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The Tracewater Homes Podcast brings you inside the world of modern homebuilding, market trends, and the partnerships shaping the future of residential construction. Known for their innovative steel-frame homes, Tracewater dives into what today’s buyers want, how the industry is evolving, and the experts who help bring every project to life. Whether you’re a homeowner, agent, or builder, this podcast delivers insights, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes conversations from the front lines of construction.
Transcribed with Cockatoo
0:00:00
(Speaker 2)
Hi, good morning, everyone. This is Jeanne with Tracewater Homes. I'm here with Matt and with Brent. And we're super excited to share with you today just a few of the things that help make Tracewater Homes different than everyone else in the market. And I will let Matt, you can go ahead and introduce yourself.
0:00:20
(Speaker 1)
All right. Well, I'm Matt. I'm president of Tracewater Homes. I have been in the home building industry really my entire life. I've been building houses since I was 13 years old, and I've pretty much done everything you can do in the home building industry. Tracewater Homes is a passion project for me.
0:00:41
(Speaker 1)
Like, I have dreamt of this for a long time, and it's really exciting to be bringing this to the market now. And, you know, being able to provide the product that we've created. I'm excited.
0:00:54
(Speaker 12)
Yeah, absolutely.
0:00:56
(Speaker 1)
I'm Brent and I am VP of construction at Tracewater Homes. I have not been working in construction my entire life, though I did grow up around it with Matt as my father, Jeannie as my mother, and so I have seen construction since, I mean, the time I think I was in a baby carrier.
0:01:18
(Speaker 13)
I was probably on job sites.
0:01:18
(Speaker 23)
We had oysters of that, for sure.
0:01:20
(Speaker 2)
We might have paid you like $2 to clean up job sites.
0:01:24
(Speaker 13)
Right?
0:01:25
(Speaker 1)
So I did grow up around it, and I'm super excited to have partnered with the two of them and Tracewater, and we're eager to get this product out to market. And we're excited to talk about, like Jeannie said, some of the things that make us different.
0:01:40
(Speaker 3)
Should we get into it?
0:01:42
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I'm Jeanne. I'm the design specialist here at Tracewater Homes. I've been working in design for many, many years, more years than I care to admit. And actually, I knew Matt when he was 13, starting off in this industry.
0:01:59
(Speaker 34)
I could tell
0:02:00
(Speaker 2)
you the name of his first boss. And we've been together that long. He's actually my first and only boyfriend. And we have shared secrets now. We've been building homes since we were 19. We were in college when we started building homes together, flipping a lot of homes together.
0:02:23
(Speaker 2)
Our kids all grew up in the home building industry on job sites. Our daughter has a really big scar to show it. She fell into a foundation once in Minnesota.
0:02:34
(Speaker 5)
Rocks.
0:02:35
(Speaker 2)
I was picking them out of her forehead. And so when we say we're a family -owned business, we are really a family -owned business. This sweet little guy made us a clock back in the day in Woodshop in school. And we still have it to this day.
0:02:53
(Speaker 3)
I didn't know you still had that.
0:02:54
(Speaker 2)
We still have it to this day. Company name has changed, you know, logo because we've evolved a lot over the years, right? I mean, we've evolved so much. We've built in many different climates. We've built all over the country. And so it's it's not just a new brand or a new kid on the block home building company.
0:03:18
(Speaker 2)
It's who we are. It's what we do. It's what we do in our free time. We go on vacation and we grab real estate magazines because we want to know what's the market like here. You know, do we want to build model homes? I mean, my birthday's in September and in the Minneapolis market, which is, you know, where we've spent a lot of our life.
0:03:41
(Speaker 2)
The Parade of Homes is a really, really big deal. And so for my birthday every year, all I wanted to do was go to the Parade of Homes and walk through these magnificent homes that became a lot less magnificent to me over the years. I you know, I was really impressed but you know, let's be honest a million dollars has really changed a whole lot over the years and what it used to be so impressive and now it's kind of the norm sadly to say but anyway, home building and design has been a passion of ours since really when I say forever, forever. It's been what we've done. As we all know, homeowners in the market right now are really concerned about insurability as well as cost of insurance constantly going up, getting dropped, all of that. And so we spent a lot of time working on that situation to help bring some confidence to homeowners with insurance.
0:04:43
(Speaker 2)
So Matt, I'll go ahead and let you speak about that.
0:04:45
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, we really have. That was one of our main focuses in designing these plans. We spent a lot of time with our architect focusing on things structurally, making sure we're using the right products that are going to hold up in weather conditions. Because like you said, there are a lot of insurance companies that are dropping homeowners, people are going to renew their homeowners insurance and they're either not able to do that or they're finding premiums that are double what they were expecting. So trying to get a design on these houses that allows them to be insurable, not just now when they're purchased, but also for subsequent owners downfield that they're able to go get those renewals in place when the time comes also. And a lot of that comes down to the products and Brent can talk a lot about the different products that we've used to do that.
0:05:32
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, so one of the big products that helps us get those favorable insurance rates is the steel framing that we use. So the steel framing carries a really high wind load rating, 140 miles per hour plus. There are some additional benefits to steel framing. but we can get into that later. The siding that we use is called LP SmartSide, and it's wind load rated to 200 miles an hour or more. The shingle product that we use standard on all of our homes is a Timberline HDZ shingle.
0:06:08
(Speaker 1)
And because we utilize that shingle in association with a few of their other products and manufacturer certified installers, we can get a super awesome warranty that comes with that. It's called their Golden Pledge Warranty. And that is non -prorated?
