2011 TABA Parade of Homes

Just ask a builder, a homeowner, a realtor or the thousands of visitors who make touring the Tyler Area Builders Association’s Parade of Homes™ an annual tradition. David and Linda Melton have toured the Parade for the last 10 years. Mrs. Melton smiles as she sheepishly admits that she has kept a scrapbook of ideas from all the houses she has visited over the past decade. She snapped pictures if builders allowed it or scribbled notes to herself every time she saw something she liked.“We would always pick and choose from what we saw,” she says. “There were a lot of things we wouldn’t have thought of on our own, but we would go and see them and think, that’s a neat idea.” Mrs. Melton particularly likes boxed ceilings and walk-in showers. Over the years, the Meltons also became quite familiar with the builders and their work. “When we would go on the Parade, we would usually look at the more modest houses. Then, as a thrill, we would pick one or two of Jason’s houses,” Melton says of Jason Campbell of Campbell Custom Homes.

Just recently, the Meltons were given the opportunity to build on the family’s old homestead in Troup. The couple jumped at the chance and, after 32 years in the same home in Whitehouse, they pulled out the scrapbook. And when it was time for them to start building their dream home, they already knew who to call.

Campbell has been building Parade homes for years and recognized the Meltons as regulars on the Parade. Although it’s off the beaten path, Campbell approached the couple about building their home as a Parade home. “We never thought we would get to be in the Parade,” they said.Their house will be included in the upcoming Parade of Homes™ this June 4-12. Mrs. Melton is looking forward to having her boxed ceilings and walk-in shower. “Maybe someone will get some ideas from looking at our house,” she says.

The first Parade of Homes™ was held in Tyler in 1953 as a way to showcase better building techniques. In the 1950s, these new state-of-the-art homes featured air conditioning and carports or one-car garages, as well as slab foundations instead of pier and beam construction. While many of the original homes may have been ahead of their time, homes and homebuilding have come a long way since then. Homes on the most recent Parade have featured everything from media rooms with movie theatre seating to solar panels and green building techniques that can reduce energy consumption to almost nothing.

Another couple looking forward to the Parade this year is Mark and Brenda Cox. Their Parade home in the Oak Hollow subdivision is being built by Kevin Humphrey Homes and will feature some of the most innovative ideas in building today. “The people contracted to work on our house not only put their best foot forward to showcase their work, but as Parade homeowners, we feel like they have presented us with innovative ideas that they may not have used or tried on other homes,” the couple says. “We were very open to relatively ‘first time’ things – the Arizona/California stucco, fiberglass/cement slab, whole house water filtration system, dual energy with multiple filtration A/C and heating…”

The Coxes say they are also Parade fans and, like the Meltons, often visited the homes looking for the latest and most innovative ideas for their home. When it was time to build their dream home, they knew Humphrey’s qualifications and selected him right away. When they had to make the decision whether to participate in the Parade, they say that decision was an easy one, as well. “It was particularly attractive to us to know exactly when the house would be finished,” they say. “Also, we felt like participating in the Parade ensured that everyone who worked on the house would be motivated to do their very best, because the house would be a reflection of their skill.”

Builders agree that the Parade is the best way for a builder to show the public what he or she can do. “A Parade house is the ultimate showcase,” Campbell says. “We build the house the same way as our other houses, but a Parade house will have all the amenities. All the vendors give discounts on appliances, fixtures, windows, doors, flooring, countertops – all so they can be featured in a Parade house.”

With thousands of visitors each year, builders and suppliers work to pack these homes with the latest products that have just reached the market, but have not yet reached the mainstream. A Parade home will typically have the newest features in many different product categories. Many products in a Parade home are also upgraded to the next level of quality but invoiced at the original lower price. This can include big ticket items like heating and cooling systems all the way down to the smallest details like decorative hardware and trim. This increases the quality of the home without increasing the price. The result is craftsmanship and innovation that create that “wow” factor and leave a lasting impression on visitors.

Carlton Edwards of Carlton Edwards Builder and Designer, LLC, added that the greatest benefit to builders is the exposure the Parade offers. “It is the best opportunity I know of to showcase your work,” he said. “There is nothing else that could generate the volume of traffic in one of your homes that the Parade does.” Humphreys agrees. “The Parade provides a relaxed setting to talk with people and give them a chance to learn more about my company and what we can provide them,” he says. “Second only to customer referrals, the Parade is the best source for future business for my company.”

But creating a home that is the pinnacle of what a builder can do takes a lot of work and perfect timing. It all starts when a builder or a builder and client agree that the home they are going to build should be a Parade home. The builder then involves all the subcontractors and associate members of TABA in the project. It may take months to plan and design every detail of the home. Actual construction may last up to six months more. And all of this must come together at just the right time because the home must be complete, including landscaping of the front yard, by the first day of the Parade. But once the Parade is over, a Parade house never loses its luster.

“One of the client’s benefits to having a Parade home is the ability to market the home in the future as a ‘Parade Home’ when it comes time to sell,” Edwards says. Even 20 years from now, a buyer looking at a Parade home can be assured it had all the extras when it was built. “It certainly has prestige to it,” Melton said of the Parade. “Over the years, when we were looking at houses for sale and we’d see a former Parade home – you’d know it was something special.” But the Meltons, who are finally getting to pick every detail of their new home, swear they’ll never let go of their Parade home. They are looking forward to the extra space and those special features they’ve pulled from the scrapbook. “We won’t sell this house,” they said. “This one is built just for us.”
The 59th Parade of Homes™ will be held June 4-12. Hours are Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays 2-6 p.m.; Monday-Friday 6-9 p.m.; and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. A portion of the proceeds will benefit PATH’s Children’s Programs and Azleway Boys’ Ranch.

For more information, please call (903) 561-3964 or visit
www.tylerareabuilders.com. Images provided by Krantz PR.