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from Spring/Summer 2022 Chamber Publication

INVEST

IGL Construction builds quality, affordable housing in Spencer area

Spencer, like many other communities, has a pressing need when it comes to affordable, quality housing.

Luckily for this Northwest Iowa community, IGL Construction, located right here in Spencer, delivers both. Started in 2014, the construction company boasts two housing developments, Gateway by IGL in Spencer and the final build out of Pelican Ridge in Arnolds Park. The former has 23 slab-on-grade homes on seven acres, while the latter has seen 13 move-in ready homes and 5 custom design homes built in the development. There have been several custom builds too.

But all of that is just the beginning. IGL’s latest project, Westfield by IGL, will be located just west of Spencer in the former Jacobsen Trailer Park. There, the company plans to build 57 homes by 2024.

IGL will focus on its bread and butter at Westfield – building homes that are both affordable and beautiful.

Kellie Beneke, who along with Todd Krukow and the Nelson Family started IGL in 2014, said the focus has always been on quality when building homes.

“There’s such a need for quality, energy efficient and low maintenance new homes,” Beneke said. “You know, people are busy these days with their kids, or you may be an empty nester trying to find time to do things that you want to do. So, the last thing you want to do is spend a ton of time working on your house. That’s really what we found our buyers are most impressed with. You can buy a new home at an affordable price and not have to worry about it for several years.”

Building affordable homes in Spencer

IGL has found its price range in today’s market typically falls in the range of $195,000 to $248,000. According to realtor.com, the median listing home price in Spencer as of late last year was $152,500. Considering IGL’s homes are new construction, the affordable tag certainly fits.

Families and individuals who buy homes from IGL typically benefit from many programs that put an emphasis on affordability and quality.

“We work with all of the local banks here in town and we let the lenders do their thing,” Beneke said. “We build houses and they loan money.”

Spencer also has a generous property tax abatement on new residential construction.

“The first $75,000 of valuation is not taxed for five years,” Beneke explained. “So that’s a really big incentive for buying new construction homes.”

A focus on quality first

Even with the incentives and programs that can help people afford IGL’s homes, the company is still most proud of how it has consistently been able to put quality first.

“For the price that we’re able to build at, we get a lot of comments back about the quality of our homes,” she said. “We use higher-end products. We’re very particular. We pay attention to the fine details.”

That quality has led to tremendous customer satisfaction.

“We have a lot of people who have bought our homes come back to us and say, ‘Oh, we want to add on’ or ‘We have a friend who is looking at buying a house or moving to the area. Would you consider building a home for them?’” Krukow said. “I think that’s one of the things that we’re most proud of is the quality and our customer satisfaction.”

In a housing market like Spencer’s, IGL Construction’s focus on quality helps its homes standout – and sell quickly. That’s typically how good homes go in today’s market, Beneke said.

“We feel like if a quality home comes on the market, it’s gone fairly quick”, she said. What’s a quality home look like in Spencer? For IGL, it’s one that has all of the major items crossed off the list and in great working order for years to come.

But there is some style to it. That’s what is attractive to many buyers, especially younger ones.

“The new, modern, clean look is something that our younger generation is looking for, as well,” Josh Nelson said. “We hope the design of these homes will attract them.”

Here at the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, we want to see our region thrive. Covering Clay, Dickinson, Buena Vista and Emmet Counties, the Corridor assists businesses, communities, and individuals to support the growth of the region. We do this through partnering with our local chambers, cities, and counties on business retention & expansion programming, business attraction efforts, entrepreneurial & small business support, and workforce & community development.

We know that the Corridor region has many amenities to enjoy and is a wonderful place to live, work, and do business. The Corridor staff is here to help you get a taste of life in NW Iowa and Spencer. Whether you’re looking to relocate, expand, own your own business, or learn more about the opportunities in the Corridor Region, we’d love to get to know you!

To learn more, visit our website at www.lakescorridor.com

or contact us at info@lakescorridor.com or 712-264-3474.

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At Westfield, like some of its other developments, IGL envisions building a neighborhood that is not only a good first home for those typically young, first-time homebuyers, but also single-parent households and even folks looking to downsize as they enter their retirement years.

“There’s going to be a clubhouse,” Krukow said, adding that IGL will begin on that this summer. There is also space for a playground and even a pool, if that is something the owners in the neighborhood desire.

That’s a vision IGL believes encompasses a wide range of ages.

“We feel like there’s a place for both young and old at Westfield,” Candie Nelson said.

“We think it will be a cohesive mix of people that move into this neighborhood and really get to know their neighbors and enjoy each other.”

Keeping it local

Building that community within a community is one of the ways IGL approaches its developments. That’s both a community-minded decision, but a smart business move, as well.

“It does make it easier for us to replicate,” Krukow said. “It saves money in the long run because the framers, plumbers, electricians, drywallers – everybody knows when we set up the floor plan together. They take their measurements and they know what they’re doing. That’s one of the things that helps us start a project and complete a project in a shorter timeframe than say a custom home, because we’re able to replicate. We’re also able to take advantage of volume discounts.”

And when it comes to working with those subcontractors, you can bet that IGL keeps it local.

While IGL oversees all of the projects from beginning to end, there are many others involved in the projects – an estimated sixty-plus local workers throughout the build process.

Then, of course, there’s the Spencer Chamber of Commerce, which is always just a phone call away.

“The Chamber has always been knowledgeable and a wonderful resource to share the opportunities we have in our community,” Beneke said. “We appreciate their continued support of our local businesses and the bridge they create to close the gap for continued growth and success in Spencer.”

With its local partners working alongside, and a vision for affordability and quality, Spencer is lucky to have a company like IGL Construction leading the way in housing development.