0:06:26
(Speaker 3)
It is non -prorated.
0:06:28
(Speaker 2)
Wait, wait. For people that don't know what non -prorated means.
0:06:32
(Speaker 33)
Right.
0:06:34
(Speaker 32)
Yeah, I guess so.
0:06:35
(Speaker 1)
Essentially, what it means is if you have a shingle blow off in year 10, they're going to replace your roof for you. They're not going to say, well, there's a certain percentage of the life loss. We're only going to give you a partial payment for your roof. They're going to come out and replace your roof.
0:06:50
(Speaker 2)
Wait, no, that's a really big deal, because in our market, we experience not only hurricanes, but also tornadoes, hail, heavy winds, all the things. So that's really, It's huge.
0:07:03
(Speaker 1)
It's an amazing peace of mind for our buyers. And that warranty lasts for 15 years. That is the no limit wind speed warranty. So that's the non -prorated piece. The warranty on the shingles themselves actually is longer, but for those first 15 years, you get that no questions asked wind warranty. And so those are some of the products that have helped us get those favorable insurance rates.
0:07:29
(Speaker 1)
I forgot about impact windows. And we're going to be using impact windows regardless of the location that we build. So they're required down on the beach really close to the water. But even if we're building up in northern Florida, southern Alabama someday, those areas still get impacted by hurricanes and tornadoes. And just this past summer with the hurricanes, they moved north and wind speeds were still hurricane force many, many miles in length.
0:07:59
(Speaker 1)
They're spawning tornadoes. So the impact windows are just a huge benefit too.
0:08:04
(Speaker 2)
And they're not really even prepared for that because that's not something they see a lot.
0:08:08
(Speaker 1)
No, no. And again, even storms other than hurricanes, you have tornadoes with windblown debris and things like that. So those products really help us get a very solid envelope to these homes. They're very structurally sound and heavily protected from inclement weather. And probably the biggest factor in those favorable insurance rates is the steel framing. And I guess I'll let you talk a little bit about you know, what we've done to work with the insurance companies.
0:08:40
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, so I mean, when we started this journey out with our architect, one of our main focuses was insurability. And so we spent a lot of time, you know, working through that process, figuring out what you know, what was going to make it, you know, make it favorable from the insurance standpoint. We worked with our preferred lender. We took those plans. We actually put them on some lots to show what the rates would be. And we got back just really, really low rates.
0:09:08
(Speaker 1)
So, I mean, rates that look so good. And the great thing about all of that is not only are they insurable now, but they're insurable in the future. So, you know, subsequent buyers are not going to have to worry about going out and getting insurance on their home like they do now. I mean, quite frankly, renewals are terrible right now when you're trying to get a renewal on your insurance and people are seeing their rates double. People are seeing, you know, carriers just drop them. So our goal is to really eliminate that worry from people's minds.
0:09:40
(Speaker 2)
Yeah.
0:09:40
(Speaker 1)
Great for resale value. Absolutely. Well and to just kind of back things up a little bit, not only are the homes insurable now and in the future, but some of those products that I mentioned, they come with transferable warranties. So that roof warranty, that Golden Pledge warranty is transferable one time, and then the warranty on the LP Smart side is actually transferable twice. So again, really what I'm, and not only resale, but peace of mind. So peace of mind, one, that you can get insurance on your home, but then peace of mind, too, you really shouldn't need it.
0:10:17
(Speaker 1)
And I think that's the most important thing is, you know, we all have insurance for the someday disaster, but you really don't ever want to have to use it, you know. And so we've really designed the homes in a way that hopefully that doesn't, that disaster doesn't ever actually happen, you know. So I think just being able to rest easy at night, knowing that your house was built in a way that was thoughtful in its construction.
0:10:45
(Speaker 3)
Yeah, yep, absolutely.
0:10:46
(Speaker 2)
And intention. Yeah, very much so. And, you know, as we were saying, we were talking earlier about some of the areas in the country that don't normally see some of the very unfavorable weather that like the Carolinas have seen in this past year.
0:11:02
(Speaker 3)
When we're using things like impact windows, even when it's not required, but we do it as an included feature because we believe in that so much that it really does bring a tremendous peace of mind to people.
0:11:15
(Speaker 1)
And you're right. We're seeing it all over the country, you know, natural disasters in areas that didn't used to experience them. And some of those things are going to cost more money on the front end in the building of the home. But what people forget to look at is the overall cost of ownership. So it's not just about what it costs you to purchase that home on the front end, it's also about what it costs you to live in that home for however many years you're going to be there.
0:11:41
(Speaker 1)
So if you're living in a home and your insurance rate just keeps going up and up and up, well your cost of ownership just keeps rising every year.
0:11:49
(Speaker 2)
When you're able to mitigate that, it's a huge deal. That is so true. And if we go back to just revisiting our steel framing for a minute, and again, keep tying it back to insurance, termites. who's had a termite problem in a steel -framed home?
0:12:04
(Speaker 3)
No one. Yes.
0:12:06
(Speaker 2)
Whereas who's had a termite problem in a wood -framed home?
0:12:09
(Speaker 3)
Many, many people, especially along the Gulf Coast. And if you haven't, you will. Yes, exactly.
0:12:14
(Speaker 2)
And that's with termite spray and termite bait stations and all of those preventative measures.
0:12:20
(Speaker 31)
And they still find their way into wood homes.
