Archive for September, 2009
You have probably noticed that the spec home market has come to a screeching halt over the past year or so. Most builders have not been in a position, financially, to start a spec home – and the spec homes that remain have been picked over.
As the market heats back up, we at Sterling Custom Homes feel that there will be a shortage of fresh, new inventory available for buyers wanting a “quick delivery” new home. In conjunction with the recent development of our Platinum Collection, we have committed to build the Platinum Plan 4222 on a great Golf Course lot in Flintrock Falls.
This exciting plan features:
- Four Bedrooms
- Study with Computer Alcove
- Open Family Room
- Spacious Master Suite with Two Large Closets
- Gameroom
- Media Room
- Large, Covered Outdoor Living Area
- Upper Terrace Read More→
Sterling Custom Homes has been building quality Austin custom homes for over 20 years. You can imagine all the questions we have answered for prospective clients and real estate professionals in that time. We even conduct custom home building seminars that provide local Realtors with continuing education credit.
With all this experience I can honestly say that there is one question I hear more than any other – “What is the price per square foot of your homes?”
The Austin real estate industry has trained us all over the years to use that equation to determine the value associated with a home. Price per square foot is much more applicable in a production home environment, where lot costs, floorplans and levels of finish-out are similar from one home to another. Read More→
Cost Plus vs Fixed Price
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When a client chooses a builder who operates under the cost plus model, they have the perception that their dream home will cost less since they are receiving “builder cost”. However, building hard costs constantly fluctuate based on supply and demand. While building a home, one can typically expect the price of concrete, lumber or sheetrock to increase. The fact is, this increase must be absorbed by someone and, under the cost plus model, that would be the client. When there is no fixed price quoted on labor and material, the builder has less incentive to flex his purchasing power and protect the client. The bottom line is, the more expensive the home, the more profit for the builder.
By contrast, in a fixed price scenario, all the specifications and price of your home are worked out in advance. As a result, the buyer walks out with a comprehensive understanding of their budget. Delivering a fixed price does require more time up front to identify the materials and selections. The biggest drawback has always been the inordinate amount of time it took to obtain bids from suppliers and subcontractors. Sterling Custom Homes has solved this problem by developing a proprietary Specifications and Pricing module that allows us to front-load material and labor costs. This enables us to produce a fixed price in a matter of a few days, rather than weeks or months. Read More→
Austin custom homebuilder Sterling Custom Homes has been selected as the cover story in the latest issue of About New Austin Homes magazine. Under the headline “Pursuit of Perfection – Sterling Custom Homes Continues a 20 Year Trend” you will find a stunning picture of a home we built in 2006 for the HBA Parade of Homes in the community of Seven Oaks. This home has won many local and state awards for design and craftsmanship, as well as the coveted “People’s Choice Award” selected by over 15,000 Parade attendees.
The feature article chronicles the impressive evolution of the company. Sterling employs a dedicated team of professionals who are driven to achieve the highest levels of quality and integrity in the industry.
Sterling is the current Texas Custom Builder of the Year – an honor awarded annually by the Texas Association of Builders. In fact, Sterling has won that award three times – in 2008, 2004 and 1992. Read More→
One very cool feature of the Sterling Custom Homes website is the “Homes Under Construction” section. This is where we upload photos from current projects so that you can follow along with the progress. For example, things are really coming along with Sterling’s inaugural project within Horseshoe Bay. If you’ll recall this is an addition to an existing structure in which we are basically doubling the size of the current home. We broke ground earlier this summer on the Lake LBJ custom home, and you can watch the project evolve, from pouring the foundation to installing the kitchen cabinets, on the Sterling website.
In this section, we have five homes listed. The homes range in size from 6,400 square feet to over 8,500 square feet and some of the projects have the floorplan posted to give you an idea of what the finished project will be like. Each includes photos from the construction as well as a brief overview of what exactly the project is. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in the construction process for an Austin custom home.