A question we get all the time is “what’s your price per square foot?” The perception (or presumption), we assume, is that if you wanted to add or subtract a few square feet for whatever reason, you simply add or subtract that amount per foot from the price or cost of the house.

Simply, in our business, it doesn’t work that way. For us, it’s an impossible question to answer without a lot more information and detail, and one that can only be derived once the house is finished and all costs have been accounted for. Before that, it’s akin to asking, “How much does a vacation cost?” without first knowing where and for how long you plan to go, and by what mode of transportation, among other considerations.

The fact is, the details (and therefore cost) of every house — even those built on speculation by large-volume builders — is different, and the cost of your house is entirely up to you, not your builder. Only you know how much you can afford and what you want in your new home. It’s our job to apply our expertise and experience to finely detail your wants and needs and then build a home that meets (or ideally exceeds) those expectations while remaining within your budget.

That’s why it is so important to determine and then share your budget with us from the first moment you select us to build your home. Budget information should precede any talk of contracts or actual construction. Using the vacation analogy, we are like a travel agent working with you to plan a trip.

Still, the square-foot cost question persists. So, it might be helpful to understand what goes into or affects the cost (or ultimate price) of a new home to gain a better perspective on the question.

For instance, the costs of similarly sized homes can vary considerably due to their location (and even size and shape of the lot within the same neighborhood), the outline of the building, the type of and complexity of the foundation and roof, and many other construction and design characteristics that are not directly related to the square footage of the house.

In addition, costs including development impact fees and permits, or state and municipality mandated code requirements, can add from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars to the ultimate cost of a new home, regardless of size. Labor and material costs also can vary substantially based upon the time of year, availability and demand of building materials and workers, weather conditions, and the complexity of the project.

The list of variables goes on, and we’re happy to discuss them with you and explain how they might impact the cost of your new home. But, in our view, it’s short-sighted to ask us up-front what our homes cost per square foot, and certainly to base one of the most important decisions of your life on that metric alone.

Better, we think, to get a full understanding of our process and expertise and marry those skills with what you can afford and want and need in a new home to achieve your goals.

I recently completed reading the book Tribes by Seth Godin. A unique, but practical look at the world we live in and the need for leadership. The citation above has stuck with me since I read it last week. It just won’t go away.

This reality is that we need to realize that “playing it safe” is in and of its self risky. There is no sure thing. The world we live is subject to rapid change, much faster then we even realize and is often out of our control. To expect the status quo to remain isn’t very realistic. It’s in fact safer to expect and plan for change and embrace it.

Most all of us have felt some discomfort, particularly in the past year or two. Over the years I’ve had people approach me and ask my input on issues they are facing in their lives. Some are entrepreneurs who have felt the sting of a shifting economy and the challenges of a struggling business. A few have been at a crossroads in their personal lives.

For some of us, continuing on the road we are on feels risky, when maybe staying the course makes the most sense. For others, we are stuck in a spot, paralyzed by fear, unsure what to do, even though we know we need to do something. We see that from time to time with our home buyers. Some of them know they need to make a move, but a move feels risky. For others, they recognize the riskiest thing is to do nothing.

Expect change, expect some risk, really it’s OK. Embracing a certain level of risk maybe the new security? I’m interested in what you think, is playing it safe really safe?

Brian Gentry ~ Landed Gentry Homes & Communities

So this past weekend, my family and I participated in the Tesoro Refining March Point Run.  It’s a great event in the Skagit County and Whidbey Island area.  Inexpensive, healthy fun for the whole family, all the proceeds go to the United Way, plus they feed you! 

The first thing we did was the Kids ½ Mile, which I ran with my 4 year old daughter Bella Kate (BK).  Her first distance race!  I think her parents were more excited for her then she was, but she was enthusiastic and doing well.   Then as we rounded the corner toward the finish line, BK told me she was “done”.  Really?  We were a mere few hundred feet from the finish line!  This must be time for a fatherly pep talk… so ensued the classic discussion about how we “finish what we start”.  So with a little encouragement, a few cheers from the sidelines, off she went and finished in a respectable 6^th place in the 5 and under category.

The Finisher!

