Russ Rumsey and His Clients
Realize Common Dream

Master Builder Russ Rumsey has kept a home in Cashiers, N.C. while on vacation from his Florida construction business for many years, but he had always dreamed about an opportunity that would allow him to move to the mountain for good. So he jumped on the chance in 1993 to buy MacDonald Real Estate in nearby Glenville. The business soon became MacDonald Home Construction, Inc., now on Highway 64 in Sapphire Valley and going strong as a complete design-build operation. And more than a few homeowners in the area are happy Russ came to stay, because he's helped them realize their own mountain dreams.

Joe and Shirley Insoft are among those homeowners. "We had the best building experience ever," says Shirley. Russ started the process by advising them on the right place to build. "We fell in love with our building site at Bald Rock with sunset views of the mountains," she says.

Being from Florida, the Insofts were not present for every stage of building. "But we had complete trust with Russ and his crew that they would follow through, and they were like family during the entire process," says Shirley.

Strong Communication and Follow-up; Quick turnaround.

Russ stayed in touch with the Insofts from day one. Although they were in Florida when the crew broke ground to begin the foundation of their new home, Russ made them part of the event by calling them from his cell phone. "He proceeded with a countdown," says Shirley. "And we heard this huge explosion blast the granite on our mountain to start the building process," she says. From that point forward, she became increasingly impressed with how Russ ran his company and how crew members were so attentive to detail. And strong follow-up continued long after the home was finished.

Staying in touch is just one of the top priorities for Russ. He prides himself on providing quick turnaround without compromising the quality of design or workmanship. After meeting with a client, he can produce a preliminary custom home plan and a proposed contract price within three business days. And his company's average start-to-finish is eight to ten months.

No shortcuts, just expert EFFICIENCY and BETTER PRICES

Russ doesn't achieve speed by taking shortcuts. Instead, MacDonald Home Construction focuses on efficiency by keeping an experienced, specialized staff on hand. The company subs out tasks where appropriate, but its in-house talent covers everything from auto computer assisted design (AutoCAD) to general labor, carpentry, finish trim and painting. A staff civil engineer evaluates home sites, potentially saving clients thousands by steering them clear of land where site preparation would be to costly. "And because of our human resources, we're able to move quickly to work in areas where other builders have to spend time looking for someone from outside to do those tasks," says Russ. "We're already there and equipped to get it done."

Russ also differentiates his company by giving clients a fixed contract price on their homes instead of using the generally more expensive cost-plus pricing method many builders use. "As a result we're priced more realistically for this market," he says. "Bidding on the same house, we often come in at a much lower price than what a cost-plus contractor ends up costing you.

He welcomes anyone who brings him an outside architect's plan, and he'll present his contract price based on such a plan within three business days. Still, most of his clients come with little more than an idea and a desire to build a beautiful mountain home. "We love it that way. We're on AutoCAD here, so we can put their ideas on paper and present our own custom plans," says Russ. They can then go back and forth in-house with changes, if needed, until it's just right according to each client's vision and budget. And he provides this service at a low one-time fee for preliminary drawings. "And once we have a created those preliminary drawings, we can give a fixed price on the home," he says. "This offers clients a real advantage at the bank when negotiating finances."

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