After many great years Jeff and hispartners decided to sell to a publiccompany at a peak time in the market.The company was sold, though theyremained active in running the MyrtleBeach Division of the public companyuntil they started Nations Homes in2000. They pursued the developmentof communities for the next severalyears until the financial crisis hit. Jeffsaid, “When the production homebuilding market crashed, I turned backto building custom homes, which iswhat I grew up doing.” He added,“What I am able to bring to the customhome market from the productionhome market is the ability to buyappliances, cabinetry and fixturesdirectly from manufacturers, negotiateNations Homes II founder and president, Jeff Skelley, in the lobby of his Myrtle Beach office.

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NATIONS HOMES II Delivering Exceptional Service & Value

Jeff Skelley, founder and President of Nations Homes II, started building in the Myrtle Beach area in 1979,coming from a custom building background in Westchester NY and Pinehurst, NC. In the late 80s Jeff sold part ofhis home building business to two local businessmen and great friends. He and his partners grew their businessthrough the 80s and 90s to become the 275th largest builder in the nation, building nearly 500 homes a year.

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Interior Designer, Rhonda Eason (far left), representing Young Interiors, Inc. & the Nations Homes IItwo in house interior designers, Denise Oaks (middle) & Sarah Cardinal (far right) in the design center.

Denise Oaks (left) & Sarah Cardinal (right) assist homeowners with the selection process.

volume pricing with sub trades, andshorten build cycles. Time is money.”

Jeff has not been alone in thesubsequent success of Nations HomesII. He has put together a great teamthat is hired for their expertise andproficiency. He noted, “Not only is itimportant that we communicate wellwith our homeowners, but it isimperative that we communicate andwork well with each other.” Thecompany culture is founded onfollowing the Golden Rule. This fostersa positive attitude, a good work ethic,and a uniform code of ethical conductthat is applied to the treatment ofcustomers and colleagues alike. Jeffstates, “After doing this for 37 years, Ibelieve I have the best employees, thebest team, that I’ve ever had.”

The Nations team includes an in-house design staff that utilizes 3-DCAD technology, unlike most homebuilders. Top-rate custom design isincluded in Nations’ building price.

Two interior designers have an in-house Design Center to walkhomeowners through the entireselection process.

Results of the design andconstruction team’s efforts are

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showcased in three furnished models.The Ocean Walk Cottages homes andmodel were designed in response tocustomers who want well-built, smallercustom homes that are slightlycontemporary; they range from 1300 to

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The Nations Homes II ‘Pine Lakes’ model. Homes built on your lot or existing lot start in the high 200’s.

The interiors & exteriors of the Ocean Walk Cottages’ homes, priced in the low to mid 200’s for house/lot packages.

2000 square feet. The model at PineLakes Estate represents moretraditional homes in the 2,000 to 4,000square feet range. The top tier modelcan be viewed in the Villa Veneziasection of the Grande Dunes, wherehomes range from 2,500 to 6,000square feet. Jeff said, “These are justthree models, but we’re building 20 to25 custom homes at any given time allover the beach, from Georgetown toBrunswick Isles, and west to Conway.We have hundreds of plans to choosefrom, and our design team has createdmany award-winning homes.”

With all this activity, clearcommunication is paramount, andNations Homes II uses BuilderTrendto coordinate thisimportant component.Joe Lesko, VicePresident of Sales andMarketing, explained,“This software program creates a portalfor our customers on our website. Wecan add comments, carry outdiscussions, process change orders, andpost progress photos.” Jeff added, “Notonly are our homeowners using this,

but our subcontractors,superintendents and material suppliersall communicate together in one placeon the selection and approval ofmaterials and color choices going in thehome. Every single person is on the same page – literally on the same page.”

Nations Homes II also engages the services of Guild Quality, an

independent surveycompany out ofAtlanta. It contactshomeowners at threetouch points duringthe process: afterestablishing a contract, midwaythrough construction, and right afterthe home is completed. Jeff said, “Thisis a tool I use to ensure that the

The interior of the ‘Pachino’ model in Villa Venezia Grande Dunes. Prices of the house/lot packages in Grande Dunes start in the low 500’s.

The interior of the model in Pine Lakes.

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Traci Miles (left) continues to be recognized as one of the leading Century 21 Realtors across theGrand Strand & the nation in terms of sales. She is an excellent example of the type of builder / Realtorrelationships Nations Homes II establishes with the Realtor community. Traci is shown here withNations Homes II representative, Kevin Surdyke, in the Myrtle Beach office.

Nation’s team is building great homesfor these folks, and that people arehappy.”

Another important partner withNations Homes II is the Realtorcommunity. Jeff said, “We work with allRealtors closely. Sixty to 70-percent ofour customers come through Realtors.They know that Nations Homes isgoing to take great care of their clients.”

