April 29, 2016

Williams Homes: Building quality living on the Central Coast

A building company with a deep-rooted passion for constructing quality homes for its community can be hard to come by, but it can be found at Williams Homes on the Central Coast. Founded in 1997 by Lance Williams in Santa Clarita, Williams Homes has been at home on the Central Coast for the last three years. The expansion came after the company saw a need for housing and an opportunity for growth in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties in recent years, and opened a Central Coast division.

The company says everything they do comes down to one basic principle: When you care, it shows.  “We try very much to be a hometown company,” said Steve Johnson, director of construction operations for the Central Coastdivision.“The Central Coast has been an interest to us for decades. We love this area, and we’ve always felt like it’s a great place to be.”  With properties in areas ranging from Ventura to Santa Maria to Paso Robles, Williams Homes is serving what they feel was an underserved market using a team with over 100 years of combined experience in building.  

According to Johnson, after the Great Recession many of the public building companies packed up and left town, and still have not come back. The lack of competition for builders in this area created an opportunity for Williams Homes to make a presence in the community.  They have found great success here — a network of those in the community that they have fostered relationships with thateither contributed to the production of or live in a Williams Home. Johnson estimates that the company has sold around $27million worth of homes in Santa Maria alone in the three years that they’ve been on the Central Coast.

One thing the company credits their success to is the teamwork of their entire staff. Every employee has been handpicked by Williams to ensure they carry on the legacy of commitment to community and building quality homes.Except for Johnson, who came from Central California, every Williams Homes Central Coast division employee lives and works right here on the Central Coast.“We decided to become a local company,” Johnson said. “We’re living here — we have our families here and we’ve established roots.  

Everyone we’ve hired is local from this area.  ”By keeping local, the company believes they can better serve the desires and needs of the community they now call home.Building quality for a lifetimeCalifornia native Lance Williams founded privately held Santa Clarita-based Williams Homes in 1997 on three principles that the company says is key to their continued success — integrity, trust and partnership.Johnson said that he and his family always dreamed of living on the Central Coast, and had mentioned it in passing years ago to Williams. 

When Williams saw the opportunity to expand in this market, he remembered that conversation with Johnson and called him up.Johnson made the move to the Central Coast to manage all daily aspects of the construction of Williams Homes in the area.  Every year between Santa Clarita and the Central Coast, the company builds 300-400 new homes, and even though they staybusy one thing that the company has stayed committed to over the years is building quality for a lifetime.

“Williams Homes cares passionately about workmanship, design and the needs of homebuyers,” said Diana Kolec, CentralCoast sales manager.

The company takes the time to develop relationships with players on all ends of the field — subcontractors, city officials, their employees and the homebuyers — ensuring a quality built home and a team to back it.Kolec explained that building in Santa Maria is very different from building in a big city. They have the ability to look at individual buyers and their lifestyles and families, and design their floor plans to fulfill all the diverse niches they have.“All of our floor plans offer something unique and different to fit what that need of the community is,” she explained.

Williams Homes offers a multitude of choices for affordable homes, luxury homes, move-up buyer homes and single-familyhomes, ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet. The company believes they serve all aspects of the Central Coast’s market.Almost all of Williams Homes floorplans feature a great room concept and downstairs bedrooms to enhance the flow of family lifestyle, but the quality is in the building.

The company strives to build homes that far exceed expectations — most homes include tankless water heaters, energy efficient appliances, full granite slab kitchen counters, dual-pane windows, LED lighting and many green features. Every home is built on a post-tension slab, providing extra strength for the home.

“We’re a hometown company who is focused on long term relationships with everyone involved,” Johnson said. “Having known Lance for all this time, that’s his personal belief and commitment.It’s a more personal kind of attitude that goes through the company, starting with him and going through the rest of the employees.”

“We have a sincere interest in the community, the homes we deliver, our buyers and the whole process.”

Projects in the WorksFor only being on the Central Coast for three years, Williams Homes has an astounding number of projects under their belt.In Santa Maria, recently completed Parkland Cottages features 21 detached homes in a gated community near McCoy Lane and Broadway. Harvest Glen is a neighborhood of 139 homes with up to five bedrooms. According to Kolec, the homes are thoughtfully designed with an inviting open concept with family and community in mind.Currently, Williams Homes is working on projects across the Central Coast, with two neighborhoods in San Luis Obispo County slated to open in May. Woodridge in Atascadero will include 35 luxury townhomes, and is nestled in an area of beautiful open space and surrounding foothills with nearby parks and recreation and proximity to downtown San LuisObispo, according to Kolec.Also slated for May is Arbor Ridge in Paso Robles, featuring 23 detached homes that offer contemporary floor plans with great rooms and lofts.

