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 FOR OREGON TIMBERPEG® INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVE TOM OWENS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS PART OF THE PROCESS Oregon custom homebuilder Tom Owens of Rogue Valley Homes wasn't looking for a new job when he and his wife, Montie, attended a TIMBERPEG® Open Home. He just liked the looks of Timberpeg® homes and wanted to learn more.  Timberpeg®, though, is always on the lookout for good people and Tom fit the bill. So after some consideration, Tom joined Timberpeg® as an Independent Representative and built his first Timberpeg® in 1998. As Tom explains, "The Timberpeg® people are really good. They back you 100 percent. I always have two or three sources to go to for help. In my experience Timberpeg® always delivers on time, and on the rare occasions when there is a problem, they handle it quickly and to everyone's satisfaction."
Tom points out that the housing market in the Rogue Valley area is "consistently growing." At least half of his Timberpeg® projects are for retirees, and most of his leads come to him through the Timberpeg® referral system. "My customers are fairly specific about what they want," says Tom, adding that most people want "more than they need" when it comes to size. His typical Timberpeg® home is approximately 2,500 to 3,000 square feet and built for two people. "I like working with people," says Tom. "I like to give them what they want, and I work hard to help them understand the cost of the things they ask for. It's my job to tell them." In recent years, Tom's noticed a move toward building more energy-efficient homes. He encourages his clients to consider efficient heating systems and points out that the Timberpeg® system has always come with an extremely solid energy package, including insulation. Extreme energy efficiency is something Tom has noticed in his biggest project to date — his own Timberpeg® home. Completed just over a year ago, it's a 6,400-square-foot energy-efficient marvel. 
As he explains, "The new house faces southwest to take advantage of passive solar. When we moved from our smaller home (2,400 square feet) to this, I ended up paying the gas bills for both homes for a while, so I had the opportunity to compare. Our older, smaller house cost me eight cents per square foot to heat, while the new Timberpeg®, with an open floor plan and more than twice the square footage, cost only two cents a square foot to heat in February 2007!"Tom says he's learned a lot about the Timberpeg® process during his 10 years of building homes for others. It's given Tom and Montie plenty of time to settle on the features they most want. "We've always liked Timberpeg's post and beam system. The warm wood just soaks you right in and it's nice and comfortable," he says. The new home has given Montie a place to show off her considerable decorating skills. And it's become Tom's show house as well. "It's an awesome house," he comments. "I love to show it — and share it when the kids come to visit. I must show it at least twice a month." In the end, Tom's biggest hope is that when he's finished with a project, his clients are as proud of their homes as he is. "I want to see my customers get the home they wanted," he says. "After all, most of them remain my friends long after their Timberpeg® homes are completed." |
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