0:12:23
(Speaker 1)
The swarms are flying already this spring. I've seen a few.
0:12:26
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, absolutely.
0:12:27
(Speaker 3)
And you know, the other thing we've talked about is Not only are we getting good insurance rates, but the insurance, our preferred insurance carrier is looking at it and they're actually excited to be able to bring, you know, this into the market and be able to insure these products.
0:12:44
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, the other thing they love about steel framing is it doesn't burn.
0:12:48
(Speaker 2)
Yes, exactly. So much better fire rating. It's just all the things that people don't think about, you know, steel framing. Okay, cool.
0:12:56
(Speaker 1)
But what does that really get me? Well, A lot less termites. Better wind load, non -combustible, straighter walls for better finish quality when it comes to things like cabinets and countertops.
0:13:09
(Speaker 2)
Well, are we finished with the insurance conversation? Because there's some, you know, such a good thing.
0:13:13
(Speaker 1)
Not really, but it just all keeps tying back. So even though we get off that topic, we always keep coming back to it. Do we want to give a shout out to our insurance carrier? I mean, I prefer insurance companies, Fuller Insurance out of Santa Rosa Beach, and they they're great. They've done an excellent job for us and you know I'm sure they will continue to do that.
0:13:35
(Speaker 1)
Absolutely. And I mean even Brent can speak to that and so can we because they insure our home and they insure his. And mine, yes. And I think the The steel framing kind of threw them for a loop the first time. My house is also steel framed and it was something new that they hadn't seen before and so they had a lot of additional questions. But once I answered those questions, that's when they really got excited about it and started to see the value that that brings.
0:14:05
(Speaker 1)
And so we've taken the steps to get these steel homes vetted so that our buyers don't have to.
0:14:13
(Speaker 2)
We've already gone through all the hoops, answered all the questions, and so now it's easy. They know the product, and they're excited to insure future buyer homes as well. Yeah, they're super comfortable with it, and they're really excited, actually. They were a part of helping us develop all of this so that homeowners have that confidence.
0:14:33
(Speaker 1)
But you were saying something about the quality when it comes to steel -framed meats.
0:14:37
(Speaker 2)
Talk more about that. Steel framing doesn't bend or bow or twist like wood framing does so Anybody that's ever walked into a wood built home has probably noticed Areas where there's a big gap behind the countertop with a bunch of caulking to try and make it look nice We don't have issues like that with steel framing now while there is still a caulking joint there It's not you know a half an inch thick because the the steel just stays nice and straight whereas wood studs tend to bend and bow as they dry out over time.
0:15:12
(Speaker 22)
That makes sense.
0:15:13
(Speaker 2)
I would imagine our trades appreciate that as well, who's tried to lay tile on a wall that goes like this.
0:15:22
(Speaker 30)
Yes.
0:15:23
(Speaker 1)
It's maddening. Absolutely. know you can't blame the tile installer because they can only do so good of a job based on what they're laying it on you know and they they can try everything and still end up with something that isn't up to par yeah they're not proud of it either homeowners don't love it and it But it is new to the trades too, just like it's new to everybody. So the first time that they see it, it's a little intimidating, I guess we'll say.
0:15:53
(Speaker 2)
But once they start to work with it and figure out different ways to work with it, we have to use some different nails for installing interior trim and things like that.
0:16:03
(Speaker 20)
But once they get a feel for it, then they definitely do see the value in it as well.
0:16:10
(Speaker 3)
So let's talk about all those dumpsters that we don't have because of steel framing.
0:16:16
(Speaker 1)
That's a good point.
0:16:17
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, absolutely. So the steel framing product actually comes on a roll of steel, and they run it through a machine that bends and shapes each individual stud.
0:16:30
(Speaker 3)
I have pictures or videos of that on my phone.
0:16:32
(Speaker 2)
I wish I could pull that up right now. Yeah, it's a pretty cool process.
0:16:37
(Speaker 1)
We should go to the steel framing company one day and review these. I think everybody would have fun seeing it. That would be awesome. Yeah, it is a really neat process. And so the machine actually stamps out holes in the steel for running things like plumbing pipes and electrical wires and things like that. And really, those little stamped holes are the only waste that comes from this whole process.
0:17:03
(Speaker 1)
So the manufacturer, I think the first time we toured the facility, told us that the waste from an entire home will fit into a five -gallon bucket. I mean, how many dumpsters do we usually have with wood framing? It would be typically two to three to get through the framing process on a traditional scale. frame home. And we can cut that down to maybe one. Yeah.
0:17:25
(Speaker 2)
One small one. One small one during the construction process.
0:17:28
(Speaker 1)
We don't even have a framing process.
0:17:30
(Speaker 2)
I mean, that's awesome.
0:17:31
(Speaker 1)
Unless all the neighbors come and throw their old lamps and couches in it. Yeah, that never happens. Only every single job. But yeah, I mean. Truly, we we've been able to start using the smaller like 15 yard dumpsters instead of the big 30 yards. Because we just don't have nearly as much waste through that.
0:17:49
(Speaker 1)
And that's really the biggest point of the process where you need dumpsters and have waste is during that framing stage.
0:17:57
(Speaker 2)
So we've been able to cut that down drastically.
0:17:59
(Speaker 1)
I mean, it's it's huge. And, you know, we all need to be more conscious when it comes to sustainability and our earth. And this is one really big way that we're able to do that. Yeah, absolutely.
