AMBERWOOD HOMES - The Industry Leader In Creating Affordable Custom Homes

IN THE MEDIA
The Industry Leader In Creating Affordable Custom Homes
by: Suellyn Mcmillan - AmericanBuilder.Com

AFFORDABLE CUSTOM LIFESTYLES

When homebuyers look for their dream home, one of the most critical aspects of a prospective home is the floor plan. For instance, everything may be great in a specific, "off the shelf" floor plan, but in the dining room a family heirloom table won't quite fit, or the family may not want a big living room because they spend most of their time in the family room. Unfortunately, tract (also known as "production") homes have pre-designed floor plans and offer little or no design flexibility. Therefore, in order to find the perfect home, buyers often look to custom homebuilders. Unfortunately, most custom home builders are only willing to build large, extravagant homes costing $500,000 or more. Many buyers cannot afford a home in excess of $500,000 and don't need the square footage normally associated with a traditional custom home. As a result, most buyers are left with no alternative but to settle for a tract home, with someone else's design and with little or no opportunity to customize the home to meet the family's needs. The home buying process would be so easy if the buyer could simply design a floor plan to accommodate the family's lifestyle, at a price that is affordable.

FIRST TO OFFER AFFORDABLE CUSTOM HOMES

Amberwood Homes is one of the first homebuilders in Arizona to offer homebuyers another choice - a custom home in the $200,000+ price range, where the buyer actually designs the floor plan with a layout that fits the family's needs. When Billy Johnson founded Amberwood Homes in 1985, he recognized a demand in the homebuilding industry that remained unmet by other builders. "It was pretty obvious that most people couldn't afford a traditional custom home or didn't want a home of 5,000 square feet or more," Johnson said. "At that time, most people were buying homes comprising 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. There was an obvious void in the market that I could fill. I wanted to give buyers the quality and choice they expect in a custom home at a price they could afford." Johnson's idea was simple yet revolutionary. Give homebuyers the opportunity to design the floor plan and elevation of their ideal home, and then build the home at a price comparable to production builders. Johnson understood that there would be obstacles. For instance, custom homebuyers are normally required to endure a painstaking process in the extended design and permit approval process. The design of a floor plan alone could take several months. Johnson realized that in order to implement his concept of a custom home at a production price, he needed a way to cut valuable time out of the custom home design process. With a degree in electrical engineering, a foundation in homebuilding practices and extensive experience in marketing, Johnson began to implement his concept. Relying on his engineering background, Johnson quite naturally turned to the convenience and speed of a computer to significantly streamline the design process. He selected the appropriate software and began to modify it immediately. He developed a comprehensive questionnaire to gather the information from the homebuyer necessary to generate a floor plan. Software was also developed to immediately calculate the long list of construction costs, options and upgrades and mortgage financing requirements. Johnson's next step in implementing his concept was to hire an in-house team of expert designers, architects and sales agents, and to indoctrinate the team with the importance of defining the buyer's needs and wants, designing a product to satisfy those wants and needs, and then immediately computing a price that represents fair compensation for producing the buyer's home. With the tools in place, Johnson launched his concept. The fruits of Johnson's labor were quickly realized. The Amberwood Homes concept was excitedly embraced by the homebuilding market. The process is remarkably uncomplicated and efficient. The buyer meets with a sales agent extensively trained in architectural principles and computer-aided design to review and complete the design questionnaire and design a floor plan. Once the floor plan is drawn, the Amberwood Homes proprietary software program computes the price, with allowances for options and upgrades such as appliances and flooring. The buyer knows instantly what the home will cost before spending any additional money on architectural drawings and blueprints. When the buyer is satisfied with the floor plan, elevation and price, the home plans are given to Johnson for review and approval. Johnson believes it is critical to review every plan to identify in advance potential construction conflicts and cost savings, design issues and to keep up with design trends. Upon approval by Johnson, Amberwood Homes' designers and architects immediately commence the preparation of a full set of working drawings for the home, including structural engineering. Upon completion of the working drawings (usually no more than four weeks), the drawings are submitted to the buyer for review and approval. The buyer then visits Amberwood Homes' corporate office to review and finalize every detail of the design, including colors, fixtures, room size, sizes and locations of windows, cabinets, doors, bathrooms and bedrooms. Upon final approval by the home buyer, the working drawings are submitted to the appropriate municipal building department for review and approval. Because of the number of homes Amberwood Homes builds, most municipalities in Maricopa County are familiar with Amberwood Homes and can expediently review the working drawings. Throughout the design and construction process, the home's working drawings and specifications are kept in one place, allowing for constant updating, review and ready access for buyers. "We are probably the only builder in Arizona who can build a true custom home and compete in the production home market," Johnson said. "The homebuyer decides on the price of the home with the size and design of the home they choose. We build precisely to their design needs and they never have to settle for 'it can't be changed' or 'we don't do that.' If the buyer wants something special, we tell them it might result in an additional cost, but we can do it. We build everything from houses with prices competitive with production builders, to million-dollar homes." Johnson is a hands-on builder and his standards are those of a perfectionist. Not only does he review every blueprint before construction begins, he personally visits homesites during all phases of the building process. He is constantly in touch with the draftsmen, supertintendents, subcontractors and material men. Every homeowner is given Johnson's home phone number and is encouraged to call him with any problem they can't resolve with Amberwood Homes' staff.

