we are highly invested in this community and in making sure that our properties enhance the area in which we all live and work. We want our home owners to be happy!”
Interstate Homes has performed work on a number of new subdivisions over the last decade, including Westfield Estates, and
Parkside at Grandpa’s Pond. Featuring some of the most spectacular views in southern
Utah, lots at Grandpa’s Pond come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing each owner to select the ideal site for their dream home. This subdivision will continue to grow through future phases.
Design trends
In 2021, Interstate Homes has been focused on projects at Cottonwood Hollow, where Phases 3 and 4 will be opening this summer, and The Ridge at Zion Vista – another subdivision offering unrivalled views of the Hurricane Valley and surrounding mountains. No matter where a new owner wishes to live, each Interstate home is designed and constructed with the same key principles in mind.
“First of all, we want to deliver a home that is cost-effective to build and live in,” Amanda reports. “Secondly, whether we’re working with
a family, a couple, or an individual, we need to design homes that suit people from all walks of life.
“All in all, our homes are well laid out and have great energy efficient additions that a lot of other builders ignore. The difference is, we want our properties to be forever homes. We build homes that everybody can see themselves living in for the rest of their lives.”
Of course, the nature of the construction industry is such that, even if core principles remain the same, consumer needs and design trends are everchanging. One such contemporary inclination has seen a return to one-tone paint for use on walls, doors, trims and ceilings.
“I think all trends recirculate, but this is one that has surprised me,” Amanda states. “I suppose one-tone is timeless. A lot of people come in during the design phase and they really want a home that won’t age quickly. People don’t want the classic black and white look anymore because, in 5 years’ time, we will all know when those homes were built. I think that timeless concept is on a lot of people’s minds. They don’t want a timestamp on their home, but a brushed nickel finish is always going to look good, or wall colors that won’t look out of place 20 years down the line.”
Building relationships
In order to help its home owners realize their own specific visions, Interstate Homes employs technology such as Buildertrend software, which allows the firm to keep track of selection processes, ordering times, schedules, home owner information, property information and permit management. More important than these automated processes, however, is the company’s small but dedicated workforce.
“We currently have eight employees covering 67 homes, which might not sound like a lot, but all our properties are semicustom and that takes a lot of management,” Amanda points out. “We are a very tightknit team and I think we portray that to our home buyers and the wider community. We want people to love our homes, and we stand by our product because we know it’s great quality work performed by fabulous subcontractors, who are a key part of our
team. We pride ourselves on building great relationships with our subcontractors, with the people who buy our homes, with the members of our community, and with city municipalities and representatives.”
Welcoming communities
In 2020, Interstate Homes faced perhaps the biggest test of its history when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States. After an initial two-week period of disruption in which developers and construction companies were forced to step away from their work, Interstate Homes was soon inundated with opportunities and its greatest challenge became sourcing materials fast enough to meet demand.
“We are building across four separate subdivisions right now with multiple lots, and we receive three to five calls each day from potential home buyers,” Amanda reveals. “Covid has impacted the supply of lumber, and our subcontractors are struggling to obtain bathroom fixtures due to manufacturing plant shutdowns, but we are working through it. The ripple effect of the pandemic has led to price increases across the board, but we are pleased to have avoided a slowdown. Instead, we’ve had a crazy ballooning of demand, so we are just trying to build as fast as we can and as well as we can.”
The rapid increase in demand for Interstate Homes’ services, even during a year dominated by a global pandemic, is due, in part, to the rising popularity of the Hurricane Valley with home owners. With Covid-19 leading many businesses to the realization that their employees can work effectively from home, vast numbers of Americans are now enjoying the freedom to move out of metropolitan areas and work remotely from locations as geographically diverse as Hurricane.
“This area has just completely blown up,” Amanda declares. “If we had hundreds more lots available, we would have hundreds more contracts. We live in a wonderful place with tons of outdoor recreation opportunities, which, as the world shut down, were some of the only hobbies and activities that could continue. The result is that Utah, and the Hurricane Valley, have been at the center of mass migration recently. Unfortunately, since that has happened, a lot of out-of-state builders have come in to the area to get a piece of the pie, which changes the dynamic, but I think everybody here knows, and can see, that our quality and our expertise really shine through.”
