The majority of the firm's work is custom-designed and built homes in the $900,000 to $2 million+ price range in greater Atlanta. In addition to five custom homes, Calhoun Properties builds a new model home each year to show prospective homebuyers new products and concepts, and to showcase its craftsmanship skills. In addition, the company completes one or two major remodeling/additions projects each year.

"We were invited to do a complete makeover of a 1950s ranch-style home. Other than some financial constraints, the owner gave both our designers and our construction team carte blanche to put new life back into a very tired but structurally sound, uninspired home. This project became much like a "reality make-over show," with us stripping most of the interior and exterior. Then we dressed the house back up so that it still had the charm of the past but the conveniences of today."

"We've also just completed a very complex, custom-designed and built home for two young business professionals. The home is based on Old World traditional designs but has been finished with the excitement of modern sophistication."

Guildmaster Award Winner 2006 Guildmaster
2008 Guildmaster With Highest Distinction
2011 Guildmaster With Distinction

Affiliations GuildQuality
National Association of Home Builders
Certified Professional Home Builder
Earthcraft House
Southface
Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association
EnergyStar
Builder 20 Club
Home Builders Association of Georgia

Guildmaster Q&A

Company History

In 1969 Lawson Calhoun, Jr. moved back home to Atlanta and bought a house to renovate. Over the next 12 years, he bought and renovated several more houses and also built a new home for his growing family. Lawson had found his calling. In 1981, he left his successful career in real estate to become a full-time home builder. His company, Calhoun Properties, Inc., has since built more than 120 custom homes.

Scope of Work

The majority of the firm's work is custom-designed and built homes in the $900,000 to $2 million+ price range in greater Atlanta. In addition to five custom homes, Calhoun Properties builds a new model home each year to show prospective homebuyers new products and concepts, and to showcase its craftsmanship skills. In addition, the company completes one or two major remodeling/additions projects each year.

"We were invited to do a complete makeover of a 1950s ranch-style home. Other than some financial constraints, the owner gave both our designers and our construction team carte blanche to put new life back into a very tired but structurally sound, uninspired home. This project became much like a "reality make-over show," with us stripping most of the interior and exterior. Then we dressed the house back up so that it still had the charm of the past but the conveniences of today."

"We've also just completed a very complex, custom-designed and built home for two young business professionals. The home is based on Old World traditional designs but has been finished with the excitement of modern sophistication."

Workload and Staff

Lawson says the company tries to spread out the projects so that no two projects are starting or finishing at the same time. "These are the two most unforgiving stages of construction and everything runs much more smoothly when we keep a balanced schedule.

Besides Lawson, the firm has three full-time employees:

John Bussey, Project Manager. Throughout his entire 25 yr career, John has been involved in residential homebuilding in various roles. After college, he went to work with a national track home builder when double digit mortgage rates were the norm. As opportunity arose, he moved from production to custom building with various local building firms in the Atlanta area. A desire to strike out on his own, he started North Georgia Renovations, Inc., specializing in design build remodeling for an upscale clientele. After 15 years of remodeling, the new construction wave held opportunities that could not be overlooked. John began providing Project Management for Calhoun Properties, Inc. in fall of 2005. He has helped build the new Gates on Woodlawn Development. Working with the initial designs all the way through completion of the first six villas. John has also helped complete several of Calhoun Properties flagship products and custom properties from 1.5 million dollars. During his off time he enjoys his family and works with his church in various capacities. His hobby is music and is a professional musician. John holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Economics. He is an ICC certified building inspector and continually strives to supplement his knowledge base.

Jody Harris, Office Manager, has been with the company since 2004. She assists in all aspects of construction that can be handled from the office. She is in charge of job costing all vendor invoices, comparing them with quotes and budgets; and construction loan disbursements. She also administers the estimating and contractor pricing process. Jody received her Bachelor of Science degree in Management/ Entrepreneurship and Banking/ Finance with a minor in Marketing in 1999 from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Jody's experience includes previous accounting and office management duties for a modular and manufactured housing company. She has owned and managed her own marketing company and has an extensive banking and finance background.

Personal

Lawson P. Calhoun, Jr. is a native Atlantan. Over a career of more than three decades, he has been involved in the construction and sale of hundreds of homes as a real estate salesman, managing broker, and now as a custom builder. Besides involvement with a number of building associations, Lawson is a member of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the serves on the board of the Friends of Cobb Park and The Housing Institute.

More than 90% of your clients would recommend your firm to a friend - this qualifies you as a GQ Guildmaster. How do you earn such high praise from your customers?

Trust, understanding, and quality. I think the whole basis of this work is trust, understanding and quality. We spend a tremendous amount of time and energy before we start building a client's new home, so we can develop a level of understanding as to what expectations we all have, and the results that we desire to achieve.

We can design and build the best of almost anything, but if the house is not what the customer wants, or if the cost is not within the budget, then we have not met the client's expectations.