THE BUYERS PARTNER

During the construction of their custom home, onsite inspections are scheduled for the buyers and feedback is welcomed. The buyers can watch as the walls go up, the roof goes on and the interior is finished. Amberwood's team becomes the buyer's partner. "No one is going to hand them a hammer or saw, but they will have the chance to see every phase of construction," Johnson said. "We'll talk together, work together and inspect together." Johnson's down-home style and penchant for perfection engenders loyalty among his staff, subcontractors and customers. Amberwood employs only the best subcontractors and craftsmen, many of whom have been with the company since its inception. Johnson's attention to detail and exacting memory allow him to remember every homebuyer for whom he ever built and the design of each and every home. Someone he built a house for 16 years ago will call him when they are ready to build again, and he can promptly remember where they built, the price of the home and every detail of the design of their home. Amberwood truly is a partner for life.

NUMBER ONE CUSTOM HOMEBUILDER

Amberwood's reputation speaks for itself. The company has been rated the Number 1 Custom Home Builder by the Business Journal of Phoenix for the last six consecutive years. Perhaps more importantly, the company continues to grow through referrals and repeat customers. Johnson treats everyone as a friend and claims to have never met a stranger. In fact, Johnson has encountered customers in places such as restaurants, convenience stores, even standing in line at the airport. He tells numerous stories of encounters that resulted in a new customer, such as the nurse he struck up a conversation with to quiet his nerves during his first child's delivery-four years later the nurse called him and said, "I'm ready to build my home now." Amberwood Homes has built in subdivisions located in Cave Creek, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Gold Canyon, Queen Creek, Apache Junction and Ahwatukee. Amberwood currently has homes under construction in subdivisions located in Chandler, Gilbert, and North Phoenix. Additionally, an Amberwood Homes custom home can be built on an offsite lot owned by a homebuyer. If a homebuyer isn't fortunate enough to run into Johnson at a restaurant or grocery store, he can be reached at his office in Mesa. He may be onsite at one of the Amberwood Homes properties, but he returns most calls the same day. "I love what I do," Johnson said. "It's exciting to get up and go to work every day. Some customers say they hate to bother me with a problem or an issue, but as far as I'm concerned, if no one is calling me, then I have a problem." Johnson is truly a visionary in the custom home construction industry and applies innovative solutions to any challenge he encounters. He sees the future of the industry experiencing an even greater demand for affordable custom homes. So visit Amberwood Homes, and bring your ideas and creativity. The team at Amberwood Homes looks forward to building a long-term relationship based on trust and complete customer satisfaction.