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Location, location, location.

Those three words are so often stated in the realm of real estate, and they are so true, according to four builders who have entries
in the 2009 Triad Parade of Homes.

D. Stone Builders, Gary Jobe Builder, Southern Cross Homes and Worth-Reitt Associates are targeting buyers interested in brand-new homes that reside in established neighborhoods.

Gary Jobe and Kathy Cross actually tore down existing homes to make room for their projects in Old Irving Park and Latham Park, respectively. And Dwight Stone and Dalton Worthington are creating new neighborhoods beside existing development along New Garden Road.

While their projects share a common theme in that respect, the builders incorporate the latest home trends in their own way.

D. Stone Builders
Southern Gates
2617 Southern Gates Drive, $415,600

Stone’s Southern Gates community is his latest entry in the 50-and-over market. He’s built six other communities in this style, including Canaan at the Noles in New Irving Park and Jacob’s Way in Lake Jeanette.

The communities target empty-nesters who want to move, but not leave their comfort zone geographically; downsize, but not give up amenities; and prepare for a time when they won’t want to maintain a home’s exterior or yard and may need features to accommodate limited mobility.

Stone decided to tap into that market about six years ago when he saw a long-term need for the communities because of the aging boomer population.

“Typically our buyer is moving out of a larger home,” Stone said. “But they still want a larger dining room, nice master bedroom, two-car garage, and they want it nicely appointed” with molding, granite and hardwoods. “So they’re downsizing from a size standpoint in most cases, but they’re not downsizing in
amenities or options standpoint.”

Southern Gates has 29 lots and will have homes from 1,700 to 3,500 square feet, depending on how large buyers want to make them.

“Our product is 98 percent maintenance free on the exterior,” Stone said, adding that they typically use brick and stone, with vinyl trims.

Aging-in-place features include doorways wide enough for wheelchair access; bathrooms with vanity areas under which wheelchairs can fit; tub and shower grab bars; and lower lighting switches and thermostat controls. “People don’t think about those things until it’s too late and they just can’t reach them,” he said.

Stone also forgoes amenities like pools and clubhouses to keep down homeowners association costs, which cover maintenance and some insurance, because he’s found most buyers don’t have a need for it. “The majority don’t want to pay for an amenity within the community itself,” he said, adding that he estimates 50 percent of his sales are “cross-town moves.”

Because of that demand, “We try to find … spots within an existing community that allow buyers to stay in their locale for some time.”

Gary Jobe Builder
Old Irving Park
1000 Country Club Drive, $2.1 million

Jobe combined European styling, innovative floor plan design and existing elements to create his 6,198-square-foot manse.

The home is filled with special details. There’s faux painting in the study by the foyer, strategically placed chandeliers throughout, a courtyard, a banquet-sized island in the kitchen, built-in shelves in multiple rooms, custom-built cabinetry, two staircases, an elevator, a Juliet balcony in an upstairs bedroom, closet lights that turn on when the doors are opened, and countless windows in multiple shapes and sizes.

Those elements only scratch the surface of what’s included in the home, which Jobe proudly displays. Even with the craftsmanship displayed in the home, he freely admits one of the biggest draws is the lot, which is covered with mature oaks and other trees that he took pains to protect during the building process.

“I made the house fit the lot,” he said.

The layout of the home takes advantage of the location across the street from the Greensboro Country Club golf course, offering views from virtually every window.

Jobe tore down the existing home, which straddled two lots, and placed the new home closer to Lafayette Avenue. He plans to build a second home on the remaining space.

He spared no expense on the amenities for the five-bedroom home. Appliances alone cost around $30,000 — the same price of a home when he started building in 1972. “It’s interesting how times have changed, isn’t it?” quipped Jobe, who typically builds
20 to 25 homes a year in prices from the $400,000s to $2 million.

