Herb Watson ambled through the 5,200-square-foot French chateau-style mansion Friday morning, proudly showing off everything from the home's elaborate ceiling decorations to its laundry room.
"Where have you seen a utility room with a floor made of solid marble and a counter of solid granite?" he asked.
The five-bedroom home in the Ashville Park development in southern Virginia Beach was one of seven built for this year's Homearama, the Tidewater Builders Association's annual showcase that opened Friday. A t $1.2 million, it's the least expensive.
"This is our niche. This is what we like to do," said Watson, president of custom home builder The Walters Co. Inc., which will donate the profit from the home's sale to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk.
But in one of the slowest housing markets in more than a decade, Watson said he's not building a lot of million-dollar homes.
"In times like these, you have to adjust," he said. "Everybody's got to build differently. We have to get creative, and people want value."
Since June, Watson has sold five homes, all in the $400,000 range, he said, and his firm has handled more renovations this year than in all of his 14 previous years in the business combined.
Other builders at the show echoed Watson. Sam Cohen, this year's Homearama chairman and head of Joey Corp., said his company is retrenching, looking for developments where they can build homes for less than $500,000 and branching into small commercial projects.
"We're getting our feet wet right now," he said. "It's kind of tough. I've been used to doing homes in this price range."
One developer, Jack Schoch of J.F. Schoch Building Corp., said he would move into the $1.7 million home he built if it doesn't sell.
None of the homes was sold before the show began.
This year's Homearama offers far fewer homes than last year's in Chesapeake's Edinburgh Meadows, which showcased 17 houses. Sandra Amidon, vice president for marketing for Tidewater Builders, said a couple of builders had purchased lots this year but decided not to build.
"We've always had a core number of builders who have wanted to build each year," she said. "But there has to be a reason for them to want to be in Homearama, like if they don't have a lot of contracts that they are working on, or if they have a new product."
Ashville Park is a project of L.M. Sandler & Sons, the residential developer that recently suspended or slowed work on several projects, including some in Hampton Roads.
Despite the smaller show this year, for the builders who did participate, the exposure couldn't hurt. By noon Friday, the first day of the 17-day event, showgoers started to trickle through the neighborhood.
Vivian Whitehurst, 56, of Suffolk visited the show with her sister, looking for ideas for her kitchen remodeling project.
"I don't really think I'm in the market for any of these homes," she said.
Josh Brown, (757) 446-2318, josh.brown@pilotonline.com
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A whisper?
That wasnt a whisper, that was dead silence? It WAS brave for them to put on this spectacle again. With the housing market fried, stock market non-existent, banks falling like dominos and millions of homes on the market, its not really hard to see why no one wanted to visit homes that are listed above $1.2 million. Whats the point? Banks lending much these days? People really looking for a $5K mortgage. And someone help me out with this one. What do people do around this area ( industry, sales, work? ) to afford all these overpriced homes? I fail to see the industry or high paying jobs that lead this area to such a ridiculous cost of living? You arent getting a farm, or waterfront property. Your getting a big house crammed next to another big house that sits on a lot that just barely has room for the house? Anyone?
GOOD JOB TBA!
Given the current housing market, I think TBA did a wonderful job in all aspects with Homearama! Although fewer houses, it gave me more time to actually enjoy each house, take my time, and pay more attention to detail instead of rushing in order to make it through the day. I think its great of the builders and vendors that followed through. They did a great job making the show a success! The houses are beautiful and the artistic ability of these builders are amazing. Although the houses are a bit out of my price range, I got great ideas for home improvements. Not only does TBA hold charity events themselves, but its awesome that Homearama invites clients to give back to the community as well! That's very important in this world!
location
yes it is located off princess anne road Between the rite aid & indian river road which is a two lane road.Its unbelievable the even built this place without infrastructure!Right across the street Sherwood lakes homes for $300,00.00.Will be 80-100 homes..Hundreds of homes with two lane roads surrounding them.Princess anne rd. 2-lane,Seaboard rd. 2-lanes,Indian river road 2-,Try going to the court house 2-lanes,holland rd. 2-lanes,sandbridge rd. 2-lanes.Right next to Asheville Park is Heritage park 100+ homes.City council members must of got big contributions for approving them.
Green Line, Anyone?
Just what VB needs - a tract of homes overpriced and out of reach of 90% of all residents. Plus built on what was supposed to remain farmland. A joke. 4800 sq. feet? Smallest? I must live in a hovel - 2200 sq feet. Who needs this kind of room - The Brady Bunch?
We went to Homearama yesterday
Seven homes was much easier on the feet than 13 or 14. We thought with fewer houses we'd really take our time in each one but we made it through all of them in about 2 1/2 hours. The houses were beautiful, of course, but the only really spectacular house was the Mothership.
Our favorite was the Fragola Fete. The smallest house, at 4800 sq ft had the best layout and best use of space. The Wedding House had the best outdoor living features.
I agree with the title of this story, "uncharacteristic whisper".
Info
Bunch of info here: http://www.homearama.tv/
Homearama location
Ashville park is on Princess Anne Rd between Indian River Rd (the Pungo stoplight) and the Rite-Aid which is across from the new Home Depot. I was there yesterday and even though there are only 7 houses they are all spectacular. The nice thing about this neighborhood is even if you are not in the market for a 1 million dollar plus home, take a look at the cottage homes which are beautiful homes for the money. I believe the models are open also.
Info Please
It'd be cool to list the location of Homarama, directions, time, and costs. Thanks.