Sunday, December 27, 2009

Who Said the Holidays are Slow(for Home Sales)?


It always amazes me how every year I hear people saying that the Holidays are a slow time for Home Sales. Sure doesn't hold true for me for the last few years. 2007 over $1.1 Million, 2008 nearly $825K and so far this year, 2009, $2.5 Million. I guess it is all what you believe in. Now, I wish this year was all because of incredible sales ability, but we currently have the "Perfect Storm"....Low interest rates, Low home prices and Huge Tax Credits. There was a recent article in Business Week entitled: "If you Don't Buy a House Now, You're Stupid or Broke". That pretty much sums it up. Everyone in the Real Estate Field should be busy right helping snap up whatever inventory there is available right now.

2009 is coming to an end. All of us at Streetman Homes could not have ask for much better for the year. Every community hit their targets. The company exceeded sales goals, closing goals & starts goals.....the 1st time in company history....and we had plenty agressive goals. Are we fortunate to be in Austin, TX? You Bet! Our Rallying Cry this past year was..."We Will Shine in '09"...well, that we did. Maybe this year the Rallying Cry should be "Let's Do it Again in 2010!"

Personally, I owe a great deal to my Homeowners. This year nearly 1/3 of my sales were from referrals from existing homeowners. I am so proud of that. That tells me we are doing things right. In a previous blog, I mentioned I would write about our Happy Homeowners this year...so let me share with you some exerpts of what some have said recently:

........"I believe your service and product is setting a ‘gold standard’ in the most ambitious residential development project Austin has ever seen. You and your team deserve high credit for bringing the vision, quality and customer service together in a manner that best serves all Mueller residents. Our family remains very impressed with the overall quality and
craftsmanship of our home and with the persistent support of James Prince and Matt Rygg,
Streetman Homes continues to meet and exceed expectations.
Trust and integrity were deciding factors for our family selecting a builder, and we’ve always felt
very comfortable with every representative of Streetman Homes. Bob, your character and
integrity is what enabled us to sign on the bottom line, and our experience with James and Matt,
and every contractor who worked on our home, has truly solidified the confidence and comfort
we enjoy today. This consistency of service and follow-through definitely sets the Streetman
experience apart, and there’s nothing better than the sound confidence of the right investment for your home and family."


........."That is when we met Bob. By that point, we had probably chatted and met with sales representatives from all the homebuilders at the Mueller development. Bob was, hands down, the most knowledgeable sales representative we had met. He was able to walk us thoroughly through the financing and building processes. Further, he helped us understand clearly the benefits of the green building features of the Streetman Homes. As importantly, he did this in a way that was authentic – we didn’t feel like he was doing a "sales job" on us. It is clear to me that he believes in the product he is selling and is interested in helping people find homes that are a good fit for them. He also was very gracious and flexible in structuring the sale in a way that worked for us. Lastly, Bob was accommodating not only before the sale was finalized, but also has been afterward. We have lived in our home almost a year and he’s always made himself very accessible to us and been responsive to our needs and requests."

........"Bob Brock made this new home possible for me by working with me immediately, responding to my questions and providing information at the right times to make the process easy. I very much appreciate the attentiveness and responsiveness of the whole Streetman team here at Mueller. I know that I can call and ask any one of them a question and I’ll receive a thoughtful and thorough answer promptly. They are excellent, there is no other way to describe their efforts here. Bob Brock helped me through the process of purchasing my home and continues to provide excellent service today as needed.
I’m thrilled with my beautiful Streetman home in the Mueller Community, it makes sense to me in so many ways. Bob Brock’s efforts here in our neighborhood connect me to the larger efforts here in Mueller."


........"We were impressed with the craftsmanship of the 5-star energy efficient Streetman homes that Bob and Felicia showed us, as well as with the sustainable model for the Mueller
neighborhood. The Brazos Plan (which we ultimately chose) represents the best
floor plan for a four-bedroom house that we have seen to date in Austin.
We had many questions during the construction of our home. None of these was
too trivial or too troublesome to deserve a serious response from Bob, Felicia, or the
building superintendents James Prince and Matt Rygg. We found all of them
knowledgeable but also, importantly, willing to find good, creative solutions.
Moreover, at each stage of the construction, it was made clear to us by each
member of the Streetman team that the home would not move forward until we
were completely satisfied."


See why it is easy to be me? Great Homes, Great Community, Great Homeowners. It has been quite a Year again. Over $10 Million in sales for the 3rd straight year. Pretty Cool.
Let's Do it Again in 2010!
Happy New Year!
Bob the Builder

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

An Award Winning Year

As we are closing down 2009, what a Year it has been for Streetman Homes and for us here at Mueller. Some of the Awards bestowed on Streetman Homes this year are:
Builder of the Year ~ Austin Business Journal
Green Builder of the Year ~ Home Builders Association (2 years running)
Best Sales Manger of the Year ~ Ryan Jackson Home Bldrs Assoc.
Best Marketing Professional of the Year ~ Natalie R. Bowers Home Bldrs Assoc.
Community of the Year(Mueller) ~ Austin Buisness Journal
Best Product Design of the Year(Mueller Model) ~ Home Builders Association
Best Const. Superintendent of the Year(James Prince-Mueller) ~ Home Bldrs Assoc.
and even your humble Blogger received
Best Sales Person of the Year ~ Home Builders Association

Pretty Impressive all around....especially for a Local Builder not trying to be the biggest...just the BEST! Way to go Streetman!
It has been a great year...we have been joined by many wonderful new Streetman Family Homeowners (I will blog about them soon) who have shown their confidence in our company to build their family's home....there is no greater compliment. We have received more "Happy Homeowner Letters" from them this year than any previous year....I guess that means we are doing things right.



We are proud of our homes....I ran into one of my peers from another builder a month or so ago at Home Depot. They had a scowl on their face...I ask what was wrong and they said they just got an ear full from a homeowner about a quality issue. Their quote to me was, "I hate running into my homeowners. They always want to complain about something". Wow, that sure says something...I have to say I am the opposite. I love it seeing my homeowners...getting hugs, howdy's and Thank you's! My wife thinks it's so cool at how terrific my homeowners are when we run into each them. That's why it is great to represent Streetman Homes here in Austin!
Until next time.......
Bob the Builder