9 minute read
Building Happily Ever Afters with Musser Home Builders,
The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg (HBA) will host a hybrid in-person and virtual Parade of Homes event running September 24 through October 2 where people can explore new homes and home renovation projects that showcase the work of local builders and contractors. Many of the homes are available for sale and staff will be on-site at each home to provide information and answer questions.
There is no cost to partake in the Parade of Homes and projects are available both virtually and in-person. The parade kicks off on Saturday, September 24, at 11 a.m. Weekend hours are 11am to 6pm and weekday hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A full listing of dates and times can be found on www.paparadeofhomes.com.
“The PA Parade of Homes has been an annual fan favorite since 1995, showcasing the best new residential home designs and floor plans, latest advances in technology, and beautiful home décor trends,” explains Kristi Walsh, Executive Vice President of the HBA. “Expanding upon the virtual concept we presented in 2020, we are excited to continue offering both virtual and in-person tours allowing the event to be accessible to as many people as possible.”
UGI has partnered with the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg as the Presenting Sponsor to produce the Parade of Homes. Both organizations share a passion and commitment for helping people live, work, and play comfortably in Central PA.
“UGI is pleased to sponsor The PA Parade of Homes Event,” Robert Stoyko, UGI vice president of marketing and customer relations, said. “As the natural gas provider for the Greater Capital Region, we salute the accomplishments of our builder partners and are proud to share the latest trends in building construction and renovation.”
After touring the home projects, people can vote online in the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s People’s Choice Awards to choose their favorite overall home. Everyone who casts a vote will be eligible to win prizes sponsored by local businesses and the HBA.
“For homebuyers, the annual Parade of Homes provides a terrific event to view the quality work of local homebuilders and to see some of the latest features and trends in homebuilding,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “For homebuyers in need of financing, we want to remind them that the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency offers affordable home loans to make their new home purchase a reality.”
For more information about the 2022 Parade of Homes, please visit: www.paparadeofhomes.com.
happily Building ever afters
By Lucy Score
Every year, my partner Tim and I would pack the car with snacks, water, and family members then plot out the most efficient route to tour as many Parade of Homes stops as possible.
We oohed and ahhed over spectacular staircases, encouraged strangers to stand in cavernous tile showers with us to see how many people could fit, and salivated over finished walkout basements, all while fantasizing about someday building our own dream home.
Little did we know our happily ever after was closer than we thought.
DREAMING BIG
A lifelong, avid reader, I began writing romance novels as a fun hobby to escape how dreadful I was at my actual real-life job. One book became two, two became three. Now seven years later, I am a full-time author with thirty of my own novels on my bookcase.
With the success of my books, Tim and I soon had the resources to build the kind of home we’d fallen in love with during Parade of Homes.
This is the story of how we met a builder, fell in love (with their company), and moved into our dream home…
THE MEET-CUTE: HOW WE MET ‘THE ONE’
We’re lucky in this region to have several quality home builders to choose from and Tim and I already had a short list of custom builders who had impressed us during previous Parades. The plan was to “speed date” each builder on the list and then choose the best fit.
Our first appointment was with Musser Home Builders, a family-owned company that has been in business for fifty years. We met with Jeff Musser, company president, at the dreamy farmhouse-style Dillsburg headquarters. It was love at first sight. Well, it was for me, the starry-eyed romantic. Tim, the steely-eyed realist, was cautiously optimistic. Jeff was open, charming, and honest. It was clear that he treated his employees like family. And with half a century of building relationships with suppliers and contractors, the company was well-positioned to weather any storm… including a pandemic.
I was sold.
Jeff’s teeny, tiny dog Sophie with little bows on her ears helped seal the deal for Tim. [Disclaimer: Manly man Jeff insists Sophie belongs to his wife Beth.] Well, it was that and Musser’s fixed price contract, which means there are no hidden costs or price escalations once the contract is signed.
We didn’t bother scheduling “dates” with any of the other builders on our list. We had already found “the one.”