In our early design meetings with clients I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of listening. We need to be able to see their dream as clearly as they do if we are to create it. We also must understand their fears so that we can effectively deal with them.

As the process continues I think that we all become bonded into a unit and that there is a growing respect, understanding, and appreciation for each other.

Approach to Working With Clients

First there has to be a professional respect for our client, for without them we wouldn't have a place at the table. Secondly, I believe it is our role to understand their expectations of the entire experience. Thirdly, we work with our clients as we would friends and neighbors.

We do our best to work well with clients. We can even match them with a superintendent to suit their personality. For example, we have one client who is very nervous about the building process - we've matched her with our most genteel superintendent.

Contract Structure

Most are a fixed price contract with allowances for items that have not yet been decided upon at the time of the contract.

How do you use technology in your work?

Most of the technology that we use is what you would expect an up-to-date builder to have, including a networked computer system for accounting and project control functions. Probably the most exciting new technology venture for us is our affiliation with BuildLinks, a web-based client information system that allows our staff and clients to interact online to select materials and finishes, make change orders, and monitor the construction schedule.

Ongoing Staff Training and Development

I belong to a group of 20 custom builders spread out from New Hampshire to Texas to Oregon and Hawaii. (Lawson was the only builder from the Southeast invited to join the Builder 20 Club, which is sponsored by the National Home Builders Association.) We meet several times a year and share in each other's successes and problems. This has been an incredible learning experience for all of us. We can also bring what we learn in our meetings and share this with our staff. Several years ago we all started bringing our superintendents and project managers for a two-day session, and that has turned into a yearly event. Soon we will be doing the same with our office staff.

Education needs to be a continuous process for the entire staff, and not just for one or two people in the company.

Do you set annual goals for your company's performance - as in the number of projects?

No. We have found that not particularly useful. For us, the number of projects or the volume is not important because every project is different and every year is different.

Motivating Employees

I really don't think that you can motivate people consistently by giving speeches and holding "rah rah" sessions.

I feel that if you can select the right team members so they all have a sense of belonging, then they will play as a team and achieve large results. We have a profit-sharing program where we all share in the profitability of the company. I think that this heightens the feeling of ownership in each home we build or remodel.

Why are you a builder?

I guess that I can't help it. As a toddler I was always taking things apart, and as I grew a little older I started putting them back together and have been doing it ever since.

Building offers so many exciting rewards that I cannot picture myself not building. Not many people get to create something that will last for hundreds of years and give so many people so much happiness and lasting value.

Building is a notoriously demanding profession. How do you avoid burnout?

Several years ago I found myself getting exhausted by chasing rainbows. I was doing both the field operations and running the office. We were building about ten homes a year in three locations that were each an hour apart from the other. I think that the dog who was trying to catch his tail was having more fun than me. I was fortunate to find an excellent Project Manager to take over the field operations, which allowed me to concentrate on our management systems.

We have reduced the number of homes we build to six a year and only take those jobs that we can adequately service. While we have a demanding schedule, it is now manageable with our great staff, and life is good again.

The homes we build are each a different creation for unique individuals. Each day is so different from the next that it is almost impossible to get bored or burned out.

For relaxation, I enjoy playing with the seven grandchildren, taking trips to Key West and other exciting locations, and going offshore sailing with some close friends.

What should clients bring to the table and contribute during the construction process?  What can they do to help make the relationship a success?

The single most important item is for the client to have a vision of what their new home will be, followed by the ability to make decisions without looking back too many times. There have been times where one or two pages from a magazine have been enough for us to capture the soul of the new home.

How do you market your company?

Being a former real estate agent and real estate broker has given me tremendous exposure to the sales side of the industry. Having built homes for over 22 years has put us in the envious position of getting a large number of referrals from our homeowners and other leaders in the community. We have just launched our website www.calhounproperties.com and we publish The Calhoun Letter, a newsletter that goes out to our extensive list of friends.

What are the biggest challenges facing companies like yours in the building industry?  What are some of the challenges facing your business right now?

The most pressing problem facing us at the moment is the unprecedented instability of lumber and structural panel prices. In recent months we have seen prices increase over 34%. With these prices fluctuating so widely, it has become impossible to predict with any certainty the cost of these very important components of our homes.

Finding land on which to build has become increasingly difficult. We are having to rely more on the subdivision of the remaining few estates with acreage and tear-downs.

The insurance crisis that we have been reading about is now becoming reality for us. While we have not had an insurance claim in ten years, we have seen a 23% increase in our premiums this year and a decrease in the amount of coverage. I have builder friends in the West who are fearful that certain forms of insurance will not be made available to residential builders.

What's next for your company

We have had several past clients ask if we could build them a home on the Georgia coast. This is an exciting prospect that is being pursued. I have taken and passed the International Code Council (ICC) exam for certification as a Coastal Construction Building Inspector. While there is much more to be accomplished in this regard, we are eagerly moving forward in the establishment of a coastal office.