Closer to home, Falcon Heights in Vandenberg Village offers a spacious place to call home, with floor plans up to 3,494 square feet and up to a half acre lot. These homes are currently under construction.And lastly, Harvest Glen Gardens will be breaking ground in Santa Maria in May of this year.

Johnson estimates that model homes will be complete by the end of 2016 and homes will begin to be available for sale by that time.“It’s going to be a great place for first-time buyers,” Johnson said.Whatever your taste, Kolec assures that Williams Homes designs its homes with the needs of the buyers in mind, by looking at what their buyers tell them and incorporating it into their plans.“I’m really proud of our company,” Kolec said.Summer Move-ins at Falcon HeightsWilliams Homes has announced that Phase 2 at its prestigious Falcon Heights neighborhood in Vandenberg Village is now selling the final view lots available in Phase 2. With a very limited number of view homes remaining, this is the perfect time to purchase your dream home at Falcon Heights overlooking the Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve, and kick-off the summer in your new home.The single-story residences of Falcon Heights present interior living space of approximately 2,779 to 3,494 square feet and offer such elegant features as great rooms with expansive bi-fold doors opening to the home’s outdoor room, preferred granite kitchen countertops, and a stainless-steel appliance package.These gracious luxury homes provide both intimacy and grandeur and each occupies a generous sized homesite spanning 20,000 square feet and over with backyards suitable for pools, gardens and entertaining. Pricing is from the $600,000s. Broker cooperation is welcome.Interested buyers should contact the Falcon Heights’ Sales Center at 805.741.7302, or visit the new model home located at 294 Falcon Crest Drive.Experience Life at Harvest Glen in Santa MariaAs one of the top-selling neighborhoods in Santa Maria, Harvest Glen’s selection of affordable new homes is very appealing to a wide range of homebuyers. 

With the neighborhood’s newest phase now selling and summer move-ins available, this is the right time to visit and discover what the buzz is all about.Priced from the high $300,000s, Harvest Glen offers five versatile floorplans in both one- and two-story designs. For those wanting all of their living space on the ground floor, Residence One is an ideal choice. This one-story floorplan provides for open living space with approximately 1,623 square feet, three bedrooms, three baths, and a spacious kitchen with large granite island and plentiful counter space.Harvest Glen’s Residence Two is an exceptional single-story home with the master bedroom set to the back of the residence to maximize privacy. A total of four bedrooms and three full baths comprise this home in approximately 1,890 square feet.

The Residence Three is a luxurious four bedroom, three bath, two-story home with approximately 2,184 square feet of living space. It also allows for a family room, an island kitchen, and dining room – all designed to meet every day needs.The largest floorplan at 2,639 approximate square feet, the Residence Four comes standard with five bedrooms and three full baths. This home includes numerous built-in features, from the breakfast nook off the kitchen to a second floor bedroom which can easily double as a loft.Harvest Glen’s newest floorplan is the Residence Five offering 2,369 approximate square feet of interior living space, four bedrooms and three baths. This two-story home integrates downstairs and upstairs living seamlessly and provides for flexible space with the standard loft and optional den.For today’s environmentally-conscious consumers, the residences of Harvest Glen feature an array of standard features that boost energy efficiency, help reduce water consumption and improve indoor air quality. 

While standard appointments throughout the functional and flowing floorplans include kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and center islands, dining rooms, family and great rooms per plan, comfortable master bedroom suites.Harvest Glen’s Sales Center, featuring four decorated model homes, is open daily 10 am to 6 pm, and is located at 940 West Anthony Place in Santa Maria. To visit from Highway 101 exit Betteravia Road and head west, turn right on Blosser Road, right again on Sonya Lane, and follow the signs to the sales center.

For additional information phone 805.922.5552 or visit online at WILLIAMSHOMES.com.  Williams Homes Debuts Two New NeighborhoodsWilliams Homes is set to debut two neighborhoods in the Central Coast this May with the grand opening of Woodridge in Atascadero and Arbor Ridge in Paso Robles offering buyers new home types to choose from.  Woodridge – highlights the low maintenance appeal of townhome living with contemporary interiors, smart living spaces, and a host of modern amenities and appointments. Interiors showcase large great room sthat are perfectly arranged for daily gatherings as well as walk-in closets in the master bedrooms. 

Decks and porches are featured in select plans. Homes range from approximately 1,606 to 2,070 square feet with 3 and 4 bedrooms and up to 3 bathrooms. Pricing is from the high $300,000s. Arbor Ridge – reinvents everyday living with functional floorplans that blend the convenience of detached design with the neighborhood’s own exclusive amenities. The dining area, kitchen and casually elegant living room bring a seamless collection to daily life. Homes offer 1,500 approximate square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. 

Pricing is from the mid $400,000s.Prospective homebuyers interested in registering for the VIP List or finding more information about these new Williams Homes’ neighborhoods should visit online at WILLIAMSHOMES.com, or contact a new home counselor at 805.714.3072.