0:18:12
(Speaker 3)
Well, and, you know, while steel is still a natural resource, the way that we're building these homes, it's a build at once.
0:18:20
(Speaker 2)
type of situation, you know. When you talk about things like termite damage, you know, while trees can be regrown, you're, you know, constantly replacing wood studs that have been rotten, you know, and things like that eaten by termites.
0:18:35
(Speaker 1)
Here you don't have that issue. And so I think a question that probably most of our viewers are asking themselves is, so how much more does it cost to steel frame a house versus wood framing, especially in this climate of tariffs? So who wants to take that one on? I guess I'll take that one. I mean, from a tariff standpoint that we have no control over, that's going to impact, it's going to impact wood, it's going to impact steel if tariffs are in place. But I think really when it comes down to cost, if you look at where we're priced compared to many of, you know, other home builders in the market, our costs are very similar.
0:19:14
(Speaker 1)
So you're not seeing a huge increase in cost to build the home the way that we are building it. What you're seeing is a huge increase in value.
0:19:23
(Speaker 2)
So the products we're providing, the process that we're providing, all of that plays into it. And so from a pricing standpoint, I don't believe you're going to see any drastic difference in pricing. You're just going to see the benefits.
0:19:38
(Speaker 1)
And how about compared to the concrete? homebuyers who are like, I want a concrete home for all the reasons that we've just said, steel framing is just as amazing. But how about from a cost standpoint? Well, that's huge because you're getting the same insurance rates as if your home was built with concrete and you're not having to pay for that. So when you're building a concrete home, you're typically building two structures. So you build a concrete structure and then you're building a wood structure inside that's going to carry all of the utilities, the electrical, the plumbing, all has to get carried inside that wood structure.
0:20:17
(Speaker 1)
So your, your, your expense on that is drastic.
0:20:21
(Speaker 2)
It's, it's very expensive to build a concrete home.
0:20:24
(Speaker 1)
Cost and timeline. Yes.
0:20:26
(Speaker 3)
We've, we've built concrete before and it takes so much longer because of the fact that you are essentially building two homes, the exterior home and then the interior home.
0:20:36
(Speaker 2)
Yeah. You just segued right into my next thing was when it comes to the framing aspect of a home, how does steel frame compared to wood or concrete? In terms of construction times, yeah, well, yeah, it's quite a bit better.
0:20:51
(Speaker 3)
The steel framing comes pre -assembled from the factory.
0:20:56
(Speaker 2)
And so all of the walls are already built to the specifications of the home. I think your erector set people was talking about the punch -outs that just fit in the five -gallon bucket.
0:21:05
(Speaker 1)
And if you have ever seen an erector set, we're taking you back to the 70s. Boyd, if you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm too young for that. Just Google that, it's there. But it literally looks like an erector set. Yeah, it is.
0:21:17
(Speaker 1)
It's a really cool process. And so they deliver all of the walls pre -manufactured and then the framers stand them up. They have kind of like an erector set, a diagram that shows them where all the walls go and they're all labeled. And so basically you just follow the diagram.
0:21:34
(Speaker 28)
They stand up all the walls, screw them all together, and it all goes up really quickly.
0:21:41
(Speaker 2)
you know, framing that used to take weeks now takes a week or, you know, sometimes days depending on the project and the layout and things like that. So it definitely reduces that cycle time. It's pretty cool to watch as a kind of a process driven guy. I get excited when I see it happening on the job site where all of a sudden you've got a flat slab and like within hours they're standing and everything's going up.
0:22:07
(Speaker 3)
It's pretty neat.
0:22:07
(Speaker 12)
Oh, it's amazing.
0:22:08
(Speaker 1)
And it's something to get excited about.
0:22:10
(Speaker 2)
When homeowners see that and we send them a video at the end of the day, they're like, whoa, it was nothing this morning and now it's walls standing up. Someday we'll have to take the podcast crew out and we'll we'll do it on framing day just to. We can shoot on site. Yes, absolutely.
0:22:26
(Speaker 29)
That'd be fun.
0:22:27
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, really fun. So I think we've talked a lot about our steel framing.
0:22:33
(Speaker 1)
We touched a little bit on our siding. I want to get Adam to show off on our launch day when we had the demonstration. Yeah.
0:22:46
(Speaker 2)
cement board and LP SmartSide.
0:22:48
(Speaker 14)
And here's a great opportunity for us to shout out our LP reps and SmartSide and what it can really do.
0:22:56
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's a product that I've been using in different markets.
0:23:00
(Speaker 2)
This would be the third market now.
0:23:03
(Speaker 1)
Wait, do you bury it in the ground or something?
0:23:05
(Speaker 5)
once?
0:23:06
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, so I had a piece of the smart side and had it in the ground with a yellow pine 2x4. for about a year and a half. And when we - A year and a half, wait, is this in Minnesota climate? No, this is in our climate in Florida.
0:23:21
(Speaker 3)
Okay. So Florida panhandle, three blocks off the beach, you know, moisture, termites, termites, everything, carpenter ants, everything you can imagine.
0:23:31
(Speaker 1)
And the difference between the two by four and the siding, the piece of siding, you were able to brush the girth off and it looked like you could install it on a house. The two by four was almost completely devoured by termites.
0:23:43
(Speaker 12)
There was almost nothing left of it.
0:23:45
(Speaker 3)
I actually just came across a picture of that.
0:23:47
(Speaker 2)
Oh, yesterday on my phone.
