From Our Family to Yours

Soundbuilt Homes
Written by Robert Hoshowsky

When he founded Soundbuilt Homes, Gary Racca had a vision of becoming one of the preeminent builders in the Pacific Northwest. Today, almost forty years later, Racca and his team have been behind the construction of well over five thousand homes and counting, and much of its success comes from its long-held values as a family-owned enterprise. Soundbuilt Homes’ provides the best quality possible at a reasonable price.
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Soundbuilt Homes operates throughout King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties, in fifteen to twenty new communities at any given time, unlike many home builders in Washington State. From its headquarters in scenic Puget Sound, the company provides a tremendous amount of choice to buyers from first-timers entering the market to those looking for larger houses matching the needs of their growing families and empty nesters wanting to downsize. The company is known in the industry for its many years of home building expertise, professionalism and customer service and is pleased to offer many floor plan choices, along with the right locations and a promise of quality that is second to none in the industry.

When working closely with home buyers, Soundbuilt’s new home design consultants present design choices, instead of taking the standardized approach used by some homebuilders. “We try to provide a lot of variety,” says Chief Operating Officer Kurt Wilson, who has been with Soundbuilt for fourteen years.

“So if somebody wants to buy a Rambler or they want a master bedroom on the top floor or on the main floor, we have those plans. We have plans that fit the needs of families, two families sharing a home, empty-nesters, and people who need a home office. We try to incorporate a variety of plans in the neighborhood in an effort to meet the needs of all customers.”

Soundbuilt Homes builds about 200 homes per year in various submarkets, but its homes typically range from three to five bedrooms. Since the company builds for a range of purchasers, average prices range from $250,000 to $900,000. By presenting homeowners with choices, Soundbuilt has fostered many relationships since it was founded in 1980, including with buyers who have acquired more than one Soundbuilt home over the years.

The company conducts itself with integrity, respecting its many satisfied buyers and its long-standing and trusted relationships with carefully-selected contractors, suppliers, and other partners. Soundbuilt Homes treats customers, suppliers, craftsmen, contractors, and associates like family.

“A number of our contractors have been working with us for over twenty-five years,” says Wilson. “They are strategic partners, and we value them. We provide a lot of workflow; we pay timely; we have a very streamlined production schedule, and we partner with these folks to meet the needs of our customers.”

For many of us, purchasing a home represents the greatest investment we will ever make. Realizing this, the team at Soundbuilt Homes helps buyers every step of the way, from their first meeting to discussing design plans.

Its website provides a wealth of information on communities and designing and personalizing a new home. To make the entire process as easy as possible, Soundbuilt covers questions asked by buyers from what the first steps should be to selecting the right home, design options, the construction process, timelines, and much more.

Soundbuilt is also able to assist new homeowners with financing. The company has secure, time-tested relationships with two well-known and respected lenders that understand and appreciate the needs of purchasers.

“These lenders not only have great loan and service programs but they are very familiar with Soundbuilt Homes and our sales and construction processes,” according to the company.

For buyers, working with Soundbuilt and its trusted lenders provides many advantages. Depending on the type of home mortgage, a down payment may be as small as three to five percent, with military veteran purchasers being eligible for zero down mortgage loan programs. By working with preferred lenders, new home buyers are better able to understand every aspect of financing such as budgeting, payment schedules, and additional factors they need to know to meet their long-term goals.

Once a buyer selects a new home and loan approval is secured, the process of personalization begins. This can include paint colors, fixtures, and other features.

Soundbuilt answers questions about key subjects before, during and after the purchase of a new home. It also offers downloadable resources such as its homeowner’s manual, which offers valuable tips on maintenance and home care. The company’s 2-10 home buyer’s warranty covers workmanship, systems, and structures.

And for existing homeowners about to sell their properties, Soundbuilt’s sales team works with clients to make certain sales are streamlined so they can move into their new houses on time.

The company is not just about building communities; it is an integral part of those communities and is active in numerous charities. It continues to follow the path created by founder and owner Gary Racca and always gives to local charities, schools and Children’s Hospital as well as sponsors local sports activities for children.

Soundbuilt worked in partnership with the Master Builders Association of Pierce County, Washington in creating the House for Hope. A substantial amount of labor and materials were donated to construct a home. Once sold, proceeds went to the Master Builders Association and Communities In Schools. “That was a very successful project,” says Wilson of the endeavor.

The company readily acknowledges that it is important to be flexible and keep up with the times in all areas of business. It has worked in the construction sector for almost four decades and advertised in print media in the past. However, much of today’s promotion comes through a very strong and successful online presence across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Of course, word of mouth from satisfied home buyers has been an excellent means of making potential customers aware of Soundbuilt’s quality.

“Soundbuilt receives referral business from past home buyers and local real estate brokers because we don’t have an inside sales force; our sales agents are all outside brokers,” comments Wilson. “They have a good experience working with us and refer other customers. We have a strong brand in the market.”

Soundbuilt looks forward to the years to come and working with customers to see their goal of home ownership become a reality.

“The quality of our homes really sets us apart. We provided tremendous value compared to our competition as far as the standard features we include in our homes. We are very competitive in the marketplace and try to provide features homeowners are looking for as standard without having to pay to upgrade those homes further.”

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