Houston developer crowdsources plans for new condos, townhomes

Written by Surge Homes | Feb 3, 2015 5:47:00 PM

For original news article, click here.

After weeks of input and several in-person consultations, Surge Homes Development LLC is ready to move forward with its residential projects in Houston.

As the Houston Business Journal reported earlier, Surge Homes is introducing a new design-build approach to construct 10 residential projects inside the Interstate 610 Loop.

Instead of building what they felt the market wanted, founders Louis Conrad and Ben Lemieux decided to work intimately with potential homebuyers to build single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums in prime neighborhoods like downtown, The Heights, Midtown, Museum District, Spring Branch and Upper Kirby.

Call it crowdsourcing your condominium, if you will.

The Houston-based developer surveyed 740 registrants on its website about their preference for floor plans and home type as well as the interior and exterior designs for each of the 10 locations. These "Insiders Club" members were then invited to become "VIP" members by putting a $1,900 deposit down to guarantee a first pick at a Surge home at a discounted price. During the first day of presales in late Janurary, 34 homebuyers put a deposit down and chose their finishes from a wide range of cabinet, flooring, tile and lighting option.

"We're all about figuring out what people want," Conrad said. "The feedback that we got was amazing."

Surge Homes found that its interested buyers were looking for a wide range of home types and price ranges, from $140,000 for a condominium unit in Midtown to $1.5 million for a single-family home in the Heights. From its feedback, the developer is changing several floor plans and architectural designs inside and outside its condominium projects.

At several locations, Surge Homes allowed its VIP members and Insiders to decide between a condominium, townhome or single-family residence.

The developer had planned two condominium projects in Midtown: a three-story, 63-unit building on Crawford Street and a six-story, 186-unit building on Main Street. However, buyers said they wanted townhomes on the Crawford Street site instead, because the parcel is near a light rail line in a more pedestrian neighborhood. Buyers still preferred condominiums on Main Street in Midtown and on Jackson Street downtown, Conrad said.

At Surge Homes' Museum District location, the developer was planning to build a six-story, 55-unit condominium project on Caroline Street. However, buyers wanted townhomes and single-family homes on the site instead, again because of the walkability of the neighborhood, Conrad said.

Armed with this buyer input, Surge Homes will begin to finalize its designs and blueprints on its projects. Construction is expected to start in the fall, and the first units are expected to be delivered in fall 2016.

Surge Homes plans to start construction on five of its 10 projects initially, ramping up to the full 10 projects over time, Lemieux said. Although falling oil prices have given some multifamily developers pause, Lemieux said Surge Homes is moving forward.

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