0:23:49
(Speaker 3)
Yeah, that photo of the LP SmartSide next to the 2x4 and the 2x4 is completely rotten in the SmartSide. We need to get that up on our website.
0:23:56
(Speaker 1)
Oh, you need to send that to Adam and get that up on our website.
0:23:58
(Speaker 2)
Absolutely.
0:23:59
(Speaker 3)
And he can do a social media mark about it, too.
0:24:02
(Speaker 28)
Yeah, it's pretty impressive.
0:24:03
(Speaker 2)
Well, LP actually tests their products in Hawaii.
0:24:07
(Speaker 3)
It's one of their testing locations because it's one of the most strenuous environments in the world. We need to test some of our products in Hawaii. Yeah. Are you volunteering?
0:24:20
(Speaker 1)
I've never been, so I say we do this.
0:24:22
(Speaker 2)
I like it.
0:24:23
(Speaker 3)
But yeah, so I mean, Hawaii has the humidity, the termites, all of the things that, you know, they're preventing with their product.
0:24:31
(Speaker 5)
And so they actually leave siding in water.
0:24:35
(Speaker 2)
It just lives in water.
0:24:38
(Speaker 3)
And then every few months, they'll take it out and test it with a micrometer to see if it has taken on any water and swelled in any way, and it doesn't. So who does not want that as the siding on their home?
0:24:48
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, absolutely. For real. So do people have to pay extra for that with us?
0:24:52
(Speaker 8)
No.
0:24:53
(Speaker 2)
That's the only siding product that we use.
0:24:56
(Speaker 27)
It comes on every home.
0:24:57
(Speaker 2)
So they're not paying extra for impact windows.
0:24:59
(Speaker 26)
They're
0:25:00
(Speaker 1)
paying extra for LP SmartSide.
0:25:02
(Speaker 2)
Nope.
0:25:02
(Speaker 3)
They're not paying extra for steel framing.
0:25:05
(Speaker 1)
Nope. And not paying extra for this Golden Pledge roof you were talking about. They're not.
0:25:11
(Speaker 2)
Pretty cool.
0:25:12
(Speaker 1)
Sounds like a pretty damn good deal to me. Yeah. And the one thing you had kind of alluded to it a little bit earlier, but we had a demonstration Yeah, let's talk about that. With the fiber cement siding and the LP siding side by side, and users could take a sledgehammer and let them go and bounce it off the siding.
0:25:29
(Speaker 12)
And the difference is it would bounce off the LP SmartSide and the fiber cement siding, it would punch through it.
0:25:36
(Speaker 1)
So everybody was pretty enamored with that.
0:25:38
(Speaker 25)
Yeah, you get an idea of the difference in rigidity of the product.
0:25:42
(Speaker 24)
Absolutely.
0:25:43
(Speaker 1)
Now think about that being on your house in a hurricane, right?
0:25:46
(Speaker 2)
And you've got, you know, windblown debris bouncing off your house versus breaking your siding into pieces.
0:25:52
(Speaker 23)
Yeah, for sure.
0:25:54
(Speaker 1)
It sounds like if you want your house to stand, you should really consider trace water homes. I'm just saying. I think that's true. I may be a little biased, but yes. So let's move into the walls a little bit and talk about insulation.
0:26:08
(Speaker 3)
Yeah.
0:26:09
(Speaker 2)
So, insulation in the walls is going to be an open cell spray foam insulation.
0:26:16
(Speaker 1)
And then insulation in the attic space is going to be blown in fiberglass. It's the same combination that I have in my personal home and I've never had a problem with it yet. It keeps the house really comfortable. Our air conditioning unit really doesn't have to run very often.
0:26:36
(Speaker 22)
Our electricity bill is really low.
0:26:39
(Speaker 21)
In Florida.
0:26:40
(Speaker 3)
Yes, in Florida. So, I mean, comparing that to the apartment that we just moved out of and the electricity bills that we had there, I mean, it's a significant reduction.
0:26:51
(Speaker 1)
I would say almost as much as half.
0:26:55
(Speaker 2)
That's great.
0:26:55
(Speaker 1)
Yeah.
0:26:56
(Speaker 4)
It is easy. Yeah.
0:26:58
(Speaker 1)
It's really nice. I mean, just having some extra money at the end of every month. And being comfortable is really nice too. Affordable and again sustainable. We're not running that electricity at top speed for six months out of the year. Yeah, exactly.
0:27:13
(Speaker 20)
And on the insulation front too, what about like sound insulation?
0:27:18
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, we do some of that too, which is, you know, not Not the norm, I guess? It's not. No. So on the inside of the home, around every bathroom, around the laundry room, and then around the primary suite, and then if it's a two -story home, between the floors, we have sound deadening insulation, just to really mitigate the noise transfer.
0:27:42
(Speaker 1)
Your kids stay in the bedrooms upstairs, and they're running around, and you don't necessarily want to hear their feet hitting the floor at all hours of the day and night. you know, the privacy using the restroom, things like that, you know, or the washing machine running. It just really helps to, you know, deaden that sound and keep things more comfortable in the home. So, absolutely. Where I really learned the difference about the sound deadening piece is I was sitting in a model home and it was just bat insulation and there was a school behind the model home and we couldn't even think because you know the kids were outside and you just hear the yelling and the screaming all happy sounds of course but just sounds and it was just really loud. And then we moved into a different model home, same street, but there was spray foam in that house.