Alongside a focus on efficiency, Interstate Homes hopes to acquire more land in 2021 as part of its efforts to seize the moment and take advantage of surging desire for homes in the Hurricane Valley. Though the pandemic has given rise to equipment shortages and longer lead times, Amanda is confident that there has never been a better time to move into a new home in one of the USA’s most dramatic landscapes and most welcoming communities. She is also adamant that Interstate Homes is the best company to help make those Hurricane Valley dreams a reality.
“Despite all the obstacles in our way, it’s been a really positive year. Now I just want to see the business growing steadily into the future,” Amanda remarks. “I feel as though our current team has reached capacity and, though it’s still all about building and finishing around 75 single-family homes a year, I believe we will eventually start to construct multifamily units as well because, typically, that’s the way this business trends.
“In the future, I anticipate that we will grow and expand into different areas in Washington County and the surrounding regions, including, perhaps, Iron County and Kane County,” Amanda notes. “I think we’ll predominantly stay down here in the desert of southern Utah, but we want to expand to different communities. We want to bring our love of the building in the Hurricane Valley to new areas and to as many people as possible.” F
Interstate Homes
www.myinterstatehome.com
Services: Innovative home builder
Masters of
community
With a portfolio stretching from New York to Hawaii, The Howard Hughes Corporation® has built a reputation for developing some of the best-in-class and most desirable master planned communities in the United States
Bridgeland - Josey Lake Boat House
Lakeside Row
Dedicated to innovative placemaking, The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, operates and develops awardwinning commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate across the US. With a portfolio strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, Howard Hughes operates one of the strongest property portfolios in the country.
Focusing on master planned communities and communities of the future, Howard
Hughes’ inspirational vision helps people discover new ways to experience life.
“Our approach to master planned communities at Howard Hughes makes us unique,” declares Heath Melton, Executive
Vice President, MPC Residential. “We are one of the few fully-integrated, publicly-traded, large-scale developers in the industry. We develop all the infrastructure associated with a project and self-perform all asset classes with the exception of home building. We focus on long term value creation and remain 100 per cent involved in our projects for the life of the community.”
Environmental commitment
As of 2021, Howard Hughes’ portfolio includes the Seaport District in New York City, Downtown Columbia in Maryland, The Woodlands®, The Woodlands Hills®, and Bridgeland® in Texas, and Ward Village® in Honolulu, Hawaii. Summerlin® in Las Vegas, another of Howard Hughes’ master planned communities, was originally the site of a property owned by the company’s namesake and takes its name from Mr. Hughes’ paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin. Today, Summerlin is the #3 top-selling master planned community in the US.
“Our company is dedicated to being creators of culture and building for the future, with an unwavering commitment to masterful design and excellence in execution,” Melton says. “We want to bring people together in places where they can really engage and enjoy life. Building for the future has been a major focus for us. As you can see from our sites, we don’t just develop for the current day, we like to build with the future in mind - both from a sustainability standpoint, as well as ensuring our sites stand the test of time architecturally. We want all our developments to remain vibrant and relevant within the marketplace for the long-term.”
While every one of Howard Hughes’ master planned communities has its own distinct environment and amenities, each is developed with the same principles of design excellence and focus on providing exceptional open green space, parks, lakes and trails, offering residents the opportunity to connect meaningfully with nature and each other. These areas also fall in line with Howard Hughes’ commitment to the environment.
“We encourage health and wellbeing in our communities,” Melton states. “You’ll see a lot of pedestrian connectivity in our neighborhoods. We like to make sure we have extensive trail systems to help connect residents from their homes to places of interest, including parks, retail centers or their office. A live, work, play component is incorporated into our design and our placemaking experiences to create an urban walkable environment. It also helps
Going forward, we will continue to deliver communities that remain focused on sustainability, as well as environmentally, but from a market penetration standpoint as well. We are constantly striving to keep our finger on the pulse so that we can adjust to the market and be dynamic in everything we do
with our sustainability goals. Not only do these open, walkable communities reduce vehicle usage, but we use a lot of plant materials native to the region, which sustainably reduces long term maintenance cost and water usage. We are focused on the overall ecosystem – all of nature’s creatures existing together.”
Community portfolio
Over the course of the last 12 months, the market around Howard Hughes has, understandably, shifted dynamically due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As more and more people decide to move out of densely populated areas, the demand for a quality lifestyle with open spaces has increased, and Howard Hughes’ master planned communities have been ideally positioned for the spirit of the moment.
