East Tennessee Mountain Views - March, 2008 Edition

	With a wide selection of signature homes and townhomes from which to choose and a knowledgeable staff that can walk customers through every phase of the home buying process, Cooper Homes has proven itself to be Tellico Village’s one-stop shop when it comes to fulfilling residential dreams. The company stands on more than 20 years of experience in the area. It built the first homes at Tellico Village in 1986 and has since completed some 1,000 houses—nearly one-third of all the single-family homes—and all 270 townhomes in the lakefront community. Cooper Homes offers a line of 18 different signature home plans ranging from 1,550 to 2,500 square feet. The brick-front homes come pre-priced but are also offered with customization options. For example, standard Corian counter surfaces can be upgraded to granite. Tile and carpet flooring, Timberlake cabinets and brush-nickel hardware are some of the other standard features. “We try to give customers a lot of flexibility and options and let them customize the home any way they desire,” says Al Wilson, Cooper Homes’ Project Director. The standard layout has three bedrooms, and all signature homes come with a 2/10 warranty that includes a two-year performance warranty and a 10-year structural warranty. “We’ll also do construction financing on the signature series,” says Director of Sales Wes Cooper. “We can arrange financing in the amount of time it takes for a buyer to pick their options. That means less work in getting the home to the field, and we like to pass those savings on to the customer.”
Cooper Homes is currently offering land-home packages in its newest neighborhood development within Tellico Village—Coyatee Hills. Approximately 100 wooded home sites are located within the reserve, and buyers can build either signature or custom homes on their lots. “Coyatee Hills is located at the north end of the Village,” says Cooper. “It’s the best location for access to Lenoir City.” The company also has townhomes available at the Chota Landing section of Tellico Village, with floor plans ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet. One of the primary advantages to working with Cooper Homes is that the staff will walk buyers through each phase of the project, from purchase to move-in. Those who don’t already own a home site in Tellico Village could purchase a land-home package within Coyatee Village or utilize one of 14 licensed real estate agents at Cooper Homes Realty to buy another lot within the community. Once the land is acquired, customers work with someone from Cooper Homes’ team of new-home specialists—Pat Decker, Nancy Lietzau, Becky Hunt, John Oldum and Kathy Weatherford. “The first step is to find a plan that suits their needs in terms of square footage and amenities,” says Wilson. “We have to make sure the plan fits the lot and that it’s within the buyer’s price range.” After a plan is chosen, the customer decides on options and upgrades and then chooses from a selection of interior color schemes, flooring materials and lighting packages. “It’s all done simply, in-house, so buyers don’t have to run around to different stores to make their selections,” Wilson adds.
Next, buyers work with Rick Hatley, the company’s liaison between the sales and construction teams. Hatley helps ensure that plans are drawn correctly, that spec sheets are correct and that building permits are obtained. “Rick takes them through the process from the time they buy until the home is ready to go to the field,” Wilson explains. “He will then set up a preconstruction meeting between the builder and customer.” Cooper Homes’ builders, Jeff Seese and Jake Townsend, stay in regular contact with homeowners throughout construction. “They are required to touch base with the owners at least once a week,” Wilson says. “We put a lot of focus on that so the customer doesn’t feel that he’s forgotten about.” On average, homes are completed on a 180-day schedule, although it’s not uncommon for Cooper Homes to finish as early as 25 days ahead of schedule. After construction is complete, staff member Jeff McDaniel inspects each home and follows up on any problems that might develop, either personally repairing or replacing a defect immediately or scheduling someone to do the job. “We try very hard to deliver a defect-free home to our customers,” says Wilson. “That’s important to them, as opposed to just giving them the keys and saying goodbye.”