0:28:35
(Speaker 2)
And it was crazy. We didn't hear any of that once we moved to the spray foam house. So yeah, not only the sound deadening of the insulation inside the home for the inhabitants, but from outside of the home. And I mean, I can see to that. I live a block off of Highway 98 with, you know, traffic, major road, the biggest road in the area, and major traffic all hours of the day and night.
0:29:02
(Speaker 2)
And I mean, unless I open my back patio door, I don't hear any of it. You would think we lived in the woods somewhere away from it all. And I can say the same thing.
0:29:13
(Speaker 3)
We live next to probably one of the busiest rental homes in the county.
0:29:18
(Speaker 1)
And, you know, our home is It's got spray foam in it and we do not hear any of those crazies in the pool.
0:29:25
(Speaker 2)
And all their music till whenever and they're out there having a great time, but it really doesn't bother us at all.
0:29:31
(Speaker 3)
So I just, I think spray foam doesn't get the press that it deserves. And so I really wanted to be able to talk about that here and, you know, give people the idea of what a benefit that that really is.
0:29:44
(Speaker 1)
So as we talk about our products, let's talk a little bit about our design products, what makes it pretty on the inside. Steel framing and the insulation has all its benefits, but let's get real. Everyone cares about what looks nice. Yeah, absolutely. So, well, you can probably speak to that a lot.
0:30:07
(Speaker 10)
I'll brag about that a little bit, but.
0:30:09
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I was going to say that. That is your area of expertise. I mean, I obviously worked very closely with you, and we can kind of talk about how we did that, but finding products that you approved from a look standpoint that I approved from a pricing standpoint and how we really tried to bring value to those finish selections and provide beautiful finishes while not having to increase our prices.
0:30:38
(Speaker 3)
Even at the base level.
0:30:40
(Speaker 2)
We're not talking about the upgraded products, even our base level products. Well, I mean, I would say that our base level included products are as nice as what many production builders upgraded products would be. I saw this is the builder grade. Yeah. Well, Products that you see in a lot of well, I saw a video online just the other day about a home inspector that was going through a production built home and he was critiquing, you know, all of the the things that the builder need to fix before the the buyer could move in and One of the things he said was they call this builder grade. The grade is F So it Some some of them are not using the the highest quality products and we really tried to, you know, alleviate that issue by spending a lot of time and effort working together to find products that look nice but also don't cost an arm and a leg.
0:31:43
(Speaker 2)
And also are going to perform well. Yes, and look nice and are quality, yes. Yeah, well, so I've been doing this for a lot of years, more years than I care to admit. And I've done it for a lot of other builders too. I've consulted over the years for other builders and help them set up their showrooms, help them select all their finishes. You know, sometimes it's package A is gray and B is beige and that's all you get to choose from.
0:32:12
(Speaker 2)
And so number one, that was not going to work for me because that is not how I want to build a home. I don't want to build a, home off of board A, B, or C, but you know, that's just me.
0:32:24
(Speaker 19)
And anyone who knows me knows that I'm extremely extra.
0:32:28
(Speaker 3)
And okay, so pause for a minute, just for a super quick story. So we were working on our own home, working in the landscaping of our backyard. And all of a sudden, I was like, you know, we really cool because, you know, when our family gets together, we have like seven dogs on holidays. And so I was like, Oh, what we really cool would be if for all the dogs water. What if we just built this big fountain and then it landed in this, you know, pool and then the dogs can just self water all day long.
0:32:59
(Speaker 3)
And you literally looked at me.
0:33:02
(Speaker 2)
Do you remember what you said? I do. I looked at you and I took a moment to make sure that I heard everything correctly. A water fountain or a, yeah, for dogs to drink out of. And I looked at you and I said, Why are you the way that you are? Yeah, something like that.
0:33:20
(Speaker 2)
Yeah. Just why? That is so extra.
0:33:25
(Speaker 6)
Even the dogs deserve to have pretty water bowls and, you know, free flowing fresh water, but it's gotta look good.
0:33:33
(Speaker 13)
So if I care so much that what our dogs drink from looks so good, I absolutely care what the finishes look like inside of our homes.
0:33:42
(Speaker 2)
Because, hey listen, I take a lot of pride. A lot of pride. And if we're going to do walkthroughs and celebration walks with our homeowners, only good surprises and also like I want there to be a wow at every turn so I think even our included features with the building practices that we have and our attention to detail and the quality of our craftsmanship elevates even the included features to honestly, a class act.
0:34:15
(Speaker 18)
I mean, I just really feel like there's a level of sophistication when you walk inside one of our homes.
0:34:20
(Speaker 2)
And it's not to, you know, degrade any anybody else, but we just have a level of finish.
0:34:26
(Speaker 12)
And everybody says, Oh, great, you know, construction quality and craftsmanship, but everyone's opinion of that is very different.
0:34:35
(Speaker 2)
and mine is... .
0:34:37
(Speaker 17)
Very high.
0:34:40
(Speaker 2)
And I'm not sorry, okay? I'm just not. But if anyone sees Jeannie walk around with the blue tape roll, they run, and they're just like, oh...
0:34:50
(Speaker 1)
Truth.
0:34:51
(Speaker 3)
God, I do not even want to come to work tomorrow because I know this whole place is going to have more blue than paint on the walls. Yes. I really only want the best for our homeowners.
0:35:02
(Speaker 1)
And I know you guys, joking aside, do too. We do. And they deserve it.