“Today’s consumer is looking for alternatives to the traditional office density that provide a higher quality work/life balance and many have transitioned to working from home or a hoteling concept where they work from home two days a week and then go to the office for three days,” Heath explains. “We have definitely been able to capture that level of demand within our communities. Our home sales increased dramatically in 2020, and we will amplify that in 2021 if current trends persist.”
When it comes to residential properties, Howard Hughes’ efforts during the last four years have been directed towards cuttingedge design and becoming an architectural market leader. Since 2015, the corporation has helped to bring more modern interpretations of single-family residences and is widely believed to be the first to introduce modern farmhouse and modern prairie style designs to the Houston market.
“Bridgeland has been home to a modernist development program that includes midcentury modern design and more transitional elevation. It has fared really well with the millennial generation that is now coming of age. In general, millennial customers have a changing family dynamic and are looking to get out of cities and buy homes in higher rated school districts,” Melton reports. “As a result, to better suit this market, we’ve worked closely with builders to redesign interior floor plans and create more of an open concept for people who like to entertain and seek modern inspired exteriors and interiors.”
As part of its contemporary approach to community building, Howard Hughes has also been concentrating on the affordability and attainability of its properties. With the need for housing on the rise across the U.S., and master planned communities becoming an increasingly popular choice, Howard Hughes believes in offering a variety of residency programs at various price points, whilst maintaining the overall quality and aesthetic for which the company has become renowned.
“One example of how we respond to market demand can be viewed through our townhome offerings. We partnered with select home builders and re-envisioned the elevations, making them feel really rich and modern, from the interior to the exterior,” Melton reveals. “We have used the same strategy on introducing 40-foot and 45-foot homesites, offering lower price points without sacrificing the design aesthetic fitting for our master planned community developments.”
To diversify its assets, Howard Hughes is introducing more multifamily programs in some of its master planned communities, allowing the business to better speak to the demographics of each location. The Woodlands, for example, which is one of the company’s more urban, business districtbased communities, is now home to a variety of high-rise, mid-rise and garden-style multifamily properties.
“Our multifamily residences include large, two-story townhomes with dedicated garages, as well as four-story programs,” Melton remarks. “We offer a nice blend of offerings that speak to different demographics, both in terms of location and buyer/renter price points and preferences.”
In the coming months, Howard Hughes is set to begin work on two million square feet of development across its master planned
The Woodlands Hills - Activity Center
The Woodlands Hills - Trails
community portfolio. New condos and multifamily residences, as well as office and retail facilities will soon find their way to the Seaport, Downtown Columbia, Summerlin, Ward Village, The Woodlands and Bridgeland.
“We are really bullish about 2021,” Melton asserts. “Based on the increasing demand for single-family housing, we think there will continue to be huge opportunities for us in Houston and Las Vegas. The single-family residential market will certainly be a focus for us in 2021, and we will be working across all our communities to satisfy that requirement.
“As vaccines are implemented and the market recovers from Covid-19, we are going to see retailers re-awake in the market space,” Melton continues. “All signs point toward 2021 being very different from 2020. We are not only focused on filling out our existing space but also on discovering new opportunities that we can bring to market to fulfil the rising demand.”
As owner and developer of its own master planned communities, Howard Hughes’ destiny remains very much within the company’s control. Not interested in selling its properties to third-party users, Howard Hughes is able to manage its own supply chain and, to some extent, manage the market, ensuring the space in which it operates never becomes oversaturated.
“As we look out across the next three to five years, one advantage is our flexibility,” Melton notes. “We remain very flexible in both a design sense and in how we implement our plans.
“As our core values suggest, we are always looking to build for the future,” he adds. “Going forward, we will continue to deliver communities that remain focused on sustainability, as well as environmentally, but from a market penetration standpoint as well. We are constantly striving to keep our finger on the pulse so that we can adjust to the market and be dynamic in everything we do.” F
The Howard Hughes Corporation®
www.howardhughes.com
Services: Real estate owner, developer and operator, specializing in master planned communities & premier commercial properties
A better way
A focus on innovation and a dedication to excellence has enabled family-run business, The Corbo Group, to deliver exemplary homes to its customers in Connecticut for 44 years
From building his first home with no construction experience, to creating a very successful homebuilding firm known for its innovation and quality, Ralph Corbo has never shied away from a challenge. The Founder and Owner of Connecticut-based business, The Corbo
Group, and still at the helm in his 70s, Ralph is proud to be taking the business into 2021 with a firm plan for future success and his son beside him on the journey.
