From the President’s Desk: Shining a Light On 2020 and the Bright Year Ahead

In a year that looked like nothing we’ve ever experienced, perhaps we take the most pride in just how hard we worked to make it feel normal for our homeowners, valued partners, and the greater Richmond community.

We created Virtual Homebuying options that seamlessly recreated the Model Home experience on laptops and smart phones. We successfully led our third St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, which by all accounts, was the most successful to date. We also launched vibrant new communities throughout Central Virginia — welcoming even more homeowners into our StyleCraft family.

Like many others, very few wins have come easily this year as we’ve been confronted with some unique challenges. Working through them has required tenacity, patience, and creativity from all involved — including StyleCraft homebuyers who may have recognized these challenges during their building experience. We’re still learning and growing as we enter 2021 with new, innovative ways to overcome these obstacles alongside our trade partners.

Here’s a look back at 2020 and a look forward at 2021, as I see it…

ANTICIPATING YOUR EVERY MOVE

It’s one thing to build a home that accommodates your routine on the day you move in. It’s an entirely different thing to design a home with the flexibility to grow with your family through the years and milestones, elevating your lifestyle at every turn. This is precisely what we do at StyleCraft — and it’s what we hear homebuyers want now more than ever: built-in versatility at every phase of the homebuilding and homeownership experience.

Here are the unique ways in which we made this happen:

• Building in Flexibility: In our numerous conversations with homebuyers this year, one thing is certain: what we want and need from a home is changing. It makes sense; never before have we spent more time in our homes, imagining the changes we would make to transform them into an ideal refuge. Homebuyers are seeking Flex Rooms that can become home offices or homework areas, and outdoor escapes — from backyards to outdoor living spaces — are also on the list. Fortunately, we check a lot of these boxes already at StyleCraft. But that won’t stop us from exploring novel new ways to meet homebuyer needs.
• Redefining Simplicity: We recently launched StyleCraft LiveSmart, which provides homebuyers convenience, comfort, connectivity, and security through cutting-edge features and functionality. Now each of our homes comes complete with a user-friendly Video Doorbell, Smart Lock, Smart Thermostat, and Home WiFi & Connectivity Hub — all of which add up to a smarter home and simpler living.
• Taking our Queues from Homebuyers: Throughout the year, StyleCraft has worked to ensure the safety and well-being of all homeowners and homebuyers, trade partners, and communities as we adapted to changes associated with the global pandemic. Our efforts to overcome these challenges and uncertainty included holding virtual appointments with future homebuyers, becoming Zoom experts, and launching an online platform for scheduling private appointments.

Keeping in close touch with homebuyers also led to the launch of more townhomes and similar multi-family communities. With this in mind, we successfully opened The Overlook at Hancock Village, a first-of-its-kind community for StyleCraft. Featuring two-story condos and a convenient location, one of my predictions for 2021 is that they won’t stick around long.

GROWING THROUGH IT ALL

Despite the obstacles thrown at us all this year, we never slowed down. As an essential service provider, StyleCraft marked another year of robust growth. Sure, it looked a little different. But by following CDC guidelines, participating in safety training, and adapting to the circumstances as needed, we were able to welcome new homeowners to the StyleCraft family without compromising our signature craftsmanship or customer service.

• The Overlook at Hancock Village: Our new two-story condo community has brought excitement and a fresh look to its convenient Chesterfield location. With low-maintenance living, 1-car garages, and a prime location near Hancock Village Shopping Center, we expect to welcome a good number of homebuyers to The Overlook at Hancock Village as 2021 kicks off.
• Iron Mill: Our first Chester offering brings a little bit of everything to the table. We built both the Townes at Iron Mill (an ideal landing spot for first-time homebuyers) and Villas at Iron Mill (single-family homes for 55-plus homebuyers) in an established community. The result? We welcomed a record-setting number of new homebuyers and we’re ready to welcome more to our new sections of fresh homesites in the coming year.
• Mosaic at West Creek: Speaking of sales records, 2020 was a year to break them and set new ones. From the day we opened Mosaic at West Creek, there has been record-setting interest. Thanks to overwhelming demand of our first homesites, they sold out and we are already preparing our VIP list for the next section of homesites, set to open early 2021. When you listen to the Starr family rave about their new home, it’s easy to see why Mosaic at West Creek is such a hit.

DOUBLING DOWN ON GIVING BACK

Supporting our Central Virginia community with our time, resources, and financial contributions has always been a big part of the StyleCraft culture. The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is a hallmark of this commitment, and this year’s massive undertaking brought in more than $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (You can relive the Giveaway and see the winner’s heartwarming story right here.) This year, we were compelled to look for new ways to support our neighbors in need. And when the opportunity arose to sponsor the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program alongside our friends at NBC 12, we simply couldn’t pass it up. This holiday season, we quickly discovered that bringing joy to children in need across Greater Richmond increased our own joy manifold.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re heading into 2021 having built a ton of momentum. We’ll have a lot of news to share throughout the coming year, including new communities from the City of Richmond to Chesterfield, that we’ll be opening for VIP lists. In the meantime, here’s a peek at some communities that will be opening soon:

• Village at Miller’s Lane: Our highly anticipated Henrico townhome community has built an impressive VIP list. With a location that’s just minutes from downtown Richmond, floor plans designed with open living spaces, and refreshing affordability, the Village at Miller’s Lane will surely be an in-demand community.
• Kennington: Located in King William, we’ll be bringing both townhomes and single-family homes to an established, amenity-filled community. While Kennington Townhomes will offer modern, affordable townhomes, Kennington Single-Family will offer spacious homes with open floor plans. We’re building the VIP list for Kennington Townhomes today, so be sure to secure your spot ahead of the crowd.

If 2021 is the year for you to purchase a new home, we invite you to call our dedicated sales team at 804.206.8088 to start your home buying journey.

Lastly, I’d like to thank our team, homebuyers, trade partners, and the entire community. Despite all of this past year’s unique challenges, the generosity we’ve shown each other has not dimmed one bit. Here’s to an even brighter 2021.

Live Up,

Richard Kuhn
StyleCraft Homes President