0:35:09
(Speaker 3)
And if I wouldn't move in, then it isn't ready for them to move in. And that's truly the way I feel. And that is how we look at it. For sure.
0:35:16
(Speaker 11)
And a lot of that comes from the years of experience in custom home building and the level of finish that is expected when it comes to that.
0:35:30
(Speaker 16)
And that's really what we tried to do with Tracewater Homes, right, was bridge the gap between production home building and custom home building.
0:35:38
(Speaker 1)
So we might not be quite as cheap as some of the production builders, but you're getting that level of care and attention to detail that comes with a custom home, but you're not having to pay that price either.
0:35:52
(Speaker 15)
And the ability to customize our pieces is through the roof.
0:35:57
(Speaker 1)
I mean, I think, Brent, you ran some permutation numbers.
0:36:01
(Speaker 11)
I did.
0:36:03
(Speaker 1)
I mean, it's crazy, right? I can't even remember the number. It was 1 to the... Infinite? Tenth, basically. Yeah, it was like 1 times 10 to the 29th power.
0:36:14
(Speaker 3)
Yeah.
0:36:14
(Speaker 1)
Basically infinity. Yeah. So you can... get so you can customize your home to so many different levels that each one can be totally unique and design to your lifestyle your you know taste all of that yeah so you do feel like you're getting
0:36:30
(Speaker 6)
that custom home and you feel like you are a part of building your home.
0:36:33
(Speaker 1)
Unlike the package ABC situation where you feel like you have to settle.
0:36:38
(Speaker 2)
Um, and you know, like you're, you're pigeonholed into one particular thing. There's so many options that you really do feel like you build a custom home without the hassle and the cost that comes with it. Because that's overestimating also. Yes. Um, you know, when you, have to go in and make every little minor decision, it can be a really overwhelming process.
0:37:00
(Speaker 10)
And so the way we have it set up, it actually is really fun because you can sit on, you know, on your computer at home, look at the products, be able to, you know, kind of see stuff together and make those selections from wherever you're at.
0:37:15
(Speaker 2)
You can do it on vacation if you want. Yeah.
0:37:17
(Speaker 1)
I mean, it's great.
0:37:18
(Speaker 2)
It's an app on your phone, although I will say if you can do it on your laptop, you know, the viewing is a little better, but the app is extremely user friendly and you can, I mean, you can do it in the car, you can do it on your lunch break, you can do it, you know, after dinner some night. And I think you know, another really cool aspect of it is it's priced as you go. So if you know that you have a certain amount of money that you're willing to spend on things that you want inside your home, you're able to see the pricing as it goes. You can favorite things along the way. And so you can see if you're getting up to your threshold, how much, you know, money you have left to spend. Yeah.
0:37:59
(Speaker 2)
And, um, I'm right there with you. I'm inside your ab. That's pretty cool too. Whether you like it or not, I'm coming straight into your home and I'm going to help you with selecting everything. So it takes really all the guesswork out of it on every single selection. There's a video of me talking about how you make the selection, maybe some of the benefits of that selection.
0:38:25
(Speaker 2)
and, you know, if it's my favorite or if I have personal experience with that particular thing. And so it's a very personalized experience without having to leave your home. And you just get to sit in the privacy of your home and have the conversation because this is a true story. I one time ended a design selections meeting before I had to call the sheriff because Mr. Homeowner and Mrs. Homeowner were not on the same page. And it was about something not about home selections, but that's where it decided to manifest itself is in my meeting one day.
0:39:03
(Speaker 1)
And so, you know, you can have your conversations to yourselves if you've got questions, we're here for you.
0:39:09
(Speaker 2)
But it really should be If you go through the whole thing and listen to all the videos, you really shouldn't have any questions left. I've got to give it to you, Brent. You really put in some phenomenal descriptions. You explain pricing. All the information is really there to be able to handle it. So we're toying with the idea, and it has yet to be seen.
0:39:36
(Speaker 2)
with actually let's say you know you're in Maryland or you're just really busy and you live locally but you you know um don't have time to come into a studio and make selections which it's not my preferred way of doing it it's you feel rushed you got to make these choices in a short amount of time with people around so we're toying with Shipping you a box to your house with small little pieces of all the selections so that you can lay it all out on your living room floor. I keep hitting this and You know again Jeannie being it start putting it together So my I'm the ideas person and then I make them figure out how to make it happen. I'm working on it it. So we ordered all the small samples. We're that far.
0:40:24
(Speaker 2)
We've gotten a whole bunch of them. But this thing weighs like 250 pounds. And we anticipated the weight. So it is a big chest, but it's kind of like a cooler. It's got wheels, and it's got a handle.
0:40:36
(Speaker 1)
So if UPS drops at the end of your driveway, not that big a deal.
0:40:40
(Speaker 14)
You just pull it up your driveway.
0:40:43
(Speaker 2)
But in shipping, I mean, cost, yes, obviously it costs a lot to ship it, but nothing for you to worry about either. If we pull this off, the shipping back to us will be completely on us, not on you. It's a service that we want to provide. There's no one else doing it.
0:41:02
(Speaker 13)
There's no one else doing a lot of things we're doing, and that's what, you know, makes us us.
0:41:07
(Speaker 3)
And I'm extremely proud of that.
0:41:10
(Speaker 12)
I get not everyone can handle the thought of selecting their home off of a screen, although we buy everything off Amazon, right?
0:41:18
(Speaker 1)
And almost most of our purchases these days are not, you're not touching it, seeing it, and feeling it. But I understand that your home is a much different purchase experience.
