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- The Stonewall Homes Newsletter (10/4/23)
The Stonewall Homes Newsletter (10/4/23)
Encouraging events, the Frost Creek neighborhood, and building a company pt. 2.
Stonewall Homes
October 04, 2023
The Stonewall Homes Newsletter
Your bi-weekly update from Central Oklahoma’s top custom homebuilder.
In this email:
Featured community: Frost Creek
OK Building Summit + Parade Feedback
The Building of a Homebuilding Company
Featured Community: Frost Creek
We’ve had several inquires about this coveted community recently, and it looks like lots are going fast!
It’s no wonder why: located off E. Robinson St. and 36th Ave, Frost Creek is 10 minutes from downtown Norman and I-35 and boasts spacious lots at prices that can’t be beat.
School Districts: Eisenhower / Irving / Norman North High School
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Check out our website (👈click there) for the most up-to-date information about Frost Creek.
Building Summit 2023
If you happened to stop by our model home last Wednesday or Thursday, you were greeted with locked doors, darkened windows, and a sign announcing something akin to: “Sorry we missed you… we’re at the Building Summit!”
The OK Building Summit & Expo is an annual conference that brings together builders and suppliers from across the state, along with their collective experience, expertise, and know-how.
The goals of the Summit are noble ones: to educate the next generation of builders, to continue to teach the experienced ones, to network, to build stronger, to build smarter, to build better—ultimately, to advance the trade as a whole. This year’s theme revolved around building a tighter, more lasting, more efficient home that would stand the test of time and the trials of life.
The quote in the picture above describes that theme—and Stonewall Homes’ already-existing philosophy—perfectly: “When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for…”
Homes are built to house families. Homes are built to last generations. Therefore, homes should be built as a place of safety and steadfastness, of comfort and care. This conference was a great reminder of these principles, and we at Stonewall Homes will always do our best to meet those expectations.
Between the wonderful speakers, vendors, old friends, prizes (some of which Pete and Paul won), and encouragements, we’re marking this year’s Summit as a success!
Update: Parade Feedback
Now that the Parade of Homes is in the rearview, we’ve been reviewing the feedback we’ve received on our homes. (Spoiler alert: it’s all been a👏ma👏zing.)
The traffic at all three houses was incredible, as were the conversations we had with those who stopped by. Nothing makes us happier than seeing people’s faces light up when they walk into a home we’ve poured so much thought, time, and work into—except maybe watching Parade-goers discover the hidden pantry at Selah Way 😉.
Shoutout to @_kay_frank for her comment on our Selah Way house!
And, speaking of our Selah Estate Home (the “big house,” as we call it for obvious reasons), we’ve just posted new photos of it on our website! If you weren’t able to attend the Parade, you can still check it out here.
The latest from Pete & Co. - Building a Company Pt. 2
In the last post, we asked Pete about how he started Stonewall Homes with a simple desire to build and an admirable amount of persistence.
For this second and final part of Stonewall Homes’ story, we wanted to move on from how and why the company was founded and instead look at the foundational principles, goals, and faith that have kept us steady and sure as each year passes.
Q - What’s one thing you think really sets Stonewall Homes apart from other builders, and why?
A - I think God blessed me with a love of building for people. A lot of builders…they like building, but they don’t really like a customer to be involved. So, they build specs or rental properties, and there’s nothing wrong with that. For my personality, though, building custom homes for people—trying to make them happy—is a perfect fit. That’s been my goal since day one.
Q - In hindsight, is there anything you’d do differently if you could?
A - I do a lot of things different now compared to how I used to, but looking back I don’t think I’d change anything. There are a lot of mistakes I could have made as a young builder that God steered me around, though.
I think God blessed me with a love of building for people… building custom homes for people—trying to make them happy—is a perfect fit.
Q - Did you ever doubt yourself or the company?
A - I’m a pretty confident guy, and my parents instilled in me that if you work hard and do your best you can do well. I never really doubted that I could do well if I followed that advice and trusted in the Lord. I never really knew what exactly I was trying to pull off—I just figured it out step by step.
Q - Did you ever expect to reach the point you’re at now? Building million-dollar houses, managing a full staff, playing key roles in builder associations, etc.?
A - When I started Stonewall Homes, I didn’t really have a plan for where I wanted it to go. I was just going to work every day and doing what needed to be done. Honestly, though, I don’t see building these big houses as that big of a deal. My first job at Flintco was building the 45-million-dollar Civic Center—everything is relative.
Really, the answers to most of these questions are rooted in my faith. My goals, my confidence level… it all comes back to the Lord. My understanding from the Bible is that our work is to do everything we can, trust in the principles of the Bible, and leave the results to Him. With our company, any growth or sales is dependent on the Lord. But that doesn’t mean we don’t work hard—like with a farmer, we plow the soil and plant the seeds, but it’s God who brings the growth.
Treat people right. Be honest with them. Have their best interest in mind.
Because of that, I haven’t really given a whole lot of thought toward how many houses I’d end up building, or what kind of houses. I just work hard and build my life around principles found in the Bible. Don’t be too risky, but don’t be afraid of taking chances. Work hard, but balance that with living life and being with your family. Treat people right. Be honest with them. Have their best interest in mind. But, ultimately, I give God the credit for how well we’ve done.
Thank you for joining us in our journey of making every house a home, and we hope these emails will be a benefit to you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here. Until next time! 👋
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