The home’s gourmet kitchen has two dishwashers and Wolfe ovens, and there’s a bar with a refrigerator and icemaker. Each bathroom — there are seven, five full and two half — has special fixtures or tile. Each bedroom has a custom color. There’s a “princess room” upstairs painted in pale pink with a walk-in closet, Juliet balcony, and a bathroom with a separate vanity and large tub. The room he envisioned for a young man is outfitted with a “little man cave,” a separate room tucked in
between the walk-in closet and private bathroom.

There’s also 800 feet of unfinished space over the garage that Jobe said could be completed for use as an exercise room, study or as an in-law suite, as it’s right next to the elevator.

The home is a good fit for the neighborhood, with its painted brick exterior and stone walkway. Jobe said the location is popular with buyers and he’s confident the home will find a family soon. “I  wouldn’t put this price home anywhere else,” he said. “Location, location, location. I believe it.”

Southern Cross Homes
Latham Park
602 Myers Lane, $689,900

Cross has a vision when she builds a home.

She wants a nice kitchen with a gas cooktop and roomy island, hardwoods and tile, unique cabinetry, lots of storage space, energy-efficient appliances and design, a garage, and a floor plan that creates a homey atmosphere and uses all the space well.

Basically, “I build every house as if I’m going to live there,” Cross said.

She also likes to work in existing neighborhoods. Cross, who builds one to three homes a year, has torn down about five houses in Irving Park and Latham Park to make room for brand-new homes that appeal to a wide range of buyers. Plus, “I think it’s interesting to have a new, energy-efficient home in an old neighborhood.”

The two-story, 3,400-square-foot home she entered in the fall Parade has four bedrooms, 4 ½ bathrooms, an open floor plan and ample storage.

“It’s a nice open floor plan with a real good great room, dining room and kitchen,” she said of the plan she worked on with Greensboro residential designer Eric Lintz. “There’s good flow, very good storage and very well-used spaces.”

Cross said she tries to keep a number of clients in mind when building to accommodate the needs of an empty-nester, single woman or young family. “You just never know who you’re going to sell a house to.”

The economy and energy concerns heightened her interest in energy-efficient design. The new home incorporates Energy Star appliances, a
tankless water heater and energy-saving windows. The location also helped with her green vision. “I was lucky to get a lot with a nice tree on it.”

She’s made teardown projects her niche for the moment because the new homes she builds in the established neighborhoods sell so well.

“The last three houses that I have sold have been young families with small children, in this particular neighborhood,” said Cross, who also has lived in several older neighborhoods in the city. “It’s very family-oriented.”

Worth-Reitt Associates
Staffordshire Townhomes
1814-F New Garden Road, $539,900

Worthington is ambitious — his new community combines a number of building trends.

All the homes will be certified under both the Energy Star and National Association of Home Builders green building programs.

The value of the sustainable practices can be measured in lower utility and operation costs. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the only thing to do,” he said.

The townhomes are designed to appeal to empty-nesters who value privacy, convenience and maintenance-free living.

The homeowners’ fees will cover “everything,” he said. That includes exterior maintenance, street lighting, some insurance, snow removal, holiday decoration, seasonal plantings and asphalt/roof replacement.

What some would consider amenities are part of his standard practices.

“Upgrades are standards in my pricing,” Worthington said, referring to details such as solid interior doors, real stone, rounded sheetrock corners, tankless water heaters, closed crawlspaces, 8-foot garage doors, dual-flush toilets, granite, energy-saving windows and a hand-carved mahogany front door.

There’s the location. The property includes a walking trail and is on New Garden Road, less than half a mile from Bryan Boulevard and major shopping outlets.

Then there’s the personality. Available to greet visitors are swans Mildred and Marabelle. They live in the small lake in the community that eventually will hold 18 homes in four buildings.

Worthington has built two homes so far, including the Parade home, which is 3,400 square feet with three bedrooms and 3 ½ bathrooms.

His designs feature master suites on the first floor, living rooms and dining rooms, flexible space that can be used for an office or library, brick and stone exteriors, and aging-in-place features. Worthington can customize homes for buyer’s needs, moving walls and making features handicapped-accessible.
“We’re pretty flexible,” he said.