Before sharing his strategies for the next half decade, Ralph started with the fascinating story of how The Corbo Group came into being and the evolutions it has undergone up until this day. “It was around 1975 when my wife
Natalie and I built our own first home, based from a plan we saw in the local newspaper.
We were enamored with the authentic English
Tudor design, and we decided to embark on that undertaking, despite having never built a house before,” he began.
While Ralph and Natalie may have been young (mid-20s) and inexperienced (both were public school librarians at that time) they were both determined, creative and not afraid of hard work or research. “By the time I was 28 we had built a beautiful home, doing a lot of the work ourselves, including general contracting and interior finishes,” continued
Ralph. “At the same time as the project was completed, we held a party at the house for a congressional candidate that I was helping, after he won his seat. There was media at this party, and one of the reporters from the major newspaper in the area loved our home and ended up featuring it in the Sunday magazine section. That story led to people approaching me to ask about the building process.” Seeing an opportunity, Ralph decided that during school summer vacations, he would build a house or two – thus, The Corbo Group was born in 1977. The next three years were successful and following taking leaves of absence to try the job full time, Natalie and
Ralph left the library world and dedicated all their time to making their new venture a success.
While focusing on homebuilding and some significant restoration projects, including two former schools, the Group also worked on a few commercial buildings as well, keeping and managing the properties for several years. But in 2002 a near-disaster struck – Ralph was involved in a motorcycle accident that required multiple surgeries. Needing a righthand man to help Natalie run the business, he called on his son Colin, who was a graphic artist at that time, to assist him.
“He came back to help out and he never left!” said Ralph. Indeed, Colin has had a transformational effect on the Group, not just through supporting Ralph with the business, and also through the sad passing of Natalie in 2012, but by introducing new technology and approaches to Corbo’s way of working. “The innovation that Colin has added to the company has been dramatic,” Ralph revealed. “Natalie managed the business well but she managed it from our generational point of view not from his, and he has now digitized every aspect of our company.”
This includes the creation of an electronic filing system, where every document associated with an individual project is scanned and collated into one file, which can be accessed from a desk or jobsite. “We can simply point and click, and see a contract, pictures, anything at all that relates to the house or development, and that has been excellent just in itself,” said Ralph.
“Colin also innovated an internal construction estimating and accounts system, so we now have the ability to access what we paid for a bill a month ago and compare it to what we paid for it today. To be able to look at that in real time and instantly see what impact it’s having on our business plan and finances helps us be current with our customers. Colin’s technology expertise has allowed us to operate more like a big company but remain a very small company.”
Corbo DNA
It is clear that Ralph is very willing to embrace innovation and it is true to say that this philosophy has been a major part of The Corbo Group since it was founded. In the very early days of the business, Ralph and Natalie discovered a home concept called an ‘envelope home’ that is very energy efficient, and they were also very involved in passive solar homes – once again, these attracted the attention of the press, raising the reputation of the company and attracting new business to its doors. This dedication to energy efficiency has never waned, and the company is still always looking for simple ways to produce energy efficiency in the structure and design of the home.
“Being based in the North East our primary concern is heating more than cooling, and we work on several techniques on how the houses are built and assembled, and our experience of building passive solar homes really is useful here. I read about techniques now and think to myself ‘we’ve been doing those for 25 years’! I am glad that someone else recognizes it now,” Ralph commented.
Every home that The Corbo Group builds starts with a collaboration with a third-party energy rater, who assists with the design to include a high degree of energy efficiency. “This can include areas such as ‘does the home face the sun, what are the climatic conditions in this neighborhood, are we in a valley, are we on top of a ridge, which windows are we using, what is the heating and cooling system’?” explains Ralph. “They come up with a design that is inputted into the Federal Department of Energy program called RESCheck, which gives us several specifications and performance levels, and tells us how much energy the home will consume based on a standard – we are always looking to be below that standard.