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Musser Home Builders approached our design process like the getting-to-know-you phase all new couples embark upon. Although, unlike a new couple, the team was less concerned with our favorite movies and food allergies and more concerned with our thoughts on geothermal (yes, please!) and the depth of the front porch (deep enough to stretch out and read—or write—a book).
continued on next page
Jeff and a designer came to our pre-dream home house and sat down with us to talk about what worked (home offices on separate floors, first floor master) and didn’t work for us (the extra skinny, extra deep pantry cabinet that camouflaged all canned goods until after their expiration dates).
The entire plan was crafted around how Tim and I lived our lives. From our morning routines, to how we entertained to how we relaxed at the end of the day, every detail of the plan solved a problem or made it easier and more convenient to go about our day.
They also included a few heart-warming “easter eggs” just for us. Our closet is in the shape of a heart, a nod to my author logo. And my office is hidden behind a secret bookcase door. Shh! Don’t tell.
Designer Carrie marched us through selections in a way that kept things fun and exciting, not eye-twitchingly stressful. Before we knew it, everything from flooring to trim had been picked. And this was all done prior to signing the contract, which meant we had the most accurate pricing possible.
It was clear to us that this wasn’t a one-size-fits all build to Musser Home Builders. It was a one-of-a-kind dream home designed and built just for us. And that’s how they approach every one of their projects. Our Must Haves: • Perfect spots for the Christmas tree and the litter box • First-floor master or an elevator (We ended up with both.) • Powder room with actual privacy • Two large offices • Gigantic laundry room with a large island and access to the garage • Home gym • Living room big enough to hold large chunks of our extended families at one time • Swimming pool
FALLING IN LOVE
Ground was officially broken on a frigid day in
February and just like that, everything that had existed only on paper began to take shape before our eyes. We visited the site almost every day of the ten-month build and, in doing so, were lucky enough to meet many more members of the Musser Home Builders family.
Our foreman, Zach, was endlessly patient and knowledgeable. When a late season hurricane rolled through dumping eight inches of rain on the region, he was on-site at 10 p.m. to make sure our newly drywalled basement didn’t flood.
Seeing it all come together in real life was like living a dream. Every room was bigger than I’d imagined. Each selection more beautiful and more “us” than we remembered. The enthusiasm of the crew over details like the custom mahogany ceiling for an upstairs bedroom and the three-story open staircase was infectious. They were just as excited as we were to see our home taking shape.
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Just as promised, we moved in a week before
Christmas. The first personal item through the door was the Christmas tree, which did indeed have the perfect location.
Since then, we have been blessed to share our home with an endless parade of friends and family. My mother’s 70th and Tim’s 50th birthday celebrations were held here. My brother’s family enjoyed a poolside staycation this summer. And we were honored to host an open house for the Musser team so the crew could show off their incredible craftsmanship to their families.
Our relationship with Musser Home Builders didn’t end there. They also walked us through the first several months of home ownership, answering our questions, troubleshooting on the rare occasions it was required, and coordinating any additional work necessary.
So, it was a given that we called Musser Home Builders when it was time to tackle the basement bar project. It was also Musser we contacted to expand the patio. And it will be Musser we reach out to when I convince Tim that we need a pool house.
Each time I drive up our winding driveway, I think back to all those Parade of Homes I was so excited to tour through the years. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I get to live out my own happily ever after in one of them.
When it comes time to build your own dream, I hope you’ll give Musser Home Builders a call.
Making home dreams come true every day.
Centric Bank offers the highest level of personal service when you’re ready to buy your first home, refinance or build the custom home of your dreams. Call us at 717.657.7727 to speak with one of our mortgage specialists or visit CentricBank.com.
Personal service & attention throughout the mortgage process Competitive products & rates Ask us about 0% down solutions!*
$500 off closing costs* when you present this ad at time of application!
717.657.7727 | CentricBank.com
*All credit subject to approval. Offer ends 12/31/2022. Valid for Secondary Market Mortgages only. Not available for open-end credit. Loan must close by 12/31/2022 to receive $500 off closing costs. NMLS #690920
Celebrating Fifty Years
garmanbuilders.com
