Realtor, founder, and market and luxury home specialist Mikel Muffley and his Obie Award-winning Custom Dream Home Program (muffleydreamhomes.com) are taking the unknowns out of building a home, working with the client from start to finish, and accomplishing that through their team of award-winning partners. In a market like today’s, Muffley is providing a service that ensures quality and full delivery of client
wishes (ideal location, finishes, school district, etc.) for less than buying a resale or spec home. Here, we talk to Muffley about his Dream Home process.

The Client

When building a home, getting lost in the process is a common stressor for the client. With so many moving parts, it seems inevitable. Muffley’s goal is to put the client in the center of every decision. During the program, the dream home building team holds a standing meeting with the client every two weeks to discuss the current state of the property, any issues and what is next on the agenda. Using a UDA portal, the client can log in anytime they want to see their property, and thanks to Multivista, they can see an updated image of their house every two weeks. For those relocating, this can be a game changer, allowing them to monitor from afar and move in upon completion—all the work handled for them.

The Process

Step 1: First, a client fills out a Muffley Dream Home Workbook that covers all the bases in terms of name, desired location, etc. Curating a Pinterest account with desired home styles, furnishings, colors, special rooms and more can be helpful to communicate the vision to Muffley and his team.

Step 2: The client then joins Muffley and his team for an initial consultation to discuss where they want to live and why they want to live there, among other things, like how much land and square footage they are looking for. And, finally, the client locks down their budget.

Step 3: Next, the architectural meeting is held, and the client is delivered CAD first- and second-floor images. “The sweat equity of homebuilding is on our part,” Muffley says. “We strive to give you plans and color renderings so you, the client, can at least have an initial visual of what was dreamt up in your head.” Simultaneously, Muffley sends out his lot acquisitions team to procure the right lot, in the right neighborhood, that fits the client’s budget and house size.

Step 4: Once the client is pre-qualified for the CP loan by one of Muffley’s prefered partners, the Muffley team creates an official build lookbook that combines all the chosen finishes, colors, brands, accents and styles in one visual deliverable.

Step 5: Two to three weeks in, Muffley usually has a preliminary site plan, which means it is time to lock down the found lot with a lot reservation fee.

Step 6: Over a 30-45 day period Muffley and team have designed your home according to discussed plans, lot and budget. Typically, the clients close within 45-60 days of the first meeting, then they go through permitting and then finally, at around 11-14 months depending on the size and stature of the project, the clients are moving in!

The Result

Turning dreams into a reality isn’t an easy task, but Muffley and his team offer a turnkey program promoting transparency with the client in the homebuilding process. Building a house can be a scary task to take on, especially with all the risks involved due to the past year. Not only can Muffley build his client’s dream home, he can do so in their ideal neighborhood.