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Quality at an affordable price

Watchwords for today’s builders

POSTED 10/02/2008 - Collins Builders, a five-year-old Jacksonville-based company with more than 400 homes completed and closed, has recently secured the rights to build Phase one (approximately 45 homes) in the Greystone development adjacent to the new Ace Hardware and Baker County High School in Glen St. Mary.

Collins Builder’s Chief Operating Officer, Wayland Wiseman said they were approached by the previous developer about four months ago to take a look at Greystone, thinking the Macclenny market might best fit their firm. "Macclenny was not even on our radar screen since we were in about six communities in Jacksonville already, but when we had a chance to see the lot prices, we became excited about the opportunity," said Wiseman.

The starting price for homes in Greystone will be $118,900 for a 1,013 square foot home, with two bedrooms and one bath, standard with a one car garage. At the top of the base price range, is $182,830 for a 3,006 square foot, two story model with six bedrooms and four and a half baths, standard with a one car garage and an optional second bay available as an upgrade.

With a quick crunch of the numbers, the clear value is the larger home. The 1,013 square foot model priced at $118,900 comes in at $117.37 per square foot, where as the largest model at 3,006 square feet priced at $182,830 is an attractive $60.82 per square foot.

As for the community’s architectural appeal, each lot is fifty feet wide with varying depths depending on the lot chosen. Each house is built with a wood frame construction and will be

Artist rendering of two-story model.

finished on all four sides with Hardy lap board siding with carriage style garage doors and board and batten shutters on the windows. There is no lawn sprinkler system and the landscape package will include the allotted number of trees per code and eight pallets of sod. A home security system and wiring are available as an upgrade or option.

Collins Builders works with three preferred lenders and is possibly entertaining using a local vendor as well, although those negotiations have not been finalized yet. Wiseman said that in today’s tight financing market, Baker County bodes well due to a first time home buyers assistance program sponsored by the USDA for rural designated counties.

When asked if the current status of the economy changed in any way their outlook for success with the build out of this community, Wayland said: "There are two factors to consider when pricing a home from the builders perspective - one: sticks and bricks, that represents the costs associated with the actual process of building the home. Building costs have started to creep up a little in the last few months, but are still favorable. Two: the cost of the land it’s sitting on. The lot costs were so attractive on this project it leads us to believe we can make this work."

He went on to say that "Collins Builders is in this for the long haul. When we are able to acquire property like this one at favorable terms to us, it is our mission to pass on those savings to our homeowners."

You can go online and check out other Collins Builder’s communities, models and floor plans for Greystone development at: www.collinsbuilders.net