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| Express Yourself |
| Home Economics ... For Real |
| Making It Work |
| Stay In Tonight ... Outside |
| Thinking Forward |
| Grow Older Together |
| Come Together |
| WANE-TV Villa No. 1 by Granite Ridge Builders |
| WANE-TV Villa No. 2 by Granite Ridge Builders |
| Big Brothers/Big Sisters Home No. 3 by Slattery Builders |
| Centier Bank Home No. 4 by Granite Ridge Builders |
| New 95.1 Best FM and Fun 101 Classic Hits Home No. 5 by Quality Crafted Homes |
| Carter Lumber Home No. 6 by Bob Buescher Homes |
| Frontier Communications Home No. 7 by Star Homes by Delagrange and Richhart |
| Lutheran Health Network Home No. 8 by Hickory Creek Homes |
| Fort Wayne Monthly Home No. 9 by Timberlin Homes |
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 Photo courtesy of Granite Ridge Builders Knowing how to learn got Tony Reincke started as a homebuilder, and knowing how to educate has become a central strength in his company, Granite Ridge Builders. His love of houses and putting people into the exact house they want pulls it all together. Always a hardworking student, Reincke earned his real estate license his junior year at Valparaiso University and graduated with three degrees in management, marketing and accounting. "I love studying," he admits. And though he also loves selling houses, Granite Ridge educates homebuyers more than it sells to them today, he said. "It's pretty hard to sell something that's a piece of paper, that's new construction," he said. "That's why we built this 10,000-square-foot studio, to educate people to make that decision. I don't sell any more. I don't have to. I educate. I present all the amazing possibilities, and the people make their own decision." But Granite Ridge's success (the company has 90 employees and builds 60 or 70 homes a year), he said, requires being able to provide everything those customers need to make the numbers work and deliver a quality product worthy of being called a dream home. "I got into it because I like houses," he said. "I like selling houses, and new for me is fun because I can design, originate, create houses that people want. "My wife, Carma, is an interior decorator and the combination of the two fits really, really well." He values how homebuyers accept fewer compromises with new construction because what they want is designed into the home including location, style, space, floor plan and modern low-maintenance, high-efficiency materials. "And there are a lot of other pluses: energy efficiency, no maintenance, no worries. Satisfaction can be a lot higher," he said. "You just need a staff that can do all of this for a buyer." 1. Why are you in this Parade of Homes and Lifestyle Show?We are eager to show new products, new technology, new skills, new colors, new choices, and this is an opportunity to show them in an environment where you live rather than in an exhibit. And it's not just us but also our trade partners who get to show their skills and ideas and new products. 2. What's the biggest change you've seen during your career as a homebuilder?If you really want a big change, it's interest rates dropping from 18 to 3.5 percent. You want to think about what that affords people. It's astounding. People love stats. Take a $200,000 home. At 18 percent for 30 years, the payment is $3,014.17. At 3.5 percent, the payment is $889.09. That's what people were paying back in 1979. Even with adjustment for inflation, it's astounding. That's a big change. 3. What lesson did you learn early and still find valuable today?Here's what I found out: I also wanted to get people into the right house. In existing homes, it's a finite amount of possibilities for a buyer. If 300 homes are on the market, you only have 300 homes to show. With new construction, it's infinite. Whatever your client can dream, if you have the knowledge and background on how to design and the ability to decorate for people, that combination is amazing. |
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