So then it was time for Dad (Me) to run in the 10k race.   I’m a recreational runner, not hard core, but over the past couple years I’ve ran some road events, including a few half marathons.  So a 10k should really be pretty straight forward.  Off I go, feeling pretty good, coming up to the first hill, then less than two miles into a 6 plus mile run, my heart rate shoots up… I actually felt like I might pass out…  I had hit the wall.

I stopped and started walking.  Feeling a bit dejected, my ego a bit tarnished, trying to figure out what was wrong with me, then all of a sudden I actually found myself thinking about quitting the race.  Quit?  Reasonable thought, I didn’t feel well, we had bit fighting a bit of a stomach bug during the week, may have contributed to my current condition.  There were plenty of good reasons to quit, to give up, try it another day.   In fact some might call that decision an act in sound judgment.

Then I thought back to a conversation that I had with a little 4 year old girl just a half hour earlier.  “We finish what we start”.  How could I look BK in the eyes and say Daddy didn’t feel well so he quit?  I just keep walking all the way to the next water station.  Took in some water and walked a little more, realizing that I’ve got to finish this race one way or the other…  so I started running again.  I’d love to say I ran the rest of the way, came in first, went home with the big trophy!  What really happened is that  I ended up walking a few other times as well, but in the in the end, I ran across the finish line with BK running out to meet me and cross the finish line with me. 

It was a terrible run time, but an amazing lesson.   Finish what you start… no matter what I’m doing, I find it feels the sweetest when I finish.  It may not be the prettiest finish, there may be a few bumps, scrapes along the way, detours, maybe you’ve got to come up with a “Plan B” or “Plan C” but get it done.   

Personally and professionally, there have been quite a few times over the years where “getting it done” seems nearly impossible, quitting seemed like the most prudent option.  Collectively as a family and as a company we have had to make some adjustments to “get it done”, but we are resolute in finishing what we have started.  As we endure, endeavor to overcome, it’s amazing how you begin to see the rewards beginning to appear.  I’m grateful that my little girl reminded me of this key principal… finish what you start.  I am excited to see what is going to be meeting me at the finish line.

I’m sure this is one of the thousands of blog posts honoring the great John Wooden, who passed away at the ripe age of 99 this past Friday, June 4^th.  Coach Wooden was a man who left a legacy that has spanned generations, I think it could be safe to say that his life impacted millions of people in the US and around the world.

I wasn’t even alive when Coach Wooden led some of the great UCLA championship basketball teams in 1960’s and early ‘70’s, in fact he coached his last game a few months before I was born.  That said, his influence is peppered throughout dozens of books and articles I have read over the past decade, and most of these readings had nothing to do with sports.  The business, management, leadership and faith world found John Wooden because he taught timeless principals. 

He was a teacher at heart, a man who got his professional start educating high school boys in the 1930’s and  continued teaching and influencing others through the first decade of the 21^st century.  He was a part of writing several books, even in his late 90’s!  A true teacher is a lifelong learner and he was no exception, as he put it: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts”.  Building value in himself and others was instilled in him from a young age.  When he graduated from grammar school his father, Joshua Wooden, gave young John what has become known as:  

John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed

• Be true to yourself.
• Make each day your masterpiece.
• Help others.
• Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
• Make friendship a fine art.
• Build a shelter against a rainy day.
• Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Legend is that he carried the Creed on a slip of paper in his pocket and referenced it daily.   Imagine building your life on values such as these, in a focused, on purpose way?  If he was 13 when his father shared these nuggets of wisdom with him, Coach Wooden would have based his life on these principals for approximately 86 years, much longer than the average person in the US will even live. It is no wonder success followed John Wooden wherever he went.

There is so much more to say, but what strikes me the most is how he lived.   He lived a simple, humble life, focused on relationships, faith and contributing to others.   A man who poured out wisdom and encouraged character in the people he came in contact with whether in person or through his writings.   I aspire to live a meaningful life, an impactful life with my family, my relationship and in our daily activities as Landed Gentry.  As a people and as a nation we have been blessed to have had a leader such as John Wooden as part of our national fabric.

Coach you have made a difference, far greater than you may have ever known.  John Wooden has not left us, his impact will always be with us, he simply got called up to the pro’s.