0:41:30
(Speaker 2)
So.
0:41:31
(Speaker 1)
Trying to get selections in your hands.
0:41:37
(Speaker 2)
That's a work in progress.
0:41:38
(Speaker 1)
That's a future podcast.
0:41:39
(Speaker 11)
Because if we do this, I'm going to reveal the box.
0:41:42
(Speaker 1)
All right. That'll be a good reveal. That'll be super cool. And based on this, it's now not a matter of if, it's a matter of when it rolls out. Because we pretty much put it out there and committed that that's how it's going to be at this point. It might have been my plan.
0:41:56
(Speaker 3)
I know. No pressure, guys.
0:42:00
(Speaker 2)
No, it's all good. We'll figure it out. It's just one more way to elevate the experience. Again, let's take it back to the custom side.
0:42:07
(Speaker 10)
If you're going to build a custom home, there are probably no fewer than 10 to 12 different mediums.
0:42:15
(Speaker 2)
you have to go to in different showrooms and selection centers where you have to go and pick out product and it's hugely overwhelming and it takes so much time that most people don't have to fit into their day. Everybody's busy and you sign a contract to buy a house and the next thing you know, you've got a second job for the next three months while you try to pick your stuff up. We've eliminated all of that and made it so cool. It really is a hassle.
0:42:46
(Speaker 1)
I mean, you've dealt with it more than anybody, but you've got to find somebody to watch the kids and take, yeah, take time off of work and all of those things just to go make these appointments because those places are only open Monday through Friday 8 to 5, too, the same time that you're supposed to be working. And it's just it's a lot of effort that goes into, you know, making those custom selections. Yeah, absolutely is. And it's just a lot of pressure.
0:43:12
(Speaker 2)
And it's not as fun as it seems. Yeah. So, but, you know, when you go and make a selection on the app, you just do an electronic signature. Yes, I understand.
0:43:21
(Speaker 9)
This is, you know, what I've selected.
0:43:23
(Speaker 8)
And it's well.
0:43:25
(Speaker 2)
And we could actually talk a little bit about about the app as well, because it's more than just selections.
0:43:31
(Speaker 3)
It's literally your job portal for the entire process. The moment you sign a contract till like through the warranty period, that app is like, you know, It's your go -to for your entire home. You're going to find everything on there. And I do absolutely want to go into that. And I think that the last thing that I really want to talk about with selections was the low VOC. And I think you're probably the best versed in that, what it is, why it's important.
0:44:04
(Speaker 3)
And then, yeah, then we'll talk about because selections happens pretty frequently. the process.
0:44:11
(Speaker 1)
It does.
0:44:11
(Speaker 2)
And then we can talk about the app and how it walks people through to completion.
0:44:16
(Speaker 3)
Yeah, absolutely.
0:44:17
(Speaker 1)
So VOC is volatile organic compounds. And they break down over time. I'm not a scientist, but I'll do my best. and actually leach in your - That's amazing, Zion. Yeah, once or twice. They break down over time and then leach into your home, into the air and on your skin from touching things and stuff like that, and have been linked to diseases, cancers, things like that.
0:44:51
(Speaker 2)
And so all of our flooring products, both included and upgraded, are low VOC certified. conform to the California standard, which as we know, California has some of the strictest standards in the country when it comes to... I'm pretty sure there's a warning on this cup somewhere.
0:45:11
(Speaker 1)
There probably is. Indoor air quality. Yes, absolutely.
0:45:16
(Speaker 2)
So, you know, and flooring is a big one when it comes to, you know, composite style floorings and things like that, that tends to leach chemicals into your homes.
0:45:28
(Speaker 1)
But Like spray foam insulation too is, is relatively low VOC, I believe. And so, you know, just trying to find products that benefit our buyers in all kinds of ways from, you know, the looks to, you mentioned performance earlier, to healthy living, you know, and, and structure, you know, structural integrity, all of those things.
0:45:53
(Speaker 7)
So we just, we were really thoughtful in all of the products that we chose to put into Tracewater Homes.
0:46:01
(Speaker 3)
Future podcasts all the way, but I mean, I think intentionality. is one of the things that we the foundation of all of this.
0:46:10
(Speaker 1)
Yeah.
0:46:10
(Speaker 2)
We were intentional with our floor plans where every single outlet was placed. I was just going to say that how much time did we spend looking at the plans saying, okay, so when you walk in the front door, where are you going to reach to turn on a light switch?
0:46:21
(Speaker 6)
And you know, where am I plugging in my hairdryer?
0:46:23
(Speaker 5)
And all of those things we, we spent hours and hours and we could do an entire episode just on.
0:46:29
(Speaker 2)
I think we should. And the interesting thing is, is once you hear that come from someone's mouth and they, They talk about those things. The next thing they do is walk into their living room and go, why is this light switch here? Exactly. Or why do I have to plug in my phone to an extension cord? Because it's behind the headboard, you know?
0:46:52
So whereas all of ours are, you know, one on each side of the bed, right behind the nightstand. Yeah, I think we'll just. pause pause here and you know we can talk more about the app and process in another episode. Absolutely. All right. So that'll do it.
0:47:09
Episode 1 Tracewater Homes with Matt, Jeanne and Brent. We hope you've enjoyed this episode and more than anything we hope that you learned a lot about how our process is different than most other processes and how that can really benefit you as a homeowner.
Transcribed with Cockatoo