“We submit that information (which is voluntary by the way) to the building department to show what our energy profiles will look like. Then after the house is built, but before the walls and holes are closed up, the energy rater will come back into the home and inspect all of the items that were specified in this energy package to ensure they have been done according to plan. If not, we can rectify it at this stage, before the house is sheetrocked.
“Finally, when the home is finished, they come in and do a final check and thorough inspection. They give us a report that tells us how the house performs, and typically it’s better than what was originally planned. We take real pride in being able to hand that document to our customers, and show them the results. We spend extra money to do this, but we think it’s well worth it.”
Further innovations that are part of the Corbo DNA include integrating technology into the home. The Group has been doing this for the past 15 years, again under Colin’s influence, and as Ralph explained, its abilities here set it apart. “We want to make our homes technology-friendly, and for many years we have been using structured cables in our projects to enable this. Structured cable has multiple cables inside, for uses such as video, audio and internet in a single bundle. It allows multiple things to happen inside that cable and it means there is no pulling the house apart, or cutting the dry wall for installations - whatever use the client wants it’s there.
“We also joined the Custom Electronics, Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) many years ago, and they do a lot around home theatres and whole house technology. We have now done several home theatres in our projects.” Furthermore, with the advent of Covid-19 and people using their houses in different ways, Corbo’s approach offers customers flexibility to change as they need to. “Our ability to do this is not typical for most homebuilders, but is part of how we are always looking for another useful, simple thing we can do for the end user in an easy way.”
I still get up every morning and I am just enthused about what is the day going to bring. I am always reading, designing or creating, and looking ahead to what’s happening in the future, and I think that customers can tell that we aren’t just going through the motions – this is truly a vocation and that our enthusiasm is infectious
Digital solutions
Having raised the topic of Covid-19, Ralph went onto give more details about the changes Corbo made to its operations in order to keep projects on track as safely as possible. “We introduced these policies in Spring 2020, with a major change only allowing one subcontractor in the home at a time, and leaving a day or two in between crews. Usually you would have the HVAC, plumbers and electricians all inside the house working around each other, each one doing their own task. This new approach costs us money and slows us down, but we haven’t had anybody sick, and nor have there been any incidents on any of our jobs. I think the subcontractors like it, too.
“Once the home is completed, it gets a thorough cleaning by a professional cleaning company and we do not allow our customers to take occupancy until two or three days after the final clean. Again, this causes a little bit of time consumption, but we are very concerned about what we are delivering, we always want to make our customer happy and that encompasses every aspect – from good quality design and construction work, to how the people and players involved have been managed.”
Corbo also benefited from the fact that it already had so many digital operational solutions in place, as when the virus struck, the Group was able to quickly adopt Zoom meetings and be able to discuss projects online with customers, sharing files and showing them pictures and documents in real time. “Without the digitized business system
that Colin innovated and brought in, we would have been fumbling like a lot of other people,” agreed Ralph.
Corbo’s office staff also appreciate its innovative approach to technology, especially the flexibility that it brings to their working life. “Colin has created a system that allows remote access to home offices, so if we have a bad weather day or a situation arises, our key people can access their work through a supplied laptop from their home,” explained Ralph. “I don’t mind if they are inputting invoices at 10pm because that suits their schedule - maybe they are doing it in their PJs, who knows!” Ralph also likes to get his staff’s opinion on projects, as a lay person’s perspective can highlight an issue that perhaps someone with more construction expertise wouldn’t consider. “I think they like knowing there is something more to their job than admin, and I like to show my staff they are valued, not just with a good salary and benefits but with a friendly atmosphere, periodic lunch meetings and conversations about topics other than work. We want everyone to like us and work with us, while always doing a great a job and a keeping their goals in mind.”
Concept to completion
Having introduced MHB to the operations at The Corbo Group, Ralph directed the conversation to the areas of construction where it applies its expertise, which extends across several areas of the residential home market. “When you look at a finished home, you don’t always appreciate the many, many stages it has gone through to get there,” he said. “One area where we excel is that we start at the very beginning as real estate developers - we can identify large pieces of land and take them through the complete process of creating individual building home sites. That is a very arduous process, with a lot of risk and different elements, but we have experience in doing this and have nearly finished our latest development. This has taken us three years to do an 11 plot sub division in one of our local communities. We are finishing house number ten which has sold, and next we are going to start house number 11 on spec to complete that project.
