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        <title>Real Estate Blog, Augusta, Martinez, Evans, GA, Georgia, Ft Gordon, Christine May</title>
        <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/tags/keystone-homes/</link>
        <description>Christine &amp; Drew May Real Estate blog for Augusta Martinez Evans Ft Gordon Georgia</description>
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            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/crown-builders-getting-more-attention-in-augusta-ga.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Crown Builders Getting more Attention in Augusta, GA!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
It's been about a year since Crown Builders, aka Crown Communities and Pillon Communities, arrived in full force in the Greater Augusta, Georgia new home market.&nbsp; It's been a great ride for them so far based on sales volume and some local builders are working hard to adapt and become competitive with this product that was somewhat &quot;new&quot; to our marketplace.&nbsp; 

Locally based market leaders including Bill Beazley Homes and Keystone Homes have been reworking their product to offer better value and enhanced features to recapture lost market share.&nbsp; Bill Beazley Homes recently announced &quot;Loaded 2-Story Homes - $65 per sq. foot&quot;.&nbsp; Based on the descriptions at least, these 4-sided brick homes on spacious home sites could put Bill Beazley Homes back in the game.&nbsp; Not that long ago, Ben Brush homes were being promoted on Washington Road billboards at $80.00 per square foot and that was the lowest our market had seen for years. Crown changed all that by building &quot;big box&quot; homes in the $50's and $60's all around Augusta and even in Evans and Grovetown areas.&nbsp; In addition to the new construction builders being challenged, it's another huge story how these low priced new homes have dampened resale properties.&nbsp; These sellers had paid much higher prices and are often unable to sell and cover loan payoff amounts.&nbsp; These can result in potential short sales as well as growing numbers of local foreclosures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Crown Builders has apparently ruffled some Augusta feathers as evidenced recently by the launch of a website www.crownaugustagabuilding.com .&nbsp; The site launched in late March 2010 by someone whose identity is unknown and then quickly was taken &quot;Down for maintenance&quot;.&nbsp; The site was titled &quot;The Good The Bad and The Ugly&quot;.&nbsp; It portrayed an outsider's story of the growth of Crown in Augusta including questionable dealings and business practices while taking some cheap personal shots at the builder and affiliates.&nbsp; It did give them credit for a good quality product produced by &quot;hard working Mexicans&quot;.&nbsp; These homes are in fact really packed with extras not common for the price range.&nbsp; Only time will tell where the loyalties of consumers and locals land in relation to this powerhouse &quot;Atlanta Builder&quot;....... It continues to be an interesting story unfolding in the face of a challenging local real estate market. 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:28:50 -0500</pubDate>
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            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/new-construction-excitement-and-builder-drama-in-augusta-ga.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>New Construction Excitement and Builder Drama in Augusta GA</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
&nbsp;

For those of you who follow new home construction in the Augusta Georgia area, it's about to get very interesting. Although local builders have been hanging on through the somewhat slow times, a few new builders to our market have had an incredible impact. 

&nbsp;

Battle lines are being drawn as the new homes are being built at a much lower cost and are loaded with upgrades previously out of reach to average consumers. Over the last few years a couple of Atlanta based builders such as Trillium as well as R&amp;B Construction recognized Augusta as a great opportunity and started building. Although they were able to compete at a lower price point their homes were not substantially different quality than those of local &quot;production builders&quot;. When the market turned down they were left holding unsold inventory and suffered financial disaster.

&nbsp;

The latest entry in our new construction market is an established company building as Crown Communities. They are quickly becoming known as the &quot;biggest threat to local custom builders&quot; and the locals are becoming very defensive. Crown is currently building in or about to start at least four new communities at price points and features buyers can't resist. These include Willhaven in Richmond County and Iris Glen, Ivy Falls and Berkley Hills in Columbia County with more planned. 

&nbsp;

The first neighborhood in Richmond County just outside Ft Gordon, known as Willhaven Estates sold over 80 homes in just a few weeks. You must wonder why? Crown Communities believe in delivering a high quality product at a very affordable price, something that is difficult to find anymore. They have a zero defect policy in order to close while delivering a finished home in 4 to 6 weeks. Standard features other custom builders consider &quot;upgrades&quot; include granite countertops, judges paneling, smooth ceilings, tile backsplashes, crown molding, and coffered ceilings in formal dining areas. 

&nbsp;

In addition to smaller custom builders, the big locals such as Keystone Homes and Bill Beazley Homes are having to take notice and make adjustments to compete. In addition, those considering resale of existing homes will find buyers lured away by that high-value, &quot;new home smell&quot; and will have to be priced right. 

&nbsp;

It's going to be an interesting time in Augusta, Evans, Grovetown, Martinez and Aiken markets as the status quo is getting upset. Major players in real estate brokerage, like Meybohm, mortgage players including First Bank, local attorneys, and other related service providers are digging in and taking positions. Hold on for the ride. This feels like a small town when Wal-Mart decides it's time to build a Superstore! 

&nbsp;

As always, feel free to contact me with your questions about buying or selling real estate. 

Christine

706.869.9478 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:17 -0500</pubDate>
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