By Barbara Pinckney<\/p>\n
Larry Clute’s plan to build 50 single-family homes along the Feeder Canal, across the bridge from Haviland Cove Beach, comes down to one word: Affordability.<\/p>\n
Clute, principal of Queensbury-based Clute Enterprises Inc., said his Haviland Park subdivision will feature homes with prices ranging from $159,000 to $179,000–a rarity for newly built houses. The homes will be built, to order, on a 17-acre parcel that runs from Bush Street back toward Water Street. It is the same property where developer Monty Liu once proposed 104 townhomes.<\/p>\n
Clute, both the developer and general contractor for Haviland Park, said his plan is for single-family, detached homes that fit into the existing neighborhood of Ward 5 in Glens Falls. Although buyers may select any home design they like, he said that, based on the market, he expects most to choose ranches and modest colonials.<\/p>\n
All of the homes will have back yards that line the canal.
\n“The setting is tremendous,” Clute said. “It is turning out better than I originally anticipated. These lots are literally situated right on the canal so it is really going to be an attractive subdivision. It is kind of tranquil in a way.”<\/p>\n
As for the homes themselves, Clute is trying to stay competitive with current demands. “Obviously everybody wants tile and they want hardwood, so we’re putting in some decent finishings that definitely fall in line with that,” he said. “But the biggest point is to try to maintain the price point–$159,000 to $179,000. We will bring the finishes in as best we can while still maintaining that price point. But I think these homes are going to finish very well. I think people are going to be very surprised.”<\/p>\n
He said because the property is narrow, there will be no common area with a pool, playground or other amenities.<\/p>\n
Affordable homes have been Clute’s business focus for about 20 years. He said that no matter what state the economy is in, there is always a need for modestly-priced houses. “The affordable home is the working man’s home, and this is a working man’s community for the most part,” he said. “It is an under $200,000 [home value] community for the most part. There is a lot of pre-existing inventory to service that price point, but not a lot of new construction. So that is where this subdivision comes into play. There is absolutely a need, no doubt about it.”<\/p>\n
Even so, the new construction market in general has been tough, nationwide, since the collapse in home sales during the recent recession. The market has yet to fully recover.<\/p>\n
“From my point of view, the struggle is not necessarily the developments I have on my plate, it’s the future developments and trying to maintain the affordability factor, because costs are just going through the roof,” Clute said. “So my whole work is trying to maintain a decent, affordable cost and it is getting more and more difficult to achieve that. So there is my stress level.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Barbara Pinckney Larry Clute’s plan to build 50 single-family homes along the Feeder Canal, across the bridge from Haviland Cove Beach, comes down to one word: Affordability. Clute, principal of Queensbury-based Clute Enterprises Inc., said his Haviland Park subdivision…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,11,49],"tags":[74,91],"class_list":["post-15410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","category-construction","category-summer-construction","tag-construction","tag-glens-falls"],"yoast_head":"\r\n