“We also buy individual home sites,” he continued. “We recently purchased three of these in another community, two of which are already spoken for. We also work with individuals who already own a site, working with them on their design and with the architects. I would say that we do a lot of design and build and that has been a strong point, with a good success rate.
“The other specialty we have developed over the last five years is doing lake front properties at a private lake front community in Connecticut,” he added. Corbo is now working on its fifth home on that private community, and this involves liaising with the power company that owns the lake, as well as working in an environmentally-sensitive area with an existing community. “We have developed a very good rapport with both the community and the power company, and we have the required expertise to create a lakeside property that not everybody can do. I would say that being a complete builder from concept to the completion is our niche.”
Unsurprisingly, given the level of excellence that Ralph demands from all Corbo builds, the company has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, including multiple HOBI Awards, given by the Connecticut Home Builders’ Association. This year, Ralph is hoping another of his projects receives a HOBI Award, as it was particularly significant to him. “The last house we did on the lake was a secondary home for a home builder from Florida,” he said. “It was a real honor to be the builder for a builder (the client owns Brista Homes) and he was able to bring a lot to the development. The home came out beautifully, and they are very happy with it. I’ve built for little guys and big guys but building for another builder - I am very proud of that.”
The beautiful properties created by Corbo generally fall into the luxury, high-end category, and Ralph noted that, particularly with the lakefront properties, they are usually second homes, and this means the buyers
have more discretionary income, and a bigger budget, giving Corbo a bigger scope for creativity. “That by no means diminishes our other customers who have two incomes and two children, who of course are looking for innovation but have to be more budget conscious,” he added. “In fact, it is here that our expertise can help them to meet their expectations at a cost they can afford. With the market as it is, with materials costs escalating, it has been a big challenge to address rising costs, but we can look at areas that can be changed – such as swapping a granite kitchen surface for example – so that our customers can manage their budget.”
True vocation
Having spoken about ‘middle-of-the-road’ sector of the market, Ralph noted that as part of a new strategy that is currently being formulated by himself and Colin, The Corbo Group will see a change of direction in the future, shifting more focus onto the secondary home buyers’ market, and larger scale home renovations. “In Connecticut, we are seeing a boom right now from New York buyers who want to get away from Manhattan and want to get in a less dense environment. A lot of those are second home buyers so they are not as constricted by budget.
“The other area we are going into is larger scale home renovations. A lot of people love the property they currently live in but need to adapt it – they don’t have $1 million to build another house, but they will spend $400,000 to make this one really great. So, we are going to be moving over the next couple of years to the home renovation segment and we are going to look to hire a project manager that specializes in that area. We think the secondary home and home renovation markets will give us more flexibility to deal with market changes.”
While changes may be afoot for the direction of Corbo, what will remain at the center of its operations is a strong, familycompany ethos, and its eternal dedication to innovation. Now in his 74th year, Ralph’s curiosity about upcoming trends and his willingness to try new techniques and technologies remains as strong as ever, and these traits are also shared by Colin. Ralph noted this has to be balanced with an appreciation for the market and what will work for a Connecticut buyer. “Our marketplace is a little bit traditional, so we try and input a little bit of ‘trendy’ design, but in a way that is compatible with our demographic. Our buyers still want dining rooms for traditional celebrations, for example, so we have to always bear that in mind.”
From speaking to Ralph, it is clear why The Corbo Group has seen the success it has achieved. He remains as enthusiastic about his business and clients as he was when the business was founded, and he maintains an energy to deliver a client’s dream that shared by his team, and ultimately the customer. “I still get up every morning and I am just enthused about what is the day going to bring. I am always reading, designing or creating, and looking ahead to what’s happening in the future, and I think that customers can tell that we aren’t just going through the motions – this is truly a vocation and that our enthusiasm is infectious. Suppliers and contractors also like working with us, because we are interested in what they are doing and what they think, and we are always looking for a better way of doing something.”
The changes that Ralph mentioned to the company’s focus also reflect his intention to reduce his role in the active day-to-day operations of the company, and concentrate his own expertise on the financing side, with Colin taking on more duties. He mentioned that at some point he is ‘going to want to get a beach chair and a margarita’ – given his drive and dynamism, and his obvious love for what he does, Colin and The Corbo Group will no doubt be keen to keep Ralph’s input into projects for many years to come. F
The Corbo Group
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