One of the most important things to have in the new construction area of real estate is choice. And Jay Bell of Bell Development, Inc. and Kaye Ivey, who recently rejoined the company, have a whole spectrum of options to offer their clients.
Founded by Bell’s father in 1976, originally as an engineering company, Bell Development branched out over the next 30 years to become a full service developer that now buys the land, designs and builds the roads, and builds the homes in the subdivisions.
Kaye Ivey is no novice to real estate, either, with experience going back to her initial start with Bell Development as a job superintendent, then her move to realty with Bell Development and then on her own. Ivey also serves as the 2011 president of the Women’s Council of Realtors and the 2011 president elect of the Women’s Council of the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee. She holds the accredited buyer representation, certified new home specialist and residential construction certified designation.
Ivey recently received the WCR Silver Excellence in Service Award and her certified residential specialists designations in March, which requires an agent to produce high sales and high levels of education. Only four percent of Realtors have this designation.
Ivey also knows how to build a house from the ground up, which is not a skill a lot of Realtors can claim. Every step of the way, every choice on paint or flooring, she knows about it and will help you through it, Bell says. Ivey’s new role with the company will be more hands-on with selecting products for their houses in flooring and interior and using her previous skills from helping buyers and sellers that she brings back to the table.
One of Bell’s favorite building areas is Hamilton On Hunter, an affordable market around the $180,000 to $200,000 range near the Volkswagen plant and the longest lasting project that they’ve had. Bell Development has a long history of building houses there and are going to continue to do so, Bell says.
“The exciting thing about Hamilton On Hunter is that we’ve got a lot more to go,” he says.
Another exciting project of theirs is on the other side of the river in Hixson at Stonewall Farms. Ivey has sold in Stonewall Farms for Bell Development before and is at it again with details on the features these properties offer.
Sidewalks for strolls in the afternoons and on weekends are part of the allure of Stonewall Farms, as is it’s accessibility to a variety of buyers from older couples that may be interested in the townhomes there or move-up owners with growing families. Currently, 400 houses and 110 townhomes are part of this development and, Bell says, it will be even bigger once it’s complete.
Choosing a custom floor plan, like the Aldridge, will offer buyers granite countertops, a large kitchen, a specialty ceiling in the living room, tile and backsplash, a microwave, dishwasher and range that the buyer picks out, bedrooms upstairs, a master on the main LEVEL and huge bonus rooms that can fit any need.
“The recent market has just made us try to figure out more what the customer wants and offer more to the customer and that’s what we are all about right now,” Bell says. “Offering a better product and trying to entice people to buy our product is what everyone has had to do in this recession, and try to do things better and smarter and offer more choices.”
Ivey says, “I think we still offer quality, luxury and affordability, even in the market we are in now. We try to give the best product at the best price, no matter what the economy is.”
The economy has actually allowed Bell to add more features to homes. Before the recession, many of the homes didn’t have granite countertops, and now they all do, he says.
“We have really upgraded our products and offered more to the customer. I don’t see any other way to build it,” he says.
Bell plans to sell even more homes than the 68 they sold last year in Hamilton County, and Ivey says she’s aiming high with a goal of 100 which she feels is reachable.
Bell says, “You have to be pretty optimistic to build houses. It’s banking on the future and an optimism based business. Hamilton County is growing, but Bell is growing with them to produce and give that buyer/client the best they can get for their money, and we are excited about that.”
Bell says the advantage his company has is that they offer homes in every price market. Such as the Hixson development of Sedman Hills, which offers an affordable product and a visible “wow factor” that makes clients fall in love and buy a house every time he takes them there.
Bell says he is excited for this year after being voted Chattanooga’s Best Homebuilder for 2010, making this the third straight year for this honor. Pair
this with Ivey’s return to Bell De-velopment, and the year is looking to have some great results.
Ivey says, “With Realtors, we are going to make it easy for us to work with them. I think we are really a customer service based company, and I do have a good relationship with the Realtors, and I think it flows both ways.”
Bell agrees saying, “We’ve always looked at having several different customer bases, and Realtors are one of them. When they bring a client, and sell our house to their client they are really purchasing part of our company because they are putting their reputation and future in our hands.”
“When buyers are looking for a quality built home at an affordable price, Bell Development offers new construction homes in all price ranges and in several subdivisions located throughout Hamilton County,” says Ivey. Bell adds emphatically that: “Buyers can be assured that Ivey will help them find their dream home.”