"When better homes are built, Holmes will build them."
That motto was voiced by Joseph Holmes, who started building houses on the plains of Kansas in 1890, and it serves as the watchword for his ancestors who still are building houses as Holmes & Associates.So far, the Holmes family has built about 4,000 houses in the Salt Lake Valley since 1936, and the firm currently has several subdivisions going up in what the fifth generation of Holmeses believe is a strong market.
Mike, Patrick and John Holmes, part of that fifth generation, tell stories of how Joseph Holmes (1848-1928) built homes by using horse and mule teams to dig the foundations.
The house-building tradition was passed on to Edward D. Holmes (1892-1977), John Harvey Holmes (1915-1986) and to brothers John E. Holmes and Michael H. Holmes, who currently run Holmes and Associates. Young John is John E. Holmes' son, and Patrick and Mike are Michael H. Holmes' sons.
With the "better homes are built" motto in the backs of their minds, Mike, John and Patrick are working on their goal of being the biggest homebuilders in Utah.
To accomplish that goal they are relying on hard work learned from their relatives and the mastery of the tricks of the homebuilding trade that allows them to get a job done better and faster.
"You don't last that long in the business without knowing how to keep up with the times, how to get the most from subcontractors and how to build the best house in every price range," Mike said.
As youngsters, Mike, Patrick and John can't remember not being involved in the house-building business. "We did the framing, swept basements, put on the subfloors and soaked the dirt in garage floors so the concrete could be poured," Mike said.
The family's latest venture - Prescott Estates, 11000 S. 1650 East, Sandy, is far from the plains of Kansas.
Phase 1 of the subdivision includes 12 houses, and Phase 2 is comprised of 22 lots taht were started two months ago. And Mike Holmes says there will be future phases as well.
Prescott Estates features homes of part brick or stone and part stucco exteriors with dimensional roofs, three-car garages, outside lighting and full rain guttering. Everything a customer sees in the model home is standard so "they aren't nickel and dimed to death with extras," Mike said.
The houses feature fireplaces, decks, two-toned paint, microwave ovens, island kitchens and cathedral ceilings. The homes at Prescott Estates are on lots with a minimum of 10,000 square-feet, and the ramblers, multilevel and two story houses are built on lots that have between 2,400 and 3,500 square-feet. Those lots cost between $165,000 and $220,000.
Another Holmes & Associates subdivision is Rolling Hills at 11800 S. 1800 East. That subdivision features houses similar to those in Prescott Estates. Rolling
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Hills has 14 lots of between 1/3 and 1/2 acre each. Houses there are priced between $180,000 and $240,000.
Two already are sold, and some are being built on speculation. The Holmeses don't hesitate to build on speculation because they believe it is a strong market in a growing area.
Mike said 50 percent of his customers are newcomers to Salt Lake City, and the remainder are locals who have lived in a starter home for six to eight years and need more space because of growing families.
In the same general area, but less pricey, Holmes & Associates is working on Cottonwood Place at 10900 S. 700 East, where homes range from $90,000 to $135,000 for several different floor plans. With 1,200 to 2,000 square-feet in the houses on lots ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 square-feet, the subdivision only has three houses to sell in Phase 1 and 18 lots will be sold in Phase 2.
Another small subdivision developed by Holmes & Associates is Moore Estates at 7500 S. 800 East where houses range from $120,000 to $155,000 for the eight lots in Phase 1.
At Pepperwood, 10900 S. 2300 East, Holmes & Associates has completed three houses and joined with Wardley Better Homes and Gardens Corp. for the marketing.
Mike said one of the reasons for his company's success if the quality of the work by subcontractors, many of whom have done work for Holmes & Associates through several generations.
These days house-hunters are looking for tile counter tops, tile or wood floors in the eating area of kitchens, tile back splashes in kitchens, plenty of bedrooms, island preparation areas in the kitchens, plenty of windows, French doors, few straight walls with pop-out areas, nine-foot ceilings, paneled doors and basements with large windows, Mike said.
A company spokesman said, "We want people to say `Wow!' when they walk into one of our houses."