People often ask what pushed me to become a home builder. My background is in science and business, but over time I felt it was stifling my creativity. I wanted to pursue an opportunity to start my own business and create homes for my fellow Vancouverites. My passion for building homes is driven by the families who will end up living there. I am involved in every stage of my projects from land acquisition, to design, to permitting, construction, and most importantly the key handoff. Whenever possible I hand over the keys to new owners myself. That is probably the most gratifying part of my job, being able to see the excitement and opportunity a new home offers British Columbians.
I think one thing the public fails to recognize, is that many community builders are in this for so much more than profit. I was born and raised in Vancouver. I am just trying to make a living, raise a family, and help others do the same. In this industry home builders take on immeasurable economic risks, construction costs, and municipal issues to bring a home to life for British Columbians. I want to create communities where people can flourish. Whenever I start a project, I always begin by envisioning who is going to live there. I gain satisfaction from imagining who the future homeowner is going to be and then designing my project to suit their needs.
Unfortunately, many barriers make it difficult for smaller community builders like me, to create diverse home options. Land in Vancouver is very expensive which places a lot of risk on smaller companies, the permitting and approvals process is arduous and there is too much ambiguity with zoning policies. Although zoning policies can be clearly defined, push back from neighborhood residents can influence the process, and muddy the playing field for those trying to build more homes in our city.
