Home building picks up
By KERRI SMITH
Staff Writer
Pampa has seen an increase in population over the past few years and this has caused a housing shortage. This shortage of homes has allowed new construction to be done in different parts of town and out in the country.
Three local builders, Giles Custom Homes, Howard Construction and Kurt Foster Construction are enjoying the housing trend and better economy and hope to see it continue for many more years.
Pampa News Photo by KERRI SMITH This new home built by Kurt Foster Construction is for sale in the 2700 block of Aspen. It is approximately 2,000 square feet.
Giles Custom Homes is owned and operated by brothers Chad Giles and Cole Giles. They started the business two years ago as a branch of Giles Construction, which their father Steve Giles has owned for 25 years. Construction of their sixth home, which is located north of town by Hidden Hills golf course, should be complete in about one month. That 1,900 square foot home will be listed with Century 21 Realty in the low $200,000's.
The homes we are building at this location, which will be named Cypress Point, will come with 1/2 acre lots, Chad Giles said. We've already sold the next three lots and have construction planned for those homes as soon as we finish construction on this house. We are also trying to purchase additional land so more homes can be built by Hidden Hills golf course.One thing they are proud of in this area is the underground utilities they had put in. They said there should be fewer problems, like the recent power outages caused by ice storms, with the cables being underground.
Homes on Wells Street, Christy Street and Rabbit Lane have been built by the brothers as well as one at Walnut Creek. They hope to build some homes that can be sold for less than $100,000 for people who are wanting to purchase more affordable homes.
We are trying to build the best quality for the price, Cole Giles said. Some people need more affordable homes while others can afford bigger, more elaborate homes. We are just trying to accommodate everyone's needs.
Another Pampa builder, Howard Construction, is also excited by the better economy and growth that Pampa has seen. Les Howard has owned his construction company since 1979 and now enjoys working with his son Blake Howard. They have built a home on Sierra Street and are close to completion of one on Rabbit Lane, just east of town.
The house currently under construction has been a joy to work on, Blake Howard said. We are really proud of this home and believe the new owner will be also. He describes the home as a three bedroom, two bath 1,900 square foot home built on one acre. Higher-end products such as granite countertops, slate tile flooring, a stone fireplace and crown molding are being used in the home which will be listed for $270,000.
We specialize in stained concrete so we have made the three covered porches out of this material, Les Howard said. We are very proud of the craftsmanship we've put into this home on everything from the decorative columns, textured walls and tumbled stone accents.
They are planning to begin construction of another home in the spring and hope that the market in this area will allow them to build many more in the coming years.
Kurt Foster, who has owned Kurt Foster Construction for 32 years, is happy to be building homes along with doing remodeling. He hopes that the market in Pampa will continue to grow.
The problem that a lot of people are experiencing in Pampa when trying to purchase a new home is the fact of it not appraising for what it is really worth, Foster said. The housing market has been so bad for so long in Pampa that the appraisers are not appraising the homes high enough for people to get a loan for that house. Normally the loan cannot be greater than the appraised value and that's making it hard for a lot of folks who would like to purchase a newly built house.
Foster has built two homes in the 2700 block of Aspen. One of them has sold and one is currently for sale. The one that is available is a 2,000 square foot home that has three bedrooms and two baths and is listed for $267,000.
I've been putting this new foam insulation in my homes that you blow in and then it expands to fill in all the spaces, Foster said. This is a little more expensive to use in the beginning, but it should pay for itself over the first five years. I also offer a two year guarantee that the electric bills will not be higher than $131 for a monthly average at the end of the year. If the bills are higher than that amount, the warranty company will reimburse the homeowner.
Foster is looking at some additional lots to purchase so he can build some homes which can be listed for $90,000 to $120,000. This price range is more affordable and hopefully this allows first-time home buyers to be able to purchase a new home, Foster said.
Steve Giles Cole Giles Chadd Giles Cell: 806.662.8615 & 806.664.0059
Email: gilescustomhomes@sbcglobal.net
Specializing In Spec & Custom Built Homes
1433 Christy - SOLD
