The economic collapse of 2008 and its aftermath have presented character-testing challenges to many Americans. Especially negatively affected has been the residential construction industry, where many of my friends and colleagues have not survived economically. In many areas of the country, including my Metropolitan Memphis market, real estate values remain unsustainably low. This has created a stressed relationship between the costs of new construction, where prices have marched blithely ahead, oblivious to prevailing headwinds, and the below-cost prices markets seem willing to bear for new home projects.
Some of my erstwhile quality-conscious homebuilder competitors have responded to this problem by offering the market what it seems willing to pay for, i.e. lower quality at lower prices. I am penning these thoughts today to pledge that this will not be the response of MH Akers Custom Homes to these daunting challenges. This is not who we will allow ourselves to become.
This Is Who We Are
While most building contractors, even so-called “custom builders”, fall into the “production builder” category, MH Akers Custom Homes has always been committed to being a “best practices” custom builder. Over the past thirty-plus years, following in my father’s footsteps, and starting with modest but well-built homes, I have dedicated myself to better preparing myself, year after year, to arrive at the level I find myself today, where we build the best and most challenging custom home projects in our area. I frankly have never been interested in the mediocrity of production quality construction and will not allow the current circumstances to lower my high standards. I pledge to my clients that MH Akers Custom Homes will continue to tenaciously adhere to our overarching principles of pursuing excellence through best building practices and of protecting our clients’ long-term best interests, believing that the most appropriate and least expensive way to accomplish any task is to do it properly the first time.
This Is Our Mission
Our mission is to create properties of enduring quality and beauty for our clients. Our belief is that the only way to accomplish this mission is through the steadfast application of sound, time-tested techniques and principles of the building and architectural arts. To that end we strive to employ craftsmen who take great pride in their work and who have diligently honed their trades skills over time. We seek out talented and certified engineers and architects and strive to faithfully execute their work according to their technical drawings and architectural visions. We are diligent in our efforts to identify and utilize materials and equipment known to perform their functions well and trouble-free over the very long run. Lastly, we are committed to making every project a property that contributes in a meaningful way to the quality of the built environment as a timeless reflection of the good stewardship of our clients for their community.