Among satisfied clients are GrandeDunes homeowners Andi and JerryCrews, and Ann and Gary Lebsack,who are building in Wild Wing

Plantation. The Crews and Lebsacksdo not know each other, though theycoincidently came to Nations Homes IIin much the same manner. The Crewshad begun the process with anothercustom home builder, and due to a badexperience with a home representativethey quickly walked away. TheLebsacks knew another couple whoalso turned to Nations Homes II afterwalking away from their originalbuilder. In both cases the couples likedwhat they saw in terms of models andvalue. They especially appreciatedfeatures that are standard with NationsHomes II, but would cost extra withother builders.

Andi Crews said they met KevinSurdyke, VP of Sales and Marketing atthe Grande Dunes.”We just kind ofclicked with him. We not only likedwhat we saw in the Nations model, butwe liked what we heard from Kevin.”Andi added, “We just got such a goodfeeling through Kevin, and he wasrepresentative of what Nations Homesstood for.” They built in the Caprisection of Grande Dunes, which theylove for community amenities, thelocation, and the seclusion of their lot.

Kevin Surdyke (left), Nations Homes II VP of Sales & Marketing in Grande Dunes, established a great working relationship with homeowners Jerry (farright) and Andi Crews. The Crews built in the Capri section of Grande Dunes. “We not only liked what we saw in the Nations model, but we liked what weheard from Kevin. We just got such a good feeling through Kevin, and he was representative of what Nations Homes stood for. I think they were veryprofessional. They listened to what we wanted, which was extremely important to us,” said Andi.

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When asked why others shouldconsider using Nations Homes II astheir builder, Andi said, “I think theywere very professional. They listenedto what we wanted, which wasextremely important to us.” Jerryechoed that and added, “One of thethings I said to all of them is that whenI call you, I want you to call me back. Idon’t care about all the other problemsyou have. And every time I called, theycalled me back.” The greatest joy aboutthe experience was, “Finally getting inhere and enjoying the fruits of ourlabors,” said Andi. Their GrandeDunes home was built in less than 8months. During that time the Crewswere able to compare their experiencewith that of a daughter who wasbuilding with a luxury custom builderin Philadelphia. The experiences werevery different. Their daughter did notget the same standard features from

her builder, “Or the courtesy”interjected Jerry. Kevin Surdyke said,“Our goal is to exceed our customers’expectations at every opportunity.”They met that objective with theCrews. Andi said,”Nations was sowilling to work with us. They wanted usto be happy.”

Listening to and understandingneeds was important to Ann and GaryLebsack as well. They came to knowJoe Lesko through their friends whohad switched builders. Ann said thatJoe spent time with them on the phone(they were living in Nevada) beforemeeting him around Christmas. Annrecalled, “Joe, and even Jeff the owner,spent a lot of time with us, getting toknow what we would like in a house,talking to us about neighborhoods,available lots, and the area.” Garyadded, “Before we even signed acontract they spent time with us, they

were very helpful.” The couple sawsites on satellite and in person,discussed whether the house would sitwell on a lot, and worked through otherdetails with Joe and his colleagues. Annadded, “They gave us their expertopinion on what it’s like to build in thisarea.”

The Lebsacks visited manyneighborhoods and kept going back toWild Wing Plantation. Along the waythey changed their mind on the houseplan after seeing a Nations Home II inPine Lakes, which became their baseplan. The couple has since moved fromLas Vegas, and they broke ground inApril. Ann said, “We’re to the point thata lot is going on all of a sudden, sothings are moving right along.” Theyrecently went to a homeowners’ partyin Wild Wing Plantation where soon-to-be-neighbors asked who wasbuilding their home. Ann said people

Reprinted from Building Industry Synergy South Carolina Grand Strand Edition

Joe Lesko (right), Nations Homes II VP of Sales & Marketing outside Grande Dunes, was very accommodating with new homeowners Gary (far left) & AnnLebsack, who recently relocated to the Myrtle Beach area from Nevada. “Joe, and even Jeff the owner, spent a lot of time with us, getting to know what wewould like in a house, talking to us about neighborhoods, available lots, and the area,” said Ann. Gary added, “Before we even signed a contract, they spenttime with us, they were very helpful.” The Lebsack’s ended up building in Wild Wing Plantation.

responded, “‘Oh, you’ll be happy withit!’ Everybody we talk to is happy withtheir [Nations] home.” The Lebsacksare projected to be in their home inAugust. Beforelong they’ll betaking up golf atthe communitycourse, “That’s on

the bucket list,” Gary said. Nations Home II offers something

else – an additional eight-year warrantyfor homeowners’ peace of mind. Givenall these attributes: experience,services, warranties, referrals andrecommendations, the Nations HomesII team believes they are an obviouschoice among homebuilders. Jeff said,

“We work hard to make sure thathomeowners get the best for theirhard-earned money, and we build whatwe would like to live in.”

For more information aboutNations Homes II, visit www.Nations-Homes.com or call843.449.8900. ■

5125 North Kings Hwy.Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

www.Nations-Homes.com(843) 449-8900

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