Sarasota’s SCENE Magazine featured Steve Ellis, co-founder of MGB Fine Custom Homes, who shared information on the Florida housing market, green home certification, and the driving philosophy he and his partner created for their flourishing company.
Ellis and Grant Castilow opened for business in 2006, and managed to turn a profit throughout the real estate downturn, a rare feat for a veteran company, let alone a new business. They credit their success to focusing on green certification. In the company’s infancy, Castilow and Ellis primarily retrofitted and renovated homes to make them more efficient. They developed a reputation for building green homes, and soon two prominent area physicians asked them to build waterfront custom homes to Leeds Custom Standards, the highest green certification possible.
After developing high level contacts, they moved naturally into fine custom home building, and currently work with some of the most renowned architects and designers in the area. MGB now maintains exclusive building rights for Granada Park, an ideally located luxury home community near Siesta Key, and the firm has built four homes there to date that have sold for over $1 million.
Though many of their clients don’t expressly desire green housing, it remains a staple in MGB Fine Custom Home projects. The reasoning behind this is simple: according to Ellis, green homes use fewer resources and thus cost less to maintain and insure. Ellis and Castilow are in the business of making homes that last. With minimal upkeep, green technology is a natural partner.
A Mission to Make Dreams Come True
Driving the partners’ success in homebuilding is their underlying philosophy that every customer should get what they want, and in a timely fashion. Ellis likens custom home building to getting a tailor made suit – albeit with over 200,000 pieces. Instead of multiple fittings, customers receive weekly updates on the process. They only work with the area’s most experienced and knowledgeable professionals. Project managers at their firm, for example, have a minimum of 35 years of experience. Communication and accountability creates a culture of integrity and mutual respect, which shines through in every custom product.
That philosophy is paying off, and the future seems bright for MGB Fine Custom Homes. Six separate waterfront custom homes are currently underway, sold, or under contract.
MGB Fine Custom Homes offers a combination of experience, seamless communication, and streamlined processes to help each customer bring their vision to life. If you’re looking for a home that offers all the comforts of exquisite craftsmanship, and a design that’s built to last with minimal upkeep, look no further than the qualified hands of Ellis, Castilow, and their team.