Modern Home Builders Issue 135 October 2024 | Page 42

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Putting a smile on its clients ’ faces is the number one mission of custom home building company Happe Homes ( Happe ). Combining its love of construction and building with a commitment to delivering exceptional quality and customer service , the company creates the home of each client ’ s dreams . Throughout the home building process , Happe fosters excellent communication with homeowners , striving to make the process fun not only for its talented team members , but also for the clients . It has been quite a few years since we had the pleasure of featuring Happe in Modern Home Builders , and Jake Happe , owner , fills us in on the latest developments within the organization .

“ Beyond experiencing continued growth focusing on what we do best , we opened up a subsidiary named Gladiator Homes ( Gladiator ) within which we offer more cost effective homes . It is still a part of the Happe company , but while Happe continues to build custom homes tailored to what homeowners want in the $ 450,000-to- $ 500,000 + price range , Gladiator takes a more streamlined approach by offering a few different packages and limited , if any , customization options . With that being said , our packages suit 90 percent of our clients ’ preferences , and they help us from a buying perspective to get bulk materials ordered , thereby enabling us to deliver great value while keeping the price point affordable ,” he says .
With it being the most significant development since our last interview , Jake sheds light on the reasons behind the creation of Gladiator . “ A year or two into the pandemic , while the industry was still unstable , securing custom homes became tough due to material delays , shortages , and fluctuating prices . This was a particularly significant problem for us at Happe since we predominantly offer custom homes rather than spec homes . As a result , it was difficult to sell custom homes upfront without a guaranteed final price , time frame , or interest rate , as these kept increasing every few months . 42