John Robert Wooden   (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010)

Link to New York Times Obituary: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/sports/ncaabasketball/05wooden.html

Life is full of hard decisions.  We all face hard challenges at some point, honestly those hard choices are probably more regularly then we would like.  Tom Peters put it this way “If you’re not scared you’re not growing”.  That said I know a lot of us are growing, maybe more often then we would care for.

It seems as though life’s choices really don’t get any easier.  Sure sometimes, certain decisions are clearer than others, but in today’s environment, uncertainty seems to prevail.  Yet there are people who are making decisions now.  What is the difference? What has allowed them the clarity they need to move ahead?

So what is the right decision for you? Maybe it’s time to weigh out the pros and cons and decide what you really want. What do you need to be doing to make your life better?  Hard questions, but needed questions.  I know Kendra, myself and others at Landed Gentry have been seeing this from some our customers theses past few weeks.  There is a bit of anxiety, but they are making the changes they need to, to make their life better for themselves and their family.  Living in indecision can in and of it’s self be a decision, but I’m finding that ultimately we all really know what we want.  Now we just need to have the courage to make it happen, one decision at a time.  Because most of often, the right choice and hard choice are in fact the same thing.

Come visit us at one of our new home communities,  Montreaux in Mount Vernon or Fairway Point in Oak Harbor, during the month of April and we will give you 2 free passes to Tulip Town.  What an excellent way to spend a day…view the tulips, experience the Skagit Valley and see some Landed Gentry homes too!  For more details on our open house hours and locations visit www.LandedGentryHomes.com or call Kendra at 360-661-3821.

Steve Baughn in our office is an amazing photographer.  He e-mailed me these pictures of the tulips last year and I thought you might enjoy seeing them too!

Happy Spring Everyone!

Kendra

The majority of our homes at Landed Gentry, whether officially certified “Built Green” or not, qualify for a two star rating.    Being good stewards of our environment while still providing affordable homes for our community is important to us…it was great being able to share our concept with the readers of the Business Pulse.

Brian Gentry showing how permeable asphalt works at our Oak Street Community in Burlington.

Kendra Gentry-Decker walking through the front door at our model home at Montreaux in Mount Vernon.

]]> http://landedgentryblog.com/2010/03/11/landed-gentry-featured-in-skagit-business-pulse/feed/ 0 http://landedgentryblog.com/2010/03/01/again%e2%80%a6-the-team-that-makes-a-difference/ http://landedgentryblog.com/2010/03/01/again%e2%80%a6-the-team-that-makes-a-difference/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:02:06 +0000 Brian http://landedgentryblog.com/2010/03/01/again%e2%80%a6-the-team-that-makes-a-difference/ As I mentioned last week, I’m really proud of our team at Landed Gentry and the way our staff contributes to the community. Well, for the second week in a row the contributions of our team made the news! Jeremy Fogle and Mike Anshutz got some great recognition for their contributions to a project at the Help House in Oak Harbor. This food bank makes a real difference in the lives for many families on Whidbey Island. Several of our trade partners contributed to the project as well. Great work guys!
More great press on how the people at Landed Gentry are making a difference in the lives of people our region. Way to go Jeremy and Mike!
Read the article from the Whidbey News Times here:
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/85109207.html

Barb Adams presenting the $25,000 donation to Friendship House in Mount Vernon.

I’m really proud of our team at Landed Gentry and the way our staff contributes to the community.  It’s not often that the things our team does becomes front page news.  Barb Adams, our transaction coordinator/warranty administrator/ general right-arm for Brian won prize through Wells Fargo that allowed her to designate a $25,000 gift toward the Friendship House, a homeless and transitional housing shelter in Mount Vernon.

Well, this act did become front page news.  Great press on how the people at Landed Gentry are making a difference in the lives of people our region.  Way to go Barb!

Read the article from the Skagit Valley Herald here:

http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/fundraising_major_donation_puts_friendship_house_back_in_the_black

Kendra

Two young deer passed through Montreaux this morning. They must like the sunshine too!

Mount Baker was so bright and crisp this morning...I had to take a picture

The trees are getting ready to bloom...I can't wait!!!